In this day and age of social media dominating our lives, it can be almost impossible to find a place of solace on the Internet. Even the best blogs and message boards can have challenging communities, no matter how well moderated. When you’re a Christian, it can even be more difficult to find an online community that’s supportive of your walk with Christ as well as your expressions of faith IRL. 

While Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram are great for staying in touch, the open access platforms make it tricky to form active, consistent faith-based groups. Shared beliefs are a crucial foundation for all relationships—from friends and partners to bible study and business ventures.  And with more relationships than ever being sustained via social media, wouldn’t it make sense to have a Christian platform for sharing, connecting, and organizing?

Kelly Bedrich, founder of Christian Spaces, certainly thought so. In fact, his genius idea goes live this month. A “new and private social network of Christians serving together,” Christian Spaces is a safe, free place for likeminded followers of Christ to hang out. It goes beyond simply socializing though, and Christian Entrepreneur Magazine was eager to find out exactly what inspired Bedrich to create the site. He graciously caught up with us to talk his founding principles, the goals of Christian Spaces, and what exactly was missing from the prominent pillars of social media that can be found in this exciting new community.

Christian Entrepreneur Magazine: Kelly, tell me about Christian Spaces--what is it, and what are your goals?

Kelly Bedrich: Christian Spaces is a social network designed to connect friends and family in a community of faith.  Our goal is to have a platform that connects Christians across borders and denominations but also serves small local Christian groups in a supportive way.

Christian Entrepreneur Magazine: How did you come up with the idea?

My wife and I have been involved with a small group at our local church for several years. Everyone in the group is connected on various social media platforms but the way we communicate about Bible Study, prayer requests, events or anything is through email with a long distribution list that everyone replies to and copies continuously.  We thought there must to be a better way to stay connected during the week and to keep all of the discussion topics organized. 

We have a habit of constantly checking our various social media accounts throughout the day and often feel drained afterwards. Christian Spaces is a destination that we can use throughout the day to renew our spirit, refill our tank and uplift us so that we can serve God better. 

Christian Entrepreneur Magazine: What was lacking in current social platforms that inspired you to create Christian Spaces?

The social media platforms out there have identities that most people associate with them. For example, Facebook covers a very broad spectrum, Twitter is more news, technology and information, and Instagram tends to be more fashion, trends and self-promotion. We envision the identity associated with Christian Spaces being one of a positive and caring community of faith which provides a specific place for Christians to share and connect.

Christian Entrepreneur Magazine: How have you seen online spiritual/faith based communities be successful? What lessons have you learned that you're bringing to this project? 

Technology is an incredible tool and the ultimate outreach for communities of faith. We have learned over the years that people are the most invested in something when they feel connected to one another in a small group where they feel known and cared for. Christian Spaces provides a technology platform for people to share their faith and be an inspiration to others but it also provides a way for small groups to organize and communicate privately to support one another in life and on their faith journey.

Christian Entrepreneur Magazine: Besides you, who else is involved? And what do they bring to the project?

My wife and I have formed a company to support this project. We plan on making this project a grassroots effort initially. We hope to partner with other on-line faith networks to expand and grow this platform in the future.  We would like to have daily devotions, Bible verses, and provide resources for in-depth Bible study.

Christian Entrepreneur Magazine:What types of communities will be built via Christian Spaces?

We envision this platform being a place for a number of Christian communities beginning with churches and small groups but also for our users to support a cause or an outreach on local, national and worldwide levels.

Christian Entrepreneur Magazine: Are there options for tweens, teens, and adults? What age range are you targeting? 

Certainly Christian Spaces is designed to meet the needs of any age group to share and connect with one another in a positive way.  We’ll promote this platform with youth groups, Sunday school classes, small groups, MOPS groups, Bible study groups, prayer teams, choirs, praise bands, 55+ groups and the list could go on.  Christian Spaces is a perfect place for anyone who wants to connect with fellow Christians for a common purpose in a positive way.

Christian Entrepreneur Magazine: What kind of service opportunities are you hoping to create? 

