How Social Media Influences Our Churches Social Dynamics and Culture

When the discussion regarding the use of technology in a church setting is brought up it is always boiled down to two key concerns: The first concern is, what should evangelicals do with technology? And the second concern addressed the direct effects that technology has on evangelicals.

The fact is, Americans live in a society surrounded by technology constantly attempting to steal their attention by bombarding them with messages of new information at every click and tap of their finger.  Marketing agencies work hard to create ads that appeal to our personalities in hopes that people take the bait. In essence, everything in technology is created to cater to self and grab our attention for just a moment. As a result of this, it is rare to live out a natural authentic moment that has not been handcrafted and marketed to someone by other humans. This sort of mass communication has created a new reality that is artificially made where it is easy to get lost in your screen and lose a sense of time. The saturation of media has infiltrated every area of our life. Unbeknownst to the population, these media platforms have successfully affected one’s perceptions on society, culture and politics. For American Christians, this goes beyond worldly things and even starts to affect how they approach their understanding of faith and spirituality. When considering the long term effects that media has on a society it is hard to see how technology can be anything but negative.Due to this negative stigma, social media can easily be viewed as a parasite that has infected all of society then recognize where it shines light in the darkness. Take the church for example.  When technology is used well in the church, the church is able to further their calling as believers. For example, online platforms such as Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram have given the church access to an audience that may have never stepped through the doors of a church. In addressing this, the focus of this paper will be on the positive and negative impacts that media has on the social dynamics and culture of churches by specifically looking at the marketing methods used through technology. It will further explore how churches integrate these methods into their online communities, social media platforms and worship in their services and throughout their congregation. With all these outlets to reach people the church can use them intentionally to continue influencing people’s thoughts and culture. The problem is that these technologies are often used through a method of marketing and appealing to the congregation. I aim to further prove the point that when we do not use technology intentionally, we jeopardize our social structure as Christians and what it looks like to be a unified inviting church. In order to get to where the church is at now and how they can use technology intentionally, it is important to highlight where the church is coming from and understand mass media and its effects on people.One of the ways that the church will argue against the use of technology and media in the church is through proving that our dependency on technology has led us away from our dependency on God as provider. People start to integrate what they view on media into their lives and social circles. They start to rely on these media platforms as a source of how to live their lives and where to find their identity. By understanding the history and effects that mass media has on society, one can gather evidence that further supports this claim. Most people do not understand the influences that mass media has on them until it’s too late. One of the most widely known theories that proves that people are affected by their media is known as the cultivation analysis theory. This theory proposed by Gerbner and Gross, proved that television was able to influence its viewers' ideas and their perception of everyday life. By watching higher amounts of television Gerbner and Gross were able to show that the audience was more susceptible to media messages and the belief that they are real and valid. This should matter to the church because by acknowledging that this theory is right, that technology does shape society, the church should consider how they intentionally use it throughout their services and congregation.

