An article that I read recently gave six reasons why pastors should blog.[1]  There is value in pastors keeping weblogs because blogging provides them opportunities i) to write, ii) to teach, iii) to recommend, iv) to interact, v) to develop an eye for what is meaningful and, vi) to be known.  As I reflected on the reasons presented, it struck me how much digital spaces provide pastors platforms for ministry opportunities as well as opportunities for personal growth and enrichment.

Digital spaces are part of the ecology of spaces that 21st century life straddles across.  Not only do we conduct business, work, communicate, learn, and have fun in geographic spaces, increasingly this is a generation that has migrated those activities into digital spaces. Curious about what was in vogue in digital spaces, I set myself the task of “being there” to gain first hand experiences of life on the electronic agora. 

But it wasn’t the blogsphere I wanted to be at this time.  I was already familiar with blogs.  I started my first blog in 2003 and learned HTML to embellish my blogs.  Blogs however seemed too one-way as a communication platform.  This time I was more interested in experiencing the connectivity and interactivity which Web 2.0 social networks offered.

I thus became active on Facebook beginning December 2008.[2]  I’m not a digital native, and as a digital immigrant, still carry a somewhat thick immigrant accent.  Being in Facebook however didn’t make me feel like a visitor or an immigrant.  In fact, it wasn’t difficult to become a contributing Netizen within a short time.  Before long, I was connected to a vibrant Facebook community.  I would advertise upcoming SBC events, connect with students, alumni and old classmates, post a video of myself playing the guitar, upload photos demonstrating a useful collaborative learning strategy for teaching bible texts, and share my list of favourite quotations relating to using visuals for communicating in the 21st century.  To quote a Straits Times columnist, “it is essentially a one-stop shop, with functions like e-mail, chat, photolog and blog all rolled into one fuss-free interface, and a great way to keep in touch with people.”[3]

The important discovery for me however was not finding out what I could do in Facebook or becoming more comfortable in that space.  For me, what was significant was stumbling upon a very active and vibrant community posting their photos and videos, sharing their links, and updating what was on their hearts and minds.  Being both participant in as well as observer of an interactive and interconnected community of friends and friends-of-friends opened my eyes to an emerging reality which cannot be ignored anymore.  Web spaces have truly become more social and interactive.  Young and old, they are all there![4]

A Facebook friend recently sent me a link to a free e-book entitled Facebook for Pastors. Like the earlier article, the author gave six reasons why pastors should be on Facebook.  Being a member of Facebook i) allows you to be accessible to others, ii) is in line with a Kingdom-focus, iii) shows that we’re all human, iv) gives others a look at your heart and passions, v) encourages learning, sharing and discussion, and vi) provides another door into your local church.[5]  A quotation from that book is worth reflecting on: