“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.” Ephesians 5:15
I found this historical picture to prove that people were “online” before the current generation’s addiction to being online occurred. Truthfully, people are online more than ever. I even heard a news story today where an NHL hockey coach said he now has to text his players because they never answer their phones.
Time moves forward. Before the word of God was recorded in writing, the stories of faith were shared around evening campfires. Before there were television sets with ‘rabbit ears’ in our homes people heard the news and were entertained by radio. And once upon a time we had a collection of vinyl circles called records that we had to purchase at a store but now we pay for streaming services, which allow us to listen to almost any music ever recorded anywhere in the world.
The times do change, and we adapt. Here at St. Paul’s, we have one of the most outstanding, informative, and up-to-date church websites anywhere (thank you Denise!) stpaulsalive.org. Our Facebook page is looked at by people from around the world. I received a message from one out-of-state Facebook viewer who wrote that she was “moved to tears” as the church family came forward to pray over me.
Whether we like it or not, being online is a reality that is never going to go away unless some new technology takes over. Online connections and communication are the most effective way to reach people, so it is very important that each of us shares St. Paul’s online sources with our friends and families!
As the summer season arrives, I want to challenge each of us who has a FACEBOOK account to at least once a week SHARE something that is posted on St. Paul’s FACEBOOK page. It can be as simple as hitting share for our Sunday Worship service or our Wednesday Communion service. SHARE because perhaps one of your friends, like some of my friends, will start to worship with us online because they have no church they call their own. Perhaps by sharing something from St. Paul’s another person may come to discover that having Jesus Christ in their lives matters.
If you need help connecting online or are not sure how to share FACEBOOK postings or how to share our website just ask someone at church. Many of us would be more than happy to show you how to become an online evangelist!
Pastor Dave