1. The Church Moves Online

In an attempt to tackle this head on, let’s start with looking at how churches have adapted in growing their presence online and how they engage their online community. My research has led me to believe that online engagement started with the introduction of Facebook. About a decade ago, Facebook was strictly used for getting the church on the “digital” map of the internet. The main purpose was to provide basic information to the public such as church beliefs, staff and contact information. In doing so, it set up a framework and a good sense of direction on whether or not this church was the right fit for the person viewing the page. Whether they knew it or not, in a way, this is where the church first introduced digital marketing into their modern day doctrine. By providing basic information to the “consumer” it allows them the freedom to engage with the information they have just received and whether they wanted to act on it. This conditioning method is commonly known today as church shopping. This recent trend has really swept through the nation over the past decade. Churches in turn, with the use of their platforms, have put a greater emphasis on the church’s image then the theology. The way that this has affected the congregation is that the church is appealing to its desired audience with modern trends by sending out the message that proclaims, “what can this church do for you”.  Through this mentality, the introduction of marketing methods have heavily impacted social cultures of a church in the way these websites and online presences are used.The introduction of online presence catapulted the church into a movement known as The Church Growth Movement.  This movement focused on the consumers emphasis in society and the impact they would have on the church and its congregation. Out of this movement came the megachurch. By simply applying the application of marketing analysis and technology in the church, the church realized they would be able to identify the major demands the people were searching for to meet their needs. The church landed in the position where they realized they had to compete for people’s time, attention and money. In the book, The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture, the author breaks down that churches were seeking to reinvent a new culture among the Western church. They saw that by mirroring the techniques and structures of successful corporations, they could employ sophisticated demographics and psychographic strategies for targeting consumers, implementing extensive marketing plans focused on meeting perceived needs of consumers sitting in the pews and at home” (Hippis 99). Through their online platforms, churches advertised that they had recently developed extravagant weekend services that were meant to attract as many people as possible. The objective was that by maximizing the individual transformation, they would in turn deepen the individuals personal relationship with Jesus. The fault in this ideology is that though these churches started to attract many people who were hungry for personal growth, their congregation suffered because they were not fed a proper theology of what the community and the church look like biblically. The messages these audiences received never extended beyond self growth or instant gratification. As a result of these churches marketing a personal relationship with Jesus, they forgot to build a biblical foundation that is less about the individual and more about the community. This affected the culture of the church because people would come to church to get what they needed and then leave without connecting to the body. It is through this transition that the mindset of the church shifts to the idea that it's all about numbers rather than fostering deep relationships. Churches thought that the advertisements they were sending out were good for their social dynamics because of the positive effects it had on the community.  The reaction was shocking as these churches saw the community react by coming in waves from their suburban homes. These were the exact people these churches were targeting. As a result, leaders of these churches grew hungry for more and asked, “How they could get more people in the pews?" and, "how can the church quickly tell more people about Jesus?” The conclusion was to continue pumping out messages of instant gratification and success through Jesus while putting on amazing worship services and displaying only charismatic leadership. Thus the megachurch was born and multiple church sites started to pop up throughout the nation. The culture shift of these congregations started out slowly as these churches began employing the same marketing methods. As a result, though these churches were scattered across different locations these churches experienced and showed similar social dynamics. Matt. 28:16-20, Acts 5:20 and Mark 16:15  are just a couple examples that support the idea of mass communication. The use of these social media platforms brings to attention the effects they have on a church congregation. This brings up the debate on how to properly use a church’s online presence intentionally in a way that is biblical and extends beyond marketing strategies. Author Phil Cooke argues in his book, Maximize Your Influence: How To Make Digital Media Work for Your Church, Your Ministry and You, that marketing is a tool that is needed in churches in order for them to stay successful in today’s society. Cooke points out that in order for a church to do well, they must present a brand that communicates to its consumers that this is a place they want to be. Much of Cookes argument appeals to the consumer's perception. What he does not acknowledge is that this sort of manipulation uses the medium of the internet to convey a reality that the church once again caters only to individual growth and a picture perfect place. The first time visitor is often left wondering, “what can God do for me?” Biblically, this is incorrect because it is believers who serve God, not God who serves believers (John 12:26, Heb 9:14). I would also argue that communicating an image that the Church is a perfect place is unbiblical. This is because the church is made up of sinners who have only been made perfect through Jesus Christ (Tit 2:14, Eph. 1:7, 1 Pet 1:18-19). This sort of “branding” that Cooke suggests sets the Church up for failure and disappointment among their audience when the Church fails to meet their desired needs. These marketing effects used through a church's online presence also affect how the audience understands the nature and character of God. It communicates that they can experience him only as a simulation. This understanding is far from the medium of spoken word which faithfully communicated God being experienced through presence, power, reliability, but also emphasizing that He is different from believers. The church should move away from this type of media because it keeps those users in a “stuck” placement. I recently had the opportunity to sit and have a conversation with Tom Atchison, the senior pastor at Fox Valley Church on how his church is ministering to their online communities during this time. Tom and his staff recognize that the need and desire for community is so important right now especially when it comes to reaching their online communities. “Everything with COVID has shifted the culture of our church to move online. Even when the rules were easing up, families no longer felt it was necessary to physically come to church when they could watch from the comfort of their home. And with COVID restrictions, we no longer have the freedom to meet with our congregation face to face which can be a little disheartening. But we as a congregation needed to understand how to best minister to them authentically through this time in efforts to keep the body of the church together.” One of the ways Fox Valley is engaging with their online presence is constantly providing an invitation for their online audience to ask questions or stay connected during the sermon. He also specifically addressed that although going online was not ideal, he continues to preach messages that his church body should long to meet together (physically) again.In stepping away from marketing and branding of a church, the focus of being intentional with their online audience broadens the scope that these technologies can be used for more. It reveals that the importance is not in the numbers but how the church can serve those online in fostering deeper connections with one another and a stronger understanding of Jesus Christ. A church's online community should not be the ending point for these audiences. Churches need to reinforce and communicate the importance of coming together and move their audiences to wanting to be a part of the physical community more. 

