Jenny has become one of my closest confidants over the last few months.  She’s someone I text when I’m battling a bad mood.  We have Skype dates and though our pups have never met, they’re best pup friends.  Jenny’s blog.  Jenny’s Twitter.

We’ve talked this week about online community.

Is it real?

Is it sustainable?

Does it make a difference and if so, how?

We have heard personal stories, watched beautiful connections develop, and listened as people have expressed why they feel online community is real  or at least real to them.

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Yet is online community practical?

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Because at the end of the day, as much as we love the mooshy-gooshy feel good stuff, we all have lives to live, mouths to feed, and tasks to complete.

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My left-brain wants to know if online community works.

I want to know if online community makes an impact in our practical, everyday life?

I believe that it can and it is.

True Biblical community is supposed to be about life change and life change is exactly what is happening in these online communities.

When Tam received a new bed from her online community and she began sleeping through the night for the first time in years.

When Elora and Russ shared on their blog some of their very-real financial struggles and watched as a community of folks showed up with practical assistance.

When Alece stepped off the plane into the awaiting arms of an online community she was meeting IRL for the first time… and then watched as God used that community to support her through the crucible of a valley-experience AND came together at a bloggers meet up to raise funds for Thrive Africa, a ministry she started in Africa.

When Jenni and Brian renewed their vows surrounded by several of their best friends – who two years prior had only been known to them across the blogosphere.

When Gitz was surrounded by the (in)courage reader community during the loss of her sweet father.

And as several of us have made the trek overseas on mission, how a loving online community came together to pray for our journeys and do guest posts while we were gone.

True biblical community is what the church is called to be to each other.

Church is happening online.

It is powerful. It is real. It is good…

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In closing… I will share my unfolding story of the power of online community in creating life-change.

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I am a regular reader at the Ragamuffin community, not only because Carlos (@loswhit aka Los) is hilarious and impacting simultaneously, but also because the group of Ragamuffins there are really good peeps.

For the last several months I have been looking, praying, researching for a DSL camera because I want to be able to capture the essence of “moments” whether they are on the field in Africa or in my back-yard.

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Last week Carlos posted a blog entitled Share your Photos and Gear and the Ragamuffins shared!

One reader – Jay – shared this:

To which I replied:

Two hours later – I had purchased a Nikon D700 and it is on its way to me TODAY!

Just in time for my Burundi trip next week

With camera case, strap, and a gogillian memory cards thrown in out of the goodness of Jay’s heart.

All at a great discount “Because I was a fellow Ragamuffin”

Not once was I worried that he was a scammer, because he was a part of this great community I loved {Plus, knowing Los and the community, if Jay was a scammer… the community would have united in protest!}

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So now I have the big-girl camera I’ve been looking for just in time for my Burundi trip at a cost that I could not have even gotten on e-bay.

A practical-solution to an every day need.

A solution generated by online community.

An event that will undoubtedly be transformational as I step into this new season of my life.

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Does online community work?

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Yes.

All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. Acts 4.32 (NLT)

Lisa Jo, Tracee, Alece, Jenny

Jenni’s story inspires me in what community is and should be.  It is a story full of grace and redemption.  I’m inspired also by how she’s opened her home and heart to people she’s met on Twitter and blogging for months at a time.  Jenni’s blog.  Jenni’s Twitter.

If someone told me that I would have found some of my closest and most trusted friends via social media 5 years ago… I would have laughed in their faces.

I’ve always had friends. It’s always been important to me to be surrounded by people. But no matter how surrounded I was, I usually felt pretty alone. However, I believed as long as I was surrounded, then at LEAST I would look normal… whatever that means.

It wasn’t until I confessed my BIGGEST MORAL FAILURE, did I begin to realize how alone I really was.

Besides about 5 friends, the friends I had, or use to have, around me no longer seemed interested in being around me. I’m not sure if it was because they were hurt by my decisions, didn’t want to be associated with such a public sinner or if it was because they just didn’t know what to say. Whichever way, I totally understood and counted it as a consequence to my poor choices.

I was alone. I was hurting.

But then God.

God took this time to not only reveal loving friends I never new existed, but He showed me who my real friends were. My true “besties” rose to the surface. And guess where many of us had met?

… ON EACH OTHERS BLOGS AND ON TWITTER.

