Twelve years ago around this time, I began having issues with my throat. My voice would be hoarse and almost gone every Sunday after preaching four services. We were in our little trailer building out of space and I was leading the construction of the building we are presently worshipping in at the Pines Campus. After several months and a number of tests the Dr's. diagnosed nodules on my vocal chords and said normally surgery is needed but we will first try therapy of which they did and it improved. Since that time I have had to change every aspect of my ministry. I am a people person and the more I'm hugging and being around people the more happy and energized I am. But the Dr. said you either "change your habits" or "change your career". Well I don't consider Pastoring a career, it's a call of God. So everything had to change. How many meetings I have, how many times I can speak on a weekend, (I'm speaking too much right now but will start to get back into my normal rhythm soon after our Lessons from the Road series.) I can't do counseling anymore and had to ramp back all speaking in order to protect my damaged vocal chords.
I remember like it was yesterday the talk the Dr. had with me. I came back to the office and wrote a letter to our then small congregation and explained I would not do all the speaking any longer and it would be a team. That is where the team speaking concept began. I also remember him mentioning a little known thing called "Email". I had it but rarely used it. He said you better replace your talking and meetings with emails. Now some 1/2 million emails later, email saved my ministry! Well, not really but it helped.
Today email is almost out of date. Social networking of all kinds is in. Smart phones that can do more than the Personal Computer could do 10 years ago are carried by most of us. Facebook, Twitter and texting has replaced letter writing, phone calls, sending cards and having meetings. Ok, maybe not totally and I hope it never will be but we must realize the world has changed and is changing everyday.
This week I shared a leadership talk with our church staff about how important it is for each of us to be on Social networks. Now to hear some speak of the different digital realities and Social networks it would sound like they are of the Devil. That is just a statement that is not true. Now are there dangers, of course, so are there in any form of communications. Can it be abused? Certainly, it can always. Check out the Bible, they had no problem sinning and getting involved with illicit affairs and they didn't even have Facebook.
What I am trying to say is let's, as believers, put safeguards in our Social networking life just like we have always in other areas of our lives. But let's leverage and use the digital age as a way to bless people, share the gospel and to share what Jesus is doing in our lives.
I challenged our staff to everyday when they are on the different social networking sites to also do a post about Oasis Church and the great stories and things going on in the life of our Great Church. Stories abound. We have one of the most diverse and exciting churches in all of America and especially in South Florida. Let's get the word out. I challenge you to begin to share your love for the Lord, and what He is doing in your life on your social networks, and share what's happening at Oasis. Link our sites, share our Oasis posts from our different pages and share the different Oasis happenings with all your friends and families. Can you imagine how many thousands can hear about what God is doing at Oasis Church if all of us would do at least one post a day on one of our Social Media sites? Try it. It is actually fun. I mean if I can talk up a Chick-Fil-A sandwich on Facebook and have people telling me they want to try the Spicy Grilled sandwich and driving across town to the CFA store that sells them, then how much more should we be sharing what God is doing in our lives and church. Try it.
Here's a few links you can add to your own sites and pages:
Oasis Church of South Florida (Facebook) Click on and Like us and be our friend. Then share us with your friends.
Guy Melton (Facebook) Come on click on my name and come along and be my friend. I'm only 7 friends away from 2,000. I would love you to be my 2,000th friend. If you are I'll send you an Oasis 20th Anniversary souvenir Mug, or T-Shirt. (Sorry I am now over 2,000. You missed your chance!!)
Surge, our teen ministries (Facebook) have their own page. They share on it all the time. Keep up with what's happening. Click on and follow our teen ministry.
Collide our young adults (Facebook) have their own page. Whether you fit in their 18-30 year old age group or not, you can follow what God is doing in their lives.
The Oasis Church Web site, have you been on our Web site lately? Do you know it is updated and linked to most of our ministries on a regular basis? Every Wednesday our new Message from the week before is added to the bottom of the home page where you see the "V" for Vimeo. You can watch last week's message on Wednesday or share with a friend who might need what was delivered last week.
Our Internet Campus turns 1 year old this month. They have their own Facebook page. You can even join the live discussion each Sunday from the Facebook page during live worship from any where in the world. I did this a number of times this summer while I was on Sabbatical. It's great.
We also have a Twitter account that is updated on a regular basis. If you're in Twitter, follow us: @OasisChurchSFL.
There are so many great things we can be a part of through Oasis Church that goes so much deeper and farther than just Sunday morning. Try it out.
