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Social Media Wisdom for Church Planters
Here are seven principles of social media stewardship that I try my best to practice, and I believe every church planter should seriously consider.
One of the first things that a church planter does in the early stages of planting a church is set up a social media account for the church. This ability to mass communicate is helpful for engaging our context and gaining access to people in ways our physical presence cannot.
One thing that I never fully considered early on was the many ways that my personal social media accounts can either help or hurt my witness for Christ and the church that I was seeking to plant.
I’ve watched Facebook and Instagram quietly become one of the most damaging and distracting forces in the lives of many church planters. We can waste hours scrolling, comment on every cultural flashpoint, argue publicly with strangers, and at times blur biblical clarity in an attempt to appear gracious or relevant.
None of this happens overnight. It happens slowly, unnoticed, and often with good intentions. That’s why wisdom is essential if we desire to be good stewards of a helpful resource available to us. Here are seven principles of social media stewardship that I try my best to practice, and I believe every church planter should seriously consider.
1. Remember: You Are Always Pastoring (Even Online)
One of the greatest mistakes church planters make is assuming their social media presence is somehow separate from their pastoral role. It isn’t. People are forming opinions about your theology, maturity, tone, and leadership long before they ever hear you preach or sit across from you in a coffee shop. Your online presence functions as an extension of your pulpit.
There is no clocking in and out of pastoral ministry or gospel witness. Before posting, ask yourself:
- Would I say this from the pulpit?
- Would I say this to a brand-new believer?
- Would I say this to a skeptic I’m trying to reach?
If the answer is no, it probably doesn’t belong on your platform. Shepherds don’t get to “clock out” of influence just because the mechanism is digital.
2. Don’t Confuse Prophetic Courage with Reactionary Commentary
Every cultural moment does not require your immediate opinion. Social media rewards speed, outrage, and certainty. But pastoral wisdom often requires prayer, restraint, and patience.
Some church planters feel pressure to comment on every breaking news story, controversy, or cultural tension point. I have felt this at times as well. Sometimes, people have even tagged me in a post, desiring to hear my thoughts on a current situation. When we respond to everything, the result is often heat without light and noise without clarity.
Biblical prophets spoke as God, and His Word compelled them, not when every news cycle demanded it. Silence does not mean that you are a coward. Sometimes silence is discernment and wisdom.
If you haven’t prayed, processed Scripture, and considered how your words will shape real people in your care, it may be wiser to wait; or not speak publicly at all.
3. Refuse to Argue with People You’re Called to Shepherd
Few things undermine pastoral credibility faster than public online arguments. Comment sections are not great discipleship environments. They are also unhelpful forums for meaningful and sincere dialogue. They reward unhealthy tension over humility, and harsh criticism over understanding. Even when you’re right, public sparring often hardens hearts rather than opening them.
Correction is most fruitful in relationship, not replies. It requires immense humility for someone to receive correction publicly online. Church planters should ask themselves: Am I trying to win an argument or shepherd a soul? You can contend for truth without contending with everyone. Not every disagreement deserves a comment section duel.
4. Never Let Social Media Lower Your View of Sin or Holiness
In an effort to appear gracious, some leaders unintentionally minimize sin, soften biblical clarity, or affirm confusion. While this may gain approval online, it quietly leads people away from repentance and transformation.
Grace never redefines sin, and love never quiets the beauty of holiness.
Church planters must model what it looks like to hold truth and compassion together. Winsomeness without biblical conviction is not Christlike; it’s confusing. A shepherd who avoids clarity to maintain applause is not protecting the flock. If you speak, make sure to be full of grace and truth.
5. Post More Formation Than Frustration
Social media easily becomes a place where leaders vent about politics, church hurt, other Christians, or cultural decay. How do we bring light and hope into such an environment? Ask yourself honestly: Is my online presence forming people or simply revealing my frustrations?
Use your platform to:
- Encourage spiritual growth
- Point people to Scripture
- Share testimonies of God’s faithfulness
- Offer thoughtful reflection rather than raw reaction
Let your online presence feel like a green pasture and not a complaint department.
6. Set Time Boundaries Like You Would for Any Other Ministry Tool
Social media is a tool, not our primary calling. Unchecked use drains emotional energy, fractures focus, crowds out prayer, study, and presence with real people. Many church planters underestimate how much social media shapes their emotions, tone, and inner life.
If social media is influencing you more than Scripture is, something is out of alignment.
Set boundaries and limit how much time you interact with it. Schedule posts if needed. And don’t confuse online engagement with faithful ministry. The people God has called you to shepherd are rarely found in your notifications.
7. Ask: “Is This Building the Church I’m Trying to Plant?”
Your tone online is shaping expectations for your future (or current) church. It forms how people speak, disagree, handle tension, and engage culture. Long before your church has a building or budget, it has a culture, and you are modeling it daily.
Before posting, ask:
- Does this reflect the kind of church I want to plant?
- Does this draw people toward Christ or toward my opinions?
- Does this help or hinder our mission?
Plant the church you want to see, even online.
Social media can amplify gospel witness, but it can also quietly erode pastoral authority, clarity, and joy if left unchecked. Church planters don’t just plant churches with sermons and systems; they plant them with tone, posture, and wisdom. How you steward your voice online matters more than you think.
Choose wisely and model the pastoral tone of Jesus.
