28 March, 2024

How Social Media Is Hurting Your Ministry

by | 22 January, 2017 | 0 comments

By Michael C. Mack

“Are we willing to quit social media (and other distractions) if the temptations are too strong . . . to overcome?” Brian Jones asks this question on Senior Pastor Central (www.seniorpastorcentral.com). Jones says for years he was convinced that switching from the study of God”s Word and sermon preparation to distractions such as checking social media, text, or e-mails didn”t hurt him at all. After reading Deep Work by Cal Newport, however, he says he better understands the costs.

Newport warns about what he calls “attention residue,” the lingering effects from switching back and forth between tasks, which keeps us from engaging in “deep work.” Newport writes: “To produce at your peak level you need to work for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction. Put another way, the type of work that optimizes your performance is deep work.”

Jones says he continues to wrestle with this quote from Deep Work: “Great creative minds think like artists but work like accountants.” In other words, teachers and others in ministry may need to go to extreme measures, the kinds accountants take day in and day out””measures, such as not checking e-mails, texts, or any social media while studying and writing a sermon.

“Are we willing to “˜crucify” whatever it is that pulls us away from God”s Word?” asks Jones. He says he is “seriously weighing whether social media is a worthwhile investment of my time versus the allure it holds for me as it pertains to staying focused on sermon writing.” It comes down to reflecting on what power social media and other distractions have on us. Jones says the jury is still out for him, but social media is certainly on the table for discussion: “Is it worth abandoning all together? Can I use it once a week? Once a month?”

Jones suggests doing a cost/benefit analysis of whatever you go to for a “quick fix” during sermon or lesson preparation. “Are we willing to go to extreme measures to create the space necessary to allow God to speak to us?”

Read more on Senior Pastor Central: www.seniorpastorcentral.com/2847/senior-pastors-quit-social-media.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Columns

Follow Us