Now roughly five years after the commencement of revolutionary social networking Web sites like Facebook.com, the land of personal profile pages has been artfully cultivated into the immensely fine crop that it is today.

It's almost futile to state how effortless communication has become in this technological age. Clock how long it takes you to e-mail a friend in Bangladesh. It's a small world after all. Simply put, the success and appeal of Facebook were earned by providing exactly what it promised: to connect people.
           
Whether you are posting photos from your trip to the lake, learning about someone's favorite movies, sharing videos, listening to music, or taking a survey, you are sharing that experience with other people. The phenomena of Facebook is that, in one sense, it appeals to individuality and personal expression; however, your place on Facebook is contingent on who you know and of what kind of group you are a part. It's fun. It's viral. It's a community. And, most importantly, everybody's using it!
                       
In light of the American problem of dying churches, Christians have been trying for years to reach out to the upcoming young generation. The colossal community of youth on the Internet has inspired several churches to forge into the cyber-expanse and create a custom Web site for their congregation. Some have taken it one step further, taking advantage of an existing, easy-to-use, free solution with 100 million users.

When considering the potential of a church presence on Facebook, it's a wonder why modern Christianity has not claimed this asset already. What could a "Church Facebook" really look like?
           
As does every first-time user of Facebook, the beginning procedure is giving your Facebook a "face." Load images. Proclaim your church's mission statement for all to read. Give details, including address, phone number, e-mail addresses, and maps to your facility. For the media-friendly church, you can even post videos. Remember that Facebook is free ad space, a limitless news page, the modern bulletin board.
           
Speaking of announcements (you know, that portion of the church service when no one pays attention), Facebook is your ministry's hub for upcoming events: volunteer opportunities, parties, and outreach possibilities. Creating a current, organized page of all important dates will train members to log in on a regular basis for a calendar reference.
           
Next, send out invitations: your pastor, your worship leader, and your church staff (and, yes, they all have to get their own Facebook page, too). Start with who you already know and let the organic magic of friend growth begin.

In this progressive age, one that recognizes the importance of meaningful relationships that make evangelism possible, Facebook offers the opportunity for church members to generate those connections. Watch how the epidemic nature of requesting friends will build a community that you can access at any time, reach out to, and call together.

Facebook supports the popular, honeycombed system of Bible study groups. Picture the possibility of anyone around your city being able to contact a small group leader from your church's Facebook. Potential members could learn meaningful information on cell-group locations and times and join with ease.
           
Finally, a new feature of Facebook now supports donations from users. Fundraisers for trips and events or simply giving a financial charity to the church are now possible. Perhaps, in the not-too-distant future, could this method become a recognized manner of giving tithe?
           
Of course, not every aspect of Facebook is puppy dogs and roses. It has its viable setbacks. Your church's page must be monitored for offensive content that will likely surface when you enlist yourself on a world stage. Tomatoes are always thrown. Anyone on your friend's list can write on your page without censorship. Fortunately, comments can be erased, and in the most severe of cases, users can be blocked from accessing your page, posting, or sending messages.
           
Also, remember that Facebook is still a business. You can expect to see paid ad spots (mostly text-based) for products, something that anyone involved in radio or television must endure. The free-nature of the Web is both admirable and abused, and it is a situation that your church must contend with when making a decision to proclaim themselves on the Internet.
           
Many churches are utilizing the powerful capability of Facebook to connect people. Bringing people together under a common goal, theme, or service can truly produce stunning results. The gospel has not changed, but our tools have developed greatly. And, the body of Christ should consider how to best use this valuable resource to reach out and minister to someone.

 George Temple is founder and chief executive officer of Sermonspice.com, leading distributor of sermon illustration videos. Benjamin Venegas is a staff writer for Sermonspice.com, and works with filmmakers and video product management.