3 simple words that will help your parish go digital

Sep 21, 2012 by

Guest Author: Brandon Vogt

Last week I spoke to hundreds of priests from the Archdiocese of Chicago about websites, blogs, and social media. Throughout my talk, their eyes were glowing. I could sense their excitement as they saw the potential new media held for their parishes and ministries.

But then afterward, one of the priests approached me. He said that he was excited about my presentation, however once I wrapped up he had a troubling realization:

“I have no clue where to begin.”

Now that’s not unusual among Church leaders. Our priests are brilliant, our staffs and volunteers are hardworking, but when it comes to new media most don’t know the first move to make. How do I start a blog and what do I post when I do? How in the world do I film and upload a YouTube video? (And what’s ‘uploading’ anyways?)

Thankfully, way before the social media revolution, Bl. Pope John Paul II gave us a prophetic answer to this problem.

“Young people especially are readily adapting to the computer culture and its "language". This is surely a cause for satisfaction. Let us "trust the young" (Communio et Progressio, 70). They have had the advantage of growing up with the new developments, and it will be their duty to employ these new instruments for a wider and more intense dialogue.”

Pope John Paul II, 1990 World Communications Day message

There’s the answer, and it’s just what I told my priest-friend in Chicago. Priests and parish leaders, when it comes to new media, will make tremendous strides by doing one thing:

Chances are, there are swarms of young people in your parish who are incredibly savvy with websites, blogs, and social media. Their fingers incessantly peck at their cell phones and laptops all day long and they feel right at home in this digital world.

So trust them. Ask them to help your parish launch a Facebook page. Invite them to moderate the parish Twitter account or help the pastor start a blog. Institute a Digital Ministry Team and stack it with young people.

By ‘trusting the young’ and inviting them to help, you accomplish two things at once. First, you strengthen your parish’s online presence. You take advantage of the young people’s talents and gifts within your own community.

Second, you make it much easier to evangelize young people. It’s well-known that the most difficult demographic for the Church to reach is youth and young adults. But this digital revolution provides a great way to invite them back, to take on leadership roles in our parish and use their technical gifts to make a real difference. Once they take on those active leadership roles, they have a tighter connection to Christ, the Church, and the local parish and are primed for evangelization.

So if you’re not sure where to begin, or if you want to take your parish’s online presence to the next level, do what John Paul II suggests: