SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOUTH MINISTRY - What Most People Miss

Summary

In this video, Brady Shearer from Pro Church Tools discusses the unique role of social media in youth ministry. He emphasizes the importance of using social platforms to both reach out publicly and connect personally with students. Shearer suggests leveraging Instagram Direct groups for private communication and empowering students to create content for the ministry. He also highlights the opportunity for youth leaders to guide students in navigating social media wisely, positioning them as agents of positive influence in the digital world.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The speaker has a degree in Youth Ministry and Theology and was initially aiming to become a youth pastor.
• 🛠️ Pro Church Tools was started to teach digital skills to peers in youth ministry, anticipating their future needs in vocational ministry.
• 📱 Social media plays a significant role in the lives of teenagers and young adults, with platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok being the most popular.
• 📊 TikTok's rapid rise indicates the fast pace of change in social media platforms, especially among younger users.
• 🔑 Social media for students and young adults has two main responsibilities: to reach publicly and connect personally.
• 👴 Generational differences in social media usage are important to consider, with older individuals using it more for public reach and younger individuals for personal connections.
• 🗣️ Youth leaders should focus on personal connection, which often happens behind the scenes, such as through direct messages.
• 👥 Setting up an Instagram Direct group can provide a private channel for youth to connect personally with the leader and each other.
• 🎥 Empowering students to create content for the youth ministry, such as TikTok videos, can be a more effective strategy than creating content for them.
• 🏆 Hosting content creation events and empowering a student social media team can lead to engaging activities and shared responsibility for content creation.
• 🛡️ Teaching students to navigate the dangers of social media wisely is crucial, as it can be used for both good and evil.
• 🌟 Social media offers a tremendous opportunity for youth leaders to be agents of redemption and share the Good News where people are.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is discussing the use of social media in youth ministry and the unique challenges and techniques for connecting with and pastoring students through social platforms.

What is the presenter's educational background?

The presenter has a degree in Youth Ministry and Theology.

Why was Pro Church Tools started?

Pro Church Tools was started to teach the digital skills the presenter was learning, knowing that peers in the youth ministry program would need them for vocational ministry.

What are some of the social platforms mentioned in the video that are popular with teenagers?

The video mentions YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok as the platforms where teenagers spend most of their time.

Why is YouTube not included in the first infographic about social media usage among teenagers?

YouTube might not be included because it is not considered a traditional social platform like Instagram or TikTok, even though it is widely used by teens.

What is the significance of the change in social media platforms from 2019 to 2020 as shown in the video?

The change signifies the rapid evolution of social media platforms, especially among young people, with TikTok's absence in 2019 indicating its rapid rise in popularity.

What are the two main responsibilities of using social media in the context of youth ministry according to the video?

The two main responsibilities are to reach publicly and connect personally with the youth through social media.

How does the presenter suggest youth leaders should use social media differently from older adults?

Youth leaders should focus more on connecting personally, as younger people use social media more for personal connections rather than public outreach.

What practical advice does the presenter give for youth leaders to connect with students on Instagram?

The presenter suggests setting up an Instagram Direct group for students to create a private channel for personal connection and engagement.

What is the presenter's recommendation for creating content on social media with students?

The presenter recommends empowering students to create the content for the youth ministry, such as hosting a TikTok night or forming a student social media team.

What role can youth leaders play in teaching students about the wise use of social media?

Youth leaders can equip students to be agents in redeeming social media, showing them how to use it wisely and avoid its potential dangers.

How does the presenter encourage viewers to support the video's content?

The presenter encourages viewers to hit the thumbs up button and share the video with other youth leaders who might benefit from the insights.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Social Media in Youth Ministry

The speaker, Brady Shearer, introduces the topic of using social media for youth ministry. He shares his background in Youth Ministry and Theology and explains the motivation behind Pro Church Tools. The channel aims to teach digital skills to peers in ministry, highlighting the uniqueness of social media in the context of youth. The video will discuss challenges and techniques for connecting with students through social platforms. Brady emphasizes the importance of subscribing and engaging with the content, and he presents data from Statista to show the significant role social media plays in the lives of teenagers, particularly on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. He also notes the rapid changes in social media usage, especially among young people.