2. Social Media Turns Us Away from God and towards Self

When it comes to social media and its effects on a churches culture there is a lot to address because it is being so heavily debated in the church right now. Everyone seems to hold the correct opinion on how the church should interact with certain platforms. As a communications student at Moody Bible Institute, the common reaction among my peers is mostly negative opinions. Most students would argue against social media stating, "nothing good can come from using social media." Regardless of whether or not someone advocates for or against technology, it should be noted that it does have a lot of benefits and is easily accessible everywhere.The first benefit is that platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok give the church access to an audience that was once unreachable. Dr. Dale B. Sims, a professor at Dallas Baptist University confirms this by writing that, “technology has given Christianity a voice to reach a world-wide audience… Christians are now able to administer grace to a world that is distracted and burdened, by using these tools that people are familiar with and expect to see in everyday contexts” (Klett). These platforms provide the church an opportunity to minister to people who would have never stepped through the doors of a church before. In mentioning this, there are two ways to distinguish how the church should approach the use of social media. The first distinction that needs to be explored is how the individual user interacts with social media and whether this impacts them on a personal level. The second will focus on how the church engages users through their social media platforms. In making these two very clear distinctions, it will be easier to address the positive and negative effects that social media has on a church and its congregation culture.The dark side of using social media is that it can cause believers to lose their identity in Christ.  It not only affects the congregation, but also affects the mental health of the individuals in the church. The problem is social media platforms tend to target the individual specifically. Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok strictly promote a message that life is just a collection of picture perfect moments. The heavy focus on self image communicates that the user can, and must, only present the best versions of themselves at all times. When considering spiritual warfare, the enemy has adapted ways to use social media as a tool to distract us from God and transform us into these creatures who are constantly comparing our “boring” lives to the ones that we see others living. This creates in us a level of ungratefulness or dissatisfaction in the Lord for what he has given us. To expand further, social media provides a look into the lives of the rich and famous who communicate messages that, “they are just like us” yet contradict this by displaying pictures of them flying in their private jets, wearing only expensive clothes and emphasizing their lavish lifestyles. The influence that these posts have on their consumer is that slowly they start to integrate these trends and styles into their everyday lives and social circles. These posts directly affect one’s mental health because they send messages that in order to be “happy” or successful, one must strive for a lifestyle of success among the rich and famous. This directly affects how one perceives their own life and the things they own because they begin to desire that same lifestyle of luxury they see online. The user begins to think that the only way to joy and happiness is by spending money they don’t have just to keep up with the Kardashians. These followers misplace their Christian identities because they start to interact with these social media platforms by seeking self validation through the engagement of their posts. What this content does not acknowledge is that it is misleading to their followers by presenting a reality that this can, and should, be achievable for everyone. So in result, this constant influx of influencer content stirs feelings of jealousy and comparison that slowly slip into their everyday way of life. The church should address these concerns by preaching messages to help combat the decline in mental health and the feelings of jealousy and comparison that arise in the believer. By addressing that it is not a sin to want nice things, christians focus should not shift to desiring only nice things. The church should be reminding the believer that their identity does not come from the validation of things that they have, or how many likes their post receives. Instead, in place of this understanding churches should preach messages highlighting the importance of  2 Cor. 10:12. This reminder to the congregation is that joy and success come from the Lord and not from chasing luxurious lifestyles. Though it is easy to envy others, a proper understanding of Romans 12 would suggest that instead we should celebrate and rejoice the blessings that God has given then focus on what he has not. Other examples that the church can teach on are the reminders found in Matt. 6:19-20 and Matt. 16:26-27. These verses exemplify that the treasures we store up on Earth will not be with us in heaven. By reminding the social media user of these important lessons, the shift in mindset is realizing that these things are just items that will waste away and that there is so much more awaiting for them in heaven.  In conclusion, I think the church can also provide teachings on why it is important to create healthy boundaries when it comes to social media to help with the decline in one's mental health. These healthy boundaries would suggest that by filtering out content that could lead them astray, the social media user would not be as negatively affected by these platforms.

