Around 250 creatives, influencers and social media enthusiasts came together at the ‘Social Media Night’ in the Overflow Church in Wiesbaden on Saturday 12 October.

The theme of the the networking event was ‘#Madetocreate’ and, in addition to specialist presentations, offered dialogue in ‘niche groups’, workshops and space for encounters.

In a time in which social media is increasingly characterised by differences of opinion, theologian Daniela Mailänder explained in her presentation that creative people can have a positive impact with their content. “In a world full of shitstorms, the message of faith is needed”, she said, emphasising the importance of telling the story of Jesus Christ on social media. “The world needs our stories”, she said and called on the participants to share their faith publicly.

“Making a difference together”

Theologian Evi Rodemann also pleaded in favour of taking faith into the public sphere to “make a difference together”. In her presentation, Rodemann emphasised the power of community to achieve great things.

She also referred to the mental challenges that creative people have to deal with: Where do they draw their strength from? How do they maintain their health and inner balance? The theologian an founder of Lead.now recommended taking a close look at one’s own inner compass. Creative people should know their values, their definition of success and their limits.

God is always a strong support: “He is generous and gives us everything we need. We can create without pressure, in the knowledge that we are loved and enough”, she said.

Open conversations and specific workshops

Why did you become a Creator? What do you want to share with the public? How do you manage not to get lost in the dark side of social media? What are the latest trends and insights from the world of social media? These and other questions were discussed in depth at the ‘Social Media Night’.

One highlight was the panel in which artists reported on their journey with Jesus as Creator. The insights into the personal stories touched the participants, aroused compassion, understanding and curiosity and stimulated reflection.

In the  workshops, participants were able to gain insights and ideas from the world of social media. The organisers have developed the ‘Creatunity App’ so that the creatives can stay in touch until the next ‘Social Media Night’. The aim of the app is to network creatives in groups and encourage them to work together.

The promoters

The organiser of ‘Social Media Night’ was Createunity, a network of German Christians in social media. The organisers are Sem Dietterle, Tim Guttenberger, Patrick Senner and Nina Strehl.

The network works under the umbrella of Publicon, a division of the Christian Media Initiative pro, to which PRO magazine also belongs.

Petra Kakyire. This article was first published in German by PRO Magazin, translated and re-published with permission.