05:00

🤝 Leveraging Social Media for Personal Connection and Content Creation

This paragraph delves into the unique responsibilities of social media in youth ministry: reaching out publicly and connecting personally. Brady points out that while public outreach may come naturally, the personal connection aspect often happens behind the scenes and is crucial for youth leaders. He discusses generational differences in social media usage, noting that younger people tend to use it more for personal connections. Brady suggests practical steps, such as setting up Instagram Direct groups to facilitate private communication with students. He shares a real-life example of how an Instagram Direct group led to pastoral care, where a youth's cry for help was responded to immediately by the group leaders. The paragraph transitions into the idea of creating content with students rather than for them, suggesting activities like TikTok or YouTube video creation nights as a way to engage and empower students. Brady also touches on the importance of teaching students to navigate the potential dangers of social media wisely, positioning them as agents of positive change in the digital space.

Keywords

💡Social Media

Social media refers to digital platforms that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. In the context of the video, it is highlighted as a powerful force in the lives of teens and young adults, with platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok being the most widely used. The script emphasizes the importance of social media in youth ministry for both reaching out publicly and connecting personally with students.

💡Youth Ministry

Youth Ministry is a Christian educational program designed to support young people in their faith development. The video's speaker has a degree in this field and discusses the role of social media in youth ministry, including the unique challenges and opportunities it presents for connecting with and pastoring students.

💡Pro Church Tools

Pro Church Tools is the name of the channel and the organization founded by the speaker. It was created to teach digital skills to peers in youth ministry and has a focus on helping churches navigate communication in the digital age, as mentioned in the script.

💡Media Director

A Media Director is a role often found in churches or other organizations, responsible for overseeing media operations and communications. The speaker mentions having been seduced by the powers of church communications and becoming the Media Director at their church.

💡TikTok

TikTok is a social media platform known for its short-form videos. The script points out the rapid rise of TikTok, noting its absence from earlier social media statistics, and suggests it as a platform where youth leaders should focus their efforts.

💡YouTube

YouTube is a video-sharing platform mentioned in the script as the most widely used social platform among teens, despite not being traditionally classified as a social platform. The speaker advises not to underestimate its importance in youth ministry.

💡Instagram Direct

Instagram Direct is a feature of Instagram that allows users to send private messages to individuals or groups. The video suggests setting up Instagram Direct groups as a way to connect personally with students in a private channel, aligning with their existing social behaviors.

💡Snapchat

Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app where messages and pictures are usually available for a short time before disappearing. It is listed among the platforms where teens spend most of their social media time, as mentioned in the script.

💡Content Creation

Content creation refers to the process of making and publishing digital content, such as videos or posts. The video emphasizes the shift from creating content for students to creating content with students, empowering them to produce material for the youth ministry.

💡Pastoral Care

Pastoral care is the support and guidance provided by religious leaders to their congregation. The script includes an example of how an Instagram Direct group led to pastoral care when a youth reached out for prayer and support during a personal crisis.

💡Digital Platforms

Digital platforms in the script refer to the online spaces where youth leaders can connect with students, such as social media. The speaker discusses the importance of using these platforms for personal connection and content creation with students.

💡Redeeming Social

Redeeming social in the context of the video means using social media in a positive and constructive way. The speaker encourages leaders to equip students to be agents in redeeming social, navigating its dangers wisely, and using it as a tool for good.

Highlights

The video discusses the unique challenges and techniques for using social media in youth ministry.

The speaker has a degree in Youth Ministry and Theology and shares their experience in church communications.

Pro Church Tools was created to teach digital skills necessary for youth ministry in the modern world.

Social media is a powerful force in the lives of teens and young adults, with platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok being most popular.

Data from Statista in 2020 shows the percentage of American teenagers using social platforms monthly, excluding YouTube.

YouTube is the most widely used social platform among teens, according to a 2019 Statista infographic.

The rapid change in social media platforms is illustrated by TikTok's absence from the 2019 infographic.

Social media for students involves both public reach and personal connection.

Older individuals tend to use social media more for public reach, while younger individuals use it more for personal connection.

Youth leaders should consider setting up Instagram Direct groups to facilitate personal connections with students.

