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Searching for Interested People on Facebook

Many have asked, or at least thought, that using social media for ministry may not be that important. But there continue to be stories of God using these digital tools for His glory.

One staff member of Cru went through the training on how to use Facebook to find potential movement leaders overseas.

“We just type in the Facebook search box for Christians who go to ____ University.”

Where this staff is located they get a large number of friend requests. When they searched for a believer on one campus it turned out that someone who asked to be his friend a year prior was among that list.

“I had never met him, but we had some mutual friends. So I messaged him knowing he claimed to be Christian and very directly asked if he'd like to meet up to talk about life and Jesus.”

His response,

“Hey, It would be nice and interesting to have a conversation with you about our culture and spiritual background. I am also a college student, you know I am Christian, it would be nice to meet you because I have never met any Christian outside (South Asia).”

The two met up a few days later. The student liked Jesus but knew very little about the Holy Spirit and what a relationship with God looked like. They prayed together after going through the “Satisfied” book and afterward he went to a weekly meeting with the staff person.

The next day, he took a two-hour train ride from his home to come to the weekly Saturday night fellowship.

A week later, he came again, turned in his registration and money for their fall conference and met more people.

“Last week, I hardly spoke with him at fellowship because he was talking with other people. Prior to our conversation on Facebook, he had never heard of the fellowship, the conference, or how to live a spirit filled life. Now he's living all three.”

Step-by-Step on How to Search for Interested Students on Facebook

  1. Check in settings that your language is set to English (US)
  2. Go to the search box and type in:

    1. “People who attend [University Name] and like [Christian interest]. Some examples could include “bible,” “Jesus Daily” or “Hillsong United.”
    2. “People who attend [University Name] and are Christian.”
  3. Try a combination of different search phrases and terms to see what works best.
  4. Click on “People” to see the extended list of those matching the search phrase.
  5. Add those students as a friend and add them to a new list such as “Key Students.”
  6. Message students:

    1. “Hey [Student Name]. I am on campus with Cru and love to have conversations about life and Jesus. Would you be up for getting together to talk on campus? I’m there on Tuesdays. Let me know! Hope to hear from you soon.” [Your Name]
    2. “Hey [Student Name], I am an American college student learning the culture here in [Country if on STINT]. I love to have conversations about life and different spiritual backgrounds and would love to hear your thoughts about life and Jesus. Would you be up for getting together to talk on campus? I’m there on Tuesdays. Let me know! Hope to hear from you soon.” [Your Name]

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