Turn on your smartphone in church on Social Media Sunday, October 25

Last spring I had the opportunity to attend a forum, Journalism in the Age of Smartphones, featuring a panel of professional journalists who launched their careers between 1970 and 2010. One panelist, Marc Fisher, now Senior Editor of The Washington Post, noted that with the invention of the printing press, communications moved from the marketplace to a small, elite group. Now, with the invention of smartphones, communications has moved back to the marketplace.

In other words, thanks to recent advances in technology, we can all broadcast to an audience now. This has exciting implications for churches wanting to share the good news. And that leads me to Social Media Sunday on October 25.

Started by an Episcopal Communicator, #SocialMediaSunday became a national event on June 29, 2014, primarily but not exclusively within Episcopal churches. (See Episcopal News Service’s article, #Episcopal ‘Social Media Sunday’ a digital invitation.)

This year #SMS15 on October 25 is an ecumenical effort. All are welcome an encouraged to participate. You can find out more about it in the Social Media Sunday Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/SMS15) or on Twitter (www.twitter.com/hashtag/sms15).

The idea is elegantly simple. When you post on social media about books you’ve read, restaurants in which you’ve dined and movies or shows you’ve watched, you’re letting your friends know something about yourself and what’s important to you. If church is part of your life and important to you, why not post about that?

It’s very easy to be a “social media ambassador” for your church on October 25 – simply post something on any of the social media you use to let your friends know you went to church, and where. For example:

1. Post something brief about an aspect of the service that speaks to you. This can be text (a status update, an evocative quote from the sermon) or visual (a photo or even – if you’re ambitious – a short video). There’s no shortage of visually appealing things in church – stained glass windows, icons, altar flowers, smiling friends at coffee hour.
2. If you're posting on Facebook and your church has a Facebook page, use the Location icon (  ) to tag it in your post.  You can also simply check in to your church's Facebook page when you arrive that morning.
3. If you'd like for your post to be included by those following Social Media Sunday, include the hashtag #SMS15.
4. If you’d prefer not to use your device during the service, post before or after. A status update or tweet that says something like “Off to worship at St. Swithin’s Episcopal Church” or “Went to St. Swithin’s Episcopal Church this morning, now I’m ready to face the week” will do just fine. Just let your friends know you went to church!

If every single Episcopalians who's on social media posted one single thing about attending church on October 25, imagine how many millions of people they would reach with that witness – so put those smartphones to use!

In the words of St. Teresa of Avila, adapted by church social expert Meredith Gould (@MeredithGould on Twitter):

Christ has no online presence but yours,
No blog, no Facebook page but yours,
Yours are the tweets through which love touches this world,
Yours are the posts through which the Gospel is shared,
Yours are the updates through which hope is revealed.
Christ has no online presence but yours,
No blog, no Facebook page but yours.