The Nativity Story 140 characters at a time
Teddington’s Baptist Minister Richard Littledale is no stranger to mixing modern technology with old school teachings.
He is a regular on Twitter to interact with his congregation and help spread the word about fund-raising events and discussions on his thought-provoking blog.
Starting on December the 1st, his Twitter bible discussion forum @chatbible is teaming up with @natwivity to create and discuss the unfolding Christmas story throughout December. Each day as different characters tweet their points of view, @chatbible will pick up on their biblical references to encourage theological discussion around them. Perhaps the 140 character limit will focus the mind of those involved in the discussion!
Organisers are hoping to engage with people using social media as they go about their every day life and participate in the Nativity Story in a fresh, personal way tailored for our always-connected lifestyle. Twitter will give this famous story an immediate, real-life feel, transforming the characters from people 2000 years ago into online friends who are experiencing the drama in today’s society.
Expect thoughts and comments from Mary, Joseph, collective wisemen and shepherds, with further entries from Herod, an Inn Keeper (and his wife) and friends of Mary and Joseph. Natwivity currently has over 2,000 followers waiting for the story to start. There is also a Facebook page that you can follow too.
As well as being a Pastor of Teddington Baptist Church, Richard is also a tutor at The College of Preachers and has a particular interest in innovative and effective communication. His preaching has featured on BBC Radio 4 and he is a regular on BBC Radio 2’s Pause for Thought. He has published two books so far, Stale Bread?: A Handbook for Spreading the Story and Preacher’s A-Z and he writes as a columnist for The Baptist Times.