#WinterABC – Social Media, 4 Lessons

The day I started assessing profiles before accepting friend requests on Facebook was when I knew I had been liberated.

No mutual friends meant I wouldn’t accept your request. The numbers no longer mattered. I started using security features, approving posts before they appeared on my timeline.

Social media is whole world out there, it dawned on me and more lessons were picked afterwards.

Social Media, a ‘pressure’ tool

Before I had my wedding, I made a request to the photographer not to share any of my photos online. I didn’t share any of them on my page either. My wedding was not the most luxurious but I felt it had the potential of putting pressure on the unmarried, those seeking relationships etc. I thought of that follower and currently, I ask myself several questions before I share posts.

Social Media, the big brother

The fact that people are watching your every move without speaking to you is one thing that scares me about social media. I liken Facebook (and other platforms) to that compound house with a lot of tenants shouting. Some followers may never comment/like your posts and they see you offline and say,

“Are you going to post that as well?”

🤷🏿‍♀️ I didn’t know we were friends on social media. I make the mental note to be more cautious about what I post.

Social Media, a tool that distracts

Looking for a way to be unproductive, watch that video on YouTube or Tik Tok or Facebook and similar videos start appearing in your feed. Keep clicking on them and that is how you waste your day. It is good to use apps to monitor how you spend your time on social media. Take a break if you need to.

Social Media, an avenue for inspiration

It’s not all gloomy on these platforms but social media provide creatives with inspiration at an affordable cost. Through blogs, Facebook and YouTube videos, one can feed on ideas of others.

What lessons have you picked from social media? Do share.

***This is 6/22 of the #WinterABC2020. The prompt is 4 things I’ve learned from social media.***

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Blogging

Seven years ago, I fell in love with the act of blogging. I thought the most essential skill needed for blogging was to be a good writer and writing was something I enjoyed so, cool beans.

Instead of feeling proud for blogging consistently (well almost) on different platforms, here I am in 2020, sitting behind my laptop and reflecting on some of the stuff I have discovered for myself on this journey.

In 2013, when I started, I wish someone had told me that:

Blogging was not just putting words in electronic format but it was a deliberate act that required a lot of dedication and consistency. One needed basic blogging, marketing as well as some graphic designing skills.
Using WordPress (the one I am most familiar with) is like managing any other social media platform. It requires constant engagement with your readers and other bloggers.
Knowing the purpose for starting a blog is key since that would guide you to select a suitable name, design and topics for the blog.
It’s your space, don’t limit yourself. If a particular niche is restricting your creative abilities, you can gradually make changes to the blog by including other similar subjects. That should provide you with topics to blog about.
As much as you’d say your blog is not a personal one, it would be great to fold up your sleeves a little bit. Write a few things about you so readers get to know the face behind the blog.
If you are concerned about getting a lot of followers, keep being consistent and engage with other bloggers as well. Read their posts and leave fair comments. They MAY notice and follow you (stressing on ‘MAY‘).
What is the ultimate purpose for the blog you are creating? Is it for monetary gains, to market your writing and editing skills or for socialising purposes? That must dictate your tone, your choice of words and the style of writing you’d employ.
Don’t get intimidated by other good bloggers instead, engage with them and let their works inspire you.
You do not need to be present on all the social media platforms to promote your blog. That may even be counterproductive. Being present on one or two additional platforms should be enough (especially if you are the only one managing content on all of them).
The WordPress app on your phone doesn’t bite. On the other hand, it allows you to blog easily. Use it!

How long have you been blogging and what lessons have you picked up? Do share 🙂

5 Reasons Online Church Services may not be for All

All of a sudden, Sundays or Saturdays do not imply wearing one’s favourite dress, leaving home and finding a physical location where we are ushered to a seat to pray, sing, dance, listen to a sermon and fellowship. In the last couple of days, attending a church service, for a lot of people, has a whole new meaning which implies turning on your Facebook or Youtube or Twitter and watching your Pastors preach, thanks to the Covid-19.

