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Online Ministry - IMVU

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Blazin Bones

Blazin Bones

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I am actively involved in the 3D IM Community known as IMVU. I am currently the Owner/Leader of the communitie's largest Christian group, the Christians of IMVU. The Group is rather large, over 1600 users, and I am beginning to drive the group towards online service rather than just fellowship. This thread will be a place where I add weekly updates about the happenings of the Group. If you want more details inbetween posts, feel free to PM me.
 
What exactly is IMVU? How are we supposed to be aware of that kind of an abbreviation?

Shelli.
 
Shelli, let me go more in depth. IMVU is just an different instant messenger...that is until the Christian users do what we were commissioned to do, and teach others about the things Christ has taught us.

While most Instant messengers are ways for friends to keep in touch, IMVU is geared towards meeting new people. Since each person has is represented by a 3D avatar, IMVU is consistantly seen as an online community of users. The majority of these users use IMVU as they would any game or IM service, as means for recreation of relaxation. However, one can not forget that each 3d person is operated by a real person.

Instead of just using IMVU as a means of recreation like anyone else, I see IMVU as at the very least a place to spread seeds and introduce the gospel message to people through simple, genuine conversation. Just as Christians share the gospel through verbal comversations, it can be shared through typed conversations as well. This is the primary ministry that Christians can get involved with on IMVU, the simple introduction of the most powerful of life changers, Jesus Christ.

Some other things that some users and I hope to is use the public room and group chat features for online bible study and prayer groups. Through the use of the group feature, we can fellowship through discussions, similar to these message boards, and organize our work in the IMVU community.

The primary objection I get from Christians is that Online ministries, such as the what I seek to build inside the IMVU community, produce very little visible results. How does one know their effort is being fruitful if you can not see the real life changed? My response to that is that I know who I serve and what God is capable of.

If I simply talk about Christ to a lost person, online or offline, all I can guarantee is that that person has now heard of Gospel. However, God promised that his word does not return void. Those who serve in Online ministry must accept that truth even more so, because we can not see God change the life, we can only know that the Gospel has been shared. However, when Christ commissioned the Disciples, he never said that they would baptize every person who they proclaimed the gospel to. He simply told them to first go make the disciples, which requires the lost to be taught.

If nothing else, Christian ministry on IMVU introduces online users to the Gospel of Christ. From that point on, it is up to the believer to impact their offline life. Myself, I've mailed bibles to people, allowed them to call me, I've prayed for them and with them over the phone, and I have even used 411 and the internet to find churches local to those I've met online.

IMVU may not be able to do everything, but Christians know that God works all things to his Glory for those who love Him. All things includes the introduction of the Gospel through things such as IMVU.
 
Updated Jan 15th, 2007

Group membership is at 1740.

New officers were installed to monitor the message list of the group site.
Message list reset to clear old threads.

Pray for the leadership and a smooth tranistion into a new style of operation.
 
Tim, it sounds like fun. My problem would be absolutely no technology skills. Plus I might get to liking it too much and then spend too much time (that I don't have) online. I better leave well enough alone
 
While technology skills are not needed, the community does have it's addictive qualities. I'm not looking for recruits as much as I'm just looking to give updates as to what god is doing in this ministry.
 
Updated January 24th, 2008.

Total number of involved users is now around 1800. Posting to the groups message list has also climbed.

Continue to pray for leadership and group inspiration.
 
It's been a few weeks since I've updated this thread, so here Goes.

Group membership is around 1950 users. Posting is still climbing as well as visitors from an IMVU Atheist group. I am getting ready to open a new chat room for the group to serve as a Worship center.

Prayer Concerns
The atheist involvement is bothering some users, prayr for patience, and boldness.
I still need aton of leadership help, Pray that reliable users step up.
 
The IMVU Christians Group is now up to 2016 members. Psoting is still increasing as well. On Tuesday Night, 2-19-08, I was able to add a new worship center chat room to the site list of public rooms.

Prayer Concerns
Please ask for more willing to help me in leadering the work on IMVU.
Pray for unity amongst the Christians, as questions have come up as to how far we must check our behavior on the site.
Pray that I will wisely manage time the next few months as My college work load will be getting much heavier in the weeks to come.
 
