Social+Networking+-+Examples

Assignment #4
===Examples of How Social Networking Can Be Used Effectively to Create Connections Among People of Faith ===

Expected time to complete: 30 minutes

Part 1

Find and post at least one example of how Facebook, Twitter, or any other social networking platform can be used to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, promote social justice, bring relief to the suffering, or in some way built up the Body of Christ. Your example can be a link to a relevant article, a copy of a post you found on a SN site, an event you discovered, or a link to a video. The object here is to create a list of positive uses of social networking media. Remember - no cheating! You are NOT allowed to use Google for this assignment; search only through Facebook, Twitter or Digital Catechesis.

Part of this assignment is also to learn how to post a link on our wiki. Please follow the instructions in red (below) to post your homework and create a live link.

For this assignment, you will need to create live links using the "Link" button above. Here are the steps to do this: Please sign in, select the "Edit" button, and add your example below. When you are done, be sure to click on "SAVE."
 * Find the article you want to link to and __COPY the URL to your clipboard__
 * __ Post __ a Facebook status update, Retweet, or post on Digital Catechesis, sharing the resource you found.
 * Go back to this page and __in "Edit" mode__, type in some descriptive text.
 * Highlight the text you want to link, and click on "Link" in the edit navigation bar.
 * In the dialog box that opens, click on "Web Address."
 * Enter the URL of the article to which you are linking.
 * Click on "Add Link"
 * Be sure to SAVE your __#|work__!

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">Here's an example:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">I found a great video on Digital Catechesis. It's entitled "Sacred Earth" [|Take a look]. - Claudia []


 * __Post your examples here__**

//Great article! "Three Reasons Why Churches Don't Use Social Media"// Ruth Appel

//I always find it amazing to see how many converts there have been who went on to become such notable and fervent Catholics throughout history. It's important to share this with others. Ann F// //[|Catholic Converts in History]//

I heard [|Dr Brenda] via a tweet alert. She spoke about Esther in context.

=
From Phil (STA Faith Formation) For anyone interested in interrelationship between Religion and Science, this NOVA show raises some interesting issues, but there's more to the story ... http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/galileo-battle-for-the-heavens.html (**NOVA: Galileo's Battle for the Heavens**)======

From Lynn Here is an article from [|Ameria Magazine] []

From: Ana I posted this video on my personal Facebook Wall to share with all my contacts. Every time I see it I get such a mixture of feelings, it is amazing ... this emotion can be transmitted just by watching a video ... Tomorrow is First Friday, so I think I am posting this video again on my wall:

[]

Let me know if you have any issues with the link!


 * Eulogio Olivo Rivera**
 * I have posted several of my writings in www.catolicoshispanos.com. They have posted some of my __work__ in Facebook and Twitter. Last one written was related to presente of God in physical objects before the Incarnation as proof of Christ present in the Eucharist.**
 * http://www.catolicoshispanos.com/profiles/blogs/presencia-de-dios-en-objetos-f-sicos-antes-de-la-encarnaci-n?xg-source=facebook**

Got a great site to share.... I found this through Digital Catechesis - benefits and constructive use of social networking by youth - they can do more than text! [] Mary Miller

Looking for examples on Facebook, I found the Catholicism Project page with Father Baron. Take a look at this site http://www.facebook.com/TheCatholicismProject Karen

I Found this on Facebook: [|https://www.facebook.com/#!/?sk=fl_2335564679557] It is a great resource for anyone wanting to send their child to Catholic HS in NJ. Ruth E Manlandro
 * Ruth, this link did not work. It took me back to my own Facebook page. You probably have to find the original source on your FB page and insert that link here. - CM **

Look what I found on digital Catechesis! Great resource for RCIA! [] Barbara E
 * Yes, and a trusted site - with resources compiled by other catechists. Good going, Barbara - CM **

[|http://www.andiesisle.com] is the link I found on "Digital Catechesis". Calming and transporting Sherry F

[|Care for Creation Care for the Poor] is the Catholic Climate link ([|https://twitter.com/#!/CatholicClimate]) that "found" me on Twitter. You can take the St. Francis pledge to care for God's creation and the Poor & Vulnerable. Susie A Susie, it's so nice to be found by someone with common interests (not a spammer) isn't it? And I love the St. Francis pledge, too. Peace, Kristi

