Comments for TJs Thoughts

Comment on 10 tips for Using Facebook For Your Ministry by Debbie Scott

Debbie Scott — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:55:36 +0000

You so smart! Love you son!!

Comment on 10 tips for Using Facebook For Your Ministry by TJ

TJ — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 04:09:27 +0000

Thanks!!!
Elaboration of #4: When you set up your page, you can set up an address for where you meet. With this feature, people can “check in” with their smart phones, and tag pictures that say where they were taken. It gets the word out that people are actually THERE. Many times what happens is people will check in anyway, even though your address isn’t set up with Facebook. When this happens, a “place” is created where everyone else checks in. All you have to do is merge it with your existing page (Read the instructions CAREFULLY or you will lose your page – I learned this the hard way!).

Elaboration #9: You can have someone who knows how to do HTML/web design create a landing page for your facebook page. I’ve never done this, but I’ve seen it done effectively. Alternatively, in your settings you can set your default landing page to be one of several things, like Photos, info, or the wall. Here is something more on this: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-landing-page-2011-03

Thanks for your additions!

Comment on 10 tips for Using Facebook For Your Ministry by Jim Whaley

Jim Whaley — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 04:00:16 +0000

Great Stuff right here! Without a doubt, I believe Facebook is one of the greatest ministry tools of the 21st century. And, these tips are seriously the tip of the iceburg! If I may, here’s a couple of thoughts and additional ideas!

1.) Tip #5 is brilliant! When you post a status update to a ministry page, keep it simple. Guaranteed to have better impact!

2.) TJ, if you would, please go into more detail on your Tips #4 & #9.

3.) Encourage your church members/attenders to post something on ‘their’ Facebook page encouraging their friends to attend your church/ministry. When they do, have them put a link in their post back to the church/ministry page. I’m continually amazed at how much coverage a ministry can get when their members/attenders post about the services!

4.) When you do post a status update, ‘keep it real’. Don’t over use ‘religious or churchy’ words. And it’s OK to put up posts concerning other community events as well!

5.) Create a Facebook Event when your church/ministry is having something BIG to promote. Don’t over use this, however…less is more!

Thanks for allowing me to share! I can’t wait to hear from others!

Jim Whaley
H2O Collegiate Church Pastor/Campus Ministry Director
Tiffin University
Tiffin, Ohio
@jimwhaley

Comment on Bruised by sis howsare

sis howsare — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:46:26 +0000

Tj,
You made Mother Howsare proud! Great article. So good to see how God is using you. Walk on!!!!
Love,
Sister Howsare

Comment on Embrace God’s Grace by firevolutionow

firevolutionow — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:58:44 +0000

Good WORD!

Comment on What’s next?… by TJ

TJ — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:58:10 +0000

Thanks Dean! You’re a blessing!

Comment on It’s Enough to Drive a Man to Drink by dean

dean — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:29:28 +0000

great treatment of a difficult topic! my thinking on this has evolved over the past several years. i used to be pretty dogmatic about “no drinking anywhere anytime for any believer.” but the bible clearly states that it’s DRUNKENNESS that is the problem, not merely drinking. now, i’m still pretty dogmatic about it for ME. i drank a long time prior to being saved, and there was no moderation involved in any of it. so, for me, best not to drink at all. every believer has the Spirit living in him, and the Spirit will convict each one in regard to this (and all matters). and just because the Spirit has convicted me that i should not, doesn’t mean He will convict all in like manner.

Comment on What’s next?… by dean

dean — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:20:39 +0000

wow… i should log on to twitter more often! first time in months and this here news is what’s goin on! will be praying for you guys as you step out in this new area of ministy!

Comment on Hurry, hurry, hurry… by TJ

TJ — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:12:55 +0000

Trevor, I agree with what you are saying here and in the blog post you pasted here. If evangelistic efforts are set in a way to draw regular attendees from the group or congregation they have been faithful to, it’s counter productive. We have to focus our efforts on reaching the lost, not the found.

My point is regarding the circus act so many churches who tout the gifts of the Spirit in operation without using those gifts for their deeper purpose. What your comment is saying does however give weight to another post I’m working on. Thanks for the comment!

Comment on Hurry, hurry, hurry… by Trevor

Trevor — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:39:34 +0000

You’re right.
I think the use of “hooks” that resemble a county fair is short-sighted at best, and self-defeating at worst (not to mention the problem of bait-and-switch).

First of all, you can’t maintain that type of entertainment value from Sunday to Sunday (if you can then your church needs to seriously take a second look at their distribution of resources).

Secondly, the majority of visitors for that kind of event at a church are kids from other churches. That means you spent a lot of money to host a few kids who blew off their primary environment (where another adult volunteer most likely prepared a lesson in their scare free time during the week) to be at your one-hit-wonder environment. If that kid enjoys himself then you’ve actually opened the door to family strife as he/she pesters their parents to bring them back to your church even though the family already belongs to another church. Even if the parents give in to the student’s request, the student was won over with a hook that didn’t give an accurate portrayal of who you are or what you do. So when they show up a few weeks later, they actually leave disappointed.

Paint the picture any way you like and it doesn’t add up to a good strategy (not to mention use of time and resources).

The only hook the church has is this:
We are a group of people who worship God. We think the way that Jesus modeled is a better way to live. We didn’t always worship God, though, so we accept you as you are, just as we were accepted by God and one another. You are more than welcome to join us as we discover what it means to live our lives in the image of God.

And in these times of loneliness, depression, paranoia, greed, desperation, and fear, we might just find that that’s enough.