Ten years ago, Facebook had six million active users logging on each month. Fastforward to 2015 and this figure now stands at almost one and a half billion. Add to that WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat users and this figure of active social media users is enormous. There’s no denying that young people spend a great deal of time online: from school work and entertainment to shopping and communicating with friends and family all over the world. No longer can we pass off the online space as being simply a time waster and diminish its use in youth work due to the fear of the damage it can cause. The internet is where teenagers are active, where they are accessing information, where they are communicating and importantly, where they are gathering on a daily basis.
After noticing this huge potential to equip young people on their walk with Christ and being unsatisfied with so much of the content teenagers were experiencing online, in 2014 I gathered together a team of 20 individuals with this same passion, who now run the DoingLifeTogether community, DLT.
We’re striving to use this vast space as an opportunity to advance God’s kingdom and equip teenagers across the UK in their faith. Originally this looked like a single Facebook page where blogs and statuses would be posted and trickle into our ‘followers’ timelines: from biblical teachings to news of the latest worship album. But today we have a website packed with blogs, downloadable Bible studies, links to partners, a forum for prayer, accessible resources, a UK 100 date tour as well as profiles on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
But what happened next is where it gets exciting. As a team we were learning as we went so originally were uncertain of what to expect. Over the last year God has used DLT to inspire faith journeys and stir something up in people not just in the UK but across the world. In ten countries DLT has active members who are reading the blogs, submitting prayer requests, downloading the Bible studies, sharing our Instagram posts, following us and even sharing content as a form of breaking the ice and introducing friends and family to Christ. One standout example is when a student sent in a message she had heard one Sunday in church, which once shared through DLT then reached both America and Australia, prompting testimonies to come back to us of how God had really spoken through this blog and had shaped their entire outlook on their relationship with him.
DLT aren’t looking to replace or replicate the local church, we are looking to use this space young people are spending so much time in to start those conversations, answer questions and introduce people to Christ who can then build up their confidence to plug themselves into a church, turn up at a youth group or even ask a friend questions after seeing something they’ve shared online.
We need to be in this space, equipping and guiding young people in an environment easily accessible to them, no matter the time of day or their location. I want to ask you a question which encourages us as a team: the Apostle Paul wrote incredibly passionately, shouting about Christ and of the good news. What do you think it would look like if rather than that one paper-based letter, Paul had had an iPhone, which connected him to over 1.44 billion people: what would he be doing? What would his online presence look like? Check out the community today at dltcommunity.com
How can you harness the potential of social media in your youth work?
Start up an Instagram account
Through an account you can not only encourage members, ensuring the Bible studies discussed at the youth group continue to equip throughout the week, but also countdown and build momentum for the next meeting.
Tell your members about the DLT platforms
Share DLT with your group, to ensure they benefit from the free resources and content.
Challenge the group to use their social media accounts Ask how the group think they could use their social media accounts to tell others about Christ.
Join the DLT tour
We’re commiting to 100 dates over the next two years where we will travel to youth groups all over the UK. After some worship we will inspire the group on how they can use their social media as a missional tool and equip them to be more on fire for Christ than ever before. Plus we will have a coffee with you to challenge and dream of how leaders can use online platforms to engage with young people and enhance your youth ministry, ensuring young people in your church are equipped and encouraged throughout the week. Head to dltcommunity.com/tour for more information, and join the tour.
