Top 10 Christian Social Networks
Christian Social Networking
Every social networking site has a function and culture of its own. Linkedin is great for business contacts, while Twitter connects people doing just about anything. Facebook and MySpace
allow you to meet up with friends online and keep each other updated on day-to-day affairs.
Like all other social networks there are several substantial and supportive Christian social networks. One thing I like about these sites is that you can meet new people with common interests, debate religious and philosophical topics that are important to you, and find support through prayer and encouragement of like-minded people when you need it.
Christian social networks are also good tools for promoting Christian websites, articles, musicians, and events. I have a list of several Christian social networks of which I am a member and consider them an asset to both my spiritual life and my productivity online.
The following 10 Christian social networks are all free to join and welcome your participation. Before you jump on board, find out how each one stacks up in the realm of Christian websites and networks.
Top 10 Christian Social Networks: Premier Christian Community
Premier Christian Community is located in the UK. It is one of the first Christian social network sites I joined. I really liked it at first.
Sometimes in the U.S., even among Christians, it is difficult to break into the inner circle and feel welcome on a social network. It takes time. This was not the case with Premier Christian Community. Immediately there was thought provoking discussion, acceptance of comments and thoughts, regardless of how long you had been a member of the community, and lots of support. The day I joined I didn't have to seek out people to "follow." I was greeted by members who welcomed me to the online Christian social network.
The downside of Premier Christian Community is that the spirit of love and sharing the gospel is sometimes lost in the intricacies of the doctrinal arguments. Inevitably, people get their feelings hurt, but the pain is deep because personal beliefs are so personal. It can hurt
significantly more than a nasty comment left on a secular social network. Attacks on faith have become personal.
Premier Christian Community is a way to stay aware of current discussions and hot topics among Christians, especially in the UK, but it is not the nicest or by any means the best Christian social network available.
Top 10 Christian Social Networks: Xianz.com
Xianz.com is a Christian alternative to MySpace. Individuals can post a profile, add videos, pictures, and most importantly share prayer requests. Xianz.com includes everything you would expect to find on a secular social network, but the focus in on Christ and building connections with people of like-minded faith.
In addition to posting on your profile Xianz.com allows users to post on the front page when they have a shout out, an urgent prayer requests, or other urgent news to share.
You can customize your profile, just like you would on MySpace, including special icons and graphics. It is an encouraging and uplifting Christian social network of which to be a part.
Top 10 Christian Social Networks: God Speaks
God Speaks is a smaller Christian online community. Their focus is Jesus and sharing and doing what is right. God Speak represents and holds events, like the annual Race of Faith, to provide a unique and fun opportunity for Christians who socialize online to meet in person, with their family and friends.
God Speaks platform is smaller and discussions are more in IM and blog format, but it is a great place to plug in to find people who are not only Christians but like to show the world that it can be fun to be a Christian.
Discussion and research topics available on God Speaks range from doctrinal discussions to the very practical. I've found God Speaks is a solid community, monitored by people of strong faith who encourage seekers to come and find the one who will fill the emptiness in their life, Jesus.
Top 10 Christian Social Networks: Lords Message
Lord's Message is a unique website set up specifically for the building and encouragement of your faith in Christ and fellowship with other believers. The intent of a social network sets the tone, and Lords Message sets a positive uplifting tone for Christians.
It is a place to share joy, sorrow, victories, and testimonies of what God has brought you through. It is a place where you will be accepted and encouraged to make the site your own.
**Lords Message social network should not be confused with a bogus, hoax organization that offers you a percentage of money in exchange for handling money for the account of someone who is dying. This IS NOT the same organization.
Lords Message is in its growing stages and invites Christians ans seekers to join the community free of charge and join in the discussion.
Top 10 Christian Social Networks: LifeSpace.cc
LifeSpace is a very active Christian social online community. Filled with Christians who are ready and willing to make friends with you, share prayer requests, and rejoice in life's victories this is probably my favorite Christian social network.
