This social media revolution has left a lot of people feeling confused or awkward when it comes to sharing one's faith online.
Well, here are 10 Do's and Dont's when evangelizing online (and offline). Surely there are many more, so feel free to add more in the comment section below.
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DON'T: Be a poser. DO: Be yourself. - Don't be a fake. It's okay that you're not perfect (it's an advantage, actually). Other people can relate to that. Everyone wants to be original, right? Well stop trying to be like somebody else. The surest way to be original is to be your true self. You'll be way more interesting, too.
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DON'T: Be judgmental of people. DO: Speak the truth about their actions. - St. Ephraim said, "Be kind to everyone you meet, for every person is fighting a great battle." You don't fully know what any other person is going through or what it's like for them. Give them the benefit of the doubt and start by loving them first. But, if you truly love them, then you will make sure to share the truth with them about their actions (for their sake, not yours).
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DO: Preach the gospel always. DON'T: Use words...except when necessary. - The best way to evangelize is with your actions, not your words. The same applies online. Don't use social media just to promote the faith. Use it to practice the faith.
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DON'T: Argue just to win arguments. DO: Engage with people to win hearts for Christ. - Don't go looking for fights. Go looking for people in need and ask how you can help and serve them.
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DON'T: Forget that effective evangelization starts with relationship. DO: Start with the relationships already in your life. - Too often we think we need to travel far and wide to evangelize. But God has already placed people in your life for you to serve. You may not like them. But maybe that's the point.
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DON'T: Focus on how everyone else is wrong. DO: Affirmatively share what you've found to be right. - It's easy to sit back and point out what's wrong with everything. Anyone can do that. It's much more effective if you can share what's so great about what's right. Behind every "no" in the "rules" of the Church there is a much more profound and fulfilling "yes." Make sure people know that.
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DON'T: Pretend you're always right. DO: Admit when you're wrong. - This builds on point #1 above. Admitting your wrong is not only good for your own humility, it's even better for the relationship (point #5) you're building with somebody...because it's honest and true. And remember, you don't have to have an answer for everything. Just join the journey in finding it. The Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints! If you go around pretending we're all perfect --- it's false advertising (and will turn people away from the Church).
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DON'T: Just say whatever you feel whenever you feel like saying it. DO: Self-edit and remember who's "in the room." - You can do a lot of harm very quickly with your careless words. Words are powerful. Remember who might be listening in when you're saying things online. Your words and actions there can have ramifications far wider than what is immediately obvious to you (or that you ever know about).
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DON'T: Talk more than you listen. DO: Spend more time learning your faith than preaching about it. - In any good relationship or conversation, it's a good idea to listen more than you talk. Additionally, if you're ever going to have something worth sharing, you need to make sure you're spending the time to fill yourself up with good things first!
- DON'T: Forget that your joy is one of the most powerful tools you have. DO: Let a joyful smile shine through your online presence. - St. Teresa of Avila said, “a sad saint is a bad saint.” Joy is infectious and attractive. It's not a great "sell" if you're angrily talking about what joy and peace your faith gives you. Do it with a glad heart.
What else? Anyone have any other DOs and DONTs? Please share below.
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These are great suggestions for life offline, also!
Very true, Sam!
yeah, great advice… thanks for sharing.
Love these!
I’d also recommend when responding to things online to NEVER respond right away to something you feel extremely passionate about. It goes with the editing tip…I’ve done it before where I respond to something too quickly and didn’t think it through well. A good answer if worth waiting for!
Excellent guidelines. I’ll add one other; Balance. I feel like it’s good to show your “regular guy” side once in awhile. I think that part of evangelization is showing others that you don’t have to turn into a one dimensional person who only talks about God all the time. Have some balance to your online posts. Talk about your experiences, art, music and pop culture, etc. Be funny once in awhile. People shouldn’t get the impression that being a faithful Christian turns you into a faithful bore. Rather, show how wonderful and beautiful it is to be a well rounded person who also loves Jesus and the Church with all his heart and who tries to live by His teachings.
Good Post!
typo in #8 - sorry
DON’T: Be patronizing or condescending to the people whom you are trying to evangelize to. Show them respect.
