HANDS HEADLINES

Chances are that if you know a high school or college aged young person, he or she has an online Facebook account.

www.Facebook.com was recently measured as the 7th most frequently visited web site in the United States. They have over 17 million members.

Of note to Campus Crusade is the fact that Facebook.com is the most popular and pervasive site for American college students. Recently the Global Technology Office conducted a day long Focus Group with some Christian students involved in the local chapter of Campus Crusade at the University of Central Florida. Our purpose was simply to learn from the “experts” – the most knowledgeable users of the site. To say the least, it was an informative time! Here’s a fraction of what we learned:

For many students actively involved in events on campus, Facebook is much more than just a playground for social networking. Christian groups and students in general are using Facebook.com for ministry, including . . .

• Communication access to a vast majority of the entire campus population
• Publicity for outreach events
• Organizing and managing Bible Studies
• Instant communication amongst various sets of friends and acquaintances
• Sharing prayer requests
• Voicing opinions with a Christian world view
• Displaying favorite Scriptures (see example on my profile)

All of that said, I’m on Facebook, how about you?.

A while back, my friend Keith Seabourn commented on a research report prepared by the Barna Research Group. The report and Keith’s comments are very insightful to the future of the church and ministry in America. Here is the link to the article and an abridged version of Keith’s comments:

I found this report interesting as it explores how people share their faith:

http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=181

Near the end of the report, is a paragraph (red emphasis is mine):

“Young adults are much more likely to share their faith through ongoing discussions with friends and through e-mail and instant message conversations than are middle-aged and older adults,” Barna explained. “They are less likely to engage in means that their generation finds offensive, such as street preaching or moral confrontation. The early signs suggest that the emerging generation – the Mosaics, who presently are in their early twenties down through early childhood – will continue along this vein. Ministries seeking to prepare people to effectively share their faith in today’s society would advance the process by enabling young adults to carry on knowledgeable conversations about the substance of the Christian faith and how it affects all dimensions of a person’s life. The ability to relate biblical principles to current issues and personal struggles – that is, to interact beyond the level of simply ‘getting saved’ – will be crucial for the future of effective outreach efforts.”

I find both of these very interesting — an increasing likelihood of young people sharing their faith, but also a growing need for a good grounding in biblical worldview for those engaging in evangelistic activities.

Keith