Posted on October 29, 2009 - by rfrank

9 trends in CM leadership – part 2

Trend #2: Children’s pastors are networking online

Not too long ago, if you wanted to network with other children’s pastors, you had few options. You could get in your Pinto and meet someone for lunch, you could pick up the telephone, or you could save your money and go to a conference.

While these still exist (well, maybe not the Pinto part), the opportunities to network are rapidly increasing—thanks to Al Gore’s invention of the internet. There are many online opportunities for networking.

Children’s pastors are connecting on cmconnect.org. Created by Michael Chanley, it started as a spark and is taking off like wildfire with over 4,000 members in its first year. You can connect through forum discussions, blogs, specialized groups, and more. It’s like Facebook or MySpace for children’s ministry.

Another social networking site skyrocketing in popularity is Twitter. Every day 10,000 new users discover that it’s an easy way to stay in touch with each other. Unlike its rivals, Facebook and MySpace, Twitter demands a very small amount of time. That appealed to me. It only asks that you answer one question, “What are you doing?” Sounds easy, eh? The tough part is saying it in 140 characters or less. Updates range from “Staff meeting in full swing” to “Eating soup with a fork. Need to make a supply run this week.”

While social networking grows, we must also acknowledge the need for face-to-face interaction with peers in ministry. In his book, Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi says that interacting with others is a key to success. There is nothing that replaces the synergy it creates, which brings me to the next trend.