Meredith Gould's newest book, The Social Media Gospel, is now available in print and as an ebook. Her insights as the creator of #chsocm (church social media), her work with numerous faith groups, and her training as a sociologist have resulted in a book that's full of practical advice, resources and tips for social media sophisticates or newbies. Here's my interview with her about why she felt compelled to write this book and how it can help those in faith and advocacy groups as they form and participate in communities.
You emphasize that The Social Media Gospel is a “why to”
rather than a “how to” book. Why?
Although I'd already been involved
with social media for a while, I discovered Twitter when The Word Made Fresh: Communicating
Church and Faith Today was published in 2008. From there I swiftly slid
down a slippery virtual slope to Facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest, Instagram,
Vine…and a slew I tested in beta and rejected.
At first, I was fascinated by how
this stuff works – how to set up accounts to function well and then how to
manage multiple accounts across multiple platforms. Once I got comfy with the
tech, I found myself thinking more about why
social media works as a tool for communication in general and community
building in the world of church.
By 2011, there were plenty of books
for the church market about how to set up and manage social media. I didn’t
want to write another one of those, in part because functionality changes so quickly.
Also, I was troubled by how church and faith-based organizations were using these tools without quite thinking through the strategy and tactics for doing so. Net result: I wrote this book about why and when to use social media.
So then, why should churches or faith groups use social media for ministry, especially those geared toward the disability community?
As you know, Ruth, access is an
important issue for me and not just because I know and love you! As someone
with a “hidden disability,” I've gone through periods where there’s absolutely
no way I could do anything that required hauling my physical self to church. No
surprise that I'd include a chapter titled,
“Reaching Out to Special Populations” in The
Social Media Gospel.
I love how social media provides ways
to reach people who cannot attend building-based worship, faith formation classes,
or social events. Tweets from worship and gatherings; Instagram images;
Facebook groups for scripture study; group boards on Pinterest – these are just
a few ways churches can connect. But getting to tactics and tools requires a
level of consciousness about the broader issue(s).
In the "Thought Bytes" at the end of this
chapter, I ask readers to ponder whether the social media tools they choose will
welcome people with disabilities and generate more participation. Let us pray
for more conversation and consciousness!
In your work with churches, do you see any increase
in using social media to reach those who may traditionally have been excluded
due to lack of physical access?
Alas, no. Right now leadership seem
to be pondering the basics of church communications and it’s a sad-but-true
factoid that people with disabilities don't top the list of key “audiences.”
Some churches believe putting in a
couple of “handicapped” parking spaces is enough. Far too many are shocked when
I tell them to make their websites more accessible for visually impaired
visitors. One of my ministerial missions is to help churches understand that
social media is a practical way to be ethical and, uh, live the Gospel.
Since social media is highly
experiential – people don’t seem to really “get” it until they either see it
working or use it themselves – we'll (once again) need to demonstrate its value
for including those who have been excluded due to lack of physical access.
Any predictions about when this might happen?
After everyone in the known universe
of church buys and reads my book? Kidding. Seriously? I think we may be
approaching a tipping point in this domain.
Aging Boomers, a cohort that retains
its activist proclivities, are starting to experience the realities of physical
restrictions. They/we are also embracing social media, so I'm hoping that these
formerly able-bodied folks will connect the dots and join disability activists
in demanding access. In addition to expanding access
itself, social media is perfect for making these issues more public.
Where is church and faith in all
this? For Christians the conversation must be anchored in the commitment to
feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, heal the sick, and lift up the
brokenhearted. For Jews the conversation
must be anchored in the commitment to tikkun olam (i.e., repair the world).
Closing thoughts?
I want your readers to know that you got me into blogging. You wisely saw
that it would support my other writing. You also provided real-time technical
support when I was freaking out about how to set up my very first Blogger
account and Feedburner options. Look
what you hath helped wrought!
Also, I want your readers to know that I’m convinced that there’s no way I could have ever written The Social Media Gospel without your input and support. Do not edit that sentence out.
Don't want to wait for Amazon? Order directly from Liturgical Press.
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