My friend and former youth ministry coach, Terrace Crawford, has written a great book about the need for social networking within the church. The book is called #GoingSocial. In the book, Crawford seeks to unlock the door to social media for pastors and church leaders, especially those that have been overwhelmed or underwhelmed by the rise and popularity of social media. Before diving into any specific avenue of social media, Crawford makes the case for why pastors and church leaders need to engage in social media. In the end, Crawford shows the reader that it is absolutely necessary to have a presence in some form of social media.
As he moves along, the author gives an accurate, balanced description of the major players in social networking, including Facebook, Twitter, blogging, and YouTube. While the explanation of how to create accounts and basic features appeals to an audience with very little or no social networking background, I, an experienced user of social networking, was still able to find nuggets of information that will prove helpful in my own social networks.
Overall, the intended audience for #GoingSocial is the pastor or church leader that has not spent much, if any, time on social networking. As an experienced social networker myself, the book at times was below my working knowledge; however, I still believe it is a very important book. Many churches and pastors have little to no presence on social networks, and they are the gathering places of our time. Terrace Crawford takes the large step of getting involved in social networking and breaks it down for all to understand and follow. Finally, Terrace Crawford helps to remind all pastors and church leaders that lives can be changed through the power of social networking.
I encourage you to find a copy of #GoingSocial and glean it for all the knowledge that is inside. In addition, you can connect with the author of the book, Terrace Crawford, on twitter (@TerraceCrawford) or on his blog at www.terracecrawford.com.
