By now you probably have realized that there is an explosion taking place in the way we connect with one another. Words that just a decade ago would have meant nothing, like Twitter, have a whole new meaning for all of us including those in Christian leadership. Social media outlets are grabbing the headlines and making all of us rethink how we can use those tools to accomplish Kingdom purposes.

A new book is out by two leaders in the field of using the internet and social media called, “Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust.” The authors, Chris Brogan and Julien Smith have a long list of accomplishments at using the internet and social media effectively. Together they have collaborated to write what is certainly a must read for those new to social media and even the few old hands of these tools.

Brogan and Smith contend that the Web has changed to be more humanized. In short the authors define Trust Agents as, “the people who will succeed in understanding this and using the Web to build business are called trust agents.” Their book is about how you can become a trust agent. They spend the next two hundred plus pages telling you how to go about being that kind of presence on the Web. Sharing from their own personal experience and the stories of others they give practical advice on how to build web presence and ultimately trust for a business.

As Christians our “business” is extending the Kingdom of God. For us it is more than a business it is a calling. Jesus has commanded us to make disciples. In the parable of the Wedding Banquet the king when finding the wedding hall empty told the servants, “Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.” Since Jesus time we have been seeking the lost on the corners of our world inviting them to the banquet. The Web is a huge corner of the world and Social Media is the tool for engaging those that gather there.

So how can the book “Trust Agents” help us in this endeavor? Here are some thoughts…

It shows us the impact of the Web and Social Media upon all aspects of modern day life. If you need convincing about the impact of this new medium this book will help your disbelief. The Web has changed the way we interact and its time the Church realized this. While we might still debate where this is all ultimately going to land it is without question changed how we think and process information. Gone should be the days where your church doesn’t have an up to date web site or use the new tools of engagement. Sadly many Christian leaders are way behind the curve on this one.

It gives practical tools on how to build your Web presence. I felt like this was the best part of the book for me. While I had heard of many of the tools they describe there were still many that were new to me. For someone totally starting out fresh in Web awareness this is the book for you. For old hands you might find the book interesting but not ground breaking.

If I have a reservation about the book at all it is the reservation I have about nearly all Social Media devotees. I fear that the authors might be too close to the chess board to properly evaluate the impact of these new tools. We who use these tools need to be aware that just because all our friends are on Twitter does not mean the whole world is. My fear is that in embracing these new tools we might end up throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Call me old fashioned but I still like the feel of a book in my hands even though I can down load most of them on my Kindle or iTouch. In fact I bought the hard copy of “Trust Agents” for over double what I could have bought it on my Kindle! We in the Church need to embrace what is new but not totally abandon what is still working. In the end it takes all kinds of approaches to reach those on the street corners of our world. Brogan and Smith I think would agree. After all they did use traditional publishing for their book “Trust Agents.” The old adage applies still, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”

The real question for you as a Christian leader is are you on the street corners of your world inviting people to the banquet? What do those street corners look like in today’s world? How can you best utilize the tools of today to reach your corner of the world where God has put you? Have you also considered that with tools like the Web, your street corner has just gone world wide?

Let’s go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone we find!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group