New Year’s Resolutions, Facebook Jesus and a Radio Interview

I have been so blessed to be highlighted on Arizona’s Christian Talk Radio three times in the past few months. Last week I was asked to be part of a new project and was able to talk about the book “Facebook Jesus: Using Facebook to Build and Grow a Church”. I had a great time sharing and encouraging the listeners to use Facebook as a venue to reflect Christ to their worlds.

A lot of friends outside of the Phoenix area didn’t get a chance to hear it, so I went ahead and got you a copy to hear. Click below and enjoy…

Radio Interview: GP Hintz on Arizona’s Christian Talk Radio

Please keep praying that God will use this book to help people shine bright for God.

Until next time!

GP

If you wanted to hear the last two interviews, you can hear them here: 

Interview 1

Interview 2

Top Ten Reasons Every Church Should be Using Facebook

There is a great book out there that can help the church grow Exponentially. Most of the population uses it… but we may have not thought about it as a “church growth” vehicle. It is FACEBOOK!

Let me break down the TOP TEN reasons that every church should be using Facebook from the book “Facebook Jesus: Using Facebook to Build and Grow a Church“.

Reason #1: Everybody is doing it! Duh! That’s right. There’s nothing like some good old fashioned peer pressure to start the reasons off. However, this is one time where this peer pressure is good because it leads us into…

Reason #2: Facebook gives you the potential to reach millions with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth which has the power to set people free and bring hope and salvation to the world. Jesus called us to “Go into the nations of the world” (Matthew 28:16-20) and there is no easier way to touch every nation right now than through technology. Technology has opened up the world to us.

Reason #3: Communication is the key and Facebook makes it easy. Getting the word out to your church congregation has never been easier. With a few simple key strokes you can inform your entire congregation about an upcoming event, special announcement or a change to the schedule. Not only that, but it also helps with…

Reason #4: Gaining feedback from your congregation. What do the members of the church really think about the current sermon series or the next location for the youth summer camp? Facebook opens up the doors of communication wide and allows you to keep your finger on the pulse of your congregation.

Reason #5: It allows you the ability to share the vision of the church through photos and videos. Words can’t capture the life of your church as well as pictures and videos. However, videos are hard to add to a monthly newsletter that is sent out to mailboxes across your city. With Facebook you can share the life of the church visually with only a few clicks of the mouse.

Reason #6: Building Relationships. Your church website is a one way street that leads from the staff of a church to the members of the church. Anyone who tries to travel the wrong way down that street can get ran over. Facebook opens up a superhighway of conversation as staff can talk with members and, more importantly, members can talk with staff and other members to develop deeper bonds and relationships with one another.

Reason #7: Gain synergy and momentum. There is no greater way to keep the momentum of your church moving throughout the week than a lively discussion on Facebook. It gets the ball rolling and keeps it going as the flames of interest are fanned from the leadership and the members that are involved in the discussion through comments.

Reason #8: It’s fun! If you are new to Facebook, you may be scared silly right now. It looks like so much work, but I promise you that in a very short amount of time, you will be enjoying the fresh interactions as you watch the church grow in a greater community and you are able to shine God’s light to so many people.

Reason #9: Your staff gain a personality and a voice. There are many people who are working hard to grow the church and the more interaction that they have online, the greater the reward is for the entire church body. The members of your church want to know that they can contact the pastor or the youth leader if they need to talk. I am still perplexed at how many times I have called and left a message for a church leader or staff member and have NEVER been called back. With Facebook, direct contact is opened between the staff and the members of the church. This will pay off in HUGE dividends as your church grows.

Reason #10: It’s FREE!!! Yes, that’s right… free. You don’t need to pay anything. If those reasons aren’t enough, you need to know that most of your congregation is probably already hanging out there. For absolutely no financial investment, you can begin to have a profound impact with those in your community and, ultimately, those around this globe. So, what are you waiting for?

To read more, buy the book in paperback or Kindle format by clicking here. 

Facebook Meets Church: A Match Made in Heaven

Facebook and Church? Can they be used together? I say… ABSOLUTELY!

I’m not going to give you a play by play historical breakdown of the history of Facebook. For an incredibly accurate rendition of its birth feel free to watch the movie “The Social Network” or consult Wikipedia (sarcasm intended). All you need to know is that Facebook was birthed from an idea to develop a way to link people together and have them grow in community with one another.

Now, with that simple definition, I want you to think about the vision of the church. Is there a similarity between the purpose of Facebook and the purpose of the church? “Building community” and “Growing community” are both goals of Facebook and the church. “Linking people with one another” is both a goal of Facebook and the church. “Developing a venue to share ideas and life” is both a goal of Facebook and the church.

These two things… Facebook and the Church… have many of the same goals at their core, but our ultimate goal as a church was made crystal clear through the mouth of Jesus before He ascended into heaven when He called us to “make disciples”. The question comes in… “How can the church use Facebook to reach and disciple more people in fulfillment of the Great Commission” (Matthew 28:16-20)? Can the church use this modern technology to help fulfill this central command of Jesus?

I can answer this question quickly with a resounding “YES!” In fact, I believe that God can use this technology in great ways to reach many people with the Good News of Jesus. It can be a tool to reach people, disciple people and mobilize people to change the world.

I recently asked a simple question on my personal Facebook page which said…

“Has Facebook affected your spiritual life in a positive way? If so, how?”

The replies came quick and they varied greatly. Here are a few examples.

“Brandon: By friending you. True story. Film at 11.” (What a Dork!)

“Jessica: Yes, because that is how I found out about THE PLACE (the church that we pastor)”

“Marla: Yes. I love reading inspiring stories that people post. Music, Bible quotes, things going on at THE PLACE! Prayer chains… really helps to keep the spirit going strong.”

“Tara: Helped. It holds me more accountable to post things that are aligned with my faith walk. I also agree with Marla.”

“Justin: I have met new people from THE PLACE and whenever ur having a bad day they are always there to post good stuff and lift up your mood.”

“Brandon: Tara… I really hope folks don’t hold me accountable… I have a feeling I’ve posted some terrible things on here! Lol!” (Dork…Again!)

As you can see in this small sampling from a simple post, Facebook has affected these lives in an incredibly positive way. There are thousands more that are represented by you and the many eyes who are reading these words right now. There are so many people wading in the waters of Facebook that have the potential to be incredibly impacted by you and your church… if you only knew how.

For some step by step transformation skills or to move from a Facebook Ignoramous to a FB Ninja… check out the book “Facebook Jesus: Using Facebook to Build and Grow a Church”. It will get you moving quick!