Social+Networking+-+Communities+for+Christ

= Please click on this link to see a list of @Twitter Suggestions. If you can add to our list, please do! = PROS: easy access for those seekers looking for a home parish(MECasselman) ability for information to be located regarding events, important dates less paper to sift through

=As a class, we will collaborate to create a list of pros and cons about using Social Media in faith-based settings. Please add your pros and cons below, beneath the name of your coach. __**Please put your NAME next to your comments!**__=


 * EXAMPLE:**

**PROS**:
 * Easier to communicate with youth (Melody Grogan)
 * There is a lot of information about our faith, activities, etc... with several different formats to use to share with others on social networking sites (Claudia McIvor)
 * Is a new avenue for relational ministry (Sr. Caroline Cerveny)
 * Many of the people we serve in ministry are already on social media, so creating small group communities for book discussions in an online format becomes easy. (Katie Choudhary)


 * CONS: **
 * There are many social networking sites to use, and trying to choose the best one for your parish may be challenging.(Melody Grogan)
 * Trying to keep up with all of the new technologies can be a daunting task (Melody Grogan)
 * Sometimes it is hard to get members of the Parish Staff behind something new and different. (Claudia McIvor)


 * Sr. Caroline Cerveny's Group**

Great way to evangelize creatively using videos, photos and even poems (Teresa Rocha) Social media can connect people from different parts of the world (Teresa Rocha) Easy access to information regarding process/program details for those seeking new parish or to enter new faith community (MaryEllen) Simplifies registration for processes/ programs by allowing digital access / payment (MaryEllen C.) Creative specific pages for specific groups within parish (Ie Sacrament families / RCIA group /etc) (MaryEllen C.) Ability to share creative ministry with others (MaryEllen C.) What to begin dialogue with those on the fringe of the parish community (MaryEllen C.) Easy way to review what has been done face-to-face (Elaine R) Allows others to see from the outside in without having to be committed (this could also be a con) Elaine R Forces one to be concise and accurate--hope is that thought goes into postings before they are sent (Elaine R) ease of instant contact [Fran Peters] reaching those that haven't been to church in a while [Fran Peters] getting info to people that just don't bother taking a bulletin [Fran Peters]
 * PROS: Instantaneous communication; get news quickly (Diane Willis) **
 * Can communicate the Catholic view to people in a non-threatening way (Diane Willis)**
 * Networking and getting reacquainted with old friends (Diane Willis)**
 * Easy to get information out to young adults (timone davis)**
 * Creative way to evangelize (timone davis)**
 * Accessible to people--not restricted by geography (timone davis)**
 * Can start conversations from anywhere and anytime. (Ann Marie Carswell)**
 * Teaching people without them knowing it. (Ann Marie Carswell)**
 * It can bring parishioners and the Parish school together by encouraging communication... asking for prayers, fundraisers for the school students or the parish, and events that can support each member face to face connections. (Alicia Chiappini)**

Young children can enter some of these sites without supervision and visit wrong sites (Teresa Rocha)
 * CONS: Can become a site for spread of gossip and untruths (Diane** ** Willis) **
 * People are replacing face-to-face communicating with social media tools (Diane Willis)**
 * Sometimes difficult to know the reputable source (i.e. When 2 priests post opposing messages) (Diane Willis)**
 * Too easy to blur boundaries (timone davis)**
 * Share too much personal information (timone davis)**
 * Can be a place for "soapbox" ministry (timone davis)**
 * It's public, public, public (timone davis)**
 * The need to police comments. (Ann Marie Carswell)**
 * It is easy to have your message hijacked and changed. (Ann Marie Carswell)**
 * A person or family could be at risk of exposure to abusers and/or bullies who can cause harm if mentioned online by name or a posted picture within a parish or school setting. (Alicia Chiappini)**
 * It can be dangerous for people with low self steem (Teresa Rocha)**
 * Many cases of** Bullying have happened because of the use of social media (Teresa Rocha)
 * Digital privacy / security especially for those most vunerable (MaryEllen C) **
 * Need for extra vetting of ministers / members of community involved with children, youth and special needs (MaryEllen C.) **
 * Lack of face-to-face connection increases risk of alter egos...you can be anyone in the cyber-world (MaryEllen C.)**
 * Very easy to get caught up in things and lose focus (Elaine R)**
 * Very difficult to convey subtleties in written word so one must be very careful to really think about the various ways something may be understood. (Elaine R)**
 * Miss postings because they don't always show up in newsfeed or tweets and may hurt someone who thinks you are ignoring them (Elaine R)**
 * half the parish don't use social media, or for the matter the internet [Fran Peters]**


