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The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, which Keith pastors, has evolved a more personal, relational digital ministry over time. They first came to social media in 2006 when Keith began posting the manuscript of his weekly sermons on a blog. This was mostly for his own use. It was an easy way to categorize, archive, share, and search sermons.

Two years later, just as Facebook was becoming popular, the church council established four strategic goals for the congregation. One of those goals was improving church communications. A small group spearheaded the effort. Keith built a new church website and Redeemer pushed further into social media, creating a Facebook page, Twitter feed, and using iTunes, YouTube, Constant Contact emails, and multiple blogs to share not only sermons, but podcasts, adult education programs, and the latest congregational news. Over these last three years, Keith and the congregation have used just about every type of social media available. Altogether, they have provided a robust platform to connect with people within and beyond the congregation and share God’s grace. Like many of the people and ministries profiled in this book, Redeemer’s experience with social media has been one of thoughtful experimentation. Some of the brightest ideas—like a blog with resources for nurturing spirituality—have petered out, and some things started on a whim—like a 2-Minute Bible Study on YouTube you’ll hear more about in Chapter 3—have surprised with how strongly they resonated.

The most important lesson in digital ministry is that people want to connect personally. Thus, although you are a priest, pastor, or other minister, and use social media in your ministry, the content you share should not be just about church or faith. Keith, for instance, shares updates about family life, his passions for web design, running, social media. And, he increasingly uses the social geolocation platform Foursquare, which we’ll describe in Chapter 3, to check in and tell a story about where he is and what he’s doing both as a pastor and as a human being in the world more generally. Elizabeth, on the other hand, tends to share updates about political and artistic interests, about life in Northern California, and, of course, about her dog—a gracefully aging Akita named Maya—along with gleanings from her research, teaching, writing, and involvement in the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Réal.

Sharing your story and your passions, being present and active in social media, humanizes you. This is a great gift for ministers, parishioners, seekers, and other conversation partners. People learn about what a clergyperson or a lay minister does during the week, but they also learn that a ministry leader is a person with a life beyond church. These other interests also provide easier points of entry and encourage more dynamic connection than you’d get with a link to your sermon blog or church events calendar.