The Bible is a masterful collection of stories that captivate, inspire, and transform. With characters facing twists and turns, and elements of beauty, mystery, war, and redemption, it tells the ultimate tale of God’s love and grace. Yet, we face a crucial question: in today’s digital age, are we truly capturing people’s attention as Jesus did? To spread His message effectively, we must adapt to where people are focusing their time and energy—on social media.
Christians are called to preach the Word just as Christ did. To do this, you need to grab people’s attention. While there’s nothing better than one-on-one gospel proclamation with a stranger—like when I walk onto a college campus and engage young adults in conversations about Christ—there are other powerful ways to reach people. Social media, particularly storytelling on social media, is where we could focus our efforts.
Consider this: as of April 2024, there were 5.44 billion internet users worldwide, representing 67.1 percent of the global population. Of this total, 5.07 billion, or 62.6 percent, were social media users. The number of people watching cable is drastically declining, making social media the primary platform for capturing attention. Yet, Christ is nowhere to be found among the most viewed topics online. Christianity might not crack the top 100 topics, but we have an obligation to seek attention for Christ.
Church leaders, why are we often “no” people in the face of new opportunities? Imagine the gospel message appearing on someone’s feed while they are dealing with the death of a loved one or receiving a terminal diagnosis.
When I first started sharing the gospel on social media, I was skeptical. But then, one evening, I received a message from a young woman who had just lost her mother. She stumbled upon my post about finding peace in Christ during times of grief. That message led to a conversation that changed her life—and mine. I have received countless direct messages through my Twitter platform from individuals who decided to follow Christ or rededicate themselves after encountering my content.
Post-COVID, people are hungry for community. One effective way to foster this is by asking others to share their thoughts and insights. One of my favorites is to ask the group how they came to Christ. These stories, reaching the eyes of a lost person at the right time, could lead to a decision. Actively respond to these souls! Help disciple them and steer them to a local church.
Another tactic is to write a devotion online. Devotionals—daily, weekly, and monthly short readings intended to inspire and strengthen readers’ faith—have grown increasingly important to Christian publishers since their debut in the 1920s. Now we can publish our own for free. It’s amazing how these can connect with people. Speaking to other Christians through expounding and applying the Word through devotion might just be your thing. Daily doses of spiritual truth can have a huge impact.
Visual content is powerful. Post photos from your latest community event or short videos of your sermons. These visuals can make your messages more engaging and shareable.
With 62.6% of the world’s population on social media, the opportunity to spread the gospel has never been greater. Don’t wait—start today and watch how God can use you.
You never know when a simple response and invitation through social media could lead to a life-changing story!
Amen!
It’s for the reason of sharing the gospel on social media that i am making available “Evangelistic Training and Christian Apologetics: A Scriptural Guige to Sharing the Gospel” at no cost on my son’s website David Aaron Beaty A Writing Ministry, click on Dad’s Page.