These people not only prayed for Brian and my restoration, but they called, emailed, texted and encouraged us. There were days I wasn’t sure I had a friend in the world. Heck… my husband didn’t even like me. And I deserved it. And at those darkest moments, Trish or Tam would call. Or Crystal would text. Or Diane would DM me (just to name a few). And I knew…

… Though I was lonely… I wasn’t alone.

Last May, Brian and I renewed our vows. Our ceremony was intentionally VERY small. We only invited the people we felt were instrumental in our healing process. Our angels.

For the first time ever, I feel filled and surrounded more often than I feel alone. Life is SO different now.

“Human life in common is only made possible when a majority comes together which is stronger than any separate individual and which remains united against all separate individuals. The power of this community is then set up as “right” in opposition to the power of the individual, which is condemned as “brute force.”" ~ Sigmund Freud

Community has nothing to do with what is around you as much as it includes WHO has infiltrated your heart.

Community is who you let in.

Community is a reflection of you when you finally choose to be real and honest about who YOU are.

Community is what you were born to be.

The rest of the series:

Tammy ……… Alece ………Elora ……… Jen Sparks ……… Jenny Schmitz

I think Elora and I are sisters from different mothers.  We share the same heart for those far from God, those in poverty and orphaned.  I’m not sure when or how we connected – I think she commented on my blog & then I checked her’s out and never left.  We text, we email, we twitter.  We almost met in real life a few weeks ago until some other things happened <insert here>.  One day we will meet, New Mexico cannot stand in our way.   Elora’s blog.  Elora’s twitter.

Sometimes, when I’m talking to other people, I hear how crazy it sounds. I see the questions in their eyes. You have friends….online? And I get it. I get the ridiculous bent of their eyebrows as they fight laughing at me.

But I also get they just don’t understand.

The truth: My husband & I are part of a community of believers where even though we have never met in person, if at any point a need arose, we’d be there in a heartbeat.

Why? Because we’ve experienced the unquestionable generosity of these friends more than once.

Last year, Russ & I went through a period of time where everything around us was going haywire. Without any warning, we found ourselves in a state of limbo where spiritually we knew what God wanted of us, but physically? We just didn’t see any way. And then Russ wrote this post. He didn’t write it in order to spark a catalyst of compassion on our behalf. He wrote it out of honesty and conviction.

Within 24 hours, our community of friends gathered around us and began to support us through this difficult time.

Our friend Dave Ingland, whom we met on twitter earlier in the year through Idea Camp, posted a challenge on his blog – asking for prayer & support on our behalf. We didn’t even realize what was going on and before we knew it, we were receiving text messages, DM’s, and @reply’s from people all over the US letting us know we were in their prayers. Later that week a donation was sent to our paypal with the exact amount we would need for bills. We never even asked – never even considered praying for God to do something. We knew we were in a place where faith was essential, but the thought of people online coming to our aid just didn’t cross our mind. But God’s provision didn’t stop there.

Later that month, a friend we knew through Invisible Children who read Russ’ post sent us the cash she found in her purse. The day we got her letter in the mail, we spent the last of our cash buying prescriptions at the pharmacy. Opening the letter and finding the exact amount we just spent was one of the richest moments of our marriage. I remember reading her words of encouragement and feeling God’s presence – hearing Him whisper, “I’m here. Keep going.”

And we did.

Russ & I knew before this the power of online community. We knew, through events like The Rescue, what can happen when people join together and use social media for good. We never experienced it personally though – and at such a neck-breaking velocity. Suddenly, we looked at eachother and realized, “oh. so this is community. This is what it looks like to give so someone else can have…”

Since the spring, we’ve grown considerably. Not only has God revealed to us the power of online community, He’s blessed us with an incredible in-house group of friends who challenge and walk hand-in-hand with us daily. As I’m writing this, I’m texting my friends, planning a pancake supper with one of our kids & his mama and tweeting at people from across the country – encouraging them in what they learned at church. Never before has the church had this capability to connect at such a constant level. It’s exciting.

And challenging.

When we came back from Africa this past summer, my heart suffered for weeks. I mean, there were things I experienced I probably won’t ever find words for – and it showed. My blogs frequented the topic and danced around the trip, trying to find the perfect way to describe the change in my heart. My tweets revealed my struggle with culture shock – the discrepancy between our excess and their need – it was just too much. And while I was at home, it was bearable. I knew I could call one of my friends who understood and we could go grab coffee. But then I left town for a teachers’ conference…and where those around me wouldn’t understand because they weren’t there – my friends online stood in the gap. Not a day went by without an e-mail or DM or personal card (thanks, Prudy) encouraging me and lifting me in prayer. Processing a trip is difficult enough with other people – but it’s absolutely impossible doing it on your own. Without my friends coming together and praying for me, I’m not sure how I would have made it through that week.

