New Mormon Missionary Campaign in Baltimore: #socialmediasplit
The Maryland Baltimore Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will kick-start a new missionary campaign entitled #socialmediasplit. The purpose of this campaign is to provide a way for members of the Church to document and share experiences from going out on splits with the missionaries.
Here is how it works: while Church members are out teaching with the elders or the sisters, they are invited and encouraged to post to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media sites, to share their experiences with the world. If they tag each post with #socialmediasplit, then their friends, followers, and other users on the social site can track the progress of the campaign. It will allow more people to engage in hastening the work.
Deseret News reports that the initial idea for the #socialmediasplit campaign was developed in the Ohio Cincinnati Mission by President John Porter. President Porter tested the idea by having every missionary companionship accompanied by a member who documented their experiences on social media. The results were incredible. The pilot campaign received a flood of positive feedback online and from traditional media outlets.
Maryland Baltimore Mission President Mark Richards is grateful to President Porter’s sharing of the campaign. President Richards says that he plans to make #socialmediasplit a permanent part of sharing the gospel in his mission. Because the Baltimore mission is not yet using iPads or Facebook, President Richards believes this will be a great predecessor for things to come as it will allow the missionaries to get insight of the incredible impact that social media can have on missionary work.
President Richards told Deseret News he is grateful for Michele Calderone, an LDS public representative in the area, who helped come up him with a unique approach to this campaign. Calderone said:
[pull_quote_center]We’re hopeful that not only will increased member involvement enhance the missionaries’ efforts, but by sharing their experiences on social media, members will help others understand what missionaries do.[/pull_quote_center]
Next time you go on splits with the missionaries in your area, post about it on social media and tell us about your experiences below!
Find more insight into the #socialmediasplit campaign in Jason F. Wright’s article on DeseretNews.com.