40 Faces, 40 Places: A Devotional JourneySample

Steve from Buckinghamshire

Sometimes whole-life discipleship looks like making connections in new spaces.

My frontline is on the social media platform TikTok. I have 195,000 followers there, and I post content about church life, God, faith, prayer, and insights into my Christian life.

TikTok presents a great opportunity to engage with people with little or no church contact. Even at a basic level, it helps to break down people’s preconceived ideas about vicars, church, faith, and God.

There is also a significant pastoral element as people will share aspects of their life, ask for prayer, or want advice or tips on reading the Bible. One person who was going through a difficult time asked me to pray for her, and later she said she felt God’s presence, and her circumstances changed. It made her want to reconnect with the church again.

Because of the nature of social media, there’s tremendous pressure to post content regularly and keep up to date with comments, especially if they’re asking for pastoral care. I also feel the pressure to say the right thing, especially as I’m often asked some of life's big questions.

Many questions came up during lockdown about suffering or items in the news. However, I’m encouraged when I see God at work through the way I can reach out to people via TikTok.

Reflection

Many people have online frontlines, and many, like Steve, have found the opportunity to do good on social media. Sometimes these opportunities are with Christians, but often it’s with people with little or no other church contact.

Many find these digital platforms to be safe places to ask vulnerable questions. We have the opportunity to point out misconceptions about God and following Jesus and minister grace and love to others gently. When our feeds are full of anger and arguments, that might be one of the most powerful ways we can show the love of Christ in our daily lives.

If you have any online social media presence, it’s helpful to ask, ‘Is there an opportunity to do good here today?’

Prayer

Lord, I pray for people like Steve, who significantly influence online communities. Wherever I find myself today, help me look for opportunities to break down negative preconceptions about You, Lord, and what it means to follow You and do good. Today, help me use my online presence for Your glory – sharing Your love and peace where there’s often so much negativity.