The NonProfit Times - June 1, 2008 - (Page 21)

Sponsored by BY NATALIE GHIDOTTI I t seems as though Facebook, MySpace and the many other social media networking sites are taking over the world. And with the growth rates of all these sites, a case could definitely be made that the “old ways” are out and the “new ways” are in. But while most nonprofits, including many religious organizations, are reaping the benefits of new technology, they aren’t altogether abandoning tried-and-true methods of connecting with members and constituents and raising funds from them. A case in point is Valley Bible Fellowship (VBF), with its home church in Bakersville, Calif., and campuses in Las Vegas, Colorado Springs, Nashville, for Christian congregations.The site, created by Joe Suh in September 2006, gives churches a MySpacelike page for members to connect and post their own home pages. For many churches using MyChurch, the “safety net” of a Christian-oriented social media network is very appealing, Suh said. “Churches are making much more of a concerted effort to blend into this (social media) culture,” Suh said.“It’s wise because their members are using things such as Facebook, and it’s a way to truly relate to them.” Suh said although about 100,000 religious organizations are using the group feature on MySpace, many churches are seeing the benefit of sticking to a MySpace-like site with a Christian slant. “We’re Joining The Masses ONLINE Churches, religious groups outreaching through social media networks Reno, Valencia, Calif., and Visalia, Calif. This large church has invested in social media, and it’s paying off. But the church hasn’t lost sight of its communication staples, such as the weekly church bulletin. “Social media sites are just another, easier way for people to keep up with each other and what’s going on with the church,” said J. Doss, moderator for the church’s MyChurch.org page, which has more than 800 participants.“With several campuses and (more on the horizon), this gives us a way to be a single community and support the same effort.” VBF, along with about 18,000 other churches, uses MyChurch.org -- the equivalent of Facebook Editor’s Note: Sponsors of this special report were not involved in its planning nor with its content. creating an environment for the church and its members that is more contusive to a Christian lifestyle -- it’s family-safe.” That doesn’t mean that a church’s MyChurch page looks much different than a typical Facebook page, but when you start reading the text, the differences are apparent, Suh said. Dr. Wilson Morales, senior pastor at Encounter Christian Center in Charlotte Hall, Md., said the more than 120 members (50 percent of his church’s congregation) post personal-interest information just like other social media sites on his church’s MyChurch page -- things such as favorite music, movies, interests, etc.The difference with the MyChurch site is that there are some rules for users set by Morales and his staff: Watch your language, respect others and keep the conversations clean and respectful. He said occasionally church staff members must talk to members about their Home Pages. He cited an example of a teenage member who posted a little too much commentary on violence and was asked to take it down.The teen was more than willing to comply, Morales said. “We claim to be a 21st-century church, so we have to use 21st-century tools,” Morales said. “I’ve used Facebook, and many of our folks were using it, but with MyChurch, we’ve gotten more families involved because they see it as a safer environment.” Doss said VBF officials believe there is more security in MyChurch.“We discussed using Facebook, but the church wasn’t comfortable using it because you’re always about two clicks away from where you don’t want to be, plus all the advertising that we didn’t want to subject our members to.” But just because MyChurch is a bit more “sheltered” environment for users, that doesn’t mean that it discriminates from Facebook and other sites. MyChurch members are welcome to add links to their Facebook pages, which many do, Suh said.And the company has created a Facebook application that allows churches to connect their Facebook page with their MyChurch page. Facebook users can click on the MyChurch link to access all of that page’s information without ever leaving Facebook. Suh says the company is currently building a similar application for MySpace. “Users age 35 and up make up the fastest-growing group of social networking users,” Suh said. “These people are also on multiple social networking sites, which is why it’s so important that these sites can talk to each other. Our goal with MyChurch.org is not to create an alternative.We want to be complimentary to all the available social networking sites.” Morales said the PayPal feature is available on his church’s MyChurch page, but that he doesn’t promote it heavily with members. “I have shied away from really playing that up because I don’t want to feel like it’s a place where we’re asking for their Special Report, page 22 JUNE 1, 2008 THE NONPROFIT TIMES www.nptimes.com 21 http://MyChurch.org http://MyChurch.org http://MyChurch.org http://MyChurch.org http://www.wealthengine.com http://www.wealthengine.com http://www.nptimes.com

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The NonProfit Times - June 1, 2008 First Kroc Center Set To Open It’s Layoffs And A Lawsuit At ARC In The Twin Cities Hospices Put On Life Support Contents Who...When...Where...How...What? Idol Charities Still Waiting For Funds Heck Of A Job Play On Words Make Endowments Pay Donor Management Software Who’s Next? Joining The Masses Online Email Evangelism Three Corners Business Briefs Fiduciaries And The 990 Calendar United Way Refocusing On Programs, Reducing Affiliates NPT Jobs Resource Directory

The NonProfit Times - June 1, 2008

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