 * Debbie Converse's Group **

- Social media allows faith-based groups to coordinate quickly and efficiently (Peter Jones) - Social media enables the formation of new kinds of groups center on the life of faith (Peter Jones) - Social media can help people who’ve not been “active” in parish life become more so through a platform with which they are likely already familiar (Peter Jones)
 * Pros:**
 * -** Great way to communicate quickly and move with the times. (Cici Dishman)

- Not an easy way to communicate with the elderly. (Cici Dishman) - Social media can exacerbate the formation of cliques within a community (Peter Jones) - Social media can quickly outpace a person’s ability to keep up, creating a mental barrier to “rejoining” or putting in the time to catch up (Peter Jones)
 * Cons:**


 * Claudia McIvor's Group**

Send Communication out to parents and students about upcoming events (Damary Madera) A unique opportunity to form a community at prayer (Mary Mauer) Offering members alternative GOOD NEWS in contrast to readily accessible soap operas, sit-coms, reality shows, "news" programs and social media that focus upon amoral/immoral behavior, murder & mayhem, inappropriate language and sexually explicit relationships (Mary Mauer) Speed of communication (Elizabeth Potito) Cost (or, rather, lack of cost!) of communication. (Elizabeth Potito) Reaching people where they already are, instead of waiting/expecting them to come and find us. (Elizabeth Potito) Forming Community outside of the walls of the church brings the Gospel outside the walls of the church (Elizabeth Potito) Auto-translate programs can help bring the message to those who speak another language (Elizabeth Potito) A conversation can be followed and enriched by group members/followers. (Karina Gomez) The information shared can be accessed multiple times, 24/7. (Karina Gomez) Facilitates building community by sharing information, connecting people, and encouraging engagement in dialog (Jane Martinson) Allows people to connect/engage/read at time and place that is convenient for them (Jane Martinson) It allows us to stay in touch with people in a way we have never experienced. (Deacon Webster) The cost is very limited and therefore an affordable communication venue for a church (Christine Butler) Communication/Message can be interactive and allow for feedback from your audience(Christine Butler) It is a great tool for networking/growing a network and engaging in dialogue ( Samantha Yanity) It reaches out far more people that we could do with any other type of communication (Maria Covarrubias) We learn to look at communication in a new way. (Maria Covarrubias)
 * Pros: Easy way to reach youth & parents to remind them of upcoming events (Jennifer Sieve)**
 * Communication doesn't have a time-limit. Send a Facebook notice any time of day or night. (Jennifer Sieve)**
 * Reaching people who do not regularly attend church or church functions (Jennifer Sieve)**

Trying to get people to change the way they receive information (Damary Madera) Too much information can be overwhelming to some people (Damary Madera) Becoming so consumed by inter-action on social media that one is no longer available personally for relationships that take time to form and nurture. (Mary Mauer) Not universally attractive across all age groups (Elizabeth Potito) Can be exclusionary to those who do not have computers and/or Smart Phones, or who are non- or poor readers, or whose English language skills are weak (Elizabeth Potito) Conversations must be monitored on a regular basis to remain true to the teachings of the Church and to keep an environment of respect. (Karina Gomez) Popularity of social media platforms is changing constantly. (Karina Gomez) Requires commitment to update content regularly to keep it fresh, inviting, and relevant (Jane Martinson) In many ways it is a distraction from participating in the world. (Deacon Webster) Hard to find support from Pastor and many Ministry Leaders because they continue to do what they always have done and are not willing to be open to new Communication Methods (Christine Butler) There is a lot of spam, sex traffickers hiding as catfishers, and uneducated people who feel the need to share their ignorance ( Samantha Yanity ) Social media is a challenge for those who did not grow with it. (Maria Covarrubias) It can be a preferred way to communicate rather than being present. (Maria Covarrubias)
 * Cons:Many parents do not allow their children to be on Facebook. They may miss an event or pictures of the event if they are not on social media. (Jennifer Sieve)**
 * Once parents & their children are on social media, they are exposed to all of the dangers of social media. (Jennifer Sieve)**
 * Change is hard! (Jennifer Sieve)**


