15,000 Protest Norwegian Govt’s Removal of Children From Christian Parents Over ‘Spankings’

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15,000 Protest Norwegian Govt’s Removal of Children From Christian Parents Over ‘Spankings’

Christian Post Report – Thousands of protesters gather in Baia Mare, Romania to support Ruth and Marius Bodnariu, whose five children were seized by the Norwegian government in November, on Jan. 30, 2016.

As many as 15,000 supporters rallied at protests held in eight cities around the globe on Saturday to continue putting pressure on the Norwegian government to release five Romanian Pentecostal children who were removed from their parents based on abuse allegations.

As previously reported by The Christian Post, the five children of Ruth and Marius Bodnariu were removed from their parents’ custody last Nov. 16 after the principal from the school the Bodnarius’ two daughters attended notified authorities of her concern that the children were being spanked by their parents at home as a form of discipline.

All five children, who range from age nine to four months, were placed into three separate foster homes by the Barnevernet (Norway’s child protection services) and their parents have been given limited visitation rights.

As the Bodnarius are scheduled to have their next court hearing in March to determine whether the parents can be reconciled with their children, international supporters of the Bodnariu family held various protests, marches and rallies in Romania, Spain, Poland and Australia on Saturday to continue raising awareness for the family’s situation.  Five of the protests were held in Romanian cities.

According to a Facebook page set up to raise awareness for the family, an estimated 5,000 protesters gathered for a rally in Sibiu, while an estimated crowd of 4,000 gathered for the protest in Iasi. A combined estimate of over 5,500 gathered for rallies in Bistrita-Nasaud, Cluj-Napoca and Baia Mare.

According to the Facebook page, as many as 400 supporters showed up to the protest in Melbourne, Austrailia, while as many as 600 showed up to the rally in Castellon, Spain. Despite the large turnouts at other protests, only 20 protesters gathered for a rally held in Warsaw, Poland.

Since the children were removed from their parents’ custody, supporters of the Bodnarius have held protests and rallies outside of Norwegian embassies in a number of different countries, including one protest held outside the embassy in Washington, D.C.

This Saturday, supporters in Texas are planning to host a protest rally in Houston, which is home to 10,000 Norwegian citizens, according to the president of the Alliance for Romania’s Families, Peter Costea.

Although Costea previously told CP that the Bodnariu case seems to be part of a larger pattern of the Barnevernet targeting the children from migrant families, the national director of Norway’s branch of Youth With a Mission Andreas Nordli told CP on Monday that cases like the Bodnarius could be a result of migrant families not being aware of Norway’s strict parenting laws.

Norwegian law makes it illegal for parents to spank their children as a disciplinary measure, which some migrant families that move to Norway from other parts of Europe might not realize.

“I have worked with the child protection locally in Norway, when I served as a pastor. Having migrant families in our church, I can only refer to my personal experience [with the Barnevernet], which back then was very, very good,” Nordli explained. “I hear both in this specific case with Romanian family and also cases with Russian [families] and also Lithuanian [families] and [families] from Czech Republic that there have been accusations toward child protective services in Norway but I haven’t [seen] it myself.”

“Because we have strict laws against physically disciplining your kids, I think a lot of non-Norwegians coming here, they are not aware of the law,” Nordli added. “Because of that, that creates the problems, I think. Maybe even the child protection [agencies] in Norway are not good enough explaining to non-Norwegians how our laws are set up.”

When the Bodnariu case first gained international attention, the family claimed that their children were seized by the Barnevernet after the principal voiced concern about the family’s belief that “God punishes sin.”

However, court records shared with Costea indicate that the children were seized because they admitted that they were being spanked by their parents.

Andreas Hegertun, the spokesman for the Norwegian Pentecostal Movement, told CP in a statement on Monday that religious and parental freedoms in Norway are not under attack and believers have the right to believe and do what they want as long as they are not harassing anybody.

“The state of religious liberty is very good in Norway. Every ethnic religious group may worship and raise their children according to their beliefs, as long as they don´t violate Norwegian law. In practice this means as long as they don´t use violence,” Hegertun said. “I have never heard of anyone getting in trouble with the government for any other reason than violence, serious neglect or addictions. In this matter, we as churches strongly agree with our government that violence towards children is not accepted.”