Dale, this is a great page! I loved the post of a video commercial for "me church" (June 10). You've got 2 great examples of using FB here: 1) finding resources through friends and 2) how a page uses FB to link people back to its website! Nice work, Kristi
 * Dale Brown** - I found this on Facebook. It is a copy of page that was linked by one of my friends. It has a very positive reminder that Jesus loves us, even our imperfect selves.It addresses __social justice__ issues like child trafficking. It uses lots of pictures and videos. []

Sybil J. Steuart - Found by going to free webinars on Digital Catechesis and clicking on "9 1/2 Social Media Strategies for the Church" and then on "Reaching Parishioners with Facebook". Scroll to "Social Networking: A Primer for Catholic Teachers and Catechists" []
 * Digital Catechesis is a wonderful resource! Glad you found something of use there. Keep exploring - there's lots more. CM **

Rachele Deering - a great and powerful quote I found in facebook. [] Kevin Hansut - While responding to Tweets on Supreme Court Rulings - I found information on A Catholic __HealthCare__ Alternative that is coming - go to http://www.solidarityhealthshare.com?lrRef=8pwdp and check it out - it is important to stay informed. Kevin, what a great find- I love how Twitter can lead to so many NEW resources! Peace, Kristi
 * That would be great to pin on Pinterest, too. Love it! - CM **

Mary Jane Spirk This article really outline the reason we need to be using __#|social media__ in our ministries. [] I love his last reason, MaryJane-- social media is a fundamental shift in communicating. So true! Peace, Kristi

Kelli Bonner An interesting bit on studies about children of same sex couples--further darkening that thin line we must walk as we minister to these children (not that there is an overwhelming number of them in our programs, but we should see more of them). [] Interesting article, Kelli- where/how did you find the link? Peace, Kristi

Janet Mitchell Found an interesting site for spiritual growth. @http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=337626652939176&set=a.337626639605844.70746.143692835665893&type=1

[] This is also on my facebook page- my teens love it! Amy AckerMobley

A beautiful short video on a modern day miracle, brought about by the actions of Christians living the faith. [] Jen McIlveen

Nina Liwski I found a great article on Digital Disciples which opened up a whole new way of seeing the possibilities for the use of social media - []. What I found most interesting was the expanding growth area of App based connections and information sharing. Another interesting fact presented is that parish facebook pages and twitter sites are no longer normative - most vigiorous engagement is on pages created by believers & seekers themselves. Nina, you bring up a great point- I personally wonder if the lack of engagement on official pages is because Catholics aren't comfortable asking questions or having discussions, especially if they don't know/understand/agree with church teaching? Just a thought. I'm also very interested to see where good Apps can help us (beyond remembering prayers!). Peace, Kristi

From Lori Crawford:

Lately, I have been studying the Theology of the Body lately and found this through Twitter when I searched for #catholic. It is a blog post with a succinct 3-point answer to the question, “I don’t see why this is wrong?” For Catholics trying to explain our stance on sexuality, especially with regards to the hot-button issues of homosexual activity and contraception, this is a great starting point. For those who need (all of us!) more, check out [|www.theologyofthebody.com]. site linked: [] This is the genius of Twitter, I think - the finding of great and succinct resources! Interesting stuff you found. Peace, Kristi

Ginny Nolan <span style="background-color: #f5f5f5; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Found this interesting video. Could be used in a classroom setting or in a RCIA environment. Even though I'm not famous, I could add my picture! Ginny, isn't it nice to find a piece of ourselves online?! Peace, Kristi

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">Part 2

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 4.5pt;">Now that you have some experience in three social networking sites, we would like to know how you are planning to integrate some kind of networking media into your classroom, professional development, or other catechetical setting. Please write a brief paragraph below about your "dream plan" to integrate social networking in your ministry. It can be a visionary paragraph, or it can be practical steps with bullet points. Be sure to include your name.

__Post your plan below__

I'm thinking an easy place to start would be getting our Hurricane Notification info to our parish staff and ministry leaders set up to make contacting everyone much easier than making all those phone calls. Just tweet the info / updates - starting with the staff should be fairly easy to set up, too. Ruth Appel

Yah! Karen. Its good to know others do not have "a plan formed." My head is still spinning from content overload. But I am very aware that Parish Faith Formation needs to use a whole different set of communication tools for todays catholic. I hope to have a place for parishioners to go to learn more about their faith. I want to develop a communication tool with parents of children in our programs so they have a central place for growing in their faith. I know they are more apt to read something online that on a piece of paper you hand them. The quickness of the communication will enable me to respond to people without countless phone calls. Lynn Edmonds True enough, Lynn- part of the appeal of this is that instant communication that can make us more efficient (if we can set boundaries and turn off devices, too!) Peace, Kristi

Kathy Filippelli All of this is NEW to me! I can see possibiliities: 1. Using Twitter to follow WillowCreek--what presentations thay are offering to their congregation. And reTweet and ask other diocesan parishes to follow me. 2. I want to set up a Facebook group and/or FB PAge on Mary and the Saints.

