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| Frequently Asked Questions What is Vital Concern? How does it work? Is technical expertise required? What maintenance is required? What does Vital Concern do? Why is this important? What's the scriptural basis? What if Christians aren't online? Is there a cost to use it? What's behind all of this?  "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Luke 10:2 What is Vital Concern? It's an electronic communication network that helps Christians stay in touch continuously. The focus is on spiritual matters, for the purpose of increased prayer and mutual support. In this way, God's promises and power can multiply in our lives. The promises are real, and the possiblities are as limitless as our God. How does it work? Vital Concern is unprecedented in the history of the church. The tools are familiar: a dynamic web site, a powerful database, and email connections. They've never been used like this--to more fully implement the scriptural pattern of the church than ever before--a tightly linked, prayerful, loving organization that follows the direction of its only Head, Christ. Is technical expertise required? Vital Concern only requires basic Internet skills. What maintenance is required? Very little. A "Local Administrator" (LA) enters email addresses of your local members. This helps to assure that only your members can access your congregation's information. All messages have expiration dates, so no data cleaning is necessary. The LA can also delete any posting that is unacceptable, though this is rare. Any member can post information, send urgent prayer alerts, post global requests, and use all other functions. Top What does Vital Concern do? The functionality is incredibly rich. All communications are posted by filling out a very special online form. The communication is then available in whatever form is useful to the user, including... Urgent or routine alerts emailed immediately to all members. Complete prayer lists automatically emailed weekly, daily, or hourly. Eight different prayer list formats available at the web site. A dynamic prayer list that allows anyone to update current status and leave notes of encouragement. Prayer lists specifically for a group within the congregation. User-customized prayer list. Praise Report list for answered prayers (automatic). Shared information can be far more current than with bulletins or centrally emailed prayer lists, because... Every message is given an expiration dates. Members receive automatic email reminders to update their requests. Any member can update current status. The posting member may give any other member authority to fully update a message. The Local Administrator may revise any request. All updates are immediately posted at the website and distributed in the next automatic email. Many other functions include... Each member may edit and save a private, personal prayer list. Each member may set up prayer partners or groups to share messages/prayer requests. Online picture directory of the congregation maintained by members. Members may revise or delete or renew requests at any time. Any request can have plenty of detail attached. Live prayer rooms (online chat). Members set their own email preferences. Connect with your congregation's missionaries and other Christians worldwide. Access global prayer requests of other member congregations. Send email to any member of your congregation easily. Access global prayer requests for critically ill children. Why is this important? Like a central nervous system for the Body of Christ, Vital Concern keeps the parts of the Body in unbroken communication as they carry out the will of the Head. Christians, who live in the world, but are not of the world, share continuous fellowship and encouragement. Locally, each member of the body is never cut off from the other members. The soldiers in the army of Christ have the information they need to do battle, to call for reinforcements, to care for the wounded, to invoke the power and authority of the High Command. Put Vital Concern on your church web site. Just add a small login box to your church web site. Members who didn't visit your website regularly will come often to logon to Vital Concern--another communication advantage! Church web sites can be great for visitors, but it's hard for staff or volunteers to maintain enough current content to keep members coming to the site. Vital Concern is a real time communications network, so the content comes from its users, based on their day-to-day needs. Even if a congregation posts a prayer list on their web site, it's quickly out of date and a chore to maintain. On Vital Concern, all requests have expiration dates, and they're easily updated when prayers are answered (automatically archived as praise reports). Plus, Vital Concern is a private, password-protected zone, just for members. Vital Concern also pushes information out to members through automatic emails. This assures current information, but it's also a great reminder of our responsibilities to one another. Vital Concern has many dynamic features not found on static web sites, as well. For example, you can get word out quickly in an emergency with an urgent email that goes to all members with one click. And you can maintain a personal prayer list at Vital Concern, accessible only by you. You can merge it with your congregation's prayer list. You can also access your congregation's private picture directory. Much cheaper and much more easily updated than the printed kind. You can be in touch with missionaries and with other congregations, as well. Top What's the scriptural basis? Paul paints a picture of the Body in Romans 12. When one part suffers, all the other parts join in sympathetic response. One part is honored, and every other part rejoices. Technology can help us to conform to this picture. Prayer requests and blessing reports (!) may now be shared with a local congregation. When appropriate, they can be shared with millions of Christians worldwide, in an instant. For example, all who are online can know the daily concerns of missionaries and can actually share in their struggles through prayer, as Paul urged the church at Rome (Romans 15:30). You can review a summary of relevant scriptures by clicking on "Authority" in the navigation bar above. Top What if Christians aren't online? The Internet is such a powerful communication medium that we encourage anyone who is physically and financially able, to get online. You don't have to spend much time online to get a lot out of Vital Concern. Of course, the Internet doesn't suit some, so the rest of us need to print out those prayer lists weekly and get them distributed. And it's a joy to collect prayer requests from those who don't use a computer. Any member can update the status of any request by using the "Incredibly Dynamic Prayer List." Every member needs to be connected to the body. Vital Concern isn't a replacement for anything--it's an addition to our arsenal, just as the printing press made it possible for more people to read God's Word. Top Is there a cost to use it? Yes, there's a small monthly fee depending on the size of the group or congregation. Click for more information. Top Whats behind all of this? Vital Concern is a small stone in the sling of faith. It exists because of the promises of Godto answer our prayers and to bless us beyond our ability to anticipate, if we do His will. For He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21. Top Member Agreement 5/15/04 © 2003 Vital Concern. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. |