DO: Be very knowledgeable about both your own faith, & as well as the beliefs of others. An ignorant missionary makes a very poor missionary.
DON’T: Invade other people’s space. If it is an online group or club about a particular religion, then the chances are, they will not welcome missionaries. Even in public message forums or chat rooms, still be mindful of space. If a particular website has given each religion the same amount of forums, then it is ok to evangelize on other religions’ forums, but, if the website has given Christianity plenty of forums, to address numerous topics, such as denominations, etc., & meanwhile, gave the other religions only a few forums to work with, the chances are, people who belong to these other religions will not appreciate Christians creating topics on their space, trying to gain converts.
I dont remember the exact C. S. Lewis quote, but basically he says you can’t change a person’s mind by telling him how he is wrong, you move him towards change by showing him a better way.
DON’T: give in to the temptation to caricature other people’s viewpoints. It is often a lazy way to dismiss what others are trying to communicate. DO: think through the other person’s point-of-view. Make a mental exercise of trying to argue their perspective more effectively than they have done so. Then paraphrase that point-of-view before responding to it. This demonstrates that you have listened to them and taken stock of the merits of their ideas. This allows the conversation to move forward rather than getting short-circuited by misrepresentations, and strengthens good will on both sides.
Craig - I’m not seeing it? Little help!? Thanks!
And thanks to everyone for the great additions! Keep it up! Good stuff.
Posted by Carolyn Barratt on Monday, Jul 16, 2012 10:49 PM (EST):
DON’T: Invade other people’s space. If it is an online group or club about a particular religion, then the chances are, they will not welcome missionaries. Even in public message forums or chat rooms, still be mindful of space. “
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Good advice, but I don’t think the atheists who troll Catholic blogs have got the memo yet.
I’m not sure where this might fit-in, but maybe it is in recognizing the other point of view; still, since this is under the heading with the word “evangelize”: I will say, many already have so much of the good news, even atheists seem to typically have had some experiences, some knowledge, about Christianity in general. Evangelizing doesn’t seem to be so much about getting the word out there about Christ, but more about providing counsel, to clear up the confusion, that exists about Christ.
The other point is not intended to detract from an obligation we have as Catholics to learn about our faith, but sometimes it seems: when evangelizing it is important to recognize a problem, that impedes faith, and provide if not an answer, then a solution.
The middle paragraph is rooted in what I have heard said, it isn’t what you know that people want, but to know that you care, then what is known can follow to better effect.
Christians—no matter how loosely defined—evangelize each other, because it is a joyful thing to do, but it does seem to involve problems: personal, ideological, or to quell what appears to be a threat to faith, hence an apology. By the same token, solutions and problems recognizably belong to responsible parties. Possibly the greatest thing to work with is what we are as humans and therefore, the other technological aspect of the above heading, “online”, goes into much of what is already covered, “relationships”, or the fact that we are social animals. Of course, there’s something downright disengenuous about converting others on the premise of friendship.
Has anyone heard about the rumor that Vanilla Wafers are to be discontinued?
Thanks so much for your help. I’m worried!
Re: typo in #8 - it’s “remember.” I missed it at first, but then my English teacher eye got it. Just had to turn it on first! (If I had it on all the time, the Internet would be a lot less fun…)
I like these and the additional tips in the comments. I went from being rather lukewarm about my faith to being…well, on fire, I guess, and figuring out how to navigate life on and off the Internet, among old friends and new, is definitely a challenge.
*fixed* My eyes just weren’t seeing it! Thaks!
Remember to keep love as your primary motivation. Love the person to whom you’re evangelizing above all.
Thanks for the good article on internet evangelization. I would add to always keep it personal… People like to think they are getting a look into someone else personal space. When you share your personal faith experiences people are naturally drawn in. I would also add to accept others exactly where they are in their faith. Each person’s faith journey is unique unto them. Accept, then inspire.
More great advice can be found here: http://usccbmedia.blogspot.com/2012/07/gospel-and-social-media.html.
You stop claiming that religion is being attacked by Liberals and Atheists. That kind of self-victimization depicts open-minded people as monsters and is a big turn-off to the discussion of faith.
Excellent work. see you,
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