Which Direction to go?

Thanks for coming to the GCC website.  I’m taking a break from the videos and blog posts on communication to do this personal message to the visitors to my site. 

When I first started the journey that would lead to a degree in counseling it was because I saw the devastation that was occurring in our community because of the breakup of families.  After prayer and advice from others I chose to focus on marriage counseling because it seemed like the best way to make a difference.  I thought it would help protect children who are victimized and help parents pass their faith to the next generation.

So over the last two years I have spent a lot of hours counseling with couples (individuals too).  And my observation is similar to what I’ve heard from other professionals: too many couples come to marriage counseling with a relationship that is DOA.  I understand that God is in the resurrection business, but I also know that he allows us to make our own choices.  And I also know that there is a lot of wisdom in the old proverb that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.  So I have thought for some time that it would be wiser to help marriages by working on the “ounce of prevention” instead of the “pound of cure”.

That’s where the website blog and videos came in.  I saw a counseling webinar on the power of social media in communication, and decided to try it.  The idea was to provide teaching tools for couples whose relationships are in trouble but not at the breaking point.  To try to reach couples with preventative teaching before their relationships are in crisis.  So I’ve produced and posted videos at the rate of about one a month for all of 2014. 

But the problem I have with this internet-based medium is that it can be pretty impersonal.  I get information about how many people visit my website from the company that hosts it.  I also get information about how many people see, click on, share, and like the content I put on or link from Facebook.  What that doesn’t tell me, though, is if anything I wrote or talked about was helpful.  If anyone actually used the concepts I’ve talked about in the videos. 

The question about the effectiveness of the information I’ve produced was especially in my mind when I began talking to people about support for the ministry.  It made me wonder: “Am I being a good steward of the money that God has given me through those who support this ministry?”  Writing takes time, so does putting internet movies together.  Is the time I’m spending on this a good investment?  Would it be better to explore some other options?

It seems to me that the best way to answer these questions is to ask you, the visitors of my website. 

I’m not fishing for compliments here, I just want some honest feedback.  For example, some time ago I talked to someone who had watched some of my earlier videos.  They had some constructive criticism about the way I did the filming.  I valued that information and tried to make adjustments because of it.

When I watch the videos I made longer ago I think that I could have done better.  I want to, going forward.  But I also want to have a better understanding about the effectiveness of these videos and blog posts.  So would you be willing to give me some feedback?  Topics to discuss?  Things you think would be helpful?  What you like or don’t?

If you see this on Facebook you can message me.  If you view it on my website, just click the letter icon at the top right of the page.  My phone number is also in the contact page of the website, you can text as well.  The message, email or text will be only seen by me.


In summary, I value your input.  It will help me understand where I focus my efforts in the future. 

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