Workshop on being online, called "Be Safe."

An afternoon workshop attended by Abram, with notes. (These are extensive! But that's just my style.) Going now to debrief with team and eat dinner.

Josh Griffin, Manager of Purpose Driven Youth Ministry

He runs www.theforce.net, a Star Wars site.
His own personal blog is www.simplyjosh.com.

Don't not have Internet or myspace because there are bad things on there, but just be selective. There is a painfully dark side to it. But TVs have bad things, and we still have them; we just use discretion in what we watch.

How many times does "blog" or "myspace" appear in the Bible? None.

Web is a powerful tool for good and bad. Roughly 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 North Americans have a myspace account. Myspace is a profile, whereas a blog is something I have to say.

One reason myspace is so popular (friendster, facebook, etc.) is that people want their own space. Myspace is the 3rd most popular site in the world right now. (Will likely fade in a few years... these things come and go.)

But the principles Josh will share today are universal and timeless--not just for myspace, but more general.

Benefits to myspace:
*Great to unite people and friends.
*Can unite people based on shared interests.
*Universal--"myspace" is a verb now, like "google" has become. Folks may "myspace" [message] each either even opposed to talking by cell phone!

Key point: myspace is as safe as you want it to be, as safe as you make it. (The Internet can be good or bad.)

Having a Web page is a risk. E.g., if you google "Josh Griffin," you can find stuff about him and who he is. If you have a space, you are increasing your risk on the Internet. The more info you put online, the more you paint a sketch of you and fill it in. So you want to be careful as you do that.

Big picture, backing up.... What a student leader is:

1. Honest. Proverbs 11:3--"Good people are guided by their honesty."
2. Accountable. Ecclesiastes 4:10--One person walking alone, if they fall and break their leg, is helpless. But a person who is not alone, someone can lift them back up.
3. Encouraging. Job 4:3--"In the past you've encouraged many a soul to trust God."
4. Influencer. I Timothy 4:12--"Don't let anyone look down on you because of your youth, but be an example to the believers in life, faith, love, speech, and purity." [Upper Room theme verse for Spring '07 semester Youth Group/Sunday night teachings]

All this said, here are some Principles for online to consider:

1. What if myspace/the Internet was a place to share your faith? More than just a profile with pictures or leaving comments, friend requests, etc.
2. What if you used your blog or space to share the journey of your life? Your doubts, struggles, fears, where you are on your journey with Christ?
3. What is you used it as a place to encourage other people? (E.g., when birthday notifications come up, when you read a blog post and sense someone feels along. Sometimes people post their very raw feelings online (we have a filter on our mouths, but not always on a keyboard!). "There are things that I won't say to you that I will say to the world online!"

All of this is about engaging this technology for Christ. Logging on with a mission. Not just a student leader in Church, but a student leader who is consistent in character... online.

So if the Internet can be used for good, what are some guidelines to stay safe? Three actions to take to have best, safest online experience:

1. Limit the use of personal information.
*Use first names only. (Not hard and fast rule; take in combination with how much other info is up there, but use discretion.)
*Limit the amount of information about location. (e.g., not your address or saying, "I am out of town for three months, and I have a sweet TV, and here is my address.")
*Don't do anything with ages.
*e.g., Josh loves his kids, but no pictures of his kids online on his myspace.
*Password protect anything that you don't want on a billboard.
*E.g., setting myspace profiles to "private" so only your friends (people you know) can access it.
*The barriers can come down online.
2. Open yourself up to your parents (if you are a student) and accountability. If not a parent, then someone who has responsibility for me.
*a great Web site that helps with accountability is www.xxxchurch.com... they have a program called X3 Watch, which tracks all Web sites you visit and sends the list weekly/monthly to two accountability partners of your choosing.
*action step: take 24 hours to clean up your spaces and implement these suggestions.
3. "I will not believe everything I read on the Internet." Use discretion! Don't believe what you read in a profile, necessarily.

The world needs Christians who are online and on myspace. (Don't use the Christian alternative to myspace.) Go to myspace--be safe, be a student leader for Jesus, be a Christian on myspace. Engage with the online world.