“Social Media and the Church” Study: Brief Description

The Problem:

It seems like everyone from Best Buy to Aunt Emma is using Facebook, Twitter, blogs—all sorts of social media.  If that is the case, it seems reasonable to think that churches can use these tools as well. But is a church Facebook page really the same as a Facebook page for Pepsi or Garth Brooks?  There is currently very little data that examines how churches are using social media and what benefits and sacrifices accompany this venture into high-tech ministry.

The Solution:

We know that churches are full of creative and motivated ministers and  communication specialists, each with his or her own stories of success and failure when it comes to social media.  We are hoping to compile those stories to get a better understanding of how US churches are currently using new media in ministry.

The Study:

Dr. Peggy Kendall, a faculty member in the Department of Communication Studies at Bethel University and Kirk Livingston, a free-lance writer and social media marketing expert, in a study that hopes to get a better handle on how churches are using social media.  The first step in this study is a short survey being distributed to churches across the country. The second step is follow up interviews with pastors and communication specialists to better understand underlying principles related to using these new technologies in ministry.

The Benefit:  Once the data is compiled, the findings will be presented at the biennial Converge convention in Washington D.C. in June.  Resources will also be made available that will help churches more effectively use and evaluate their use of social media.

Your Help:  We are asking that you or the person in charge of using social media in church ministry take approximately 15 minutes to complete an online survey.  

The survey can be accessed by clicking HERE

Thank you so much for your help.  If you have any questions concerning this study, please contact Dr. Peggy Kendall at p-kendall@bethel.edu