"I realized I was working hard to be accepted by the very people who preached about accepting everyone. In the end, I just wanted them to think I was cool"

The second way that social media affects the social dynamic of church focuses on how the church engages others through their social media platforms. Most churches recognize that social media provides access to the younger generation.  While it is not a bad thing that churches find it necessary to be on platforms in order to engage with this audience, it is how they market their platforms that can be troublesome to the culture of their church. In acknowledging this, it is important to remember that social media has a lot of influence over the social dynamics of a congregation. As proven in the above paragraph about online presence, what a church posts directly communicates what that church is generally like due to previously employed marketing methods. Over the last few months, I conducted a case study involving a trendy church in Chicago. The intention behind this study was to highlight what happens when a church misuses a platform like Instagram to solely reach their audience. What I found was that this marketing method practices conformity rather than celebrating diversity. For example, “Church A” has an instagram profile that displays “trendy” pictures that are followed by feel good captions. My theory tested the assumption that if I were to attend this church, I would find that the people who made up the congregation would more likely fall into the “cool hipster” category. I was able to draw this conclusion because I noticed the post being put out by this church only appealed to a certain demographic. Due to this, their Instagram silently communicated that the audience this church was seeking to reach was generally going to be the crowd that fell into a more exclusively “hip” category. Upon testing my thesis out, I found my theory proven right when I noticed the attendance of the audience was made up of denim wearing tattooed millennials. I also observed that barely anyone was over the age of 35 years old. While there is nothing wrong with this style or this age group, the use of digital marketing through social media embraced a culture of conformity rather than diversity. For evidence to prove my theory I not only gathered a few testimonies from visitors who attended this church prior, but also asked various people to view the instagram profile for Church A. I then followed this up by asking whether or not this was a church they would consider attending strictly based off their Instagram.One of the testimonies I received recounted the first time Visitor J walked through the doors of Church A. “Everyone looked so cool, I knew this was a place I wanted to belong but I slowly started to realize that the way I dressed was changing, the things I found interesting were transforming, and in fear that I would be left out I felt I needed to always attend meetings and services. I realized I was working hard to be accepted by the very people who preached about accepting everyone. In the end, I realized I just wanted them to think I was cool.” See, whether or not this church meant to communicate that to Visitor J, they did not address that their culture had been somewhat of a clique that kept outsiders on the outside. This ideology does not embrace the picture of the unified church that is found in the Bible but instead cultivates ideas that the church goer is instead working hard to join the social lifestyle of a church. In conclusion, these churches miss the mark of the biblical community because they do not focus on lifestyles that involve Jesus but instead fall into the tendencies of social media that glorify self image. The church, as an institute, should move away from using platforms like Instagram because it is image based. On the other hand, Christians as individuals should use social media to spread the Gospel.