An Instagram Direct group can lead to pastoral care, as exemplified by a youth messaging for prayer and support.

Youth leaders should focus on creating content with students rather than for students, empowering them to participate.

Hosting a TikTok night or similar events can engage students in content creation for the youth ministry.

Empowering a student social media team can distribute the content creation burden and align with students' interests.

Teaching students to navigate the dangers of social media is a responsibility of youth leaders.

Youth leaders have the opportunity to model and teach responsible social media use, guiding students to use it wisely.

The video concludes by encouraging viewers to engage with the content and share it with other youth leaders.

Transcripts

- In today's video, we're talking about social media

for youth ministry.

Believe it or not, I actually have my degree

in Youth Ministry and Theology.

And before I was seduced by the powers

of church communications and became the Media Director

at my church, I was hoping to become a youth pastor.

And the primary motivation behind starting

Pro Church Tools seven years ago, this channel,

was to teach the digital skills that I was learning

because I knew my peers in the youth ministry program,

the Bible college, were gonna need them when they entered

the world of vocational ministry.

And when we're talking about social media in the context

of students, it is absolutely unique.

So, in this video, we'll talk about some of those challenges

along with a few of my favorite techniques

for connecting with and pastoring students

through social platforms.

(upbeat music)

Well, hey there, I'm Brady Shearer.

This is Pro Church Tools and we're here to help your church

navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years.

So, consider subscribing, if you're already subscribed

turn on notifications to get instant alerts

when we drop new content.

And if you learn something in this video, please,

give it a thumbs up, it's perhaps the best way to give

back on YouTube.

Now, if you serve in student ministry, as a church leader,

as a youth pastor, you surely don't need me to tell you

that social is a powerful force in the lives of teens

and young adults.

But let's look through some recent data anyway.

This comes from Statista and it was gathered early in 2020

prior to the pandemic.

And what you're seeing here is the percentage of American

teenagers that use a social platform at least once a month.

And keep in mind when you see this, the YouTube

is not included here.

Perhaps, because it's not a social platform

in the traditional sense, like maybe Instagram

or TikTok is, but don't underestimate it

just because it's not on this chart.

Take a look at this other infographic also from Statista.

This is from early 2019,

and here you'll notice that TikTok isn't even on the chart,

which just goes to show you how fast social changes,

especially with young people.

And here, YouTube is the most widely used

social platform amongst teens.

Back to our other infographic now, and we've got Instagram,

Snapchat, and TikTok as big players.

These numbers will all be self-reported by teens

gathered through a survey,

and I would suspect TikTok is higher now

than it was at the beginning of the year.

But the main takeaway that I want you to get from this,

is that yes, obviously social plays a big role

in the everyday life of a teenager,

and the platforms they're spending the most time on,

are YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.

Now, they might have accounts on Facebook and Twitter,

they may check in every so often, but the majority

of their time on social is gonna be

spent on those other platforms.

And lastly, yes, this is American data,

but in my experience, you're pretty safe to assume

these splits apply similarly to most Western countries.

Now, let's get into what makes social media different

for students and young adults, than compared to old washed

Millennials like myself.

And for you as a youth leader,

there are really three things to consider.

Number one, social media comes with two responsibilities.

You need to reach publicly and connect personally.

All of what we do on social media is summed up

in those two things.

Reach publicly, connect personally.

Now, the reach publicly side is what

will almost certainly come more naturally to you.

It's the visible side of social.

We can see what others are doing,

we can take cues from them, we get that.

It's the connect personally side that we often miss on.

And that's because it's the part of social media

that happens behind the scenes.

But for you as a youth leader, here's what you need to know.

There are generational differences in how people

use social media.

So what do I mean by that?

Well, older folks will generally use social more to reach

publicly, younger folks will use social

more to connect personally.

So think about your students for a moment,

the vast majority of the time they spend on their phones

on social, is probably gonna be DMing their friends

and consuming content, rather than publicly sharing content

with the world.

And this needs to influence how you use social

to connect with them.

Practically, one thing you can do is set up an Instagram

Direct group for your students.

Groups can have up to 32 people in them,

and what this does, is creates a private channel

for your students, with opportunities to connect personally

with them, and it dovetails off of the existing social

behaviors of your students.

