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I'm interested in finding out what we can do to help TheNET grow faster both in terms of numbers of members and the number of people interacting online at the same time.

On average we see 7 new members every day and about 8 online at once.

Is there something we should change or do that we aren't doing now?

Is there something we are doing that we should stop doing?

New members or visitors, what are your first impressions of TheNET?

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An excellent suggestion, Callie. Thank you!
Hi All,

The Power in Prayer! I have added aag to my prayer list over the past week. God Bless~Carla
Yes, please remember to pray for TheNET everyday.
I think the idea of adding an AAG "signature" to your emails is an AWESOME idea. We should also check into the idea of AllAboutGOD.net gear too. Thanks for your suggestions.
I completely agree wid u. Praise the LORD!
Toby,

Thank you for the suggestions about moving TheNET to a different platform. I certainly agree with the need for some different features, fewer bugs, less lag and less downtime. At this point, we are held back from doing more due to lack of funds and staffing. To manage our own source code, I think we would need to add a full-time staff programmer. Since we are not in a position to do that, I think we will have to rely on Ning for a while yet. Your offer to provide volunteer help is most appreciated!

Concerning growth in number vs. growth in spiritual maturity. I don't see the need for a tradeoff. I believe both are possible at the same time.

The primary reason we created TheNET was not for mature Christians but for new believers and newly recommitted believers. Over 90,000 people visit one of AllAboutGOD.com's websites every day. Of these 300 or more people profess faith in Christ for the first time and that number is growing. We created this social network as a way to provide some follow up for them and get them connected with other Christians and hopefully into a real-world church at some point. So...

It does make a difference to me that the numbers keep increasing because as the number of those that make professions of faith increase, the number of those joining here should also be increasing by at least the same ratio, but they are not and I'm trying to find out why.

Yes, I believe strongly in the need for discipleship and growth in maturity in Christ. However, this site is not necessarily meant for Bible-college trained believers, seminarians, or people that have been Christians for decades. Such are welcome to join, but they need to remember it is not a doctrinal debate site, nor a theological training site. There are lots of other Christian websites to do that. It is a nursery for baby Christians or maybe a preschool for them. It is a place to provide "milk" and encouragement, grace and love to help them grow. We'll let other organizations provide the "meat".

This network is meant to encourage brand new believers and to help them do some basic things like have a quiet time, be baptised, and learn to enjoy Christian fellowship in the hope they will become part of church and take some initiative to start growing in Christ. Your efforts to encourage new believers toward that end are appreciated.

The name "AllAboutGOD" is not so much about the network itself, but that OUR LIVES are to be "All About GOD". You may find Greg Outlaw's testimony (the founder and president of AllAboutGOD.com) under VIDEOs to be helpful in understanding what we are about here. Look for "In the Red Chair"

By the way, we do have a category in our forums on theology and doctrine. Were you proposing something in addition to that?
I wish there was a way to send comments to all my friends easier without having to open each of their individual pages. That is very time consuming especially when you have dial up internet.Like for instance , when i click on view all my friends, on that page i wish there was a link under their names that said send comment individually or to send a group comment. I know you can send a group message to them but to be able to send comments would be great.
Hi Kellie,

More good ideas. Unfortunately, these kinds of features are under the control of Ning and we cannot add them ourselves. You can go to www.ning.com and somewhere there you can request them to add features that may show up sometime down the road.
My 1st impression of this site, was WOW the people here are friendly and really in love with God. And I did find this site by accident. I think that we may need to use the members we already have in order to get more members, with some type of link in our outgoing emails. I also think that we need to find areas on the web with free advertising and as always pray that God will increase the territory of this awesome site.

God Bless! Continue to pray for our Troops!
Thanks for your good comments, Sylenda. I really like the idea of using a link in outgoing emails. I think I'm going to create a forum to show people how to do that. Yes, let's keep praying for the troops!
First of all no one has a right to push their pet doctrines upon anyone and if we do then we are moving away from becoming a net. that will lift up people. I remember Paul communicated with people from where they were at. I love people and my heart is not to indoctrinate people in my beliefs. I have only tried to strengthen others. I know from experience that people are all growing at different rates, so I have to deal with them with care so I do not end up hurting them. It is kind of like gardening, especially when it is just starting out after it sprouts. You have to deal with it differently than you would if it was full grown. It is not compromising; it is being loving and wise.

If this network is going to be affective and continue to grow then we all have to learn how to become more Christ like in our on going relationships with one another. It isn’t about making sure we do every thing perfect that will make this thing better; it is about us all humbly loving and caring for one another. Most people won’t even listen to the words you say until they know you care. There is a Muslim lady that is a member of this net that has been really helped because of her ongoing relationship with loving Christians where she has really been impacted because of these loving, wise, believers.

If this network is to grow, we need to cultivate our personal relationships with the Lord.
As we do this we will have his heart for others.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
By this the love of God was manifested in us that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1John 4:7-11

Saying all this I have found some of the most wonderful examples of loving, Christ like people here on this net that make it a warm and inviting place to be.

Greg, I know a lot of people who come on the net who are not members all the time. It would be very encouraging if there was a guest book so you could see how many non members are gleaning from the net also.
Several points here I would like to interject:

1) If this is a forum, then we are to encourage people to ask questions and we want people to respond. Otherwise, lets set up teachers and turn it into a classroom. Some of the one's responding are not as mature as some others. Their response may be in error, even if but only a slight error, still error. The key is for the more mature to help them see the error and thus helping the growth process. If we just discount all they said and condemn their thought, which will always be taken as a condemnation of self (Rebuke and condemnation are not the same), we lose the opportunity to instruct gently in love. There is a way to correct error without having to go to war, especially if you take into account that the one you are trying to correct is a brother. Everything we do is to be seasoned with grace. You will find that I am not easily persuaded, but that does not mean that I must be harsh with those who are genuinely seeking the truth. It is healthy for people to express their views, even if they are wrong. Again, this gives opportunity to teach more than the one here on the site. Remember, they will face these issues in the world, therefore, this is the place to deal with them in love and truth.

2) Doctrines are an interesting issue. There are absolute foundational doctrines that are non-negotiable. There are other areas that are not as clear in Scripture that man has turned into doctrine without great clarity and thus we have certain divisions within the church body. In some cases both or all may be wrong, even but only slightly wrong. Some of these are related to end times and the various views held regarding it. There are many other areas as well. What I find to be the case, though, when relating to doctrine is that many of the so called doctrines people hold to are actually preferences that man has elevated to being revered as a doctrine. This is no better than the Pharisees creating 3000+ laws to keep people from breaking the 10 Commandments. The intent was good in the beginning, but eventually man perverted their laws and viewed them to be equally as important as God's and sought to force people to adhere to their man made laws.

There are some areas that will never be embraced by all Christians together this side of heaven. That does not make any of them evil if their love and faith is in Christ with the desire to live for Him according to His Word. The question one must ask themself and substantiate with the Word of God is what are the "non-negotiables in Scripture?" If we break these (my non-negaotiables) on this site, then I must leave because I will not be a part of an eccumenical movement. But, I also must realize that there are areas regarding Scripture that I and fellow Christians will not agree on. In those areas we can agree to disagree. Teach your point, stand your ground, but understand that there are opposing views on those issues. Sometimes, after time, we find that we were on the wrong side of an issue and change because we now have a better understanding than previously.

The goal must be growth through love, encouragement and God's Word. That requires gentle instruction based on truth. Note also, that Paul was speaking to a church that should have been mature. Many here are new to the faith or even still seeking for salvation. They cannot understand the deeper truths at this time.

My input,
LT

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