Christian Spaces provides a way for Christian groups to make their causes known, generate support for those causes, and organize service opportunities surrounding a specific cause or outreach.  With so many volunteer opportunities and ways to positively impact the lives of others in our communities, Christian Spaces can meet this need in two ways. First, it is a platform for groups to organize service opportunities. Second, it is the place a person can go and find a service opportunity that fits best.
Christian Entrepreneur Magazine: How do you plan to moderate the content? 

We will set a tone for the content but not moderate it.  We will promote a positive site that celebrates how our friends inspire us, support us and help us along our Christian journey.

Christian Entrepreneur Magazine: What has been the most exciting moment for you in developing Christian Spaces? 

God reveals himself in many ways. We feel strongly that God is leading us on this journey.  That realization is both incredibly exciting and humbling at the same time. We are extremely excited to share this platform as a way to bring together Christians from all regions and backgrounds to strengthen their faith and make faith a part of their daily lives.

Christian Spaces launched this month and can be found at www.christianspaces.com, with fantastic webdesign by www.seattlesoftwaredevelopers.com. 

There can be many ways to contribute positively to your professional or personal community—volunteering, donations, community organizing, and event planning—and with social media usage at an all-time high, these activities are easier than ever. But what ever happened to mentoring? It seems lately people are expected to be self-starters, pulling themselves up by their bootstraps no matter how challenging their circumstances are, and finding success if they just work hard enough. But life isn’t that easy, and many people issuing that outdated advice are in extreme places of financial, racial, and class privilege. They don’t recognize the challenges faced by people outside of their own positions of social leverage, and therefore don’t think about the numerous pitfalls in the road for up and comers.

A true mentor is someone who can show you the ropes, help you make connections, and support you as you forge a career path. Not only is this relationship valuable for networking, but many lessons taught by mentors aren’t found in classrooms (if you’re in a position to even be able to attend school.) Mentors use their own experiences to educate others, making an impactful difference in their community. If it wasn’t for outstanding mentoring relationships, many talented and intelligent people wouldn’t be where they are today. These kinds of relationships are especially important for people of color, women, people of restricted mobility, and people from low income brackets—without someone to guide them, many of these under privileged people could be overlooked. But how can you be a good mentor? And how do you find someone who will benefit from your mistakes, successes, and life lessons? 

Put yourself out there

Let your community know you’re available to help. Contact local high schools, junior colleges, churches, and retailers of a comparable industry to yours and ask if they need anyone to provide volunteer career counseling. Use social media to your advantage and send Tweets, Facebook statuses, and Snapchats letting your network know how you can help. For example, if you are a successful freelance writer, offer to do portfolio review for aspiring writers. Find conventions, meetups, or Facebook groups and establish yourself as a resource. The easier access up and coming professionals have to you, the better you’ll be able to help. 

Inventory what you can offer

Before you make the time commitment to mentoring, plan ahead for what you’ll be reasonably able to provide. Not every mentoring relationship has to involve daily dialogue—some people just need a voice of advocacy and support, some people need a more experience professional to review their work, and some people simply need a resource for questions. Be clear about how much time you can devote, and agree to the terms of mentoring. Even if it’s two hours a week you spend on Skype or sharing insights from your work week, it’s going to be worth it. 

Build lasting relationships

The people you mentor won’t always be green, and someday they could be a valuable asset in your industry. If they have the right skills and abilities, consider elevating your mentoring to networking and collaboration, even if it’s on a project basis. Today’s learners will be tomorrow’s talent, and if you’ve maintained fantastic professional relationships, you will become a resource for the future of your profession. Be sure to pass qualified candidates along to your company’s HR department or get them into the hands of people you know—their talents will reflect positively on you, after all!

Be candid

Don’t sugarcoat the truths of your professional world, make sure that you’re honest and forthcoming about what people can expect getting into your industry. Think about the lessons you wish you would’ve learned in your first year and pass those learnings along. There is no shame in sharing your mistakes—it’s important to normalize professional growth and minimize the culture of risk aversion. Without risks, we might never find greatness, and the zeal of enthusiasm from the next generation should be encouraged, preserved, and respected. Don’t allow your jaded perspective of the industry to cloud your point of view, but also be clear about the reality of your career. Invite those you’re mentoring to observe the highlights and low lights of your world, and ask for their feedback on how they will lead through challenging situations.

