The Church of Facebook: How the Hyperconnected Are Redefining Community

Jesse Rice's "The Church of Facebook: How the Hyperconnected Are Redefining Community" is an absolute breakthrough! Rice's calling as a worship arts director and worship leader makes him the perfect instrument to bring this subject matter to light. The influence of his church's pastor, John Ortberg, is evident in his "think outside the box" message - or perhaps Rice influenced Pastor Ortberg... Regardless, this magnificent non-fiction book comes at a critical time when technology seems to be taking over our lives, leading us to be more isolated while seemingly connected. Jesse Rice blasted that negative thinking right out of my head. Rice offers practical advice about how to use Facebook, in general. And he gives specifics about how to use technology to connect with others in a genuine way rather than promoting falsehood. His sense of humor, evident throughout the work, keeps the reader engaged. This is a terrific book for anyone who uses technology or knows someone who does.

Jesse Rice gives us valuable insights regarding our innate need for connection and how it is most clearly revealed in the experience of dis-connection. Dropped cell phone calls, the loss of a job or career opportunity, a romantic breakup, the death of a loved one-each kind of disconnection alerts us to the fact that we were meant to connect. He uses BBC's Television series Horizon as an excellent choice to explain further how six people subjected themselves to forty-eight hours of sensory deprivation. I was hooked to the remainder of the book once I read the second chapter Revolution which gives us a history behind Facebook and it's founder Mark Zuckerberg. One quote that stood out was from Clive Thompson who calls Facebook "the most significant intergenerational shift since rock'n roll." What's fascinating is that Rice does a great job explaining the spiritual, psychological, physical ramifications of this shift and how it is changing how we live, worship, and relate to the world around us. We've all experienced the emotional buzz that Rice talks about that keeps us thirsty for more. We get chills up our spine when we reconnect with our friends and family from the past. He leaves us at the end of the book with this question: "How can we take our co-creative tools modeled by Jesus-intentionality, humility, and authenticity-and use them to make something good like Facebook even better?" 5 points to put this into action: 1-Practice regular check-ins with ourselves 2-Make the intention to not go online immediately before bed and immediately after waking up 3-Practice mindful Facebooking 4-Practice authentic Facebooking 5-Adopt one or two Facebook friends for one month

The Church of Facebook by Jesse Rice is a surprisingly good read. There are a ton of books on the market with Christians trying to analyze the current culture and how social networking sites relate to religion. This isn't those books; trust me, I've read quite a few. Rice, who has a Master's degree in counseling psychology, uses several different studies of human development and psychology to explain the sudden popularity of Facebook which has only been around since 2004 and has exploded since 2007. Humans require connectivity, and we find that through Facebook, but it's a pseudo-connectedness where we control every aspect of contact allowing only superficiality. The charm of this book is Rice's humor. He injects just a touch of sarcasm to alleviate the weight of the scientific studies. He doesn't force religion on every page either. He talks about Jesus and how he truly connected with people. Rice doesn't condemn using Facebook instead he offers ways of making the connections we make with other users more real and reflective of our faith. This book isn't just for Christians but for anyone interested in understanding just why Facebook is just so addictive.

If you're interested in thinking more deeply about the ways social networks like Facebook are affecting Christian community, read Jesse's book. For the past several years, Jesse Rice has had a unique perspective on this topic. Fist, Jesse has been living in Palo Alto, CA, just a few steps from Facebook's headquarters, and the epicenter for the development of new social technology. Second, Jesse has been both living in Christian community throughout that time, and serving a large community of young adults while on staff at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. Thus, he has seen both the effects of social networks on people in general, and Christian community in particular, very early on. In the book, Jesse humorously and lovingly walks readers through the potential issues social networks present, and prophetically challenges readers to engage with others on Facebook (and in every situation) with intentionality, humility, authenticity, and love. I'm very thankful Jesse wrote this book, and would recommend it enthusiastically to those interested in building community in the years to come.

I heard about Jesse Rice's book, "The Church of Facebook: How the Wireless Generation is Redefining Community" from an interview he did on a podcast. The topic of online community and whether or not it can be authentic is of interest to me. I wasn't sure what to expect; perhaps a Christianized critique of the whole social networking phenomenon complete with a set of warnings for believers and suggested rules for underage children. Thankfully this is not Jesse's book. Instead it opens with a fascinating story of the opening day on the Millennium Bridge crossing the Thames River in London. The unexpected shaking that day on the pedestrian footbridge is similar to the online spectacle of Facebook and other social networking sites. Jesse uses this and several other stories at the beginning of each chapter to create a historical framework for interpreting our online interactions. Jesse has done his research well and the book is very interesting because of it. The science of connecting with others, of creating a "home" where we feel safe is the subject of chapter one. This is followed by a chapter on revolutionary changes to society and how Facebook is set up to be, if it not already is, a world changer. Chapter three delves into the controls people have of their online presence, of the information they choose to share online with others on their profiles. He poses the question of what we will do with the power we have to create, to shape society, with our online influence. Chapter four studies the impact that all of the new information has on an individual, understanding that people have adapted their behavior with this new way to connect with people, share information and collect new data. The fifth chapter focuses on the question of community and whether or not it can be experienced online. Are our relational needs truly being met? The final chapter speaks to implications of using social networking and some of the inherent behaviors that could be attributed to living life via an online presence. Jesse suggests some boundaries to keep the experience healthy, balanced and authentic. Although the book could be categorized as a Christian book by a Christian author, it doesn't come across as preachy or fear-based. As such I hope it will be picked up by readers interested in modern communication, community development, sociology, and human psychology. It broadened my perspectives of social networking and has stayed with me as I've continued connecting with old and new friends online.