Are You Hesitant to Post/Reply?

[Cturtle]

I am fairly new and have been actively replying, but I think I may have missed an instruction page somewhere? At one point there was a line that said 'you do have sufficient credits to reply'? Is there is an instruction page that goes through the menus to help new folk it would be helpful and I may have just missed it. Also, when I joined a couple of weeks ago the community seems so well established it took some courage to join in a conversation. I was originally looking for a 'post a question' opportunity.

I really love the forum and want to join conversations, but you know when you go to a party and don't know anyone it's hard to join in. The welcome emails are really lovely and please, please don't take this the wrong way but the first reply with the rules was what you cannot do, rather than what you can do. Just my personal thoughts from someone who has just joined.

Now I have replied to a few threads I have a better understanding.

Written in love and not criticism.
Neddy

Hi Neddy,

Did you perhaps run into a "you do not have sufficient priveledge to reply"? If you did it means that the thread has been closed and is a read only thread. This applies to every general member.

As we can appreciate that you read the rules prior to posting, many new members don't take the time, so the administration feels it important to make that a reminder in each new members welcome. We apologize if you felt offended by that reminder.

There are a lot of threads with pins in them at the top of each section to help new members navigate this site. Also there is a couple of sub-sections at the top of this welcome forum that are specifically designed to help as well.

The biggest reason why we also inform each new member, that if they have any questions, is because the beginning experience for each new member is different, and we trust that if someone is having any difficulty they will ask any active moderator or helper or create a thread in the ask the staff section.

We apologize that you had some difficulty, and we pray that in the future if you need assistance with anything you won't hesitate to pm one of us. We really are here to help make your experience a blessed one.

Right now Fish Catcher Jim And myself ( Cturtle )are here as much as we possibly can be (12pm-5am est). godbe4me is another great and active staff member who is mostly here is the late afternoon or evening (est). There are a couple of other mods here at various times as well.

Thank you for your suggestions. We will take them into consideration and be sure to see if there is anything we can do differently to help future new members navigate the site.

Blessings of grace and peace be unto you and your family in abundance

 

[sandpiper]

There have been people who post whatever they are concerned with in their intorduction. And they may say hello.. I'm so and so... And I'm having issues with Whatever. Those posts are not moved.. And many people who come into welcome them, minister grace to them where ever they are. And try to answer their questions in that thread. We don't force anyone to make a new thread with their concerns or issues. We are pretty lenient on things like this. As long as there is no disruption and the person is ministered to, or walks away feeling welcomed and attended to.. is really the main point.

Blessings

I like that you do let newcomers receive more than just a verbal welcome in the welcome section here. On other forums I remember how new people were discouraged from stating issues or else their posts were moved from the welcome section to a counseling or another section for further discussion and support. Sadly sometimes they simply departed after that.

 

[bobinfaith]

It is always so nice to say "hi" to someone new in this Welcome section of the forum and help encourage new people to feel free to post. I've noticed that this site gets a reasonable influx of new members, but many times the only time that they post is in the 'welcome' area, rarely if ever to be heard from again. This saddens me. In my opinion, while it is important to think about appropriate content and adherence to the forum rules before pushing the "Create Thread" or "Post Reply" button, it is also equally important to not be afraid to post.

Perhaps some may feel that they can't write very well, or maybe that they don't think that they have anything important to contribute. I think this hesitation is in part the work of negative forces trying to keep us from expressing or exploring our love for the Lord and trying to prevent us from encouraging others in their walk with the Lord. Whether the author of the post or reply is a seasoned scholar, or someone who is newly seeking opening their life to God, the most important aspect in posting /replying, in my opinion, is a genuine heart, a love for the Lord (or at least a true desire to learn more about the Lord in the case of the new seeker), and an authentic incentive by the poster/replier to encourage other Christians by sharing their faith and life experiences in a helpful, loving manner.

Even seemingly simple questions posited by those new to Christianity are often the basis of extremely valuable discussions that benefit all members of the fellowship, all the way from seasoned professionals to the spectrum of seeking neophytes. We are all equal within the body of our fellowship - no one is higher than another, and as such each one of us has something valuable to contribute to the whole. We must not be afraid to voice our thoughts when they are applicable to a conversation in progress, if they involve a topic possibly interesting to others, when someone needs prayer or encouragement, or when the member is sincerely seeking their own clarification on an issue. Failure to add our pertinent thoughts and comments by allowing fear or other similar personal restraints to hold us back, deprives the entire community of potentially valuable insights and somewhat undermines the entire purpose of an open forum.

I would encourage all of those who feel hesitant to post to just find a topic area comfortable to them where they have some thoughts or ideas to add, and then just jump in and express themselves. Every voice is valuable, and we are stronger in our fellowship if we step forth from the shadows and try to share ourselves with others. I am not suggesting that one needs to post/reply just for the sake of writing something down, but when there is a topic being discussed that resonates with the reader or there's something on their mind, then I would most heartily encourage them to just go for it. The resulting gift to this community is that everyone here will be richer for the contribution.

Dear brothers and sisters;

I wanted to write a thread about being transparent for Christ, and felt Egraine's thread is appropriate to what I am led to share.

I serve in full time ministry and love what I do. But when I signed up at Christian Forum Site I wanted this time to relax and enjoy fellowship with others, all over the world who love Jesus. Praise God, I have found it here!

Now, I know that there will be topics that may go from the lighter side of relaxed testimonies to more serious Biblical, theological discussions on a more deep sub-textual level. Though we are one body of Christ here at CFS, we are all individual believers that bring different stories and knowledge of the Word of God. There will be opinions, agreements and there will be disagreements, and its ok to agree to disagree.

Despite our own testimonies and understanding the Word of God we should not feel timid to write or reply. In our commune with Jesus, the Lord is going to give us a Word and we are to share the Gospel. Many times our personal story complements the Gospel - Love, sin, confession, forgiveness, trials, heartache, celebration, victory, so many flavors in life pointing to Jesus.

I agree with what Egraine wrote, "we should not be afraid to post." If I create a thread or post I may get it wrong and someone here will correct me. That's ok! We should trust that we are all here to learn in love, agree in love, disagree in love and grow in love within the body here at Christian Forum Site.

If we are hesitant in writing a thread, replying to a post or having that deep discussion with another, then I encourage all of us to PRAY before logging on and writing, amen? If we still feel hesitant to write a certain topic then perhaps God is nudging us to be still. Perhaps God is using another brother or sister to dialogue in that topic. Perhaps God has already assigned - led you to another post where you could uplift, encourage, pray or minister to another.

2 Timothy 2:15 says, Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

When we pray before we post, its vital to include the moderators and staff. This is their ministry and time aside from their other ministries. Our moderators and staff are managing "our" Christian site of order. God is a God of order and His Word is truth, so we can enjoy coming to CFS and feel loved and safe.

1 Corinthians 14:33, For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

Please be yourselves and just write, write, and write for the Kingdom.

I'm blessed to say this is my home Christian site and new church family. Thank you all for allowing me to enjoy your stories, knowledge of the Bible and your lives with Jesus. You folks are all over the world and this allows me to learn more how we all worship from across the miles. Praise God!

God bless you all and your families.

 

[Cturtle]

I like that you do let newcomers receive more than just a verbal welcome in the welcome section here. On other forums I remember how new people were discouraged from stating issues or else their posts were moved from the welcome section to a counseling or another section for further discussion and support. Sadly sometimes they simply departed after that.

The most important part is the nuture of the whole person.
Thank you, and bless you!