“In Norway spanking and other types of corporal punishment is illegal. But this does not mean that all parents that practice these models of parenting have their children removed,” Hegertun continued. “A majority of the families that the Barnevernet are in contact with do not have their children removed, most families receive parental courses and advice on how to change their parenting style so that they parent without using corporal punishment or spanking. If the parents see no wrong in using violence or do not want to change, the Barnevernet considers making a case to move the child.”

Source : Christian Post

Snowed in? Biblical Principles for Preparedness!

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Snowed in? Biblical Principles for Preparedness!

Snowed In? Biblical Principles For Preparedness!

Christian Post Report – Dear Chuck,

My family and I were surprised by the scope of the blizzard that affected much of the country, including us, which makes me wonder if there are more things we should be doing to get ready for emergencies like this.

What does the Bible have to say about preparing for disasters? I doubt this is the last one I’ll see!

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/bible-preparing-for-disaster-survival-debt-unemployment-psalms-156203/#mIp81BPwGSVi1Wu3.99

Source : Christian Post

Billy Graham: Angels Can Appear as Ordinary Humans

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Billy Graham: Angels Can Appear as Ordinary Humans

Christian Post Report – Evangelist Billy Graham speaks during his Crusade at Flushing Meadows Park in New York, June 25, 2005. Graham, 86, has preached the Gospel to more people in a live audience format than anyone in history – over 210 million people in more than 185 countries. His followers believe that the New York Crusade which runs from June 24 to 26 will be his last live appearance.

Angels have been the object of man’s fascination since the beginning of time. In an effort to shed some light on these celestial entities, the Rev. Billy Graham offers his thoughts on the supernatural beings that never fail to captivate.

In a Q&A series published in The Kansas City Star last week, Graham expounds upon the mystique, power and purpose of angels.

“Angels are real. Just as real as you and I, ” said Graham, explaining that the invisible beings exist in large numbers, as evidenced by Hebrews 12: 22 (KJV): “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.”

The 97-year-old world-renowned evangelist says that, although angels are spiritual beings without physical bodies, they can take on human form. “On occasion they can appear as ordinary humans, or even as glorious celestial beings that reflect the majesty of God.” As an illustration of that glory, Graham used the example of Isaiah 6:4 where Christ’s throne was surrounded by angels whose voices shook the doorposts and thresholds.

Created to serve God, angels work to do His will and to protect His people — efforts that are largely hidden from man. “They also are part of a great unseen army that constantly fights against Satan and his servants of evil,” Graham added. “God’s promise should bring comfort to every believer: ‘He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways,'” (Psalm 91:11).

Although humans may be totally unaware of their presence, angels are still very much a part of their lives, explained the famed evangelical.

While man can appreciate angels despite his limited comprehension of them, one day humans will understand the totality of how the supernatural beings have positively influenced their lives. “We can thank God for them, and some day in Heaven we’ll realize just how much they’ve done for us, at God’s command. ‘Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?'” (Hebrews 1:14).

Graham is one of America’s most admired and respected evangelists. According to a previous report from The Christian Post, a 2015 Gallup poll listed the Southern Baptist preacher as the 10th “Most Admired Man” in the U.S. — a list that he has made a record 59 times.

Source : Christian Post

ISIS Sex Slaves Reveal Traumatic ‘Virginity Tests’ After Escape

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ISIS Sex Slaves Reveal Traumatic ‘Virginity Tests’ After Escape

Christian Post Report – A Kurdish protester of the Yazidis ethnic minority holds a placard against Islamic State (IS) militants during a demonstration in Frankfurt August 9, 2014. Some 2,000 ethnic Kurds of the Yazidis sect, who practice an ancient faith related to Zoroastrianism, protested in the western German city on Saturday against IS militants, who are surging across northern Iraq near the Kurdistan borders in their drive to eradicate unbelievers such as Christians and Yazidis.