Even though a lot of people are quite excited about ‘churching’ online, there exist some challenges or conditions that make this mode of worshiping not suitable for everyone and here are some of the reasons:

Internet and Smartphone Accessibility: This is the truth. A number of us in Africa do not have access to the internet or the electronic device that enables us to access the internet (now powering our church services). Internet accessibility /usage is mostly common in the urban areas and quite limited to a specific age group (usually the youth). According to the Africa Internet User Stats, only 37.8 % of Ghana’s population has access to the internet. Out of the population that has access to the internet, 5 million are Facebook subscribers. As a social media manager for my church, when I shared the mode through which the church was going to worship now, the question someone posted was, “Are we now cutting off those who do not have smart devices?“
The cost of streaming online: According to another report compiled in 2018 by the Alliance for Affordable Internet, Ghana’s internet cost is the fourth cheapest in West Africa but genuinely, how many people can afford to stream an hour or two’s service online without checking their remaining data or receiving notification for the telecommunication network on the amount of data they have consumed. Data cost does not provide individuals the peace of mind to enjoy the church services online. For the church to also constantly stream online, they need to re-strategize and that may include getting sophisticated devices to produce quality videos/streams. This may come at an extra cost and how many churches can afford that?
The level of distraction is higher for the viewer: Last week Sunday, I vowed in my heart to involve myself fully when my church started streaming. I successfully prayed and sang and immediately the sermon began, there was a sort of disruption from the internet providers making the viewing difficult. It was at that point that my little girl started disturbing to which I assumed that she was hungry. That was how I ended up in the kitchen to prepare food for her and everyone and when I got back, the service had ended.
There is some amount of belonging when we meet physically: After working hard all week, some of us genuinely look forward to getting into a physical space to pray, sing, listen to a sermon and meet other members to fellowship. Sometimes, a word from another church member may encourage you or someone really singing and crying during prayers may touch your heart to also seek God earnestly. So how do we ensure we fellowship on these virtual platforms? What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God. – Psalm 55:14
Some churches and pastors are late to the online party: In the past few weeks, I can almost feel some sort of awkwardness and shakiness in a number of pastors who, hitherto this pandemic, were very confident standing in front of large gatherings to preach. It seems nerve-wracking as some of these pastors, who were born before the era of social media, are now being forced to stand in front of cameras and preach to an empty auditorium or office of a sort. Some churches did not really take the effort to build an online community and now that most services need to be held online, there is some struggle to even get members to watch.

This period, indeed, is very unusual (and we pray it ends soon) but there are several lessons that needs to be picked up by individuals, churches, Christians etc. We pray that whatever lessons we pick up now will be used to make our lives better after this global pandemic. Remember to pray for the world.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Data Sources: Internet World Stats dot com

Alliance for Affordable Internet (2018)

5 Blogging Subjects that Attract Wide Readership

Our community is gradually growing bigger. We have gained over 100 followers and to celebrate this achievement, we’d like to share blog subjects that attract a wide readership. This is based on the blog’s traffic statistics over the years and aimed at giving you some insight in case you are thinking of what to post on your blog.

Below are the subjects that attract a wide readership, starting from the bottom:

5 – Your Perspective

This, perhaps, is one of the easiest subject to write about. A Christian blogger may read a portion of the Bible or hear a sermon and may decide to share his/her perspective on the subject. The content may also be based on the writer’s revelation and depending on how the content is presented, this subject area may attract some readers. Your perspective will matter more if you are an expert in a particular field. For instance, people would click on the link to read a post if a successful musician shares tips on how to sell an album.

A blogger should not always share his/her perspective on subjects but rather find other ways of presenting them. One way of doing that is to give the subject area to other writers to develop and for you to feature their work on your blog.

4 – Book Reviews

This is quite an interesting subject to blog about and one of the most demanding. It requires reading Christian literature and sharing your thoughts and critiquing the book’s content. Well, depending on the country you are blogging from, this subject could be something to explore but the truth is when book reviews are done on this blog, the number of Ghanaian readers who click and read is not as high as other nationals, therefore, making it a tricky subject to blog on.

