It's 2 p.m. on a Thursday, and several people are sharing words of encouragement during our church's five-day challenge to raise funds for hunger relief.

A young professional asks, "Anyone feeling more satisfied and optimistic today?" A stay-at-home mom talks about her children's "beans and rice" song. A high school student confesses he is "humbled," and has a new perspective on materialism. It's the kind of interaction that every pastor hopes for—a community that transcends age and stage, with the work of the gospel at the center.

And it's all happening on Twitter.

The five-day challenge was Hope Church's first "full-court press" experience using Facebook, Twitter and blogging to unite a diverse community throughout the week. And the impact on the congregation convinced senior leadership that the church's relationship with social media must be taken seriously.

Many church leaders are waking up to the fact that social media is a force to be reckoned with. The numbers don't lie: there ...