What Is myCBN?

By Jesse Carey
CBN.com Interactive Media Producer

CBN.com – The rise of social networking is more than just the latest technological trend—it’s the convergence of two greater social realities: human nature’s God-designed need for relationship and the evolution of technology.

Christianity in One Word

I once remember a pastor saying that if Christianity had to be summarized into one word—encompassed by a single idea—that word would be relationships. Now, I’m sure that definition is debatable, and other leaders may use a different term if they had to distill Christianity's core value into one word. But I personally think relationships is an accurate way to describe what following Christ is all about.

When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus answered that the two greatest commandments are to love God and love our neighbors—both deal directly with relationships.

If there is one core narrative that can be seen throughout scripture, it is God’s relationship with man—and to a similar extent, how people’s relationships with each other affect the way they encounter God. Consistently throughout the Bible, it is through relationships in which God teaches people about his character. When Christ came to earth, he chose 12 people to walk with him—instead of just telling people how to live, he showed them through close relationships. The very nature of God emphasizes the need for relationships; at the dawn of creation, he took time to walk with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Media Goes Social

Since Gutenberg, Christians have been some of the primary earlier adopters of communications technology. The 15th century German inventor became the first to use a printing press to make multiple copies of the Bible and revolutionize the world of written communications.

In modern times, church leaders and evangelists have been ever-present on radio hours and television shows as more sophisticated means of delivering the gospel evolved.

But as the internet grew, new trends in communications began to emerge. Whereas traditional media was based on an outlet distilling information to the masses, social media sites were emphasizing the power of the voice of the individual—and the connection that individuals could participate in.

Sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube not only allowed internet users to publish their own content, but they let users form relationships. Now, along with traditional forms of entertainment and communications (like television, newspapers and radio), millions of individuals are giving their feedback on what’s going on in the world, talking with each other and producing their own content. What started as a trend among earlier technology adopters and college students, is literally changing the way people communicate and get their information.

The need and desire for relationships has always been ingrained in people, but technology—particularly social media—has empowered people to act on that need like never before.

It’s this convergence of the emergence of social networking technology and the God-ingrained need for human relationships that holds such significant potential for Christians. Sharing God’s love with others is one of the cornerstones of our faith, and engaging with social networking allows us to extend our reach and deepen our impact.

Our social network, myCBN, is an online community that lets users connect with other believers, pray with each other, even adopt their favorite CBN causes. The community allows users to set up profiles, find new friends and grow in their faith together. Along with cool features like journals, messaging, groups, photo uploading, Twitter integration and more, myCBN is a destination to connect and grow.

More than just a place to find cool resources, we hope myCBN will empower our users; empower them to deepen their relationship with God and empower them find new, genuine relationships with others.

We’d love to have you check it out, set up a profile and browse around the community. Getting started is easy. Just go to myCBN, and if you already have a login for CBN.com, just enter your address and password. Otherwise, you can register right there; it only takes a minute. From there, you can set up your profile, tell others about yourself and upload a picture. A good place to connect with others is in the “Groups” area (it’s in the navigation). Join Groups that interest you and invite other Group members to be your friend.

Be sure to let us know what you think about features, because we want our social network to serve the community. We value your input. If you have suggestions about how we can make things better, or things you’d like to see, send me a message and let us know. We can’t wait to connect with you.