This pertains to liturgy but because liturgy is catechetical, here goes! We installed a projection system in our church at the beginning of Advent. We have a whole new ministry - "The Projection Ministry" which involves operators for each Mass, input technicians, etc. They are all volunteers, most of them with jobs, so it is impossible to get them all together at once. I think a wiki would be the perfect format to share ideas, info, take suggestions, etc. Mary Miller Great idea, Mary. And that online connection should help them feel more engaged with the church and the ministry! Peace, Kristi

My "vision" for using Social Media in my Faith Formation Classes will be to encourage Eucharistic Adoration for Kids. The prayers of children are pure, joyful and sincere. We need to help those prayers ascend to God, and there is no better place in which to accomplish this than during Eucharistic Adoration. This website truly inspired me!! [|www.childrenoftheeucharist.org/WAF]. Pauline Archard Isn't it marvelous that we can use new tools to pass on these very traditional devotions and prayers of our faith?! CM

Plan for use of __#|Social Media__ in Ministry by Karen Heaphy I do not have my plan formed as yet. I do know the issue that concerns me: making sure that everyone has the information needed in order to participate in planning for ministry. We lead busy lives and it seems if you miss one meeting, you can be out of the loop which of course hinders progress. I can see how using this technology can keep everyone up to date without sending out massive emails. It also requires a commitment to the ministry one is involved in. Right now my immediate plan is to get more comfortable with these mediums for communication so that I can design a user friendly method of communication for the faith formation group. That's a great first step, and you will be glad you took personal responsibility to learn about social media before launching for your ministry. CM

Plan for use of Social Media in Ministry by Ruth E Manlandro I have a plan to use social media as a communication tool with parents and students in my RCIA class. I would like to have a set of resources for the parents and students to use at home to __continue__ their Catechesis. I plan to use Digital Catechesis to communicate with my catechists and offer some training. I would like to have a place to offer some additional resources and training for teaching Religious Education and planning of lesson plans.

Sherry F I want to use these tools to better communicate with the women of our parish at their various levels, to go beyond the newsletter and phone committee for meetings. Some of them can't come to meetings due to illness or family commitments, but I want them to feel connected with our Guild in more ways.Something like Audiesisle site is so relaxing and beautiful that it can be an island of joy in a busy or dreary day. I want to continue to look for posts that will make our ladies want to stay connected.

Proposed plan for Social Media Use in Ministry - Susie Ajoc There are two possible applications - one for RCIA and one for sacramental prep. Our RCIA Team just recently held its evaluation of the year completed and the priority is communication: with parishioners - may be interesting to provide an oportunity for parishioners to follow the RCIA Team through a complete cycle. The idea for sacramental prep hasn't formed just yet but the use of a Facebook page for a particular class will provide an opportunity to follow up after each session and invite the children to provide feedback. As we continue to move forward through the class, it is my hope to be able to further develop these ideas. I've had some very prelliminary discussions with my Pastor and the RCIA Director about doing something. One of the ideas could end up being my capstone project. Either of those would be great projects, Susie! I could just imagine the possibilities: for RCIA, the team could post a summary of the topic, and parishioners could add to the discussion! Or for Sacramental Prep, you could add more in depth articles for the parents to reflect on (or videos for reflection with the kids)... or you can assign "homework" that needs to be posted on FB (like a photo of the family praying together before dinner). Such fun! Peace, Kristi

One of the ways I plan to use Social Media in Ministry is as a way of connecting with our parish small Christian community and ministry groups on an ongoing basis when we are not physically together. There are three such groups that I am planning to target initially: the small Christian community, readers, and young adult group. These groups meet periodically, but all have expressed a desire for more catechesis on the faith or on scripture. I have in the past initiated a Facebook group for the small Christian community, but have not really taken the time to develop it. Will also be looking for similar ways to use it in the LPMI program Dale- very interesting proposals! Are you planning on being the 'admin' for each of these groups, or will you bring others into that role as well? There's interesting materials about creating a "tech ministry" - so that everything doesn't depend on one person. Perhaps that could be your capstone project? Just an idea... Peace, Kristi
 * Dale Brown - Using Social Media in Ministry**

Rachele Deering - My take on this course is to have the children more engaged and using the computer in class and home to communicate with each other. I would include what we learned in the class and have the children find examples based on that. This would give the children and their family a healthy and spirtual way to communicate with their classmates on their faith. I am all about bringing in my laptop and using this as a lesson, where the students really enjoyed it. This new tool will definitely bring some additional ideas and suggestions with the middle school planning team.