3. Social Media is Affecting The Culture of  Worship Services

The last way that social media has impacted a church's social dynamic is through the way churches conduct their worship services and integrate music into services. It is no doubt that music has brought together many Christians. The negative impact is that the community finds their common connection in these "trendy" worship songs and less in biblical truth. Through promotion and marketing methods, these songs and this style of worship has been integrating into our everyday lives through the radio and Youtube. Now, let's examine this further. In light of the success of Hillsong United and Bethel Worship through the social media platform Youtube, Sunday worship services across America have shifted to mirror how these megachurch groups perform and how a worship team should look. Churches felt the need to add all these new technologies into their services because, “all good contemporary services have them” (Hipps 22). Thus, the integration of concert-like productions every weekend became the new norm for churches. This resulted in the introduction of flashing lights, smoke machines and projection screens into church sanctuaries. While these techniques were to cater to the experience and engagement of the audience, the science behind these productions can be better understood as manipulating when examined further. Churches found that by dimming the lights at the start of services they were able to control the mood and experience of the audience. This resulted in a sheeplike control over the audience and how people experience worship. The church got to this point because they fell short in an attempt to balance aesthetics with the simplicity of the Gospel. This raises the concern whether churches necessarily need all the concert-y things that are marketed to capture an audience's attention. In reacting to these positive effects, these modern day churches kept implementing these methods because they found it kept the congregation more engaged throughout the service. This goes without acknowledging the sad truth that these techniques were actually the AV team creating the experience of the Spirit rather than inviting His presence into the experience. When the church shifts towards more experience led sermons, their focus moves away from the messages of the Bible because it becomes more about guessing the audiences aspirations. The push for more production-like sermons jeopardizes a level of authenticity by dressing up the truth of the gospel to be more digestible through cute images and fun short videos posted on social media. I would also suggest that due to the shift towards these production types and music styles, the worship team has become the most influential aspect to the culture and social dynamics of the congregation. With the rise in popularity of Hillsong United and Bethel Worship on Youtube, the importance of the worship team has been exalted beyond what it should be. When examining the videos that Hillsong and Bethel promote on Youtube, the first thing the viewer will notice is that these musicians perform as though they were well known artists or performers. By displaying a celebrity status image, these groups elevate how the church should respond to the worship team. With the major focus being on their image, they promote a message of “coolness” and that this is the ideal image churches and their members should strive to mirror. American churches responded by organizing their worship teams to be made up of the most talented and the “best” people in their church. The reputation that the worship team has garnered is that they are a group that is only for the cool kids in the church. In doing this, the Western church has put the worship team on a pedestal which promotes that these are the type of people the church wants to see. Now, I think the idea of the pedestal can range from being the actual physical stage to also the metaphorical church caste system. Churches use their social media platforms to often highlight these worship teams through posts on Instagram, Facebook or through live streaming on Youtube. By doing this, the church is once again promoting a message that image of self is important when it comes to church. These worship teams are often displayed as being “put together”. In light of all this attention, the fashion of the worship team has slowly shifted away from average Joe to cool Hipster Josh. This affects the congregation because by them performing on the stage in this way and wearing this attire, it communicates that this is the image the church wants to promote. Over time, the congregation will start dressing and looking more like little clone copies of the worship team. What is most terrifying is acknowledging that some churches do not understand that the use of these marketing methods on their social media platforms does directly impact the culture of their church. Yes, Hillsong and Bethel are successful and it’s naturally that churches want to mimic what they see because this style is reaching people. But without a proper understanding of media theory or good theological foundation, these churches communicate another message that is far from the Gospel. First, Churches should move away from promoting and elevating the status of the worship band because it communicates that they are the ideal Christian candidate. Second, Worship teams need to consider the songs that they choose for services and need to focus on whether or not these songs glorify God or appeal to the audience's experience. And last, the discussion on ethics and techniques during worship music services needs to be further examined.

Where to Go From Here

In conclusion, the evidence is clear that the use of social media platforms strictly aim and target the society through encouraging the consumer to imitate what they see on others profiles or platforms. By not clearly defining a proper understanding of how to incorporate technology and social media into a church, the church will employ marketing methods that in turn run the building like a business attempting to attract more customers. This will directly affect the church social dynamic and culture because the church will be promoting messages of self image or individual relationships with Jesus. The church experience will look more like going to a members only gym that few are invited to and leave after they get their desired results. To avoid this, churches need to train their communications team to think more intentionally and theologically about the techniques they are using on social media or during livestream. It is important they also communicate how to create and maintain healthy boundaries when it comes to technology. This message communicates to the congregation that the church is prioritizing its communities spiritual and mental health rather than the number of people in the pews.Nonetheless, as I said in the beginning, media should continue to be used in the church because I think it can enhance the experience of the believer and it also gives the church the opportunity to connect with other Christians, and even non believers. These social media platforms connect communities throughout the world and give the opportunity for members to ministry to others. It serves as a reminder that although methods of communication may be changing, the church can work hard to preach these same messages online.Click here for a short and practical theology of Social Media that churches can utilize in their churches today.

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