Community Transformation (Old)

[Chad]

Greetings Members,

I have some very important news to share with you and I hope you all get pretty excited about this as I am. Talk Jesus is 10 years old now. A lot has changed the past 5 years alone with social media and smartphones becoming more intuitive and advanced. That being said, it's time for Talk Jesus to transform and advance further.

I'm going to move away from the current forum software (vBulletin) and convert over to the more versatile and modern WordPress blog platform. By default, the new platform will be blog prominent, not forum prominent. It's the new modern era on the Internet where social media and blogs are more popular and engaging than forums. However, the forums will still be there active and open.

This will include the following:

- home page will become a Blog page
- forums remain intact, but nicer and more advanced features
- member profiles will be superior to what we have now
- gorgeous new design. Look below for a little peek preview

Goals

1. Core purpose as always: point people to Christ and edify the body through bible studies/discussions
2. Engage visitors. With the new platform, there's more excitement, more visuals, more interaction and social sharing is more prominent and cleaner.
3. Provide an exceptional Christian community where people are drawn into for it's friendliness and exciting content, bible studies, features.

Blog

• users may submit articles of their own (moderated)
• we'll curate worthy articles from other sites (including videos, audios)
• we'll be writing our own content as well

Media

• Chat room
• Maybe, our own mini bible studies/sermons, recorded (or live streaming).
• Photo Gallery

User Profiles

• categorized bookmark feature (you create your own categories to bookmark articles from the blog, forums)
• full blown profile pages for members, nicer than Twitter or Facebook too!
• private messaging feature
• group chats
• photos
• create your own group (excellent for bible studies, women only / men only discussions, etc)
• ability to log in or signup conveniently with one click using social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Google, LinkedIn)

Launch ETA: January 2015

Desktop Sample

Mobile Version

Forums

 

[Strypes]

Change can be good, especially when Jesus remains primary.

Tiz True...

 

[Brad Huber]

I typically dont like change, even if its good for me at times. I was put through a lot in my younger life, lots of change bringing lots of grief, its sorta like a natural reaction to not touch a hot stove, because having been burned by it one to many times. That being said, I often pray that God would bring any needful change upon me whether I like it or not, as I choose to follow the true path, regardless of whether I like it or not. It seems most think its a good idea, should probably go for it.

 

[B-A-C]

I don't mind change, but... (there's always a but) ::smiley:

We live in a world where it's become all about us. MySpace, Facebook, blogs, following tweets, etc... I'm the center of the universe.
My concern is that most of the blogs would be about people rather than about God/Jesus. Sometimes they make make comments about
God or Jesus, but usually it comes back to me me me... (did I mention me?)

I don't want to be following a person, even if I like them. I come here to "Talk Jesus". The forums may be a more "old fashioned" way of doing things.
But they tend to be about God/Jesus. Prayer to Bible/Spiritual things and it's relatively easy to discuss or read about a particular subject, and not stray
(too far in "most" cases) from the subject at hand. Blogs on the other hand tend to wander all over the place and talk about whatever "I'm" (did I mention me?)
thinking about today, whether it's spiritual or not. It could my journal or my progress at school or work, or even my progress with a girlfriend or boyfriend as
the case may be. But In the end, it's usually about me. If TalkJesus turns into another social networking site, I'll probably go elsewhere.

 

[Christ4Ever]

Change for the sake of change? No

If it will better allow us to spread the Gospel, share our Lord & Savior to a dying world, support our brothers & sisters all over the world, I'm all in!

Since the change that brought us from lost to found was "wow" (my word for indescribable) change. I've realized that sometimes the pain of staying the same is greater than the one experienced in changing.

LET'S GO FOR IT BROTHER & SISTERS!


Can't wait to see how our God is going to use the new TJ and all of us to further His Kingdom!

P.S. Being old of cause..........and being illiterate as far as techy & social media is concerned (ask my kids)..........I'll be needing a lot of guidance........however, Brother Chad I'm sure if you're up to getting this new and improved TJ going........helping this pen & paper brother along should be a piece of cake :smiley:

:sure::sure::sure::sure::sure:

 

[amoretpax199]

I can't wait until next year and I don't mind the change.

 

[RJ]

I'm a Change Agent, especially if you can bring back a viable Chat Room!

 

[Chad]

Thank you everyone who has replied. I'm excited about this. Lots of great things to happen. One important thing is social sharing. Anytime there's an interesting topic, share in your social media accounts to reach people. You never know who you might help.

 

[Travis]

I couldn't find a viable poll option. So I decided not to vote.

I'm looking forward to the changes. Just with a little reservation. I'm always skeptical about anything new. So, I'll just have to wait and see what I think when it comes.

 

[rizen1]

Change is great, love the design and format, can't wait for the blogs, this would help make the site more personal giving members their own space on the site to be active, providing an alternative.

We live in a world where it's become all about us. MySpace, Facebook, blogs, following tweets, etc... I'm the center of the universe.
My concern is that most of the blogs would be about people rather than about God/Jesus.

Actually TalkJesus had a journal on the site in the early days, I never noticed this. Instead members used it as an outlet to share their personal walk with christ, their hard day at work, coping with death/divorce/abuse, poems they wrote, it was a very therapeutic outlet, where other members gave them support and respect. We began to see the human behind the keyboard, anyone can copy and paste bible verses, and argue a doctrine. It can also be a good restraint for us senior members, not to jump the bullet so quickly against members. Imagine knowing a member is dealing with a death or some other loss, and we can draw a correlation between their personal life and their attitude on the forum.

I don't want to be following a person, even if I like them. I come here to "Talk Jesus". The forums may be a more "old fashioned" way of doing things.

The blog is an option for those interested, it's your choice not to read the blogs, and that's ok, especially if you find it distracting personally. As mentioned above the forums is still intact, the blog is an addition to the forum. Therefore those who enjoy the forums would not miss anything but this old format or color scheme.

If TalkJesus turns into another social networking site, I'll probably go elsewhere

social networking site
noun
1.
a website that allows subscribers to interact, typically by requesting that others add them to their visible list of contacts, by forming or joining sub-groups based around shared interests, or publishing content so that a specified group of subscribers can access it.

TalkJesus is a social networking website about Jesus, which provide fellowship through our subscribers interactions, you've enjoyed us thus far, I'm sure you'll enjoy the changes, just remember the forum is not going anywhere.

 

[arunangelo]

I am not good with computers. Changes therefore confuse me

 

[goldie]

Unfortunately, I could not find an option that fit my response, so I did not vote.

Hope your holidays were happy and maybe someone here will pray for me as I do need it very much, had seizures over the holidays.

 

[Christ4Ever]

Praying for you sister and welcome to TJ.
YBIC
C4E