Some congregations actively encourage it with church photo booths. Now more families than ever have the pictures to prove attendance. In recent years, photo-friendly congregations have created themed photo backdrops for attendees to mark special occasions. Then they post and tag their attendance.
The photo setups became popular at local churches with the increased use of smartphones. Selfies have become one of the phenomena of the past five years. Church social media expert Haley Veturis first started using branded photo backdrops that resembled the banners used on red carpets at a conference back in 2012. She proceeded to include them into special events at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, a large megachurch in the USA.
Photo booth phenomena
Piedmont Chapel in High Point, North Carolina has used photo backdrops for special services since its inception in 2014. It invited people to pose next to a Christmas tree or hold signs with its Easter logo and even have their children pose with costumed characters.
A family portrait at the booth can be captured and branded and viewed by millions of people
“We’re always looking to provide value to peoples’ lives,” said Kendall Conner, the church’s creative pastor and a graphic designer. “To those who are uneasy about providing a photo op at church… I’d encourage them to look at the togetherness that they can bring. Families that may not take a photo together all year long may get their chance at your church.
Social media sharing of your church experience
For over a decade, many global churches have incorporated social media into their evangelism toolkit, as they’ve done with other communication technologies over the years. The big difference is that social media is a private medium that provides shareable snapshots of your life making it very public. Now every churchgoer is a potential outlet for distributing a selfie with a church brand logo.
What social media has given us is a larger platform than ever to share the things that we care about which is their family, their friends, and their faith. Conner went on to say, “If our church is able to reach more people through members sharing their Sunday experience through Instagram or Facebook, we encourage it.”
Selfies before service starts
There are those who oppose this approach. They feel that one of the dangers is that people can mistake impressions for a true living gospel experience. Others shared concerns about how dependence on technology can favor a distorted view that church is not a place for worship.
Those supporters of social media-driven church outreach see their efforts as a chance to meet Christians and those seeking spiritual guidance in the digital spaces. More than half of practicing Christian millennials post Bible verses to their social media channels monthly or more, according to Barna Research. With careful strategies, one can win souls with this medium.
Instagram has driven more brands than ever. Younger generations of Christians are aware that these images are created to show what the brand demands. It does create dialogue and an awareness of a church without walls.
Sharing of your life as a Christian
“According to church social media expert, “Media walls simply create space and encourage people to get
together to capture the moment, something Gen X and Y have grown up doing and is a deep-seated part of their everyday lives,” she said. “Why wouldn’t we want to encourage them to continue sharing, but more so to share what God is doing in their lives at your church.”
Living your life doing helpful acts in the community is not so easy to record but these are the messages that we can use to spread the Gospel to four corners of the globe.
Christian living is living our lives according to the ways of Jesus Christ. There are many ways to do it and you should always do it with a smile on your face.