WITNESSING IN THE CHATROOM
WHAT IS A CHATROOM?
This is an area of the internet where people meet to discuss in friendly and informal ways usually on one particular topic.
MODES OF CHATROOM
There are two general modes which include:
- The Typing chat mode
- The Voice chat mode
- Some sites offer a combination of both.
TYPES OF WITNESSING IN THE CHATROOMS
There are two general types of witness in the chat rooms.
- Witnessing through a Christian chat room.
- Sharing Christ in a secular or pagan chat room.
LOCATING CHAT ROOMS
There are very many chat rooms which are usually visited by millions of people around the world daily, thus presenting tremendous opportunities for witnessing to a large number of people. These chat rooms include:
- http://chat.yahoo.com 4. House of Hope chat room
- http://chat.crosswalk.com 5. Truthmedia chat room
- Christian.net. chat room. You can do a google search for hundreds of other sites.
WHAT TO DO
BEFORE A CHAT SESSION
- Choose a nickname. It can be funny but not sexy or strange. Do not choose an obviously Christian nickname e.g. xristloves, Jesuslady etc. Such nicknames make you preachy before you start.
- Study your bible and highlight verses that can be helpful.
- Pray for wisdom, the right words to use and leading to the right people who are ready to discuss with you.
- You may try to arrange with a friend(s) to visit the same chat room at a particular time to help in getting a discussion going.
- You may ask a friend to sit with you at the computer to pray along with you.
STARTING A CHAT SESSION
- Click on a chat site.
- Log in with your nickname.
- Once in the chat room you will be able to see the names of everyone currently in the chat room.
- Say hello to everybody in the chat room.
- You can do any of these three things:
Ø Continue with your message using the main room
Ø Invite someone for a private conversation (PC) by double clicking on the name.
Ø Wait until somebody invites you for a private conversation.
DURING A CHAT SESSION
- Pray while you are online
- Develop friendship and don’t shove the gospel down their throat. Always express love and kindness.
- Respect people’s views, even if you disagree with something they say. Try to identify with part of it.
- Introduce Christ to them at the slightest opportunity.
- Be ready to share the testimony on how you became a Christian and how God is helping you in your life right now.
- You can exchange e-mail address with someone who wants to discuss issues with you so that you can maintain contact.
AFTER A CHAT SESSION
- Pray, Pray, Pray and follow-up
WHAT NOT TO DO
- Don’t pester people who do not want to talk.
- Don’t be pushy or try to force people into a decision they are not ready to make.
- Don’t argue about anything
- Don’t get angry, even if you are personally abused or people criticize the Bible and God.
- Don’t pretend to know it all.
- Never criticize other people’s views and beliefs just state your own views.
CHAT ROOM LANGUAGE
The use of capital letters in the chat room and punctuations are not usually welcomed. It is interpreted as shouting which can make you very unpopular. The use of abbreviations is usually very common. Some of the common abbreviations include:
| Abbreviations | Meaning |
| how r u | How are you? |
| brb | Be right back |
| bbl | Be back later |
| ttfn | Ta ta for now |
| lol | Laugh out loud |
| rofl | Roll on floor laughing |
| asl | Age, sex, location |
WATCH OUT FOR DANGER
Not everyone in a chat room is what they seem. Don’t be carried away. Don’t treat chat rooms as dating agencies. If someone in a chat room starts trying to find out too personal information about you or wants to talk about sex, leave and find a new chat room. There are real dangers online; there is therefore the need to strictly adhere to the rules. Many people who have been too trusting of so called ‘online friends’ had their fingers burnt in the process. BE CAREFUL.