3 – Fiction

Christian fiction has a wide readership, particularly, if they are well-written, full of suspense and has some humour in them. This is an area to explore, especially, if your target readers are Ghanaians. If you have a perspective to share on a subject, you may want to think creatively and convert them into short stories to break the monotony of writing dissertations or thesis for your blog.

2 – Guest Blogs

Featuring other good writers on your blog is one of the quickest means of attracting readers and expanding your blog’s reach. If you have the time and the skill, interview other people [especially, those who do not like writing] on various subjects and post them on your blog. When such posts are featured on a blog, they attract readers, particularly, from the guest blogger’s circles. It is almost like a brand endorsement or social media influencer recommending your blog.

1 – Personal Relatable Experiences

Based on this blog’s statistics, this is one of the most widely read subject areas. Readers would want to know your personal life stories so instead of writing broadly on a subject and providing information on how to do something, it is better to package that into a personal testimony on how you overcame an addiction or met your spouse or how your tithing habit helped you to overcome poverty. Your relatable life testimony could be the life-changing agent for that reader going through a similar challenge.

Are you a blogger? Which subject do your readers love?

Are you a blog reader? which one is your favourite? We’d love to know.

Here are 5 Reasons you should Select Christian Blogging as your Niche

If you are still searching for a blogging niche, let me offer you five reasons to consider creating a Christian-focused blog:

There are Several Content Sources

There is a wide variety of content you can develop when you start Christian blogging as there are several sources of content including the Bible, Churches, Christian music, movies, literature and other Christian personalities. If you broaden the scope of your blog, there is no way you will ever lack content. Never.

As you Inspire, you are Inspired

As you create content for others to consume, you get inspired also. If you are the kind of Christian who goes on ‘break’ when situations do not go as you wish, then Christian Blogging must be your preferred niche. When you have to constantly soul-search to create content which will educate and inspire others, you may want to stay on the ‘right path.’ More like practising what you preach.

You’ll be part of the larger Christian Blogging Community

You’ll be amazed at the number of Christian bloggers there are – both locally and internationally. These bloggers are doing very creative things and are waiting to guide, interact and share ideas with you. Don’t be a hermit when you start blogging (both Christian and non-christian bloggers). Comment on other people’s post, follow their blogs and they will do the same to yours.

Your blog can be a tool for Evangelism

You may never know who will be reading your blog but your words in a post can encourage someone and ultimately win a soul for Christ. That also does not imply using the blog as an excuse to not ‘go out and make disciples.’ A blog is just a single tool for evangelism. You may employ other tools as well.

Christian Blogging Develops your Creative Abilities

If you are willing to take this path, then your creative abilities will be developed immensely. As you are given a message, you will have to find ways of communicating it to your various audiences. How are you going to do that? Will it be through visuals, short stories, videos or audios? In what formats are people more likely to click, read and understand the message? That also does not imply ‘deceiving’ people with catchy headlines which are not be related to the post. That is not encouraged.

So there you have them. These are some of the reasons you may want to consider Christian blogging.

Whatsapp Etiquette for the Christian

Whatsapp has come to stay whether we like it or not. For the Christian and church groups, this app has provided a better and more affordable way to keep in touch. It allows messages to be forwarded in real-time, allowing devotionals and prayer topics to be sent easily. It is also not surprising to hear the ushers or choristers or other groups in the church tell each other to continue the conversation on WhatsApp. This social media platform has improved engagement but are we using it correctly?

Here are three tips on how we can use this platform more constructively:

Never assume someone is not having their quiet time and needs your devotional

“Merely reading the Bible is no use at all without we study it thoroughly, and hunt it through, as it were, for some great truth.” Dwight L. Moody

Sending messages on WhatsApp is almost free and it is not surprising to see Christians bombarding each other with various devotionals each day. Can that be termed as evangelism or its substitution? Wait, how many devotionals can an individual use in a day or at a time? If indeed, we spend quality time each morning studying the word or a portion of scripture and meditating on it, we cannot use more than one devotional. In my opinion, before you send a devotional to someone, why don’t you ask the person if he/she needs you to forward them?