 * Katie Choudhary's Group**


 * Pros: Easy way to reach parents daily, where they are. (Ann Krueger)**
 * Highly accessible to all members of the family. (Ann Krueger)**
 * Out reach to larger community than what you see personally. (Ann Krueger)**
 * Quick outreach to parents and/or students with announcements or reminders. ( Ann Krueger)**
 * Meeting youth where they spend most of their time and inserting the Gospel into their daily lives (Nathan Aronson)**
 * Taking RISKS for the Kingdom of** **God (Ann Krueger)**
 * Sharing the REALLY Good News (Ann Krueger)**


 * Cons: Too many emails, tweets, etc...takes too much time - that you don't even look anymore. (Ann Krueger)**
 * Getting parishioners to follow us on social media is very difficult at times (Nathan Aronson)**
 * Keeping up with everything going on requires much time, and makes it difficult to stop working when at home (Nathan Aronson)**
 * Taking RISKS for the Kingdom of God (Ann Krueger)**


 * Kellie De Leo's Group**

‍‍‍‍‍‍ability to reach participants quickly so eveyone is on the same page.(Roberta Pace)‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍Not everyone has access to digital tools and so how to reach those participants. I'n not always on top of who got it and who didn't. (Roberta Pace) ‍‍‍‍‍‍
 * Pros:**
 * **‍‍‍‍‍‍Connecting with the parents where they "live" during** **a good part of their day** **(i.e., their phones and computers). (Katy Feeney)**
 * **Augmenting the reach of our programs and community. (3) Reminding people that they are part of a wider community - they are not alone. (Katy Feeney)‍‍‍‍‍‍**
 * **‍‍‍‍‍‍Quick way to reach CCD students & parents with information. (Elizabeth Jones Degelia)**
 * **Less expensive and more "green" than xerox copies for CCD students that get lost or thrown away. (Elizabeth Jones Degelia)‍‍‍‍‍‍**
 * **‍‍‍‍‍‍Instant feedback on discussions (Eileen Doyle)‍‍‍‍‍‍**
 * **‍‍‍‍‍‍Free! We used to send all info in the postal mail. Parents/families much more likely to pay attention if through social media (many have admitted that they rarely opened mail from us). (Bernadette McSparron)‍‍‍‍‍‍**
 * ‍‍‍‍‍‍Connecting with students on a daily or weekly basis! (Shari Hartz)
 * **Saves gas, time, and, as Elizabeth says above, is greener. (Jenny Luse)**‍‍‍
 * Possibly the most certain way to reach families (Joan Lawson)
 * Cons:**
 * **‍‍‍‍‍‍Too many posts, tweets, etc., become lost in the "noise" of technology and risk being perceived as a nuisance. (Katy Feeney)‍‍‍‍‍‍**
 * **‍‍‍‍‍‍The actual personal touch or contact takes a back seat to the ease of "tech speak" - which can, at times, be abbreviated and to-the-point (a good thing, unless there are deeper or broader issues to discuss. (Katy Feeney)</range id="586432941_7">‍‍‍‍‍‍**
 * **<range type="comment" id="586432941_8">‍‍‍‍‍‍If CCD student family has no Internet connection or computer then they are not in the "loop" of communication. (Elizabeth Jones Degelia)</range id="586432941_8">‍‍‍‍‍‍**
 * **<range type="comment" id="586432941_9">‍‍‍‍‍‍CCD Parent could feel that there is less "in person" communication time. (Elizabeth Jones Degelia)</range id="586432941_9">‍‍‍‍‍‍**
 * **<range type="comment" id="586432941_10">‍‍‍‍‍‍Possibility for misinterpretation. Give up your voice whereas in a face to face discussion you can pick up on an individuals facial expressions, etc...(Eileen Doyle)</range id="586432941_10">‍‍‍‍‍‍**
 * **<range type="comment" id="586432941_11">‍‍‍‍‍‍Some folks abuse social media and give it a bad name for the rest of us. (Bernadette McSparron)**
 * **Can't physically touch the person. (Jenny Luse)‍‍‍**
 * **Easy to miss and easy to forget (Joan Lawson)**


