Is God on your Friend's List?
The Park Community Church, in an effort to reach out to young adults, is going online.
According to a 2008 study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, more than a third of Americans below the age of 50 lack a religious affiliation.
Hoping to get more parishioners in the pews and market to today's tech-savvy youth, the Park Community Church publishes links to biblical messages and new sermons on Twitter for its more than 650 followers. The non-denominational Christian church can also be found on Facebook, where its updates are read by nearly 1300 "fans".
"We see the potential that technology has to expand the kingdom of God," Tim Schraeder, the 26-year-old communications director, told the Chicago Tribune.
On Tuesday, the church hosted Cultivate '09, an interactive conference on ministry communication. Pastors and programmers alike shared ideas on how best get in touch with today's young people.
"There's been a change in the culture. We're embracing technology now, and that can do a lot," said Scott Hodge, the lead pastor of Orchard Valley Community Church, where online marketing has proven to be a successful tool.
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Church leaders at Park Community also encourage their congregation to text message their questions during services.
That puts a whole new meaning to the popular textspeak, "OMG."
Matt Bartosik, a "between blogs" blogger, is a texting fiend.
