The Christianity Today site featured an article from their Today’s Christian Woman magazine called “A Mom’s Guide to MySpace” (but dads are allowed to learn from it, too!). Some great, balanced perspectives from Connie Neal, author of MySpace for Moms and Dads: A Guide to Understanding the Risks and the Rewards.
While acknowledging the risks, Neal also points out a lot of good stuff, like connecting with your kids’ friends, publicizing ministry activities (like missions trips), and more. I first started my own profile when we were planning our twin sons’ surprise 16th birthday party. We went to their profiles and invited all their friends through MySpace.
CT also ran an article last week on using MySpace in ministry.
What are your thoughts on Christians using MySpace?
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January 29, 2007 at 16:43
Why wouldn’t a Christian use MySpace? Do we not have friends? Although 44, I have a MySpace, as do my wife and three of our children. We find it a fun way to message each other and our friends.
January 29, 2007 at 16:45
I have mixed feelings about MySpace. It is the eqivalent of putting your diary online. It often serves as a confessional, and can encourage exhibitionism. There’s no way that my generation (60s & 70s) would have put their diary or risque photos on line for any parent to see. Yikes. Perhaps kids have lost all fear of consequences, or they’re not used to having consequences for drinking, promiscuity, and cursing. All three of my children are on MySpace and it’s amazing what they and their friends reveal to each other. Yet it serves as a social network and promotes a kind of psuedo-family when families are weak or tenuous. I’m not so worried about predators as I am the promotion of immorality.
When kids that have healthy morals, it’s a fun non-linear (and particularily teenage) way to relate and communicate with friends. It’s a great way to quickly know the quirky, colorful personality of an individual in this time-deprived era. I have even run across some sites that stand as a positive Christian witness to others. But with kids that either are shaky about their morales or lack a moral code that should have been instilled by parents, it is a sad space.
January 29, 2007 at 16:59
My home church youth group recently revamped their “youth room,” painting the walls in vibrant colors, brough in a pool table, a pingpong table, three computers, couches, a coffee table and a refrigerator as well as a large TV. The intent was to create a comfortable place to hang out for the kids after school, with computers to tackle homework and maybe even some fun with games. Though the after-school program was announced, almost no one came for the first few weeks until one of our paid youth workers registered a MySpace account and started promoting it via bulletins (messages that all MySpace “friends” can see) with theme weeks: movies, Pokemon cards, pool tournament, et cetera and now the room is packed with 10-15 kids everyday. MySpace is an amazing tool for ministry, especially in youth circles, given that middle school and high school kids are more likely to use it.
January 29, 2007 at 23:44
I use MySpace to network with people. Some are classmates from back in high school, some friends from college and some new “friends” from bands and organizations I’m into. I’ve found a bunch of cool fimmakers from there, so when used wisely MySpace can be a good place.
http://solshine7.blogspot.com
January 30, 2007 at 11:09
Christians need to be present everywhere there is a movement that affects the way people think and relate to each other, and MySpace does that!
I don’t mean that every Christian has to be on MySpace, but some of us should be there to serve as salt and light to our culture. If Christians aren’t visible to other people, how can we make a difference in their lives?
(Though it sounds heretical in some circles, I feel the same way about homeschooling. If all the Christian kids are taken out of public schools, who will be left to introduce the other students to Christ?)
My thinking on this topic has been greatly influenced by the book Roaring Lambs by Bob Briner. I recommend it to any Christian who lives and works in “the real world.”
January 30, 2007 at 11:11
P.S. I recently signed up for MySpace myself:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=151092945
January 31, 2007 at 02:52
In April of last year my pregnant wife was hospitalized with pre-ecclampsia, which is basicly extremely high blood pressure caused by pregnancy. The only way to effectively treat the condition is to deliver the baby. My wife was only 24 weeks along and the baby barely had a 50% chance to live and an 80% chance of disability. I pleaded for prayers for my wife, from church, friends, and Myspace. Maybe it sounds silly to some people. But I was able to reach hundreds of Christians (and non-Christians) through Myspace. I received replies and prayers from people all over the country and promises of prayers from people I never would have expected to pray. Myspace was a great way for me to contact people and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
PS: We now have a beautiful baby daughter with no disabilities who has amazed her doctors and nurses.
February 2, 2007 at 18:25
Praise the Lord.
I have always jokingly said thet Myspace is a tool of the devil. I know it can be, but from what other comments have said I realize there are definite benefits to it. Not sure if I will use it, I’m 61, but it is a great way to communicate for the now generation.
February 23, 2007 at 17:24
I think myspace is great for christians and a great way to plant seeds.