by: Caroline Eaton

There are people of all ages on social media; however, most tend to think of it as a young person’s game. While this doesn’t have to be true (you can reach many other age groups), it’s worth it to point out that reaching youth should be a top goal of your social media platforms.

Have you ever thought about how reaching young people on social media could impact your ministry? Churches and ministries are always welcoming new members through their doors or new volunteers to advance their mission, and this generation of youth is ready to get involved.

Thanks to a recent rise of interest in social justice issues, young people today are looking for ways to make the world a better place. However, they often don’t know how to get involved or make a difference.

Your ministry could be the answer they’re looking for, so your social media presence is vital. If the young people are there, then you need to be there too; and you need to have an action plan to reach them.

Share about the causes that your ministry supports, along with ways that they can get involved. Be approachable and respond to their messages, comments, and tweets.

Continue to stay updated on social media so that you are relevant to them. Join in conversations about current hot-topic issues, so they know that you can get on their level and meet them where they are. This could be as deep as sharing your heart for a current issue or as light-hearted as sharing your excitement for the next Hunger Games movie.

There are multiple ways to reach young people on social media, but the most important thing is to start from a place of authenticity. In the current climate of overwhelming mass media and marketing, young people are served thousands of media messages a week, and they are often shrouded in false reality and unrealistic expectations.

Use your social media platforms to identify with young people, give them a way to get involved and a place to make a home within your ministry.

How do you reach young people? Send us your ideas to dbennett@churchofgod.org.