Sue Sharlow-I am looking forward to sharing helpful information with my catechists and my families via Digital Catechesis. I'd also like to share online resources via the bulletin and links on our website.and have been very I think you will find Digital Catechesis a good tool for professional development for your catechists. Because it concentrates so many good resources in one place, it will help them cut down on their planning time while still integrating technology. CM

Kevin Hansut - We are a small building Parish and my dream is to add social media as means of building our ministries. I am and have been very cautious about doing it right and making sure anything we do is current, well maintained, and we communicate back in a timely manner. I look forward to involving other staff members and parishioners in the process. I am so pleased that the boot camp is providing me with a wealth of resources and guidance that I may share with them. I think Facebook is a most important way of communication with our Parishioners - I believe about 70% use it and we will havbe our Parish Page up before summer's end. What a great vision, Kevin- I love your 3 guidelines, as they provide a clear and measurable direction. The other neat thing about FB is the "insights" page will tell you a lot about the "fans" as well as what kind of posts gather the most interaction. With your concerns, I think the St Pete Diocese Guidelines for Social Media would be very helpful... Peace, Kristi

Mary Jane Spirk - This fall when my programming begins I hope to start a blog with a conversation centered around the topic of the month. I may also use the Question of the Week on the blog. Perfect target, Mary Jane. Will the blog be for the families, catechists, or parish at large? I could see it starting very targeted (i.e. families in your program) and then getting enough "buzz" to go parish wide- especially if Fr George or other staff are willing to contribute or comment :) Kristi ==== Sybil J. Steuart - Because we have a large “senior” population in our parish, both seasonal and permanent residents, who are thirsting for more faith learning, I am planning to develop a way that we can share faith doctrine, traditions and Catholic culture via the tools I will acquire through this Boot Camp. Most of our adult parishioners received the Sacrament of Confirmation in middle school and have not received any teaching in the faith on a regular basis other than homilies since then. They are becoming users of the 21st technology in order to keep up with their grandchildren, so this might be a way to keep them learning as well. ==== Astute observation - I wonder if there's a way to build the seniors faith online WHILE they're connecting with the grandkids? Something intergenerational? Just ideas, no specifics Sybil :) Kristi

==== Kelli Bonner--The Holy Spirit has my plan right now, but here is my desired result: I wish to reach each ministry group as its own entity, all members of it at the same time. I want the participants to respond with comments, suggestions, reflections. I want to be in engaging and ongoing conversation, one in which a participant can participate on the fly, as thoughts come to mind. E-mail can do that, but in a more formal, yet choppy way than I have in mind. Big goals, Kelli! What platforms would you look at for these conversations? Talk with Bob St. R of the RCIA team- he started something online with them and could be a good first person on a tech team. You may want to start with a targeted audience (ministry) and build from there. Peace, Kristi ====

Janet Mitchell At this moment, with our church undergoing a major renovation (No church building) I am using facebook as a way to keep our parishioners up to date on the progress of the building by taking and then posting photographs at least once a week. Hopefully once they are used to coming to the site we can use it to update goings on and use it, combined with our website to keep all of our parishioners feeling connected.

Amy Acker Mobley- I plan to use this in many ways. first we already use face book for youth ministry and keep the parish page updated with current events and info but we also send out a quote of the day and share videos. Now that I have seen the light with wiki's I plan to start one to help my confirmation kids with saints call Saintly spaces. This will be a way to use media that is fun and much more interactive than a 2 page report. next my plan is to get a weekly bible study going through wiki's and I think it will be great to link the teens to different resources like life teen to Fr. Barron. Amy- great idea? Can't wait to see more of your Staintly Spaces! Sounds really fun. Amy Barber

Pauline Archard--My "Dream Plan" for our Parish to link our children to the "Children's Holy Hour", which is celebrated each year on the First Friday of October, at the Shrine of the Immactulate Conception in Washington, DC. It has been telecast live, by EWTN, to 140 Countries worldwide for each of the last 9 years, and has as its' goal to link 1 million children, spiritually. The children pray for other children of the world; for their safety, their health, their families, and the hope that they will not grow up with Godless education. This cannot be accomplished without commnunication at every level; local, diocesan and worldwide. Enter Social Media! Pauline Archard This is a great idea, and since it is only once a year, I don't see why not! CM

