This appeared in my social media feed a few days ago.  I’m familiar with Snapchat but actually had to look up what a geofilter was (hint: It’s a logo you can associate with a certain geographic area and give users the option of having an overlay with it).

The whole post confounded me at first.  I thought it was a joke. Why would a church promote Snapchat?  It’s used by people who want to erase messages and photos just seconds after sending them.  It’s well known as a medium for sexting.

I run a few different social media accounts for my own church….including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  One thing that I’ve always tried to do is to glorify God in any message sent out.  Photos of baptisms go on Instagram.  Bible articles and sermon videos go on Twitter and Facebook.  The focus is not on an individual.  Rather I try to give all glory and honor to God.

Once I suggested to a fellow member how it might be interesting to have a church Tumblr account.  “Don’t do it,” he said.  After thinking about it, he was right.  Tumblr is far too well known for being vulgar and pornographic.  The church has no business being there.

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast. ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them. under their feet, and turn again and rend you.  -Matthew 7:6

As with Tumblr, I’m not so sure a church has any business promoting Snapchat.  I realize that many other sins are committed on other social media already mentioned…Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.  But somehow Snapchat is different.  It’s almost meant to deceive….to erase one’s tracks without being accountable for one’s posts.

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. – Luke 8:17

The message above it clear.  Whatever you are trying to hide or conceal, it will be revealed.

But who would promote Snapchat among church members? I really think it may be a trendy church social media person trying to look cool among the youth group.  But why?  I would wager that Snapchat does very little to glorify God and instead glorifies narcissists.

I had flashbacks of this when I remember my own church’s youth group doing the obligatory harlem shake video which was abruptly removed from the Youtube account.  Just because something is trending or cool doesn’t mean that it necessarily glorifies God.