I’ve noticed something recently that has made it harder is social media. Because I’m connected to many in my congregation throughout the week online (a good thing most of the time), I can have a false sense that (1) they know that I’m tracking with them pastorally and (2) that because I know what’s going on with them that they have been connected to the church family (when they actually may not have been a part of church in some time).

Consequently, I’m not cutting back on social media connection as a pastor, but I’m also not using it as a barometer of whether or not I’m pastoring people well. I’ve gone back to relying more on the tools you’re talking about in this article.