culture, Journey

Simplifying my life: so long Twitter

I deactivated my Twitter account today.  I also deleted a couple of blogs, including my oldest, Amicus Dei, but it was time to pull the plug.  I’ll be closing down NewChurchReport.com soon.

Here at Confessions of a Small-Church Pastor, I’ll be focusing on small church life and ministry exclusively.  No more opinions about what Congress ought to do, or how to solve the problem of globalization.  I realized that nobody cares what my opinions are on those issues, and I’m not an expert.  Not that you have to be, but still I’m going to stick with what little I know, which is life and ministry here in my small town at our small church.

I’m simplifying my online life, which is an oxymoron in itself.  I’m still here, and on Facebook.  I’m on Facebook because I get to see my grandchildren, or I’d probably drop that, too.  Has anybody else done something similar?  Why, and did it help or not?

9 thoughts on “Simplifying my life: so long Twitter”

  1. I, too, am a pastor of small congregations. Simplifing one’s life as a ministry can be very tricky. I commend you for trying. I must say, I don’t have time for Facebook or any other “socializing”. I have my close friends, clergy and non-clergy. But to be “out there” doesn’t fit into my life. I SO APPRECIATE your blogs on small congregational ministry. That is what I am about as well. It helps to hear “how you did VBS”, “when you take time to take time off”… Thank you!! Keep blogging your life, it is helpful to know I am not alone! Kathy

  2. Chuck,
    I closed my Twitter account some time ago. That helped a lot. I have two inactive blogs and I subscribe to well over a hundred RSS feeds. I stopped writing on one blog because all I was doing was reviewing books I was getting for free. Many of the books I didn’t need to read. The other blog was intended to write essays, but I haven’t felt the need to write lately. As for the RSS feeds, I have been thinking about cutting them down. Although I find a few gems, I have to wade through too many posts to find them.
    Even though you are cutting back, I still hope to see your posts here. I value your thoughts on small church, they have helped a lot.

  3. I commend you Chuck on your efforts to simplify and take a “less is more” approach. I find that I am cyclical with this noble and necessary exercise. I stopped writing my daily evotionals because they were encroaching on what little time I had and pulled my focus away from my local congregation. I exited MySpace a couple of years ago and I dialed my FB time way back. I’m not blogging at this time as well. We moved across town last week and I was without internet for one week… the sky did not fall, the world didn’t wait for me… or even notice for that matter… and I had more peace at the end of the day. My re-entry will be slow and deliberate. Blessings!

  4. Thanks for the refocus on your proclaimed God called mission, we in the small church ministry’s need you my Brother. I have said often that we in the small church may not have big money to go to some big meeting in a far away city but most small church pastor’s can get a connection on the internet and get to a site like yours that offers so much help and encouragement. I for one applaud your courage to realine your Focus. I visit this site often many times a week, it is a great help. God Bless.

  5. I’m with you on this…. Sometimes I think that people don’t realize the opportunity costs of social networking, that when we do it, we’re not doing other things. Even though it doesn’t take much energy, per event, it adds up. I guess the goal is to pick and choose what works best for us.

  6. I think it’s really important to think through what we are doing electronically and why (also with the non-electronic part of life). We also need to be able to unplug completely for a time now and again. I notice I get more anxious than I used to when I do this (a reason to do it more often, I think). Silence is a spiritual practice I need, and electronic “noise” keeps me from it.

  7. Nice decision – I nearly deleted all my accounts on everything – but glad I didn’t really. Twitter seems a bit of a waste of time and I am considering deleting it. I find fb more connector friendly but I am about to cull that friendship list down to people I actually converse with online. And I do regularly go through my blog feeds and if nothing that uplifts or interests me has been posted in a while I just delete it (or if my feed reader tells me that i have 100 unread posts – that is not a good sign).

    Will be interesting to see how you go.

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