I know there may be a few people who won’t ever understand our relationship with these people we’ve never met. I know we still may receive odd looks when we share the latest story of someone who we’ve been connected with through twitter  staying at our house. But…we’ve grown to accept the furrowed brows and shakes of the head with a grain of salt. Once these people experience the encouragement, prayer, support and genuine concern we’ve experienced – and once they witness the stories coming from around the country of people joining together to make a difference – then they will see the possibility.

The rest of the series:

Tammy ……… Alece ………Jenni Clayville ……… Jen Sparks ……… Jenny Schmitz

Alece is one of those people you instantly fall in love with.  Her story is full of heart break and beautiful growing redemption.  She has connected with people across oceans and state borders.  From living in small South African Villages to major metropolitan US cities. Alece’s Blog.  Alece’s Twitter.

It’s so normal to me that I don’t even really think about it anymore.

Most of my friends are people I met online.

Although I’ve gotta be honest… Using that phrase ”met online” bugs me. It seems to diminish or devalue the experience and the friendships because of the negative connotations it holds for so many.

I never make distinctions like ”online friends” and ”in real life friends”. There is no delineation between them. A friend is a friend, no matter where or how we met.

The friendships I’ve built over the internet are every bit as real, deep, and authentic as any I’ve ever built face-to-face.

Maybe even more so.

Because I articulate myself better in writing, I’m quicker to dive into weighty topics over Twitter, email, and blogging than I probably would in person. Then once that groundwork is laid, it’s a whole lot easier for me to carry on that conversation offline.

Authenticity breeds authenticity. And while there are those who misrepresent themselves online, the majority of people I’ve gotten to know have proven themselves to be genuine.

Being real makes others feel safe to do the same.

And that’s how great friendships get built.

My life is full of them. And I am so incredibly grateful.

I have more friends now than I’ve ever had. I don’t say that to try to sound popular. (Because, trust me, I’m not. At all.) I say it with a shake of my head and disbelief in my voice. I can’t seem to find the right words to convey how astounded and humbled I am by the relationships God has gifted me with.

Because they truly are a gift.

And they have carried me through the most difficult season of my life. Even those people I haven’t had the chance to hug yet.

Honestly, as long as we’re bringing our true selves, it doesn’t matter if we get together in Starbucks or in an email.

Friendships are about connections of the heart.

And hearts hang out in the strangest of places.

Check out the rest of the series:

Tammy

I’m hosting a series this week and the first part of next on community found through social media (Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, etc.).  I’m super excited about each lady that is posting here this week.  They are remarkable in their own beautiful way.  One I’ve met and the other five I can’t wait to.  I believe that God has allowed social media to serve as a place where community is fostered.  Please welcome these ladies as they share their experiences and feel free to share your thoughts each day. – Prudy

Tammy is someone I find quirky, and someone I think of as more my age than her nearly 4-0 (5 yrs of difference so I guess we’re kind of the same age).  I have a great deal of respect for this lovely lady.  Tam’s blog.  Tam’s Twitter.

I live in a small town. A very small town. It seems everyone knows everyone here. If you were born here…you die here. If you weren’t born here, you came here to retire…then die.

Since that first Sunday I’ve decided to leave Sundays social media free.  I don’t need it clogging my day.  It’s been sort of refreshing.

I mentioned yesterday that social media can control your life.  It can haunt you.  If you aren’t online people begin to wonder if you’re lying in a ditch or you wonder if others are.

I’ve allowed this to happen to me.  I feel out of the loop if I’m not checking my Twitter or Facebook.  I get that itch…you know the one.  The one addicts get.  After some prayer and leading from God…

I’m pulling the plug.

The next 40 days are known as Lent.  Being brought up in a protestant home I never really gave any thoughts to Lent.  To tell you the truth I was probably in in my 20′s before I’d even heard of it.  I knew Ash Wednesday was a Catholic observed day but that was about it.

The idea of Lent is Biblical.  We are called to fast and pray.  Jesus fasted and prayed.

