As a church planter, I know the importance of communication. There is a saying: “If you do not speak, no one will hear you.” In our efforts to evangelize and communicate the love of God to the world, we have powerful tools at our disposal that we can and must use. If we do not talk, and if we do not communicate, no one will hear us.

When one ant goes and finds sugar, she returns and gives the good news to the others, and all can go to eat the sweet treat. But if the ant does not return to share the good news of the sugar, the other ants will not get to eat it.

Our communication focuses on sharing the good news of how God has blessed us. We can share our blessings, our miracles, and our testimonies so others know God can also act in their lives. When we share the gospel, we are taking sugar to a hungry person.

Communicating to Spread the Good News

The first tool I started using was Meetup. Meetup.com is an online social networking portal that facilitates offline group meetings all around the world. Meetup allows members to find and join groups unified by common interests such as politics, books, games, hobbies, or, in my case, the pursuit of spirituality. I started organizing meetups where people could talk about spirituality in Spanish. Although the experience was wonderful, I stopped arranging these meetups when I realized I was not going to start a church this way. After all, my main purpose was to get people to come to our new church.

After my purpose was clearly defined, I decided to organize church events. Because I have many friends in Seattle, I invited everyone to these events, including the Day of the Dead, the Posadas, and the celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe. As people came to the events, I told them I was going to start a church and extended an invitation to join me. Thus began our new church, Our Lady of Guadalupe.

For the people in our church, Facebook has worked well. A couple of months ago we used Facebook Live to share our Day of the Dead event. Many people joined us to see the altars, the band, the people, and the art of the event that is special to our community. Remember to keep all social media pages updated with the most current information (time of service, address, how to contact, name of the leader, parking, and so on) so people can easily access the information they need.

Another tool I recommend is MailChimp. I use this forum to send a weekly email filled with photos, information, and upcoming events to any contacts I know personally.

Something to Share

But all these communication tools will not help if you have nothing to share. Remember that they are a complement, not the answer. You cannot give what you do not have. So focus on sharing what you have in abundance. Think about what experiences you intend to share with people who connect with you on the Internet or via email to encourage them and help them grow. If the message won’t be constructive, positive, or uplifting, don’t post it.

Communicating through social media has one big advantage—you can reach many people at the same time. Jesus traveled to many places and never stayed in one location too long. Now, through social media, we can share with any part of the world quickly and effectively.

Unity and Brotherhood

The theology we believe and profess in Our Lady of Guadalupe is based on unity. The dream Jesus has for us is that we are one. How can we make this dream possible? In our bilingual context, we ask ourselves: How can we pray together in two languages ​​and understand our cultures? The good news is that Anglo and Latino people who speak English and Spanish can be united. And the more people know and share this good news, the more people can be inspired and have hope to begin a bilingual ministry of their own.

Although digital media is important, especially for sharing the good news with the world, we also need face-to-face and one-on-one communication. Let’s go out and talk with people. The idea is to scatter the seed, inspire people, and know that God will tend to the growing. Pray with me: “God, teach me your ways. It’s your church, not mine.”

Originally posted at http://www.ecfvp.org/vestrypapers/tools-for-evangelism/god-its-your-church/