Jen McIlveen I am involved in several ministries within my parish and I can see uses and the need for digital social networking in all of them. Our biggest dilemma has been how to reach the parents of our teens in our religious education programs as well as in our youth ministry. We had started a parents group for our teens but attendance has been low. I envision the use of social networking as a formidable tool to reach out to the parents of our youth. We have had the experience of many parents that have either stepped away from the church or simply feel inadequate in their knowledge and faith, and embarrassed to talk about it. I believe that we could set up a social networking site or introduce them to social networking sites already in place where they could learn and could share and ask questions as well as feel more comfortable coming together as a group on parent life nights. In our pre-confirmation class, I would like to begin using wikis and social networking in our classroom with the challenge of having our 8th grade students collaborate and / share on these sites. I would also like to incorporate digital collaboration with my 2nd grade First Holy Communion students and their parents. I feel that the use of digital social networking would be beneficial to many different groups within our parish community. Looking forward to hearing about how you may use these incredible tools in your ministry! - SC

Eulogio Olivo Rivera I love adult education. Most likely with Hispanic communities. In a way, for many, it is an adventure just to sit in front a computer. Teaching the immense possibilities thru this media is better than prime time presentation. My first experience with a computer was at the age of 33. It has become my prime time attraction. It is important to give some agency to those who will partake with you in the sharing of the Good News. Showing students how to use the social network, and involving them in the development of a message of conversion should be the first thing to bring forth. This represents more than a mere look into an electronic device. Yes, Eulogio, we need to sit at the devices with a purpose- and what better purpose than learning about and serving our God?! Peace, Kristi

Nina Liwski With the call for New Evangelization, I'm so excited that I will be able to connect my faith formation adults with so many wonderful Catholic sites. There is so much out there that can reawaken their faith, help them to see themselves as part of the Catholic (universal) church and help bring about a deeper conversion to their role as evangelizers. You've taken the first step, Nina- finding out what's out there... and now you can bring it back to your people! Peace, Kristi

From: Ana Wow! To be honest, I am not quite sure how we are going to apply social media in the classroom at this point. Right now, I am exploring the different options, and getting inspiration from all the wonderful ideas out there. I can definitely see the benefits of starting some kind of blog or wiki to keep communication among our wonderful group of catechists, volunteers, and parents. I think social media is an excellent and effective tool to share ideas and to promote motivation and inspiration among the group even at long distance. Our goal is to encourage all the catechists in the parish to integrate social media into their catechesis (one way or another) and to provide all the support needed to help them reach their goals. My biggest concern right now, is that we spend so much time hook to a computer or technological device, that I am somewhat worry that we do not spend enough time talking to each other, or face to face to the children ... but again, we need to create and maintain a positive connection to engage our children as we help them grow their faith. Social Media is also be a great tool to engage parents in the faith formation process of their children and their own!! Yes - it is the blend of F2F and technology that is best! SC

in Ft From: Lori Crawford I have had a facebook account for our church for at least a year now but it takes so much 'work' for such few visitors. My dream would be that all of our parishioners would be our 'friend' and be exposed to regular posts with scripture, good videos, websites to visit, and other useful and appropriate resources of note. I will work on a plan for a schedule and broaden/deepen that work this coming year and see what happens. Not sure of Have you considered asking some of the parishioners to be on a FB ministry team? Get clear goals, decide on who posts what when, and then turn them loose. Instead of "just you" promoting the page, you'll have a team of people tagging friends and 'encouraging' them to like or comment... kristi

Ginny Nolan I revived our FB page a few months ago (although it has suffered a little lately due to vacation and bootcamp!). I have added a link on our website and we have advertised in our bulletin to "Like Us on Facebook". What I have learned here is to not only add pictures and advertise events, but to add videos, educational links, etc. Have to keep pushing it though as not enough have signed up for it! Maybe we could do like NBC-2 does and give away a prize to some lucky person who "likes" them - maybe lunch with the pastor!! Would like to encourage other groups in the parish to set up FB groups to stay connected, to discuss, and to educate. Lunch with the pastor as a monthly FB 'like' prize-- I love it, Ginny! What a great idea! Maybe even reserving a parking space for the "FB Fan of the Month" too?! Let us know how it turns out! Kristi

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