What is X-24 Europe? How to take Social Media to the Next Level
What is X-24 Europe…answers may vary from, “I don’t have a clue!” to “Isn’t it an X-Box game?” to “A new European alliance.” to “Oh man, I know this.” X-24 Europe is a global exercise recently carried out using social media to test communication of emergency information.
This is an intriguing idea that is getting some global traction. If you are interested in reading more on the topic you can check out any of the following links:
Japan crisis showcases social media’s muscle.
If this type of subject is not really of interest to you and you just want to know where I am going with this post, then here is the point.
Social media is being used for more than just a repository for a “brain dump” or in some cases the “lack of brains dump.” Yes, there will always be those people who think we care about what they are doing every moment of the day – what they are eating and how bored they are, etc., but social media is being used for so much more.
My point is this: How are we using it in our ministries to do more than announce events, send a person bears or join a farm?
What can we do with social media that will take our ministries to the next level? Don’t get me wrong, I am all for using it as a basic communication tool. I presently use multiple tools including email, texting, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more recently our Word of Life Online Quiet Time Community. I think each of these serve a purpose in basic daily communication; but what else can be done with them?
I would like to suggest three ways to take social media to the next level in our ministries.
- Use it in discipleship as an additional tool for strategic communication. This is not to take the place of one-on-one contact, but it can reinforce your relationship and help with accountability.
- Use it as a prayer conduit. Just as the X-24 exercise was designed to get emergency information to large numbers quickly, have a plan to do the same for prayer. (Check out the Online Quiet Time being released in June by Word of Life, as it has this built-in component.)
- Use it to share the Gospel. I know that some social media formats will only lend themselves to whetting the appetite, but others will allow you to share the entire plan of salvation. I love hearing stories of people coming to Christ through these sites.
What are some of the ways you have taken social media to the next level in your ministry?