Please stick to your Church’s Devotional/Materials

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and wealth.- Matthew 6:24

Do you find yourself on a church’s WhatsApp group page where the members only comment when the content is not from their pastor? That’s an irony but members in a group will come and say ‘Amen’ and ‘God bless you’ to the sender, only when the message is not directly from their church. Sometimes the sources of the materials are not even known and may not be biblical, but, we read and claim the blessings. Is it too much to ask the Christian, particularly, those on a church’s WhatsApp group to minimise the number of foreign materials they send to such pages? How much content can an individual consume in a day? Why not restrict the messages to what happens in our various churches and encourage each other with that?

Let’s set up rules for the page before we create them up

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. – James 4:17

What are we using the Whatsapp group pages for? Are they for conveying pertinent messages in real-time? Are they for socialisation? Are they meant for forwarded messages which have no bearing on our growth as Christians? Are they for rumour mongering? We need to be serious (In Bernard Avle’s voice). We need to set rules even before we create a group page. The do’s and don’ts for that page must be communicated to the members of the page and let’s not hesitate to remove those who flout some of these rules.

Do you agree we need to set rules for our group pages? Or that will be too strict for the Christian? Let’s know what you think.

10 Simple Tips for Starting a Blog

Thinking of starting a blog but do not know how to go about it? Or you have a blog but are looking for ways to revamp it? Then this post is designed with you in mind.

Here are 10 quick and simple tips for starting and keeping a blog:

Be ready to reveal your identity. You can use a pseudonym but when people know the face behind the blog, they relate better with the posts and that increases traffic.
Choose a niche you are passionate about when you decide to blog. That allows you to design and create good content.
Don’t start a blog till you are certain of how you are going to ‘feed’ it. You need to know what you are going to ‘give’ it before you ‘birth’ it.
Have a content plan. I create a plan for The Christian Blog Ghana by selecting a monthly theme. The posts I create in a month mostly fall under this theme. I also have a whiteboard marker with the possible topics I look forward to creating in a particular month. I cross it out after I have created it.
Consistency and discipline are key to blogging. People who have excelled in different fields had passions and were keen on what they wanted to achieve. To be recognised as a blogger, you need to be consistent and to be consistent, you must be disciplined. Create a reminder and learn to sit and blog.
How many times should you post? If you have time, you can feed your blog daily or at least once a week. Don’t create a post and go on a hiatus for months and years. You may never return and your followers wouldn’t be waiting for you either.
It is also important to know how you will be directing traffic to the blog. Will it be by word-of-mouth, via social media or through recommendations of your family and friends? You need to know and have a plan before starting a blog.
Considering a blogging niche? There are opportunities for Christian blogging in Ghana. However, Christian blogging doesn’t imply being boring. Find creative ways of transmitting the ‘message.’
Personal experiences sell. Be ready to share some of your life experiences with your friends and followers.
Blogging is not rosy…lol There will be times that you’ll feel like giving up, especially, when you create something which you believe should earn you more readership. You may visit the backend of the blog and there will be no click. Don’t cry. That should even encourage you to create more. It will get better with time.

Facebook Etiquette for the Christian

Church services are being streamed live on your computers and mobile devices, breaking the barrier of location. You can now follow your favourite preachers and other Christian pages and get motivated every day of the week and, not only on Sundays. Fellowshipping with other believers online has also become so easy. There is also that amazing feeling you experience when you realise that, that cool lady or guy is also a Christian and is using his/her platform to evangelise. Facebook has, indeed, brought us together.

