The church is not a social network. It might be a place where social networks are found or overlap into, but it isn’t one in itself. Let me explain.

Social networking is a phrase we always hear because everyone is supposedly always doing it. A social network can be built off a club, a product, or social media itself. Social networks can be helpful and good, but we need something more than social networks to thrive in life.

 Social Networks

“Social network” is the phrase we use when we want to get something out of it: customers, ideas, help, notoriety, etc. A social network based on social media (like Facebook, Twitter) is helpful when connecting to friends and family who live far away, or staying in touch with people that you just would have lost touch with otherwise. The rise of Facebook allows us to have more friends than we ever have, but we’re limited as humans to really be connected well to thousands of people. A social network based on a club allows people with shared interests (like a sport, charity) to get together and do the thing they already like. A social network based on a product (like Apple fans, Porsche owners) allows people to gather together who get something out of a product they already bought. If these social networks aren’t working, or the businesses behind them aren’t worth it, we move on. We buy a PC and forget about our Apple era.  Continue reading →