So, yes, you can spend a ton of energy creating content

for the Instagram feed, trying to engage your students

that way, or, you could setup this Instagram Direct group,

get all of your students in there.

Set up multiple groups if needed.

It's gonna be less work, and it will synchronize

with how your youth prefer to use social.

And, if you're wondering what this can actually look like,

what is it going to lead to, here's what one pastor told me

about how his Instagram Direct group lead directly

to pastoral care.

- [Pastor] A few months ago one of our youth messaged

our group DM saying, "Hey, can you guys pray for me please,

my brother got kicked out of rehab, me and my parents got

into a fight and I currently have no place to live.

Please, pray god has a plan, thank you."

Our leaders jumped in immediately and consoled her

amongst the group,

while at the same time a leader reached out privately

to get more information, and ensure that she was safe.

We were able to arrange accommodations for her that night

while also leading her into a way to be restored

with her family.

- This now leads nicely to the second big idea I want you

to grasp when it comes to social for students.

Here's the change you need to make.

Most of us are thinking about creating content

for our students on social,

instead, you need to concentrate your energy on creating

content with your students.

When I was in youth ministry, back about 10 years ago,

my youth group would often host a basketball night

or a laser tag night, mini-golf night.

Because those were activities that we as teens enjoyed

doing, and so we integrated that

into our student ministry calendar.

With teenagers today, creating TikTok videos, and creating

YouTube videos, those are the kinds of activities

that have ascended to be some of the most popular

recreational options amongst young people.

So, your focus as a youth leader when it comes to social,

shouldn't be on creating content for your youth,

but instead, empowering them to create the content

for the student ministry.

What does this look like practically?

Well, you could host a TikTok night,

break the students up into groups of three, or four,

and have each group create a single TikTok video

or a couple of them.

And then, the group that creates the best video as voted on

by all of the students that evening, can win a prize.

And then use all of that content that was created

that evening for the days and weeks ahead.

I spoke with one of the social media leaders

at Life Church earlier this year and they hosted

a night like this.

I spoke with a pastor of a youth group of about a dozen,

and they hosted a night like this.

So, whatever size of group you have,

this makes for a great evening.

And then, you can take it one step further,

and empower a social media team made up of students

to create content for the youth group.

Youth love to do this sort of thing,

it's what they're choosing to do

in their spare time already.

Intersect that passion with their faith,

put a bunch of gear in their hands, and you're off.

And as an added bonus, now the burden to create the content

is no longer entirely on your shoulders.

Finally, if you get to the place where you are using social

to connect personally with your students and pastoring them

through these digital platforms,

and, you've empowered them to create content for the student

ministry as well, you are now in a privileged place

where you can play a role in teaching your students

how to wisely navigate the dangers of social.

Because, guess what?

Humans are involved on social, meaning,

social can be and will be used for evil.

And really, you have two options here as a leader.

You can reject social altogether, and leave your kids

to fend for themselves online, throughout youth group,

and then on for when they graduate,

or, you can equip your students to be agents

in redeeming social.

Jesus talked about how we are the light of the world.

A city on a hill, not meant to be hidden.

And you don't light a lamp just to cover it up under a bowl.

The Good News is meant to be shared.

So, where do we share it?

Where the people are.

And that's what social provides for us.

A tremendous opportunity.

Does it come with its challenges?

Yes, absolutely it does.

Whenever humans are involved in anything,

there will be challenges.

So, this is where you can come alongside a student's parents

and be a voice and influence,

modeling behaviors for your students, and showing them

how to use social, while not letting social

be the one that uses them.

Thanks for your time as always.

If you liked what we talked about in this video,

make sure to hit the thumbs up button,

it might seem trivial, it might even seem juvenile, right?

I get it, but, this was a video on student ministry.

So, maybe you're that person that always watches

these videos and doesn't hit the like button.

Look, I get it, do you.

But, it would mean a ton to me if this was the day

you decided to change your ways,

and of course, to all of you that are consistently hitting

thumbs up on every one of our videos,

thank you kindly.

And I also encourage you to share this video with a youth

leader who could benefit from it.

And as always, I'll talk to you real soon.

(upbeat music)