Be a learner

Although mentoring is primarily about imparting gained knowledge and insight, don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn something new. Everyone has a valuable, unique perspective and the voice of your mentee should shape you as well. Leverage their skills and challenge yourself to take something new away from each conversation—are they fantastic at social media? A whiz in PhotoShop? Have an impeccable sense of style? Create opportunities for them to teach you about their passions, and cultivate a sense of giving leadership in them. Hopefully someday they can pay it forward and be the incredible mentor you’ve been to them. 

New Year’s resolutions aren’t just for your personal life, but are a great idea for your business as well. With a new year comes new opportunities to determine your focus, to establish your vision, and to make a plan for how to achieve you desired outcome. Even if you aren’t someone who sets New Year’s resolutions, why not consider taking some time to reflect on your accomplishments for 2015 and figure out what you’d like to bring into your business in 2016? I know, I know—this could snowball into a major overhaul where you’re left with a to-do list five miles long. But it doesn’t have to! Here are some smart, simple tips and ideas for how to plan ahead and set yourself up for an incredible, successful year:

Better Yourself

Before the year gets underway, take some time to think about how you’re going to further your professional development. It can be easy to neglect honing your skills and abilities in lieu of focusing on day to day activities, but with some careful planning you won’t have to choose. Pick one day each month, twelve days total, for you to spend taking a class, watching a webinar, reading a book, or networking. Think about what is going to feed your professional needs and then create time to satisfy them. Set calendar reminders now so you can plan your schedule far in advance. Not only is this beneficial for you, but consider the message it sends to your colleagues and direct reports: you value knowledge. Continued education is important to you. You are not perfect and are seeking ways to improve yourself. If you make it important, so will your team. In fact, why not think about setting up a book club with one leadership, strategy or development book each month? The possibilities are endless, and you have a whole year to fill with nourishing, helpful activities.

Better Your Environment

Your work surroundings greatly impact you and your team’s productivity. Don’t wait for spring cleaning to tackle the office dust bunnies, start setting up time in January to spend on improving your workspace. The trick to this being successful is small, achievable goals that lead to building good habits.

Start by taking an inventory of the basics: how is the lighting? Schedule a window washing, grab a few desk lamps for ambient lighting, or even replace outdated window treatments. These can make a huge difference in the overall feel of an office, and will benefit everyone. How are the shared spaces? Bring in some books or magazines from home, perhaps look into a plant service, or ask one of your green thumbed colleagues to cultivate a window box. Small touches can make offices feel more comfortable, and encourage you and your employees to take rest breaks throughout the day.

On that note, do an inventory of your office’s food supply (even if it’s your personal snack drawer.) Do you have good food at work? If not, put time on your calendar every month to do some office shopping. Grab nuts, dried fruit, cases of things you like to drink, cereal, granola, and snack bars. It’s important to keep your energy up, and communal eating is a great way to bond with your team.

Better Your Work/Life Balance

The year is your oyster. Make an effort to plan vacations, time off, doctor’s appointments, car maintenance, mental health breaks, and time away from work before you’re overwhelmed. Even if you don’t know all of the dates ahead of time, be sure that you’re keeping a work/life balance at the top of mind.

This is also a great time to assess this for your team. Do they feel like they have the space they need to take care of their personal and professional lives? Would trying out a work from home schedule be beneficial? Or should you structure a half-day Friday once a month to give them back some time? Think about the message you want to send to your people about your expectations. If they see you prioritizing your personal life, they will feel comfortable doing the same. When we’re taking care of our family/home stuff, it becomes so much easier to be all in for work.

Better Your Community

Thinking outside your four walls, what can you and your business do to engage with your community? Not only is the good will a positive addition to your workplace, but building relationships with other businesses and organizations is only going to strengthen your network.

There are so many great ways to do this. Talk with your local library about hosting a resume review, or visiting high schools on career day. Perhaps you work in a creative industry and you could arrange time each quarter to do tours and work shares with college students. Donating financially is wonderful, but what about setting up time every other month for you and your employees to participate in community activities, such as charity events, fundraisers, volunteering opportunities, or skill shares?

Before the year ends, challenge yourself to sit down and think of one thing you’d like to bring into your professional world in 2016. You have ample time to come up with a plan and you won’t regret the effort you put into setting yourself up for a happy, prosperous new year.