Hundreds of Yazidi women and girls who were forced into sexual slavery by the Islamic State have managed to escape and report that they’ve been subjected to painful “virginity tests” by Iraqi authorities to prove that they were actually abused.

The Independent reported that watchdog groups, such as Human Rights Watch, have documented the traumatic experiences women have been forced to undergo after escaping from IS.

Rothna Begum, a researcher at the group’s women’s rights division, said she has spoken with victims who have confirmed that hundreds of women and girls have been subjected by Iraqi authorities to the painful virginity tests to prove that they have been raped.

HRW added, however, that a judge has informed them that Iraqi officials are putting an end to such tests, and instead will be using new methods based on U.N. recommendations.

“This is an important step for women and girls like ‘Luna’ who can now pursue justice for the crimes against them in a process that shows deeper respect for women’s rights and a commitment to providing better care for rape survivors,” Begum said.

Begum previously said that many abused girls resort to surgery aimed at “restoring their virginity” because of fears that they will be shunned by future husbands and family members, due to the stigma associated with sex outside of marriage, whether consensual or not.

“In the most extreme cases, women and girls were so traumatised by the fact they were no longer virgins that they were insisting on this surgery to feel whole again — they feel they have lost something,” she revealed.

A joint U.N. report from earlier in January revealed that at least 3,500 women and children in Iraq were captured and used as slaves by IS between the period of January 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015, alone.

IS fighters have attempted to justify the rapes and severe abuses they commit against women and children as being permitted “according to Islam.”

Several different reports from the past year recorded the intense human rights abuses the Yazidi and other minorities are suffering at the hands of IS, including one case in July 2015 where a militant beat a woman’s 1-year-old child in front of her until all of his sexual demands were met.

“I agreed to everything that this man wanted for the sake of my son,” said the mother of the child, who was auctioned off to a 50-year-old fighter.

The woman, who was eventually freed after a ransom was paid with the help of charities, revealed that she was sold several times into sexual slavery, but refused to commit suicide because of fears of what might happen to her young son.

Source : Christian Post

Tamar Braxton Says Michelle Obama Has Inspired Her to Go to College

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Tamar Braxton Says Michelle Obama Has Inspired Her to Go to College

Christian Post Report – Tamar Braxton performs “I Don’t Have You” during the 2015 BET Awards in Los Angeles, California, June 28, 2015.

After interviewing first lady Michelle Obama about higher education, Grammy nominated singer Tamar Braxton says at 38, she’s going to enroll in college.

Braxton interviewed Obama with her fellow co-hosts of “The Real,” Adrian Bailon, Loni Love, Tamera Mowry-Housley and Jeannie Mai for an episode about the “Better Make Room” campaign that aired last Tuesday. The campaign is part of Obama’s initiative called “Reach Higher,” which seeks to inspire students to pursue higher education.

It seems the discussion also inspired Braxton, a reality television star, mother and wife, who announced on Instagram last week that she was going to rely on her strength in Christ to go back to school.

“God is excellent and not in a zillion years did I think I would be at the White House to interview (one of my NEW favorite people @michelleobama). I always knew I would sing there, but not as journalist,” she wrote. “I’m going back to school y’all. The one thing I learned on this trip is even if you are already successful, it’s NEVER too late for an education. You can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you.”

In 2014, the “Braxton Family Values” and “Tamar & Vince” star opened up to Sister 2 Sister magazine about bypassing college after high school to pursue a music career.

“Everything that had anything to do with singing, I was a part of,” said Tamar, who starred in musicals as a teen. “It was just all about singing for me. I think everybody knew that’s what I wanted to do.”

Alarmingly, Braxton said her guidance counselor tried to convince her otherwise.

“I remember my guidance counselor got so upset with me and she told me that, ‘You’re not going to go to college. You’re going to end up working at McDonald’s,'” Tamar said. “I just remember how I felt at that moment. I felt so defeated and I felt, at that moment, nothing was going to stop me from being what I wanted to be.”

In 2013, Braxton took to her Instagram account to let fans know that she is not too old to have a career, family, or any other dreams that she wishes to pursue.

