Monthly Archives: September 2009

Is Social Media Just a Fad?

Is social media like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace (etc.) just another fad, or is it a fundamental shift in the way we communicate?

I’ve leaned toward the latter for a good while now, and videos like this only strengthen my opinion. Check it out:

Still think social media might be a fad? Yes?

Okay, how about this: did you read the news yesterday?

The President of the United States said this to schoolchildren in a formal speech:

“Be careful what you post on Facebook. Whatever you do, it will be pulled up later in your life.”

I for one am VERY GLAD social media wasn’t around just a few years ago (the dirt on me would be public domain), and whether you like Obama or not, his assumption is correct: social media isn’t going anywhere. It’s here to stay.

Social media: absolutely nothing like Vanilla Ice.

Profound shifts in the DNA of our society don’t come along very often – what we’re witnessing with the insurgence of social media into everyday life is akin to the industrial revolution or even the invention of the printing press.

Ours will be a moment that historians point back to saying, “That was a time when a new technology changed the whole world.”

Why am I making a big deal about this? Because social media is about connecting with people, and Jesus is a big fan of that.

I can tell you a few stories about people I’ve been able to connect with through social media who are now connected to Jesus as a result.

Perhaps you have a few you can share too?

Brainstorm with me:

1) How could social media be used to impact the world for Christ?

2) How do you use social media to impact the world for Christ?

I’ve got to teach a group of ministers about this subject in the coming months – your feedback will help me do a good job of that. Thanks 🙂

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Thanks for 20k!

Thank you for helping westcoastwitness.com garner over 20,000 hits in a little over a year, whoever “you” are. 🙂

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Church of Christ Youth Minister & Watershed Worship Singer Sean Algaier to Appear on NBC’s The Biggest Loser

Many of the regular readers of westcoastwitness.com know Sean Algaier.

In addition to being the youth minister for the Jenks Church of Christ in the Tulsa area, Sean is also one of the lead singers of Watershed – a high energy Christian acappella group that’s frequently made appearances at Church of Christ retreats and workshops within the past five or six years.

Someone posted a link to this video on Facebook, and I clicked on it when I recognized Sean’s face in the still shot.

Apparently, Sean is a contestant on the upcoming season of NBC’s The Biggest Loser – a reality show where overweight people compete to see who can lose the most (here’s Sean’s profile on NBC’s site).

Good for him!

I know how tough it is to lose weight and admire Sean for putting himself out there, admitting he has a problem, and taking steps to fix it.

I’ve never watched more than a few minutes of The Biggest Loser, but will be tuning in this season rooting for Sean to win. The season premiere is September 15 at 8/7c.

Am I sharing yesterday’s news over here … did you already know about this?

Here’s a related video of Sean poking fun at himself and sharing his passion for nachos, fried chicken, rolls, and gravy (seriously … lol):

What in the world???

Anyway, watch Sean on The Biggest Loser!

(Click here to visit Sean’s fanpage on Facebook)

UPDATE: The show is now over – check out Sean’s transformation here. He lost over 150 pounds!

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