It is a vibrant community and the administrators behind the wheel driving LifeSpace work to keep it vibrant with the latest information pertinent to Christians, moderated discussions in which they endeavor to remind people that we are here in the same spirit and should not become combative in our discussions, as that is unbiblical.
You'll find thought provoking questions, inspiring videos, and meet people who will enrich your life. I highly recommend you give LifeSpace.cc a try.
Top 10 Christian Social Networks: Your Christian Space
Your Christian Space is a very neat Christian social networking site. Is also designed after Myspace, but works to keep the community focus positive and on the things of God.
Visitors to the site can create a profile, share music, blog, share in the forum, take polls and quizzes. Just about anything you can do on MySpace you can do on Your Christian Space, just keep it clean.
Log on to Your Christian Space to find Christian events, special interest groups, and share prayer requests and praises.
Top 10 Christian Social Networks: Our Christian Place
Our Christian Place seems to be for Christians who are a bit more mature in their faith than younger Christians who might use spaces such as Your Christian Space or others designed in the likeness of MySpace and Facebook. However, Our Christian Place, also considers itself the Christian alternative to other social networks.
Members can post article links and Digg them through Our Christian Place.
Top 10 Christian Social Networks: Gawker - The Christian Alternative to Twitter
It is easy to find and follow Christians on Twitter
using wefollow.com/Twitter/christian. However, an entrepreneur with a hunch that some Christians didn't want to sort through the secular topics of Twitter and launched www.christianchirp.com. Within weeks the site was inexplicably brought down by cyber attack.
Gawker, also known as Gospelr, set up a site to fill the need for a Christian alternative to Twitter. Looks like it hasn't worked too well. Site ads, which generate revenue are too provocative and trashy for any Christian website, in my opinion. The updates by members are not regulated and the site has become a free for all attack on all religions and a bully pulpit for many.
There are too many good Christian social networks to waste time with a site that is going to either make you angry in the flesh and/or the spirit and not help achieve the goals of uplifting and encouraging you in your faith.
My recommendation is NOT to use Gawker, aka: Gospelr.
Top 10 Christian Social Networks: Christian Planet
I really like the layout and terms of use laid out by Christian Planet. They make every effort to make their Christian online community decidedly, unapologetically Christian.
It is a user friendly site including calendars, event management, interest specific groups, polls, and quizzes. You can connect with other members of Christian Planet's community, share photos, songs, and videos.
This appears to be a well organized, efficiently run Christian website. Like MySpace and Facebook it is a site in which a Christian, seeking to make social connections via the web will find plenty to do.
I highly recommend Christian Planet as a Christian Social network site.
Top 10 Christian Social Networks: GodSpace
GodSpace is a new social networking site still under development. The goal of GodSpace is to create a warm and welcoming environment on the web, a very difficult thing to accomplish when you are dealing with people who are emboldened by the fact that they are hidden by their computer.
Right now, GodSpace has a forum up and running where you can meet, get to know, and interact with other Christians. The administrators are collecting data and interest from current users to determine the direction of the site in the future.
While it is in development, it is still a good place for Christians to social network, as it is well moderated and the topics are clearly divided and distinguishable. In other words, you will not get drawn into a topic you aren't expecting because someone has chosen an obscure title. I
like that.
While it still needs some further development to compete with sites like Christian Planet, LifeSpace.cc and Xianz.
Christian Social Networks Come and Go
Without huge backers and advertisers like other social networks, it is very common for Christian social networks to come and go. There are networks I joined only months ago to suddenly find them gone or stagnate when I return weeks later.
Others do not keep up with moderation, or lose the vision for a Christian network in the first place and the website becomes overrun by people who prefer to argue fine points of theology that make little difference in our every day lives, or bash Christianity all together.
If you have had a positive or negative experience on one of these Christian websites, or any other Christian social network or readers would love to learn about your experience. You can share anonymously in the comment section below.