“I’ve been called everything but a child of God! The bottom line is that no matter what you say or feel, I’m NEVER going to stop pursuing my dreams and goals,” Braxton’s Instagram message read. “If I’m 188 1/2 still trying, nothing you say or do will move me. So get used to being mad cause GOD is just getting started with me. #thatsall.”

Source : Christian Post

Google Reveals How Much It Paid Man Who Briefly Owned Google.com Last Year, And There’s A Hidden Message

CM Editor
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Google Reveals How Much It Paid Man Who Briefly Owned Google.com Last Year, And There’s A Hidden Message

In 2015, Google had to buy back its google.com domain name from an ex-employee who owned it for about a minute.

Sanmay Ved was able to buy google.com for just $12, making him the owner of the world’s most visited web domain.

Google quickly spotted the error and refunded his purchase.

Ved had previously revealed that Google’s security team had contacted him to offer a reward for spotting the unusual error, but there was no mention of the amount.

Google later revealed in a blog post, as spotted by 9to5google.com, that it paid Ved $6,006.13 – an amount with a hidden message.

The figure subtly spells out the word ‘Google’ (if you squint a bit).

Google doubled the amount after Ved announced that he would donate the fee to a charity called ‘The Art of Living India’, which aims to bring education to poorer parts of the country.

Google, along with many other large companies, routinely awards cash prizes to people who report security bugs.

Source : Yahoo News

Grammy Award-Winner Tina Campbell Says Gospel Music Artists Face Unique Challenges

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Grammy Award-Winner Tina Campbell Says Gospel Music Artists Face Unique Challenges

Tina Campbel (Photo: AMC Networks)

Christian Post Report – Mary Mary’s Tina Campbell

Despite earning multiple Grammy awards as a member of the Christian singing duo Mary Mary, Tina Campbell believes that getting people interested in gospel music can be a challenge.

“I don’t find it difficult to market gospel music necessarily. I do find it sometimes difficult to be received,” Campbell revealed in an interview with the Atlanta Business Chronicle earlier this month. “When people hear the word ‘gospel’ they think, ‘that word doesn’t apply to me.’ To some degree we have to be strategic in marketing it and presenting it.”

The 41-year-old mother of five built a career as one half of the gospel music duo Mary Mary along with her sister, Erica Campbell, who also serves as her reality television co-star in the WE tv hit reality television show “Mary Mary.”

“You have to show what’s good about it, you have to show what’s relevant about it, you have to show how it applies to the everyday person and their everyday life. It’s very important to include those elements of it because some people think it’s just for Sundays,” the 41-year-old singer told the Chronicle.

“If people understand that it’s relatable everyday for every situation — it’s what you laugh to, cry to, party to, be encouraged by, it’s your easy listening, it’s your workout music, it’s your motivation before you take that college exam — if you show people how it’s relatable, they are able to understand how amazing this music is.”

Tina found a way to relate to people with her first solo album, It’s Personal, and book I Need A Day To Pray last year. She previously spoke to The Christian Post about enduring challenges with her husband’s infidelity and father’s death that led her to create the projects.

“I went through my challenges that I went through last year with infidelity. In the process of writing journals to God, I ended up writing a book that I didn’t know I was writing,” she told CP. “Once I finished, God started downloading all of this music into me and I knew that God gave it to me to give it away. I knew when it came time to give it away, I didn’t want to just do things as usual.”

During an interview on “The Boris and Nicole Show” in July, The singer admitted she almost walked away from her Christian faith as she struggled to overcome her husband, Teddy’s, infidelities.

“Initially, I lost my way, and I said ‘forget this faith thing it doesn’t work,'” Tina revealed on the Fox talk show. “I pursued vengeance and I was going to get him back and everybody back and make the world understand they should have never hurt me.”

“I crashed, I cursed, I attacked, I drank myself to sleep,” she admitted. “I was miserable.”

Her husband, however, said he made the decision to fight for their marriage.

“In the moment where I did all of this to her, I was like, ‘OK, either I’m going to run, like I normally did, or I’m gonna rise up and I’m gonna stand up and be the man that I know that she needs,'” Teddy said.