Those woman look like virtual prostitutes, Tim. Is that the standard look for the females on IMVU? Just asking a very honest question..
 
How does this possibly glorify God, Tim?

What's up with the devil girl character?

Are you aware of this?

Contact: Pam Russell
DA Public Information
303-271-6905



Re: DA Warns of Dangerous New Chat Room – IMVU.com

First there was MySpace.com, then Runescape, now prosecutors believe the chat room alternatives have taken an alarming turn for the worse. They have literally entered a new dimension. IMUV.com is a new, 3-D environment using animated Avatars. Avatars have generally been an Internet user's representation of himself or herself in the form of a three-dimensional model sometimes used in computer games. IMVU participants design an Avatar which becomes a fully 3D character. They create their own persona and choreograph activities with others they meet in this chat room.

In the last two days District Attorney Investigator Mike Harris has received numerous calls from concerned parents about IMVU.com. In the interactive IMVU environment participants create a profile as in other chat rooms, but they also create how they look, act and interact with others. A quick look at the list of profiles in Colorado alone shows kids aged 11 through their teens, and adults in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.

Participants in IMVU have hundreds of options for their physical attributes including skin color, hair color and style, eyes, brows, hands, etc. They then have hundreds of options for clothing: tops, bottoms, sleepwear, shoes, gloves and accessories. The newly created persona then enters one of
a choice of several “chat†locations, waits to be approached and the visits begin. There are many choices of demeanor and actions such as “flirtyâ€Â, “bashful†“angryâ€Â, and several different types of “hugs†and “kissesâ€Â. The characters look like animated kids, boys and girls. To one concerned parent, it appeared that her child was simply playing an interactive game on the computer with dolls.

District Attorney Scott Storey warns, “The use of Avatar animation on this site will make it even more appealing to younger users. It appears to kids to be a perfect world where they can create themselves to look like they want to look and dress like they want to dress. They can direct and star in their own video. In reality it is just one more resource for predators to hide behind a facade as they lure our unsuspecting children.â€Â

Source:
http://www.co.jefferson.co.us/news/news ... 3_R501.htm
 
I think what Tim posted was the advertisement page and not his own personal site. It says you can create your own avatars so i'm guessing those advertised images don't represent those who are dressing their characters decently. Is that right?

It seems like it would be hard to keep things at a decent and godly level even with Christians- when you have too many members. Is that a problem?
 
I'm puzzled as to why he would send folks to the main IMVU page and not his Christian group page.

The only clue is in his web icon which leads to http://www.freewebs.com/christiancatalyst41/index.htm which leads to a dead IMVU Christians forum at http://www.freewebs.com/christiancataly ... stians.htm and a little reserch turns up a members list of 7 at http://imvu.com/groups/group/Christians ... ll_members

Color me skeptical, but I'm seeing a discrepancy between Tim's posts and reality.

Can you clarify, Tim?
 
I'll do the best I can to.

First off, Destiny, just as with popular culture, IMVU charatcers do not seek modesty, but attraction.There are items which are more modest than others, but even some of the "Christian" content creators seek sales from sexy outfits rather than supporting a more modest appearance.

Soldier, Every site that is community oriented has the risk of predators. However, IMVU has been working for well over a year in trying to clean up and separate what adults can do, and what teens can do. There are also federal agents who have been met on IMVU and who have caught such predators. Why would a Christian want to get involed here? Well maybe just for the fact that this is one way to communicate with lost persons. I mayself have been called by some people looking for ways to find a church or such things. I have also mailed a few users bibles. The ministry is there.

As for links. That original link is just to provide basic details about the environment.

Here is the link to my Homepage. Destiny, as you can see, not every user dresses improperly. I myself have posted threads on thier message boards reviewing the content in the IMVU catalog.

As for the group link, all non-member users can see is the basics of the group. these are things like most recent posters, and the Information page. However, here is the link for the Christians of IMVU page.

Keep the questions coming.

 
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Donations

Total amount
$1,592.00
Goal
$5,080.00
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