Online Girls' Ministry Basics

Calling all techno-phobics! 

I came across an article yesterday that I thought you should read. Normally, I just send you the link, but since it's written by John Cade, who works for LifeWay in the student area, I decided to give you the whole article, with its own girls' ministry slant. :-)

 How many times have you traveled and left some important items at home? A diaper bag. Your Bible. The checkbook. Sometimes you can do without them (the checkbook). Other times, you gotta go back home and get them (the diaper bag!).

This happens often in girls ministry, and you may not even realize it. Leaders travel far and wide to reach students, yet leave some of the most basic tools behind.  We’ve got to grab hold of the one tool that girls understand and use every day - the internet.

Many of you have no idea where to start. After reading this, hopefully you will be headed in the right direction. 

Here are four free tools you can use on the internet to reach your girls:

Social Networks—These exist to help people connect online. Ask your girls which ones they are using, and create your own profile on them. This will allow you to see what your students are talking about, who they are communicating with, and what is most important to them.  You can even create groups on these networks for your girls' ministry, which will help you keep girls, leaders, and parents updated. It'll also serve as a landing page for their friends to learn more.

Recommended: Facebook (http://www.facebook.com)

(If you're interested, LifeWay Girls' Ministry has its own group on Facebook. Just search for Girls' Ministry Leaders and click to join.)

Blogs— A blog is one of the easiest tools to manage to inform students, their leaders, and their parents. Several websites offer free blog accounts. Before you start writing, make sure you are being intentional. Whether it is a post about last night’s soccer game or a mission trip update for parents, keep it short and to the point. Girls don’t enjoy reading novels on screen. Write a new post a couple of times a week.

Recommended: Wordpress (http://www.wordpress.com)

Video Sharing – If you don’t have a video camera or can’t afford one, keep it simple. Use your cell phone or a webcam. Publishing a video is entirely free on many video sharing websites. Use funny and interesting videos to connect with your girls to make announcements, convey a spiritual message, or just give them something fun to watch. (You can also purchase a Flip Video Camera—or something like it—pretty inexpensively.)

Recommended Video Sharing Site: Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com)

Photo Sharing – Like video, there are several free photo-sharing sites. Social network sites (like Facebook) let you create albums as well. Post pictures from recent events and share them with your students. Offering valuable content like pictures will keep them coming back often, allowing you to use the internet as a constant channel of communication.

Recommended Photo Sharing Site: Flickr (http://www.flickr.com)

Remember—your content is competing against everything else on the Internet. What does this mean for you? Update your accounts frequently. Set aside a time (or two or three) each week to upload to videos and pictures. If you’re using social networks, update your status a few times a day so people will know you are active.

A piece of advice for those who are ready to jump in: don’t create more profiles than you can manage. Start by going where your girls are. If they are on a social networking site like Facebook, join in. Start by using one site for each type of media.

Finding Balance
Perhaps the hardest part of being involved in social media is choosing what to say and when. Content is important but only if it's natural. Of course you want your girls to read a daily devotion – so you might want post one each day. However, don’t be a robot! If you tripped on the way to work and did a face-plant on the sidewalk (which has happened to me!), tell them. If you got up late that morning and didn't have your time alone with God, let the girls know. The more personality you show, and the more authentic and real you are, the more receptive girls will be. And let’s not forget – the root of what you are trying to do is taking advantage of the internet to build relationships.

Tie It All Together
Make sure that each of your channels (Facebook, video, blog, etc.) links back to your church's student ministry site if it has one. Girls' ministry should never be a Lone Ranger.
 
A big shout out to John Cade for writing the basic content for this post. He is the Internet Producer for LifeWay Student Ministry.  He can be reached by phone at 615.251.2842 or by email at john.cade@lifeway.com. He loves talking about the internet and helping leaders use it more effectively, so do not hesitate to contact him. Which is good, because I only know the basics!