As she worked on her first solo album last year, Campbell reached out to her fans on Instagram to explain: “I’ve been fighting discouragement for three weeks because I’m doing something I’ve never done before with limited experience, expertise, resources, and help to do it. Setbacks have worked to distract and discourage me. Sometimes I’ve fallen back but I wake up everyday and choose to move forward because God is with me and if God be for me, who can be against me: 1 John 4:4.

“Today I am encouraged because THE ULTIMATE ENCOURAGER ‘THE HOLY SPIRIT’ LIVES INSIDE OF ME and I’m choosing to tap into that and ignore everything else that conflicts with it: Isaiah 41:10, Deuteronomy 31.8, Joshua 1:9,” Campbell added. “God is more than amazing, more than able, and more than willing to manifest His love, His grace, and His power in my life and yours. All of you who have already began to support this project have encouraged me more than I can explain.”

Source : Christian Post

Donnie McClurkin Warns Fans About Pitfalls on Road to Gospel Music Superstardom

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Donnie McClurkin Warns Fans About Pitfalls on Road to Gospel Music Superstardom

donnie mcclurkin (Photo: Reuters/Kevork Djansezian)

Christian Post Report – Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin performs “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power” as a tribute to Andrae Crouch during the 2015 BET Awards in Los Angeles, California, June 28, 2015.

Even though he’s now a gospel music super star, Donnie McClurkin tells inquiring fans that his road to success was paved with challenges and disappointments.

The 56-year-old “We Fall Down” singer was asked on Twitter about the hardships he faced before reaching his veteran status in the industry.

“@donnieradio what has been the most challenging part in getting to where you are in your career today? #COGchat,” one person questioned McClurkin.

The singer responded by saying “the hardest thing in getting to where I am was finally believing what God said and thought about me regardless [of] my failures.”

The pastor of Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, New York, has been a leading voice in gospel music with a career that spans 20 years. Still, McClurkin has warned people who believe they can be the next platinum selling artist in gospel music world.

He previously admitted that it was a tough industry and cautioned people not to do it if they did not feel called by God.

“If you want to do it to get into the industry, don’t do it. If you want to do it because you feel like you’re a gospel singer, don’t,” McClurkin previously told The Christian Post. “It’s got to be something that God has ordained because although it looks good from the outside looking in and although we bless so many people around the world with our music, inside of this gospel music world it’s not easy.”

The renowned singer is among the best-selling artists in the gospel music industry and has garnered multiple Grammy, Stellar, Dove and NAACP Awards. But he explained why he would not advise just anybody interested in being the next gospel music star to attempt to follow in his footsteps.

“There’s so much work that goes behind this and if you’re not called by God to do it, you’ll mess this thing up. Because pride won’t let you say ‘I’m not called to’ once you start,” McClurkin told CP. “Once you start, you’re going to keep on trying because you don’t ever want to show that you were in the wrong and that you didn’t hear from God. You’ve got to make sure that this is God and you’ve got to make sure that He called you to do it.”

That being said, the veteran singer also believes it’s important to help usher in the next generation of gospel musicians and has served as a judge on BET’s “Sunday Best” since 2010 to make that happen.

“It’s adding so much to the gospel music industry. We’ve got Crystal Aiken, we’ve got Y’Anna Crawley, Le’Andria Johnson, Amber Bullock and the list goes on that would’ve never been heard or seen, at least we don’t think so,” McClurkin told CP. “But what we do know is Sunday Best gave them that platform. For people like Jessica Reedy and Maurice Griffin and the list goes on. All of that’s happened because ‘Sunday Best’ decided that it was going to really deal with the anointed singers, the gifted singers and give them a national and international platform on BET.”

Source : Christian Post

5 Big Changes Coming to Social Media in 2016

CM Editor
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5 Big Changes Coming to Social Media in 2016

Observer report – It’s been a memorable year in social media. 2015 saw the birth of live social streaming, with apps like Periscope and Meerkat winning over early adopters. Snapchat fully shed its reputation as a niche network and now counts more than 200 million active users. Meanwhile, video dominated social headlines, with Facebook users now logging an estimated 8 billion video views a day (even more than on YouTube, by some counts).

