The following is posted for the user's information. No endorsement is given nor implied.
What Is It?
Twitter is a way to publish short (limited to 140 characters) messages quickly and to follow messages ("tweets") being written by friends, co-workers, newsmakers and celebrities.
How has it been used?
During the "Arab Spring" demonstrations of the past many months, demonstrators have used Twitter to get the word out about what is happening in the revolution they were involved in. So much so that the governments they were trying to overpower took steps to shut down access to Twitter.
The Great Rivers Region has used it during seminars by Eddie Hammett and most recently by Lee Spitzer to summarize points made by those leaders for GRR church leaders and pastors who were not able to participate otherwise. The GRR also uses Twitter to remind those who use it of events and opportunities.
How to use it:
View this primer introducing Twitter. (
Go to the home page and click on "Create Account"
Start with their privacy statements. This will inform you of what is allowed and what is not. It will also inform you of what is done with the messages ("tweets") once you have published/uploaded them.
What to look out for:
Who owns the tweets once the tweets are posted?
Who is responsible/culpable if it is determined that the tweet contains (churches and organizations may be held so by the actions of their members with or without official sponsorship):
words that are determined to be slanderous or libelous - or just bad taste
How to use this social media constructively:
Write and adopt as a church a social media policy that guides the use of the tools (including Twitter). See the one the GRR Board of Ministries has put into effect.
Practice and enforce the social media policy guidelines that the church adopts.
Training in technical and privacy issues
Mentoring of those involved in growing their wisdom of discernment.
Accountability processes that include both formative and summative evaluations.