Restoring confidence in the truths we believe

Dr Bex LewisResearch Fellow in Social Media and Online Learning, CODEC, St John’s College, Durham University; Director,

Digital Fingerprint

@drbexl

IntroducingDr Bex Lewis

Research Fellow in Social Media & Online Learning

CODEC, St John’s College, DurhamDirector, Digital Fingerprint

T: @drbexlF: /drbexl

W: drbexl.co.uk

https://www.wordnik.com/words/confidence

We all have faith in something. The question isn't whether people have faith, but what they put their faith in. The argument that some people have faith

and others don't is a complete lie. An atheist is someone of tremendous faith. To believe in no

supernatural divine being whatsoever takes a lot of faith.

James Prescott, @JamesPrescott77

“No life of faith can be lived privately. There must be overflow into the lives of others.” C.S. LewisH/T @jaybutcher

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil

things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Luke 6:45 (New International Version)

Image Credit: The Worship Cloud

"You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a

mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move.

Nothing would be impossible.”

Matthew 17:20 (New Living Translation)

Image Credit: The Worship Cloud

If an alien visited…… and all they had to see was your Facebook page

… or other ‘public’ profile … What would their perception of your life be?

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God is a communicating God: “In the beginning was the word, and the word was God…”.

God is extravagant in communication – he is not a silent God who has to be tempted into

communicating with people.Rev Prof David Wilkinson

Image Credits: The Worship Cloud/Durham University

God never told the world to go to church; but God did tell the

church to go to the world. Sharon Watkins quoted in Elizabeth Drescher Tweet If You Heart Jesus:

Practicing Church in the Digital Reformation (2011, 108)

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For many churchgoing is no longer the ‘cultural norm’. People don’t actively ignore the church: they don’t even think about it. Matthew 5:13-16 calls us to be salt and light in the world, and for thousands in the ‘digital age’, that

world includes social networks such Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest. With literally billions in the digital spaces, the online social spaces presented by churches need to be appealing, welcoming, and not look like they are just an afterthought: they are now effectively the ‘front door’ to your church for digital users, and you ignore those spaces at your peril.

http://www.churchgrowthrd.org.uk/blog/churchgrowth/growing_churches_in_the_digital_age

Image Credit: Sxc.hu

I’m a passionate believer that we need to be ‘incarnational’ in the digital spaces, whether

those are specifically ‘Christian’ spaces or not, but that we need to understand how to be

‘resident’ in those spaces, rather than merely ‘visiting’ to do a ‘bit of reaching out’.

Bex Lewis, http://www.threadsuk.com/redeeming-culture-in-a-digital-age, May 2015

Image Credit: The Worship Cloud

I think that faith naturally overflows into public life, if it is deep, mature and confident. (Not over confident which can be harmful). And if faith is held at that level, it will pervade all our life, both public and private. Faith can't be kept in a box and trotted out to suit an occasion. It's something intrinsically linked to our 'being' that makes us who we are.

Ernie Feasey @minidvr

If you have faith, then you live that faith 24/7. Not something that can be switched off in differing contexts. @MurielSowden

How can you separate faith from your public life? Is private faith true faith? @loulou_uberkirk

If being a Christian is loving God and loving others, even if I don't announce why I'm doing something, my faith is unavoidably in *public.* @hstanley_

Life’s a Peach and Not an Orange

I think we need to look for and experience faith in every walk of life, whether it be personal, or public. If we don't show it, we may be denying it to someone else. For some people sadly we may be the only contact they have with someone of faith. So we need to share our experiences wherever and whenever we can without going over the top and coming off as some religious nutter. (In the nicest possible sense) Pennie Ley

Luke 12, The Voice #Luke2Acts

Peter, always the first to speak and act in support of Jesus, and fearless of making public statements about his faith, now speaks just as impulsively in denial, simply to save his own skin. In this moment of danger he attempts what is ultimately impossible – to stay faithful only in private. Maggi Dawn Giving It Up, p193

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Relax, enjoy your friends. Enjoy their company along with the company of Jesus. Point him out, freely, without fear or intimidation. You’re not responsible to sell him to them. You’re simply saying what you’ve seen. You're not the judge. You’re the witness.Carl Medearis, Spring Harvest 2013

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Principles of Good Engagement

• Be interesting• Be encouraging• Be active• Be helpful• Be authentic• Just BE…

Partial HT @vahva

Luke 9, The Voice

With digital technology we need to cultivate an attitude of respect, rather than of risk-avoidance. The digital is a part of our everyday lives, and it’s not going to go away. There are huge opportunities available for those who have learnt how to be critical, constructive, and confident inhabitants of the digital environment.

https://audioboo.fm/boos/1577833-what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-digital-disciple-with-changingworship

@drbexl @digitalfprint @bigbibleImage Source: Stockfresh