What does 2016 hold for social media users? Expect to see new technologies fundamentally change how we interact with social media, opening up new options like shopping and enabling us to share ever-more vivid, real-time experiences. But new functionality and the widening universe of social options also threaten to leave some users in the dust. Here’s a peek into the crystal ball at five trends that will change how we use social media in 2016:

Virtual reality comes to social media: “Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures.” That’s what Mark Zuckerberg wrote after Facebook acquired Oculus, the virtual reality company, for $2 billion back in March 2014. Well, we won’t have to imagine much longer. Facebook has already begun incorporating Oculus technology into its 360 Video. The unique videos, which have rolled out on News Feeds, allow users to experience scenes from different angles (looking right, left, up, down, etc.), on both web and mobile devices, creating a more immersive experience.

Right now, there’s 360 Video available from the likes of Vice and The Disney Channel and a really cool clip from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Expect to see more immersive videos in 2016 as publishers and even brands catch up with the technology and begin creating more content. As for true, fully immersive VR, the consumer version of the Oculus Rift headset is slated for release in early 2016, opening up even more interesting possibilities for our News Feeds. Meanwhile, Oculus VR has already released a new “social” appcalled Oculus Social Alpha, for use with the Samsung Gear VR headset. The virtual movie-watching app allows you to “sit” in a theater and watch a video in real-time with other users — perhaps the first truly social application of Facebook’s new technology.

Social shopping takes off: Over the last year, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest all unveiled or upgraded in-line buy buttons, which allow users to purchase clothes, crafts, gadgets and more without ever leaving their feeds. In many respects, this development is long overdue. We’re already discovering and talking about products on social media, and four out of five people say that posts from friends directly influence buying decisions. Plus, overseas in China, Korea and elsewhere, social channels have long incorporated ecommerce functionality.

So far, the primary stumbling block in North America has been ease of use. To buy on social media, we’ve had to click out to other sites (always problematic on smartphones) or we’ve been offered limited selection (a lathe now defunct Facebook Gifts). But innovations like Pinterest’s Buyable Pins now let users browse color and style options and pay, all without leaving the platform. In 2016, expect to see networks’ role shift from being channels whose primary function in ecommerce is providing referral traffic to being platforms where users make purchases directly.

Facebook Live takes live streaming mainstream: 2015 started off with lots of excitement about the new crop of live streaming apps, which allow users to broadcast live video to their followings. By late summer, Twitter-owned Periscope already boasted 10 million active users, and just this month it was named by Apple the best iOS app of 2015.

Expect to see live streaming reach a whole new, mainstream audience in the year ahead as Facebook rolls out its own mobile streaming functionality, generally referred to as Facebook Live. Already being beta-tested among a small number of U.S. iOS users, the feature allows for instantly sharing live video using the Facebook platform. What’s key here is that you don’t have to download a special app or leave Facebook to use the new video functionality. If Facebook Live rolls out as expected, it’s likely to not only dominate other live streaming options but also to fundamentally change the way Facebook’s 1.5 billion users engage with the platform.

The social media skills gap at work widens: With the explosion of workplace social networks like Slack (which recently saw more than 1 million users logged in at the same time) and the imminent launch of Facebook at Work, using social media in the office has gone from taboo to requirement. Businesses are incorporating social tools to streamline internal communications, to help sales staff reach customers, and, of course, for marketing and advertising. The problem is that front-line employees aren’t up to the challenge. Among 2,100 companies surveyed by Harvard Business Review, just 12 percent of those using social media feel they use it effectively. Even millennials brought up on social media are falling short: “Because somebody grows up being a social media native, it doesn’t make them an expert in using social media at work,” explains William Ward, professor of social media at Syracuse University.

The consequence of this social media skills gap can be seen in mounting corporate social media gaffes, from misused hashtags (see #WhyIStayed) to scheduled posts gone awry, not to mention trillions of dollars (yes, trillions) in lost productivity and business value. In 2016, expect to see social media training finally begin to make its way into the workplace in an effort to close this gap — similar to initiatives launched when office software suites and later email and the Internet itself emerged as critical business tools. A number of online offerings now provide self-paced lessons and video modules designed for the workplace. (Hootsuite is giving our course away free.)

