Official Editorial - Twittering in Church

We all know of the traditional church – floral dresses, contemporary hymens, and a commonly slow message – but pastor John Voelz of Westwinds Community Church is trying to reach the people of Michigan in a new way. Twitter. Twitter is widely known for its 140 character status updates and fast, online friendships. Pastors all over the country are seeing Voelz’s point of view and teaching members of the church how to navigate the website. Voelz says that he challenges the members of Westwinds Community Church to be profound and speak openly through Twitter to God. So is Twittering at church harmful or helpful? I see it as a thin line that needs to be drawn. Twitter can easily be promoted as a way to bond in fellowship and see others lives up close. Many users of the website update their status every hour on the hour, explaining simply what is on their minds at the time.

Examples:
ChosenWrshp1 @westwinds I think healing would require us to recognize that we’re not perfect ourselves … And that others are not perfect either …
Maysville finally settling into a semi-normal groove… time for more coffee…
Jess_Ellen_May Headed to play ultimate Frisbee. Hopefully I'll have fun considering I can't play the game without injury.

So as you can see, I have a Twitter account myself, and see it as very beneficial. In this online world, I understand that by writing out your thoughts on a sermon or praying on the Internet helps people feel connected to others around them. It creates community. By updating the world on your life, you are letting people into your head, which is comforting to some. But is there a time to say enough is enough? Last June, there were over a dozen accounted “Twitter Sundays” in the country. This supposedly blessed day when twitterers are allowed to tweet at any time during the service, all during the service. This can easily become a distraction to many, completely taking the person away from the experience of the sermon. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Twitter in the church community, but when churches start to dedicate days meant for worship to this online connections site, things are getting out of hand.