MINISTERING THROUGH BBM

MINISTERING THROUGH BBM by Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor)

BBM (short form of BlackBerry Messenger) is a branded data-based instant messenger and videotelephony application that allows messaging (and videocalls for some smartphones) between BBM users. It was developed by the manufacturer of the BlackBerry, that is, BlackBerry Limited (formerly known as Research In Motion Limited [RIM]). BBM is now the best way to connect and share instant messages, pictures and more for free, in real time. Until recently, only people that own BlackBerry smartphones could exclusively use BBM. However, as announced during BlackBerry Live 2013, BBM officially has gone cross-platform on Android and iOS since October 21, 2013. With this, people with Android phones, Galaxy Tabs, iPhones and even iPads can now use BBM application on their devices. Unlike other instant messaging apps that use one’s phone number or email addresses as one’s identifier, BBM uses a PIN (personal identification number) so that one is always in control of who can contact him/her. This means that one can share one’s PIN while maintaining one’s privacy and always being in control of who can contact him/her. BBM automatically comes with every BlackBerry smartphone with a unique PIN. When one installs BBM on Android or iPhone, one will be assigned a new PIN. One’s PIN is unique to one’s device. Now that more and more people are joining millions of people throughout the world that are making use of BBM, how can Christians make use of this instant messaging app to minister to one another and even reach out to non-Christians? Here are some of the ways to do so: 1. Individual Chat: One can chat individually with any person in one’s BBM contact list. Apart from sending devotional messages, sermons, Bible study outlines, short quotes, prayer wishes, and so on through this individual chatting, it is good especially for counselling and praying with/for individuals in one’s BBM contact list. 2. Group Chat/Messages: There is opportunity of creating BBM groups or joining existing ones. Devotional messages, sermons, Bible study outlines, short quotes, prayer wishes, and so on can be sent to members of these groups, and each of them can respond to the sent messages. 3. Broadcast Messages: One can send a message to all (or some of) the people in one’s contact list at the same time. This is called broadcast message. All the people that the message is sent to once will receive the message. Devotional messages, sermons, Bible study outlines, short quotes, prayer wishes, and so on can be sent as many times as possible through this way. The difference between broadcast message and group message is that only the sender will receive any response to the broadcast message as individual chat while all the group members will get any response to a sent message. A message received through either individual chat, group chat or broadcast message can be sent or forwarded to other people through one’s individual chat, group chat or broadcast message. 4. Display Name: This is what one uses to be associated with one’s BBPIN. It can be one’s real name, nickname, or combination of characters or even smiley. One can use this to give a specific info like phone number, website address, and so on. There is even an opportunity to use a short profile as one’s display name. This profile may contain one’s name, sex, birthday, location, favourite football club, favourite food, and so on. Undoubtedly, this will give one’s contacts or anyone that sees one’s display name in one’s contacts’ lists a message about him/her. 5. Display Picture: this is the image that is placed beside one’s display name. It can be one’s picture or any other image. One can use an image with a message to minister to one’s contacts. This picture or image can be saved and used by one’s contacts thereby spreading the message on the image to other contacts. 6. Display Status/Personal Message: Ordinarily, there are two options in one’s display status: “Available” or “Busy”. However, one has the third option of personalising one’s status with a short message. This message will be included at the bottom of one’s display name and every contact will see it. Apart from display status, one can include a “Personal Message”. This personal message allows maximum of 64 characters (with spaces). Like display status, personal message is also included at the bottom of one’s display name and every contact will see it. 7. Emoticons/Smiley: The word emoticon is derived from two words: emotions and icons. Emoticons are a shorthand method of explaining a feeling (smiles, frowns, winks, and the like) on the Internet. Emoticons can be used in any communication over the Internet but are particularly popular with chat rooms and instant messaging. They can be used in e-mail also. They grew from clever combinations of punctuation marks that now are usually translated by software into an actual face. 8. Sending Info/Images: One can send information or images through other means like pictures, voice notes, files, locations, BBM contacts, BlackBerry contacts and appointments. Being on BlackBerry Messenger network used to be for a class of some people. Nonetheless, with BBM officially going cross-platform on Android and iOS since October 21, 2013, more people, especially young people, are now on the network. This indeed is a new “mission field” with a ripe harvest. Will you join the labourers in this field? (Pastor Bayo Afolaranmi has been ministering through BBM for the past two years. He can be connected through this BB PIN:29275BB9.)