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Helping
Churches Help Families
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Connie Neal is available
to speak or teach workshops at your church on any of
the topics she covers. Currently she is focusing on
teaching parents of teens and church workers how to
manage MySpace and Christian social networking sites
for the good of the family and the church. If you are
interested contact: Susan Yates at 714-285-9540.
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MySpace* and Your Ministry
… as easy as 1…2…3
By Connie Neal
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You can help
your people make positive online connections like
no other organization. Why?
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They trust
you and already turn to you for guidance. As
technology touches their lives and especially
the lives of their children, they will need
guidance to make the decisions that the popularity
of emerging technology (such as social networking)
will force them to face.
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Their
personal connections are already affiliated
within your congregation Therefore, transferring
those groups and interpersonal connections can
be replicated in the world of social networking.
All they need is someone in your leadership
team to show them how and where to connect.
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Your leaders
can think through the safety concerns and unfamiliar
risks to make going online or connecting through
online social networking safer and more spiritually
and personally profitable for your people than
if they were to explore it on their own.
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The technology
is emerging so quickly that we, church leaders,
need to think through the implications and applications
together.
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Great
leaders within the local church and structure
of your denomination can be empowered by learning
to use the new technology to accomplish their
established mission and goals. However, this
will need to be implemented in a way that links
the conceptual online sites with the real people
who look to you for leadership. Online training
is great if your people are already comfortable
with the technology; however, those who are
not tech-savvy need help learning those skills.
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Even great
leaders within the church will need help grasping
the positive possibilities of the emerging technology
and the new dangers that arise because of misuse
of the technology. The new dangers require immediate
updates of procedures. For example: The popularity
of teens using social networking sites – whether
MySpace or a Christian site – is a magnet for
sexual predators. As MySpace as sites like it
upgrade their ability to screen for an catch
predators, those predators will look for less
closely monitored sites or sites where teens
are more trusting. So Christian sites may be
particularly appealing. Given that teens may
let down their guard in what they perceive to
be a safer situation, they may tell what church
they attend. What’s the problem with that? If
the church has a web site, or the youth group’s
calendar is posted online, any predator could
go from locating a teen or child he’s attracted
to on a social networking site, to the church’s
site, to the calendar of events. He could perhaps
find out when the youth group is planning to
go roller skating, when, where, and show up
– or God-forbid, call and volunteer to chaperone.
The new technology demands that we in the church
rethink how to protect our teens and kids from
evil.
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This will
most likely require starting within the framework
of the mode of communication people are already
most comfortable with – face to face, person
to person communication. I am available
to come to your denominational conferences,
youth pastor’s conferences, women’s ministry
conferences, pastor’s conferences and so on
to personally explain how your church or ministry
organization can help your people become empowered
by the new technology to accomplish your mission,
rather than being frightened or overwhelmed
by it. I can also speak directly to the teens
(having been a youth minister for ten years)
and to the parents (currently being a parent
of a teenage son and daughter), and having a
degree in Communication I will tailor my presentations
to the specific needs of your denomination,
church congregation, or online community. See
www.connieneal.com
for information about me, my books, contact
and booking information.
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The church
has the most direct connection to families, and
families to individuals.
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Many people
in your congregation, organization, or denomination
will be experiencing a felt need to deal with
technology that touches their children and teens.
We have seen this with the burgeoning concerns
over MySpace and social networking sites like
it. They may turn to you for help on this.
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Parents
are motivated to learn because of the urgency
they feel as a result of pressure kids and teens
are putting on them to participate in social
networking, along with the real dangers. This
interest and motivation can be used to shape
the use of the technology for good instead of
evil. However, the church must MOVE QUICKLY
to meet these urgently felt needs and answer
the burning questions before our families turn
elsewhere to find the guidance they need NOW.
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MySpace
for Moms and Dads: Understanding the Risks and
the Rewards
http://www.connieneal.com/myspace/my-space-for-moms-and-dads-book.htm
was written
not only with the parents and teens in mind,
but also the church and family organizations
that may want to work through the book with
the parents in their congregation or organization.
Even if the leaders “get it” we need to help
those God has given the responsibility for overseeing
their own family – that would be the moms and
dads – make the transition to using the technology
that touches their lives for good.
Conclusion: Ephesians
5:15-16 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live--not
as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity,
because the days are evil.”
As the people to whom we minister are made aware of
the evil being perpetrated through emerging media, it
is our privilege to show them how to be very careful,
how to manage the technology wisely, and how to make
the most of the amazing opportunities that are emerging
along with the technology.
God chose us to
live in this generation with the powerful possibilities
being unleashed through emerging technology and social
networking sites. Let’s make the most of it and help
the people connected to us, those who trust us for guidance
to make the most of it for themselves, their families,
their church congregations, and God’s kingdom. If I
can help, please let me know. All God’s best to you
and those to whom you minister. ~ Connie Neal, Author
of MySpace for Moms and Dads
Connie Neal
Connie Neal is sought by secular and Christian media
as an expert on the intersection of parenting and pop
culture. A parent of two teenagers, she also has a decade
of experience as a church youth worker and BA in communication
from Pepperdine University. Connie has authored dozens
of books including: What’s a Christian to Do with Harry
Potter? featured in Newsweek and The Gospel According
to Harry Potter featured in Time, Christianity Today,
and Entertainment Weekly. She has also created videos
and curriculum for parents and teens. She toured as
a guest speaker with Women of Faith.
Author Website:
http://www.ConnieNeal.com
http://www.MySpace.com/momsanddads
http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310277439&QueryStringSite=Zondervan
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