Guest Post: “Churches and Pinterest” (by Joey Sparks)
NOTE FROM ADAM: I am new to the world of Pinterest, but I see great potential on this site for good. My friend Joey Sparks is one who uses this site a lot of ministry purposes. I asked him to write a guest post about how congregations can use this site, and he did a tremendous job. With the explosion of new users and time spent on Pinterest [infographic], I felt this was an appropriate topic to tackle on our site. Thanks, Joey, for doing a great job!
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Pinterest is a relatively new peg-board-inspired social media platform who’s membership exploded at the beginning of 2012. The “viral” aspect of new members seems to have slowed a bit, but it still brings in a lot of traffic, and more importantly to the online community is driving a lot of traffic to corporation websites and personal blogs.
I am impressed by Pinterest for a few simple reasons: it is visually oriented (as opposed to text-driven), it is highly intuitive which makes it easy for internet novices, and it makes the most of casual browsing (with the ‘pin it’ button feature for your browser).
It’s only natural for church leaders to ask, “How can churches get the most out of what Pinterest offers?”
I think Pinterest’s strongest role for churches and church members is that it generates ideas, inspiration, and creativity which can largely lead to action. Example: Your 1st-2nd grade Bible Class teacher discovers a new craft idea for Jonah & the fish, which she can then put into action in her classroom.
One aspect that makes it particularly helpful for churches is the ability to share boards with other Pinterest members. Example: All of your current Bible Class teachers share a “Bible Class” board, and they see the Jonah craft idea, and are all able to put it into action in their classrooms.
I think it’s worth noting that women make up a vast majority of Pinterest users and the greatest age-range is that of 25-34 year olds. I also think these are two of the groups for whom most congregations struggle to create new opportunities for growth and service. This is an excellent–and very simple–way to jumpstart “member to working properly” (Eph. 4:16).
Here are 15 Shared Board Ideas for you to consider. There are certainly more than this, and these may help you brainstorm into other ideas:
• Bible Class – Teaching: teaching/story ideas, craft ideas
• Bible Class – Organization: classroom decorations, class management ideas, room organization suggestions
• Recipe Club: specific themes, cookbook compilation, fellowship meal planning
• Shower/Reception/Party Planning: themes, decorations, food ideas
• Wedding/Baby Registry: easier to share online, not limited to specific stores
• Modest Fashion: formal dresses, wedding dresses, worship attire, swimming suit options
• Youth Room (or other specific-function rooms): decorations, architectural fixtures, cost-cutting ideas
• Ministry Specific (ie, Youth Ministry, Senior Adults, Men’s Ministry): games, study plans, get-together ideas
• Artwork: painting club inspiration, or for decoration purposes in the church building
• Encouragement: greeting card or stationary ideas, fresh and creative wording for expressing sentiments
• Family Building: devotional ideas, craft projects, stories, books
• Parenting: training and encouragement ideas, disciplinary strategies, rewarding/praising ideas, dealing with sensitive subjects
• How To: gardening, exercise & health, carpentry & woodworking, sewing, quilting, craft club
• Service Projects: fresh ideas, cost-saving methods, overlooked details
• Event Follow-Up: pictures of fun memories from VBS, special days, etc.
Two helpful caveats: 1) In order to “pin” something to a board, you have to pin an actual picture. So make sure the original source you’re wanting to pin has a usable picture. 2) Though it’s possible to advertise your congregation’s upcoming events, Pinterest isn’t designed to be an advertisement-driven platform. Facebook is the best way at the moment to socially advertise events for your congregation.
Pinterest is still an invitation-only site, but it’s not difficult to get an invite. You can apply for an invite through the site or you could post your request to Facebook and it’s highly likely one of your friends will send one your way.
Have fun pinning & to God be the glory!
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If you are on Pinterest, and wish to follow Joey, here’s the link.
If you wish to follow Leah (who pins some great stuff, by the way), here’s the link.
If you wish to follow Adam, here’s that link.
