Com 121 Presentation
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- The document discusses how young adults are disconnecting from the church and lack personal interaction. Social media and technology are impacting personal relationships. - Church use of new media and technology is lagging behind other organizations in reaching young adults. The church must increase its online presence through videos, social media, and mobile technologies. - Engaging young adults will require the church speaking to them through the technologies they use while still maintaining personal contact which is a vital foundation.
Com 121 Presentation
- 1. • Social media is an effective way to communicate • Digital age impacts young adults • Church and New Media – Louisa Howard • Disconnect with the Church • Person-to-person interaction
- 2. This vital FOUNDATION “Person-to-Person Interaction” is necessary for all, not only “young adults.” How does this impact our daily lives?
- 3. What do you think? Is an expression of simple hospitality dissipating only among young adults? “Howdy” has died a quick death the last 10 years. “Simple hospitality”… took a deathblow from technology.
- 4. • Do you feel a personal relationship with God? • Do you attend mass regularly? • What’s missing? • What language is the Church speaking to you?
- 5. The following statistics are based on young adults in the Millennial Generation… › Only 40% of self-identified Catholic young adults are certain that you can have a personal relationship with God. › 64% of Catholic Millennials attend Mass a few times a year. › Only 15% go to mass regularly.
- 6. … “The Church lags behind in reaching young adults…” … “The Church is years behind the rest of our society in using New Media…” …”We must speed up our use of technology …”
- 7. Increase consumption of videos and social media (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) Develop personalized marketing. Increase use of smart phones and other mobile technologies.
- 8. Busted Halo Ministries (www.BustedHalo.com) Spirit Juice Studios (www.SpiritJuiceStudios.com) Busted Halo Ministries St. Mary’s Catholic Center Catholics Come Home Word on Fire Spirit Juice Studios The Catholic Register The New Evangelization (ewtn.com) Sonitus Sanctus CatholiciCast
- 9. “The Holy Father said we must examine if the communications of the Church are helping other to meet Christ” “The challenge is to rediscover, through the means of social communication as well as personal contact, the beauty that is at the heart of our existence and our journey, the beauty of faith and of the encounter with Christ” 2013.09.21 Vatican Radio/Pope Francis
- 10. Disengagement from the Church Past and Current Parishioners Point of View Generation
- 11. Do you feel disengaged from your Church? Do you see a decline of person-to- person interaction, simple gestures of hospitality? Does your church use social media? If so, how is it used to reach out to you and other parishioners?
- 12. What social media and mobile technologies do you own and use? Do you use any of these technologies to connect with the church? Do you feel that they help you to connect spiritually?
- 13. Does the church lag behind in reaching you personally? Would you search for spiritual topics on your own in order to reconnect with the church? Do you subscribe to, use or read blogs, podcasts, etc.?
- 14. St. Joseph the Worker Weirton, WV St. Paul Roman Catholic Church Weirton, WV St. Mary’s McKees Rocks, PA Watch “Tour of The Park” by Parkway Fellowship: http://vimeo.com/39354092 Christ the King Chapel, Franciscan University Steubenville, OH Our Lady of Lourdes, Burgettstown, PA
- 15. St. Joseph the Worker Weirton, WV St. Paul Roman Catholic Church Weirton, WV Watch “Tour of The Park” by Parkway Fellowship: http://vimeo.com/39354092 Christ the King Chapel, Franciscan University Steubenville, OH St. Mary’s McKees Rocks, PA Our Lady of Lourdes, Burgettstown, PA
- 16. • Do you leave mass spiritually fulfilled? • Do you look forward to the next mass? • Did you feel connected – did your priest/pastor “speak your language?”
- 17. Personal Contact is a critical foundation Social Media is essential for keeping communication lines open, sharing information, learning, speaking a language to reach many And last but not least… Age is irrelevant when we are disengaged from the Church and looking for a way to come back home Click here to watch my interview with Fr. Ryan of St. Mary’s Church
Editor's Notes
- #9: Busted Halo Ministries (www.BustedHalo.com)Focuses their attention on the digital world.“What Works” provides spiritual direction.“Facts of Faith” podcast answers little-known facts and other pieces of Church trivia.“Search Church” finds local parishes known for welcoming young adultsSpirit Juice Studios (www.SpiritJuiceStudios.com)Creates relevant, fresh, and captivating media.
- #10: As Pope Francis said on Vatican Radio “The challenge is to rediscover, through the means of social communication as well as personal contact…” this could not have been said eloquently. This is the challenge that all churches must take; not just a select few. The resources are out there – it’s time to take advantage of them.
- #17: Local parish Churches left me empty. The delivery matters to me. The ceremony matters to me. The music, the responses and the Eucharist matter to meI love church and I love worshiping God – my heart and mind are in the right place when I enter church, but within the past year I’ve lost the desire to attend. I’ve not lost my love for God or my yearning to receive the Eucharist, but I’ve left the church far too many times feeling empty – frustrated even.I attended mass at Christ the King Chapel at Franciscan – there, I felt fulfilled. The music and energy were uplifting, but it was more than that – the priest touched and mastered that critical element that I was missing from my parish. Let’s call that element “personal contact.” So why did I not continue to attend masses at Franciscan. Because I felt as an outsider – this Church was not intended for me – it was intended for the young adults – the students, the faculty. I believe the same would be true for many Catholic Universities. This is where the package comes together for the select few of young adults attending the University. As Pope Francis recently quoted “…means of social communication as well as personal contact, the beauty that is at the heart of our existence and our journey, the beauty of faith and of the encounter with Christ”I attended St. Mary’s church in McKees Rocks for a funeral. As I entered the church my mouth fell open. It was magnificently beautiful, breathtaking. The music was simple, familiar and in a key which I could sing… But it was the priest that deeply reached my heart. So much that conducted an interview with him. I will soon share a portion of that interview so that you may meet him too. As with Franciscan, he provided that element of “personal contact.” So why not continue to attend? Well, it’s in a very “questionable” section of the city which I would not comfortably travel alone and it’s an hour’s drive from home. I will however, go again some day soon.When I was visiting my last living aunt in Texas, I attended a fellowship church. There I was blown away by the high energy, the use of social media, kiosks, music, and most importantly the message. The atmosphere was not what I was used to, there were no stain glass windows, but the personal contact element hit a most extreme high. I felt so complete when the mass was over that I was anxious to access the internet to view the Various videos, listen to the past sermons, and read some blogs… Did I keep up with the social media connected with this fellowship church? No. Why, because as I mentioned, social communication (social media) is empty without it’s critical counterpart of personal contact. Once I could no longer experience that personal contact, I lost my desire to seek the information via the internet. Texas is awfully far away.