 * Deanna Bartalini's Group**


 * Pros:**
 * **Communication is one of the most difficult parts of parish ministry. Once established I can see this being made easier. [Vicki Conder]**
 * **Social media also offers informal platforms to be able to teach, influence and reflect without seeming "preachy". [Vicki Conder]**
 * **Easy way to share information about faith that people will not seek out on their own. (Becky Miklos)**
 * **Social media provides a way to reach those that I could not otherwise reach. There are so many possibilities. (Therese Recinella)**
 * **Social media can spread into places you don't see coming. For instance, a single retweet or share can get your message in front of hundreds more people than you intended to see your message. (Kathryn Sullivan)**
 * **Social media is a tool for spreading the faith, a faith that is new in "ardor, methods and expressions." (Joe Wathen)**
 * **A creative way to reach the youth. (Joe Wathen)**
 * **A great way to communicate with a large number of people. (Joe Wathen)**
 * Great tool for communicating with families. (Mary Kennedy)


 * Cons:**
 * ** Easy to get caught up in social media, and lose sight of my reason for being there. I can lose a lot of time! [Vicki Conder] **
 * **Social media tends to make all information seem equally important and valid, and simply a matter of opinion. Truth gets lost. (Becky Miklos)**
 * **Social media exposes the participant to garbage one would rather not see or read. (Becky Miklos)**
 * **One challenge of Social Media, especially Facebook, is that people can develop online personas that are not authentic to who they really are. Comments and posts can be separated from any emotion. I am thinking especially about Facebook. I don't know if that is something that can actually change. I know that comment boxes can be disabled for a Facebook page. (Therese Recinella)**
 * **It is easy to respond to something hastily and regret what you said with no real ability to take it back. (Kathryn Sullivan)**
 * **It can be very time consuming in an already busy world. (Joe Wathen)**
 * **Must take into consideration that everyone is not interested in social media when communicating to your parish. (Joe Wathen)**
 * Time consuming. There are so many social media tools which requires managing multiple accounts to reach a large audience. (Mary Kennedy)


 * Ruth Manlandro's Group**


 * Pros:**
 * Able to reach a wider audience quickly and in a timely manner about news and events happening in the local and universal church. (Tam Tran)
 * Another method to delivering the Gospel message - we're meeting people where they are at: online! (Tam Tran)
 * Communication, communication, communication!! (Dennis Vlasak)
 * Informal nature of Social Media can contribute to catechizing with out it being "forced." (Dennis Vlasak)
 * This is where my youth "live." (Dennis Vlasak)
 * It's good for communicating to one's whole network at once, and the communication is greatly enhanced by the use of photos and other visual images (Therese).
 * Social media really helps me feel like I'm more in-the-know with what is going on with other people, so that when I see them in person, I'm somewhat caught up. I think the same thing goes for organizations (Therese).


 * Cons:**
 * Nothing posted or tweeted is private - we need to make sure our online communication is reflective of Christian charity, (Tam Tran)
 * How do we know where/what sites/apps we should be using? (Dennis Vlasak)
 * Some think that anything they find on the internet/social sites should be regarded as true - how can we get them to filter the incorrect? (Dennis Vlasak)
 * Responding without "thinking". (Dennis Vlasak)
 * Trolls (Therese)
 * Too little space--inability to convey complex or nuanced messages (Therese)
 * Evangelization is more about action and witness than words, but I think many Catholic/Christian organizations substitute thin messaging for real Christian discipleship (Therese).