Social media is one of the fastest growing web phenomena around.  What is it?

Basically, it's people using websites, and people interacting with other users.  It's putting a note on facebook.com, a blog on myspace.com, a tweet on Twitter.com or a rant about the Broncos on armchairgm.com and other people interacting with those pieces of information.

We can't ignore it anymore.  People involved with social media have their place or places.  Some are dedicated to one place in particular: you know, the people that only use facebook.com.  Others have multiple places they utilize for various reasons: they'll tweet on Twitter.com and it will change their status updates on facebook.com, myspace.com and anything else Twitter can connect to.

Why the trend?  People want to be reached where they are.  In addition, people want to reach other people from where they are.

The concept was presented to me: people get to know you through your social media.  I was still on the fence a little, so I decided to do a little experiment.  I put two very distinct messages on my facebook page status on two days:

"Jill and the boys are all getting over their colds.  The word of the day is 'better.'"

"I just found a big bag of money.  It was a one-quart Zip-loc bag with two pennies in it."

The next Sunday at church seven people commented on the family getting better, and six commented on my big bag of money. Four commented on both.  That's 17 people.  That was also just Sunday. Monday, I had someone call me and offer to bring over a meal.  Tuesday, Another asked if I could use my big bag of money to go to Starbucks with them.

What do you know?  There could be something to this!

Given that this has some merit, we have started a small social media campaign here at Trinity Church.

• We have a Twitter feed.  You can learn about how to join the Twitter movement here.
• We are active at vimeo.com.

Twitter allows us to contact people with critical information right at their cell phone with a text message.  It's not intrusive and we don't send message every day.  But, it allows us to send really timely, essential reminders where you are, rather than having to have you visit a website or check a phone message.

Vimeo is a social video site.  We use it to store and archive our church services.  We are still in the early stages, but, soon we will be able to present HD-quality recordings of our church service.

Why aren't you on facebook?!  I knew that question was coming.  We are working on that.  Right now it appears that we need to find a volunteer that would be willing to run the "cause page" that we would have to create.  For more information, you can e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

We are looking forward to how God can use us with a better web presence through social media.

Your friendly neighborhood web guy,

Ryan