In this day and age social networking (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Skype, Google+, etc…) has pretty much taken over our teenagers! Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not, but 93% of teenagers1 (Ages 12-17) will go on their computer once a day to check the latest updates to the news feed. Computers and cell phones are being used like never before and teenagers are taking advantage of how easy it is to access a social networking site.
What do we do if our teen is constantly on his Facebook page?
We immediately think negatively and we want to know why they “waste their life” on these sites. Have we ever thought that the stuff on Facebook or Twitter can be a good thing? Have we ever stopped to think that we can make a difference in people’s lives through Facebook?
I use Facebook and Twitter all the time, so I can encourage my students and to also keep updated with their life (Creeping). As I have mentioned above I have recently started blogging, so I can encourage people through my writing. I also write a blog, so I can update it when we are on youth activities overnight to keep the parents “sane”. I use my Twitter account to keep parents updated when we have a youth activity that may not be overnight.
My Social Networking
I have a blog, which can be found here www.zkmoreno.com. If you look in the upper right hand corner of the page you will see a place where you can click on the Subscribe Now button to subscribe to my blog. Whenever I do write about something the writing will go immediately to your email address, so you will not miss anything!
I have a Twitter account, which can be found at www.twitter.com/zkmoreno. You can see what restaurant we stop to eat at on our trips or what funny thing your kid just did while we are waiting in line for a concert. After you sign up to Twitter there is an option to click on a little cell phone logo and when that is clicked on you will get all of my updates to your phone! You do not even have to go to your computer to see what we are doing!
Our Student Ministry has a Facebook page and if you go to Facebook you can search for it by typing in “Awakening: Student Ministry”
Lastly, I am working on our BRAND NEW Student Ministry website which will be located at www.awakeningstudentministry.com Everything will be posted daily on to the site and you can even check out my Twitter posts on the page as well as the link to our Facebook.
So before you criticize a teenager for being on Facebook too long, find out what they are really doing on there because they may be affecting the Kingdom of God in a powerful way!
In Him,
Pastor Zach
Eph. 5:1-2
