Hi friends,
I’ve led online communities for spiritual growth since 2016.
Here’s a question I’ve asked myself hundreds of times:
How can inviting anyone to participate in our community be compatible with creating a consistently trustworthy resource for spiritual growth?
It’s a complex question with no easy answers.
We want to create a space where everyone is welcome to share while also ensuring our community remains a place of wisdom and encouragement.
To support that, we’ve designed a three-stage approach for community engagement:
1. Getting Started: Your First Few Posts
As a new member, you’ll have the ability to start discussions and engage with the replies you receive.
We want to hear your voice, story, and insights into following Jesus.
As 1 Corinthians 12:12 encourages us:
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
From your first post in the community, we want you to feel your connection to the body of Christ.
As a new member, you can share your thoughts in these ways:
- Introduce yourself
- Share a reflection
- Ask a question
- Discuss 12 Steps To God
- Discuss any of our Resources
You can also respond to posts in the My Step with God Category.
2. Getting Involved: Full Participation
After you’ve contributed a few posts and we’ve gotten to know each other, we want to invite you to participate more fully.
At this stage, we’ll unlock the ability for you to respond to posts started by others so you can join existing discussions and engage in a broader range of conversations.
This change isn’t based on a strict formula—it’s about building trust and creating a place where every interaction is encouraging, respectful, and wise.
We believe this reflects the spirit of Ephesians 4:14-16,
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
It’s simple: if you habitually speak the truth in love, we’d love for you to be a regular participant.
3. Getting Equipped: Training for Deeper Engagement
After participating for a while, you may feel called to serve others more intentionally in the community.
At that point, please apply for our volunteer leadership training program. Just message me in the community or reach out through our contact form.
Our leadership training course equips you to provide thoughtful, prayerful answers and lead discussions that deepen everyone’s spiritual growth.
As James 3:1 teaches:
“Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.”
We take this responsibility seriously; we pray that God will raise up many wise, trustworthy, and spiritually mature members who can help guide others on their journey to Christlikeness.
In conclusion…
Every question is a gift; every answer is an act of service.
We pray that this community will be a space where God deepens your faith and equips many others to grow spiritually.
If you’d like to get more involved or have any questions about these stages, I’d love to hear from you! Just reply to this post, and let’s connect.