For the next 40 days (actually 41 since I take Sundays off) I’m staying off Twitter and Facebook.  No updates.  No looking.  No Twitpics.  This will be difficult especially at work since these are sources of release from the stresses of – well – coworkers and work.

I will still be blogging during that time.  You can add me to you RSS feed to see new blog posts come across.

You can pray that I hear and listen to God during this time.

Here is one final quote from Anne, “The ultimate question, for the social media world as for every other world, is this: Is how I’m spending my time bringing glory to God? When the online world becomes our only source of communication or inspiration, it may be time to take a little breather and log off.”

All excerpts used with permission from and rights belong to Anne Jackson; FlowerDust.net and Adam Smith; JackalopeKid.com.

A about a month and a half ago on a Sunday, kind of by accident, I decided not to log in to Twitter of Facebook.  I didn’t check either all day.  I discovered something…..

The world didn’t cease to exist!!!!

The earth kept on spinning.  People were born and died.  The sun and moon rose and each set at their appointed times.  We so often get plugged into social media and forget what is going on around us.  We have conversations with each other via 140-characters rather than over a cup of coffee.

As with most things moderation with social media is wise.

I’ve asked a couple friends who have taken lengthy breaks from Facebook and Twitter to share some of their experiences via my blog.

The Jackalope Hibernates

My friend Adam Smith of JackalopeKid.com recently took a three week fast from Twitter and Facebook to refocus his attention on God and listen to Him.  I asked if he would be willing to share about this experience.  Here is what he had to say:

“The first three weeks of January I fasted alot of things, but definitely the hardest one for me was fasting technology. It’s a big part of what I do. The reason behind this whole fast was to get closer to God and with all the computer stuff that I do, it’s hard for me to embrace all of God while my face is in a computer screen. I’m not telling everyone that they need to do this to find God, but I found it definitely helped me. It was a big distraction out of the way so I didn’t even have to think about it. I filled all the time that I usually spend on the computer with podcasts of people that speak positive words into my life and other things that helped my relationship with the Father. It was very refreshing.”

Quitting Facebook

Last year my friend, author, and speaker Anne Jackson of FlowerDust.net completely deleted her Facebook account.  Over the year I’ve been following her blog and tweets she’s taken numerous breaks from Twitter and blogging.  She’s a busy lady currently on a mission trip in Haiti.  She was gracious enough to provide me with a couple articles she wrote regarding her leaving Facebook and has given me permission to share some of what she wrote.

In her article, Why I Kissed Facebook Goodbye Anne writes:

That in 2006 when Facebook was opened to the general public she eagerly signed up and connected with a couple hundred friends.

“Later that year, I had an article published on women and porn addiction that drove a large amount of traffic to my blog. On my blog, I had a link to my Facebook account, and soon, the requests began pouring in. Before you could throw a sheep at me, thousands of people and I became friends.”

“Except for my husband suggesting (kindly and quietly) that I was becoming a little obsessed with my online persona, I didn’t think twice about my Facebook behavior. After all, it was ministry.”

She writes that after a speaking busy speaking engagement where she wasn’t constantly checking in on Facebook, “I was reflecting on the past few days and how, without the overload of information from my online habits, I felt as if I could hear the voice of God a little more clearly.  As the Lenten season approached, I prayerfully asked God if there was anything I should set aside. He gently showed me how I had allowed social media to become my only conduit to Him, instead of simplicity and rest. I decided to give up blogging, Facebook, and Twitter for the six weeks leading up to Easter.  Lent came to an end and I didn’t quite feel ready to return. Part of me felt a little obligated—after all, I had books to sell and ministry to accomplish. But every day I found myself pulling away more and more.”

“But old habits die hard. As soon as the ego began feeling a little neglected, I turned up the intensity of my interaction online.  Anne shares that soon between a full time job, speaking, writing a new book, and being a wife, “My boundaries fell apart, and so did I.  Being a naturally abstract person, I needed the structure to help me find a balance in how I was serving others as well as taking care of myself.”

“I toyed with the idea of completely closing down my Facebook account for a couple of weeks. For me, it wasn’t a life-giving place.  On Sunday, May 24, I pulled the plug on Facebook and announced it on my blog.  Do I think that Facebook (or any other form of social networking) is the bane of online humanity? No way.  But for me, Facebook was a problem.”

Please check back this evening for Part 2…

All excerpts used with permission from and rights belong to Anne Jackson; FlowerDust.net and Adam Smith; JackalopeKid.com.