4 Ways To Use Church Social Media for Kids’ Ministry
Your church’s social media accounts are more than an aesthetic representation of your ministry. When used correctly, a social media plan for a church can build a useful platform for all members of your congregation to stay informed and connected. It’s time to start strengthening communications at your church by fine-tuning your church’s social media platforms.
Not only will it boost parent-leader contact, but it will spur connections between families too! Create a friendly and open environment at your church where everyone stays in the loop with these four social media hacks.
1. Create a Kids’ Ministry Facebook Page
Add a specific page for your kids’ ministry onto your Facebook page for an area dedicated to all things Sunday school. If your church doesn’t already have a Facebook page, join the online community and set one up! Among other reasons why churches should use social media outlined by Church Desk, a Facebook page will boost your visibility and accessibility.
If you serve many families, it can be difficult to know the best way to keep in touch. Everyone is familiar with different communication channels, but connecting families through a central hub is essential. It’s easy for messages to get lost when information is shared on too many platforms simultaneously.
Starting a Facebook page for your children’s ministry offers an interactive online platform for current and prospective families to get a glimpse into what is going on at your church. This enables families in your broader community who aren’t necessarily members yet to benefit from your resources too.
2. Create a Kids’ Ministry Facebook Group
Think of a Facebook page as the public online platform that anyone can access, like the foyer for your ministry, and a Facebook group as the private members-only version. It’s up to you whether you choose to have one, the other, or both, but as they serve different purposes, we recommend setting up both.
Typically, groups are used more for discussions and sharing ideas, which is a great way to boost communication amongst the parents of your ministry. Additionally, you can share details about things of interest to families like local events, what is happening at your church – anything and everything that seems relevant!
Use your Facebook group to share schedule changes, updates, and announcements instantaneously. This is a safe space for families to share prayer requests, concerns, celebrations, and more while engaging in meaningful conversations.
3. Post Instagram Stories With Links
Drive engagement to your Instagram page while informing families about what’s going on at your kids’ ministry with fun stories that feature informative links. Using a video of your little learners having fun at their Sunday school lessons will remind parents of any activities they need to prepare for or Bible studies to continue at home.
Encouraging parents to teach similar lessons to their children every day of the week will boost kids’ connection with God. Think Orange outlines the importance of family involvement in the faith-building process, as children spend far more time at home than they do with the church.
Align leaders and parents at your church by sharing resources in a visually appealing way that includes links on every Instagram story. Sharing polls lets parents get involved and share their two cents on the future of their kids’ ministry, and event countdowns will ensure no one forgets about an important date.
*Never share images of children without a parent or guardian’s consent. *
4. Use Twitter to Share Biblical Resources
Your church Twitter page should be an interesting and informative resource for your congregation (and anyone who wants to learn more!). Share relevant tweets from other accounts you follow, include trending hashtags in your posts, and build a church social media strategy to maximize the effectiveness of your page.
Take this to the next level by creating specific posts aimed at families to keep your children’s ministry connected. Hosting an At Home Object Lesson series to inspire families to keep their kids on track throughout the week is a powerful way to open communication channels with parents and strengthen your children’s bond with God. Check out more of our favorite object lessons.
Using a hashtag that is relevant to your church enables parents to send in photos of them doing the object lesson at home. This could get your church’s parents talking amongst themselves, sharing funny anecdotes, and building connections while providing space for parents to raise any thoughts, feelings, or improvements about the lessons.
Get Creative With Church Social Media!
Remember that your church's social media pages are there to serve you and your people, so get creative with how you use them! Offer the chance for families to share their feedback, so you can fine-tune your social pages in a way that caters to their needs. You can even track engagement on different kinds of posts to gain an insight into what appeals most and what to leave behind in your church’s social media plan.
Build a rich online community filled with a variety of church social media posts to keep everyone connected, from inspiring quotes from scripture, helpful resources for learning at home, and practical information for families.