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How to Search the Member
Directory for Contacts
This can be applied to other
formats
AOL & ICQ offers all
their
members the opportunity to post a voluntary Member Profile in a database of
member directories. How this applies to Internet
Evangelism is the fact that it’s
searchable!
In other words, you can search for members by real name, screen name,
location, gender, marital status, beliefs, or by any keywords they’ve
included in their profile. You can search for people with similar interests
and/or experiences to yours: hunting, fishing, quilting, sailing, sewing,
skiing, snowboarding, farming, welding, 4-H, divorced, remarried, widowed,
single Mom or Dad, battled with cancer, been raped, recovering alcoholic,
lonely, hurt, and so on.
Any number of things in a member's Profile can be that common ground
you can use to open an online conversation and begin building a
relationship. Several conversations may take place before you bring up
something about your beliefs in Christ and ask them about their thoughts on
spiritual matters. God will help you know when it’s time.
As mentioned above, filling out a Profile is voluntary. While many
people choose not to fill one out, we strongly suggest that all believers
should do so. It’s kind of like posting your testimony for the world
to see!
If you haven't filled out a Profile and you're not sure if you ever will,
please consider this...you may be cutting yourself off from a number of
opportunities. Others are out there searching the Member Directory
every day...and they just might be looking for someone like you!
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