Church Twitter: 'talking in Church'

Twitter, a fast-growing service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages of 140 characters or fewer, is finding its way to entice a late baby-boomer like myself, to engage in the twitter-tweet phenomenon.

I started twittering, actually tweeting, a few weeks ago. It seemed like just another abstract way to fitter away time or create a new distraction from being in the “real world” or something only under 30-year-olds did. I am beginning to understand its functionality and potential; not only in the work place, but in cutting edge modern churches of today. For example......

The Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington broadcasts its service on a large video screen while congregants ‘tweet’ thoughts about the message they are hearing. It brings a whole to reality to 'talking in church', doesn't it? The notion may seem completely preposterous to over-fifty's, but read and /or see the video about this very practice from Channel 5 News in Seattle: http://tinyurl.com/cmgpv8“Twittering encouraged at Seattle Church”.

If you think this form of communication is absolutely absurd and not worth your time, read on. Time online, features “10 Ways Twitter Will Change American Business: The Future of Twitter”. http://tinyurl.com/nh3kky

Because of Twitters ease of use on both PCs and mobile devises, and because messages are limited to 140 characters, real-time data and blog reads are popping up for Twitter participants to link to many bits of information effortlessly. Guess what? It's not just for kids running up time on their parents cell provider talking about last night's date; I find its like carry my own personal newspaper with me. I select the person or news source, like NPR, I want to "follow". "Following" sends me all updates the source 'tweets' (messages) . I have discovered I"m reading the news; processing it better, and developing my own conclusions-- what a concept.

The Mars Hill Church has capitalized on this new application allowing congregants a means of real-time interactivity during the service. This new networking device may be too far out on a limb for many churches as contemporary music can bring about worship wars, let alone video screens and the thought of people in the pews being able to publicly write a note about the pastor's sermon as its happening. However, it is something to ponder and foremost realize how technology can be a fruitful source for spreading the Good News... and processing it.... and applying our own thoughts to how we feel about Jesus.

(Mar Hill Bio from Twitter: Mars Hill Church lives for Jesus as a city within the city- knowing culture, loving people, and seeing lives transformed to live for Jesus.)