In the third article in this series, we are going to take all our connections outside. Yes, you have heard this right. Summer is here and the weather is nice. So, just as you like to be outside, so do your friends and neighbors. Beautiful weather is a great opportunity to get to know new people or build on existing relationships. I am sure you are aware of that. So, where does technology come in and why am I writing about this?
To be honest, you might know all this and you might be a master at doing this right. But not everybody is. And Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and many other social networks are great tools to reach out and get to meet others. For instance, I like my barbecue. I am not the ultimate barbecue pit master, but I can do a nice pulled pork, ribs and do some great cooking of other grilled foods. I am usually quite happy with the outcome, which means that it comes easy to me to shoot a quick picture and share it online. The good part comes when that picture hits the net. Very often, it reaches people who live just around the corner. I often get comments saying “I would like a piece of that” or “When can I come over”? Which both are great openers to have people over. Or, if you have a couple in your street, you can say “lets just organize a street party together”. It does not need much preparation, it just needs getting up and doing it.
There are many activities you do every day, that might appeal to others. Or you might have a hobby that others like as well. Why don’t you share that online. Take a quick picture of what you are up to and help it look a bit attractive. If you do, you have a fair chance that people will see it and comment on it. And if you are connected to people outside your church or outside of your organization, this is a great chance to get to know them better. Invite them over and do your thing together. Or go out to the park and do it there. Very few things are as relaxing as heading out to the park with a good group to just hang out, play some games and have some food. Most people are always up to that. And the effect will be there. You will get talking, you will hear stories and you might have a chance to share some of yours. But the most important thing here is to just be there, be yourself and build that relationship. There will be a time when you can share the goals of your organization or your faith. But take it easy. Don’t avoid the subject, but don’t push it either.
About Connect to others
Reaching out to others can be challenging. Which is why Techpastors is running this “connect to others” series. Because we believe that it is easier to share your faith with others, when you get to know each other. Technology gives us a lot of new opportunities to get to know people and to share with people what you are up to. Remember, this is not about sneaking up on people and hitting them over the head with a bible. This is about building a relationship with people based on something that you and them love doing. And that will allow you to show them your personal relationship with Jesus over time.
In the second article in this series, I would like to take a look at location check-in apps. So, what is a location check-in app and what does it do? These are apps like Foursquare and Facebook’s Places option. They allow you to tell the world where you are and then share that across your social networks. Often they add a gaming element to it. In Foursquare you can become the major of a location, when you are the one that has checked into that location the most. They also run a score list to compare how often you have checked in to the checkin’s of your friends. But for this article, those games are not that important.
Reaching out to others can be challenging. You might find it incredibly easy to talk to others about your hobbies, but when it comes to your faith, you would rather stay silent. Most of the time, this is because we believe that people will judge us when we openly proclaim to follow Jesus or to go to church. In my personal experience, sharing is a lot easier when you get to know each other. Which is why Techpastors will be running a “connect to others” series. In each of the articles, we will look at how you can easily connect to others to get to know them, to enjoy their company and to open up opportunities to talk to people. Remember, this is not about covert ops and then sneaking up on them and hitting them over the head with the bible. This is about growing a community of people doing something that you and they love. It is about being in a comfortable place to not mumble when they ask you about Sunday morning, but to be able to speak up and just say you went to church. Jesus shared with people over meals, during walks and when he met people wherever they were. Apps can help you hang out with people that you might otherwise not have met. It will allow you to build a community around a subject and perhaps that will allow you to share your hearts desires at some point. In this article, we will be looking at fitness apps.