Wait, those are the advantages of Facebook to the Christian. So what about the other side of it? How do you react when someone openly describes the Christian as senseless and Christianity as their opium of the masses and nothing more? Being the staunch follower of Christ as you are, with all the testimonies you’ve experienced, what should be your reaction when someone blatantly insults you, your faith or pastor and the church? This post seeks to address some of these challenges:

Learn to Remain Silent

Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues – Proverbs 17: 28

Nobody has ever gotten into trouble by ignoring hateful comments about their Christian faith on Facebook. If the critic has ever experienced the goodness of the Lord, they wouldn’t be posting that (bear that in mind). A way to draw the attention of that poster is not an argument in their comment box. If the person is a personal friend, please send a message through their inbox or talk about it when you meet physically. If you hardly know the poster, just say a word of prayer for them and the Holy Spirit will do His part.

Remain Loyal

For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings – Hosea 6:6

Occasionally, it becomes tempting to blame the Christian for some of the unwarranted posts and comments about our faith. This is because some of us put up posts which attract comments from the critics. Would you openly insult your spouse or best friend on Facebook because of a disagreement? So why would you come and discuss an unpleasant experience you had in a church or with your church member or pastor on Facebook? What reactions are you seeking from your followers? Is it sympathy, empathy or insults? Or you want to hear, “Oh, those Christians, they are all pretenders?”

I am not saying you should remain silent about unpleasant experiences but please find the appropriate channels to get your concerns addressed. Not everyone on social media sides with us, don’t put us in a vulnerable position.

Read, Think through before you Share or React to a Post

Wise people think before they act – Proverbs 13:16a

Do you sometimes get the impression people just share posts because every one is sharing them? Or they are liking a post because their friends are liking it? You are a member of a church, have fasted for 40 Days and have taken part in the church’s main event. You are excited because you have broken through. The next day, someone questions the whole activity of your church because of his personal experiences. His post is trending and people are crucifying Christians and, you like and share that post on your wall. Oh sister, why? Do you understand the implications of your actions? Do you support his actions or you want more people to see his posts and criticise the church more? Please read carefully, think through before you take certain actions on Facebook.

Church leader, Sensitise members on how to manage issues and crises

“Be prepared, and prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. – Ezekiel 38:7

How do you expect your members to act, particularly, on social media when your church is having issues or facing some crises? The church, like any organisation, should have written procedures on how their members should react when such issues crop up. Should they openly put up posts to stand by the pastor or join in arguments or remain silent? This should be clearly communicated to members to curtail some of the unwarranted comments from the Facebook Community.

Think before you post

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. – 2 Timothy 2:15

We all have opinions about our churches and how we wished things would go, but, before you put such posts up on social media, ask yourself what you seek to gain. Is it support or popularity or you want people to criticise the church that provides you with spiritual nourishment. Whenever you are tempted to post on social media, please note that not everybody is a friend in that community. You are either making the church popular or unpopular with your posts.

Do you agree with the points above? Is there any etiquette you think Christians should adopt on Facebook, which hasn’t been listed above? Do share with us.

How to Use Social Media as a Christian

September is our Month of Empowerment. Let’s learn to do things right, starting with the proper way to use some social media tools like Whatsapp.

This is the first in the series of posts aimed at empowering Christians, particularly those of us in Ghana. Articles, which will be posted this month, will be targeted towards improving our interactions as Christians and make us better people. Today’s post intends to take us through some protocols of using Whatsapp, a popular social media platform. Make sure you read and share with people who need this counsel.

The Bible in Hosea 4:6 says,

my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge.

We, however, do not have any excuse to unlearn some old and unacceptable behaviours.

Here are some helpful tips on how to use Whatsapp as a Christian:

Don’t form a Group, YET

Whatsapp groups are common and very easy to form. It is very tempting to decide to form one immediately after every church meeting.

But before you decide to form a group, there should be a clear aim for setting up the page. Are you forming the group because of an upcoming event? If that is the reason, do not forget to close the group when the event has ended.

Also, let that group page be governed by some rules (Romans 13:1). It is easy for us Christians to keep bombarding ourselves with all sorts of forwarded messages. This is why as an administrator of the page, you should be as specific as possible on the purpose for the group page by clearly spelling out the rules for your members.

All Messages are not relevant; Don’t forward them

Unless some of us do not read the words, ‘forward this message and receive your miracle.’ That message will end up in all groups that we are a part of, which is sometimes annoying.

