I’m new to the staff of The Well, and part of my new role is managing its Facebook page. Have you “liked” us yet? We hope so!
Recently I received a message from one of our “fans” that thanked The Well for the ministry of the Facebook page.
Since I’ve been spending time managing the site, I was thrilled to hear of this woman’s encouragement and growth in God through the site. But as I shared the good news with my team, I felt a little silly. I mean, can a Facebook page even be a ministry?
Yes, I actually get paid (a little) to read articles and post them on Facebook — how’s that for fun? But The Well’s Facebook page should be a ministry to women following Christ in graduate school and beyond. Otherwise, I’m wasting my time.
Here are three ways I think the Facebook page serves our audience:
- Shares relevant articles. Much of what we post at the page is content not original to us. Instead, members of our team read through articles online, searching to collect and curate information and insight relevant for academic women (and many others). Everyone is busy and experiences information overload. And there are many valuable articles in many different types of publications, including higher ed periodicals, national news media, blogs, Christian periodicals, and more. Our goal is to sift through these and share the gems. When you go to our Facebook page or see an article in your feed, we want you to know that it’s worth your time to take a closer look.
- Provides a community of trust. We desire The Well’s Facebook page to be a place of support and encouragement for women in the academy and professions. Though I believe embodied community is essential for flourishing, sometimes it helps to see that there are many others with similar passions, experiences, and hopes — even online. The Facebook page is a place to experience a sense of solidarity with other “fans.” We hope the page is an accurate reflection of what we care about and that you find articles there that are helpful to you in your work, in your family, in your spiritual journey, and more.
- Points to The Well. Are you reading The Well regularly? We hope you are! We post new pieces each week, developed with you in mind. The Well is intentional about including a variety of voices among our writers and a variety of topics related to faith and the academy. Our strong desire is that the Facebook page would send you on to our website where you will be enriched and pointed to Jesus. Each time we post new content at The Well, we announce it on our Facebook page. If you’re hanging out there, you won’t miss it.
We are here for you, even over at our Facebook page. Let us know how we can better serve you and point you to Jesus. That’s our desire — yes, even on our Facebook page.
