As you probably remember, last week we started the conversation as to why your parish should use social media. You can attract Millenials and iGens to your church, convert with RCIA, use it for events and to broadcast your weekly mass. That is just a small fraction of what you are able to do with Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Here are some successful events we have found using various social media sites!

One of my favorites is Theology on Tap. This is a popular event under different pseudonyms (Pints and Prayers, Beer and Bible…) for those in their 20s and 30s. Since craft beer seems to be really popular, and most independent brew pubs serve food, it is the perfect place to host an event for young adults. There you can ask questions, and the host (Priest, Deacon, or Bishop) will answer you the best way they can. You can discuss faith openly and enjoy food and drink at the same time. Since it’s at a brew pub, it is comfortable and casual. Plus it is a great way to meet like-minded people!

Did you know that the Pope and numerous Bishops, Cardinals, Priests and Deacons are members of social media? There is a chance that one of yours is. Many of them have daily or weekly blog entries, have live chats, and offer question and answer services. They offer great inspiration and guide and teach you even though you are not at mass. You are able to read their homily each week too! Something to advertise on your church bulletin – Father has a blog and here is his Twitter handle.

Schools and Religious Education are making a name for themselves on social media. It is great seeing all of the activities and crafts students are creating on their school’s Twitter and Facebook feeds. Around the holidays such as Christmas and Easter your newsfeed will be filled with nativity scenes at Christmas, and palms and crosses around Easter. It is great seeing the young students learning about religion and creating pieces of art for their families.

Also, keep this in mind: think about people who have recently moved to the area. They are often looking for a parish to join. If you have a Facebook page, or belong to NextDoor, then people will see the closest parish to them and read the reviews about what great things are going on there.

Parish Giving is quite active on social media too. We enjoy posting creative crafts from VBS and art classes. We will even create events to advertise on our Facebook and Twitter pages. As of recent we email around to different parishes and diocese to learn more about the events they host so we can bring the information to our followers. That is what’s so great about social media; word gets out much faster and to more people. It’s easy to see why your parish should be on a social media platform; because most of your parishioners are.