CHAT ABOUT JESUS
www.chataboutjesus.com
Chat About Jesus (CAJ) is a platform I have never come across before. Its strapline is: ‘Helping you know, trust and follow Jesus’.
We have all probably seen ‘new visitor’ cards at our churches that ask for details, and we may send a text message or WhatsApp with a follow-up message after someone visits us on a Sunday. However, I’ve never seen a live chat platform for people who want to know more about Jesus. The site offers three different options: text message, live chat, and phone call.
The website is run by Need Him (www. needhim.org) which have an assortment of websites that offer a similar service, including live-chat ones and ‘real answer’ pages, as well as resources for new believers. CAJ in particular also offers articles on ‘hot’ topics like anxiety, sexual sin, and gender.
On researching some of their sister websites, Need Him seems to be pressing into being there as a help for those struggling with the trials of life, anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Each website has a slightly different design and wording to help maximise its reach. For example, Chat About Christ (www.chataboutchrist. com) prefers a more traditional look over the modern CAJ and includes articles on topics such as ageing parents, troubled children or failing health, rather than the more culturally relevant topics.
This type of platform, in a way like the Samaritans, is reaching out to someone who is struggling and feels they have nowhere else to turn. I am hoping that this tool will save lives and change the eternal destiny of many who take advantage of it.
