Bex Lewis on social media

Christians keen on relational evangelism should get involved in Facebook and Twitter. So says social media consultant Bex Lewis.

Many people are wary of taking their first digital steps but Bex, who works at the Universities of Winchester and Durham among many other places, says people should not be scared.

I don't think it's anything we should be too frightened of at all... you've just got to learn to use it appropriately. This is the ultimate fresh expression of where everyone is. You've got 850million plus people on Facebook and 200 million on Twitter and if we're saying that God is a communicating God who cares for us and wants to talk to us, coming to us where we are - how can we as churches not go where people are?

Bex urges Christians to engage with what people are interested in rather than telling them you've got a beautiful church building and they should come and visit you there. Instead the questions should be about people's individual concerns and how the church can help them live day to day.

Bex emphasises that regular involvement with social media is vital if it's going to be effective.

I'm very interested in relational evangelism and social media gives you that. If you're being authentic online, living out your life – of which Christianity is a big part of it – that's going to come out through everything you do. My tweets show that I go to church, that I talk to other Christians about things. I'm not throwing that in people's faces; it's mixed in with me going to the gym, me talking about Twitter, talking about marketing – all these other things I’m interested in.

She says legitimate concerns about the well-publicised 'dark side' of the Internet should not be used as excuses for those fearful of getting involved in social media.

There is some consideration that needs to be had but we need to help people get past that fear and understand that Facebook is not full of paedophiles who are trying to groom people. It's all about the beautiful conversations that can be had on there; the real relationships online.