MET on Facebook

As you may have heard, MET has developed a Facebook Group entitled (unsurprisingly) Methodist Evangelicals Together. (MET). We would encourage as many MET members as possible to join this group and start to use its facilities. Facebook has grown rapidly in the last couple of years and is one of the main platforms for the interchange of news and views on the web. Probably, like me, you have had reservations about using Facebook but in fact it provides us with an excellent platform for networking members together.

This does not replace this web site and there are no plans that it should do. It will remain the receptacle for information about MET along with the vast array of resources taken from the quarterly magazine. However, the Members’ Zone which used to exist on the web site is now decommissioned and Facebook has replaced it.

How can I join?

1. You need to be a Member of MET. The reason for this is to stop unwelcome intrusion into our discussions.
2. You need to be registered already on Facebook – go to www.facebook.com to apply for free membership.
3. Once registered on Facebook, to find the group you can either type in the link - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=152915433875 or do a search on ‘Methodist Evangelicals Together’.
4. Having located the group, request to join. This request may take a couple of days to be validated so please be patient. The group is a ‘closed group’, open to MET members only, which means your application to join is controlled by the administrators. You will receive an email once you are admitted to the group.

What does Facebook offer?

 A Facebook Group offers similar facilities to your standard Facebook account. The only thing you will need to be aware of is that to access the group you need to click on the ‘two heads’ icon at the bottom of the screen (see image above). Alternatively you can search for it as stated above in 3.

1. Wall posts – tell people what’s happening in your neck of the woods. You may like to comment on things which have happened in your church or meetings you have attended which are of particular interest to others. You can also comment on other wall posts.
2. Messaging – as with standard Facebook, you can view the list of members and send messages to any of them. This allows you to engage in a private conversation with another MET member.
3. Discussion Forum – there is a tab at the top labelled ‘Discussions’. This takes you to an area where you can either contribute to existing discussions or start your own discussions. We trust that Met members will treat this area with the respect it deserves and not use it simply as a means of letting off steam, although we are all tempted to do that at times. Try to make this as positive and encouraging as you can as this will be one of the key features of the group.
4. Photos, Videos and Links – only administrators can amend these sections at present but any member can view the contents.

So, our aim is that this becomes a vibrant and relevant networking platform for the membership of MET. Please dive in and make it work. If you have any questions or queries then please contact me or one of the Administrators who are listed in the left hand column (see image left). One other point – you will notice that my user name on the Facebook group is Roger-met G Johnson. This is because I took out a separate identity for the MET Facebook group in order to segregate Facebook-related emails from the mass of others I receive.

You will also see in the latest edition of MET Connexion that Sue Dunstan, who is responsible for networking, has written an article in the Autumn 2009 edition outlining plans to improve our engagement with the membership across the UK. To assist us in this, Hazel Harwood, our administrator, would like to know your up-to-date email address. Please notify her, either through the subscription form you have received in the present edition of the magazine or by emailing her directly. Work is underway to create a comprehensive database of members to aid Sue and Hazel in the work they do.

Roger Johnson (MET Web Site Manager)