Social media customer service gets a lot better: Customer service on social media has always seemed like a great idea. Why wait on the phone when you can Tweet and get an answer immediately? But the reality has been quite different. A new study of 500 top retailers shows that only 20 percent answer questions sent via Twitter and 54 percent respond via Facebook. And the average response time ranges from 27–31 hours! Not to mention that not all customer service problems lend themselves to being handled out in the open in a public forum.

Fortunately, change is on the horizon. In the latter part of 2015, both Twitter and Facebook significantly upped their customer service functionality. Twitter ditched the “mutual follow” requirement for its DM (Direct Messages) feature, meaning companies and customers can now contact each other directly and privately. At the same time, it lifted the standard 140-character limit for Direct Messages, so DM now makes a great one-on-one channel for tackling customer issues. Facebook, not to be outdone, has launched a beta version of Messenger Business, offering a new chat-based avenue for companies to have real-time, personal conversations with customers. Considering that Messenger has more than 800 million users, it’s not hard to see it evolving into a ubiquitous, mobile-friendly channel for customer service in the years ahead.

Perhaps the biggest change in social media is the accelerated evolution of networks into “everything platforms.” Twitter isn’t just for blasting out 140-character updates anymore: It’s for one-on-one messaging, video-sharing, customer service and more. Facebook isn’t just about connecting with friends: It’s now (or soon to be) a workplace productivity tool, a video sharing and streaming platform, a place to shop, etc. Similar transformations can be seen across LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat, among other networks. Social media has become less a discrete thing that people do than a natural component of everything they do. And that trend shows no signs of slowing.

Ryan Holmes is the CEO of Hootsuite and founder of Invoke Media.

Source : Observer

TD Jakes Visits Jail Inmates as Part of Criminal Justice Reform Project

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TD Jakes Visits Jail Inmates as Part of Criminal Justice Reform Project

Christian Post Report – Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potters House preaches about the trauma of making transitions in life at the Woman Thou Art Loosed conference at MegaFest on Aug. 30, 2013, in Dallas, Texas.

To help further craft their vision for criminal justice reform, Bishop T.D. Jakes and a Dallas County judge visited the Dallas County Jail last Wednesday to meet with inmates who say they want a second chance at life.

Going before a parole board, the inmates told Jakes and Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins their stories, which included background on their childhoods, families, and addictions, as well as their plans for how to stay out of jail, their support systems and even their fears, hopes and dreams.

Among those stories was one 35-year-old inmate’s concern that his criminal record will “scare off” employers and landlords, and his hopes to overcome the negative labels of “junkie” and “crackhead” that he has endured. Another inmate, a 50-year-old woman, is ashamed to allow her sons to visit her after being imprisoned more than eight times. Her latest conviction involved the sale of crystal meth. She hopes to see more programs in place that help ex-offenders stay on the straight-and-narrow after they get out of jail.

“No little boy, little girl starts their life saying ‘I hope I grow up to be incarcerated,'” Jakes told The Dallas Morning News.

The pastor and judge hope to advance their efforts for criminal justice reform as well as reduce the jail population and provide support for ex-offenders who are trying to reintegrate into society.

Jakes has already created a re-entry program for ex-offenders through his Dallas megachurch, The Potter’s House. The Texas Offenders Reentry Initiative, or TORI, is a program that aims to reduce recidivism in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston and San Antonio through services that include employment, housing, family reunification, education, healthcare and spiritual guidance, states the church’s website.

The Potter’s House pastor plans to share the inmates’ stories and struggles when he travels to Florida this spring to meet with “thousands of ministers.”

That meeting will likely be Jakes’ International Pastors & Leadership Conference Apr. 21-23 in Orlando, Florida, where the megachurch pastor and other speakers, experts and presenters will provide church leaders with resources and insight on how to fulfill their missions.

Bishop T.D. Jakes is the senior pastor of The Potter’s House, a megachurch with more than 30,000 members. He speaks nationally and has become a resident expert on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network.

Source : Christian Post

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