On the issue of ‘share this information and receive your miracle,’ like some principles in our faith, is not automatic. Miracles will happen in your life if only you believe. Do not share those messages and think you will automatically receive whatever you have been trusting God for. Christianity is not magic.

Let one discussion end before introducing a new topic

A typical phenomenon on some Christian WhatsApp platforms is when members of that group are discussing something pertinent and another member shares another thing totally unrelated to what is being discussed. For instance, members on a group page are discussing how best to promote an upcoming event and all of sudden, Kwame forwards a funny photo of something totally unrelated to what is being discussed.

Let’s be vigilant, in real life you may not interrupt people by introducing a new subject, why is it easy for us to do so on WhatsApp group pages?

Send personal messages before adding people to groups

One of the most embarrassing things that happened to me on a church WhatsApp group page was when I was added without being notified of what the page was about. I started criticising the very cause for which I was added to the group. The administrator immediately took me off the page, sent a personal message to introduce the group before adding me but, the harm had already been caused.

I just wondered why the administrator did not do this the first time but made me embarrass myself.

Let’s not put members of group pages in such embarrassing situations.

Introduce yourself when sending a message for the first time

When you are sending a message to someone for the first time, please introduce yourself. Why do we assume the person knows you and has your contact saved on their phones? Try to avoid the shameful situation of being asked to introduce yourself when sending a message for the first time.

There are a group of people who do not communicate with you at all. All they do is to forward devotionals and other messages to you. Please strike some acquaintance with your contacts before you forward messages to them!

Be empowered as a Christian! Remain blessed as you practise these etiquettes!

What are some of the situations you have noticed on Whatsapp but have not been captured in this post? Do share with us in the comment box.

Resources that Make Christian Relationships Work in Ghana

It’s been an awesome week for us here at Christian Blog Ghana. We appreciate the support and the “likes” that we’ve been receiving on our Facebook page. We hope the love we have received will extend to real testimonies and articles from you, our cherished readers.

Just as we are taken to school to acquire knowledge or read books to broaden our intellect, it is also wise to acquire knowledge in the field of relationships. It is amazing how much time and money we invest in our looks, clothes, food, other books among others but never spend any time seeking information on starting and keeping relationships, Proverb 19:2 says. “Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.” This is the reason we should seek knowledge as believers.

We may desire to have lasting relationships with the opposite sex but if we do not make time to learn about how it is done, then our relationships will not last.

As Christians, where can we seek the right information which will us build our relationships?

Books and Tapes – There are several books written by different authors on this subject. A lot of Ghanaian pastors and counselors have written books and recorded tapes on this subject. A few of them include Bishop Dag Heward Mills, Elder Amos Kevin Annan, Reverend Dr. Samuel Kissiedu and many more. If you are seeking books written by authors who are not Ghanaians, then look for Myles Munroe’s “Waiting and Dating.” There are several others by T.D Jakes. Just visit a good Christian bookshop and you will have a wide array to select from.

Radio and Television Programmes – Helpers of our Joy is a relationship and marriage counseling programme which airs on Sweet Melodies 97.3 FM on weekdays from 9-10 pm. The programme features renowned marriage counselors who provide biblical insight into your relationship.

Mama Cathy also features on Sunny Fm 88.7 FM every Sunday at 9-11pm in a show dubbed Echoes of Hope Radio Broadcast. On Saturdays, after the 6 am news on Joy 99.7 FM, Edem Knight-Tay and her team discuss relationship and marriage issues on Home Affairs.

Counselor Luderodt is also one of the most vibrant counselors in the country at the moment. He features on several programmes both on radio and television.

Events

If you do not mind spending time with students at the University of Ghana then there are several events in relationships in that institution. What you need to do is to keep your ears wide opened and you will hear about them.

There are other events in other churches that you can attend. Just keep an open ear.

Have you been reading on the subject of relationships? What is your favorite book or programme on relationships, which you would readily recommend to anybody? Do share!