Pause & think.org [End]

Towards the end of November Pause & think.org went offline. Initially it was a temporary measure but now I after much thought, research and deliberation I have decided to shut down the site completely and this post has been written to explain the reasons behind why I came to this decision.

Before I continue I must add that the mission will not stop, its simply a case of changing the strategy to be more effective in ministry.

Back Story
As a growing believer I would always listen itently to what the gospel mc would say and try to implement what I learnt Into my life. As with any song it never paints the full picture and so I would read blogs from the few gospel mcs that took the time out to expound on the scriptures.

In my pursuit to be influenced by other artists I was often met with album reviews, concert information, purchase links and so on but never a word to build up the believer or non believer. There were a few who would write the odd post but they where not consistant enough [Including me]. I don’t think there is anything wrong with these things but I felt it would be helpful to add something more for those who want to grow spiritually.

Six notable examples of people who where consistant and of great benefit to my walk were the websites of shai linne, flame and Phanatic. From a non music point of view I liked sites like John Piper,  Mark Driscol and Paul washer.  So I wanted to incorporate blogs/podcasts/music etc into my blog but at the time I  could not find a way that I could do this from a tecnical and aesthetic point of view,  so a separate site was the next move.

Pause & think.org
I wrote my first proper blog which was called “Selah” and then I got the blogging bug and decided to work on a separate site. The site was launched in Dec 08 and got off to a good start, the aim was to have articles from other ministers, a weekly blog from my self and a basics series that would help the new believer. We would also provide resources at concerts GL Live and so forth.  The problem I  began to have was in maintaining the website alongside the actual work of generating content and being “out there” spreading the gospel.

Although the website looked stunning (thanx Rocket theme), the technical behind the scenes work often took hours and days to sort out which resulted in a few site crashes.  Kind of like a house that looked amazing from the outside but every time it rained there would be buckets inside the house as a makeshift  solution.

So over the course of the sites first year about 90% of the production time was spent on technically maintaining the site and very little time actually generating content and spreading the gospel.

Some of the final straws that broke the camels back was losing a few team members which made the already hard task harder. It did become very difficult to get others to contribute articles as the aim for pause and think was for it to be a hub or a platform for writers to write content but after 12 months I had very little in the way of guest content.

Faced with all these issues made it very difficult to focus on the core vision and so after much research and advice from some of you….I was able to find a solution to my dilemma

Moving Forward!!!
From a technical point of view I was told about a blogging platform called Word Press that was much simpler to use(thankx Esso) (it took 24 hours to build). I investigated and tested it out for a few weeks and found it so much more simpler to use and it has allowed me to concentrate on content building rather than “drowning in my keyboard” (Struggling to maintain a site). Although there are still some technical improvements to be made I still find this easier. I am now getting help from  Amadi Design a web Strategist firm and I feel very confident with this software package.

From a Ministry/ Vision point of view nothing much has changed. Apart form the fact that I am now going to be the sole contributor with exception to the odd guest blog that I may add to the site and the name change from pause and think to Baliva Music Ministry.

Baliva Music Ministry
Although there has been a name change and method change and in some ways for those of you who’ve followed the work I do it may seem like I have gone full circle but to quote the words of Jon Bloom “Battlefronts and tactics change, but our mission does not.”

I am not writing this just to justify my actions but I believe that it is important to keep you informed of whats going on as I value you as a reader and supporter of the work I do. I realize there will always be critics and some may think there could of been other ways I could of approached this change and they are probably right but with the knowledge I have at this present time this seems the right way to go. I hope those of you who have given your time, money and effort will continue to support the movement.

As 2010 approaches I will be finishing my sabbatical from music and beginning to focus more of my time on the music as we head out into the city to do some Hiphop evangelism. In the background I will be studying and developing two projects that are close to my heart and have been delayed for a while.

Blogs: The first is a series called Back2Basics a new believers resource that will help new believers understand the fundamentals of the faith and the second is a resource for Christians who want to enter into ministry, the blog series will come out of an ongoing training I am conducting with some of the younger believers in my church as well as counsel from others who have gone before me. The blog series is called Bricks and Stones.

Radio Show: The aim of the show is to provide a platform for Hiphop, Rhythm & Praise and contemporary Christian music. The show will also have information where people can buy or get free access to these songs. There will be a section on the show where a short sermonette is shared with the aim to challenge the listener to think of their walk with God. Other things will include a free platform for Christian ministries to advertise. The show is scheduled once a month and is currently being published on itunes, and various web portals.

Music: My second CD “Sunrise”, is a call to belivers to prepare for the coming of the King by recognising the times and acting on our convictions. The album features production from Unixplore Productions, Secret Place records and Anno Domini. Guest vocals include craig larson, Niki Carless and Erina Khanakwa. The album can be downloaded for free on www.balivamusic.com or bought via the itunes store as a way to support the ministry. I will also be making myself more available to support outreach’s, youth groups and concerts.

The priority this year is to develop “Timeless Content” and “Spread the Gospel” so keep us in your prayers as we labour for the kingdom.  If you have questions, suggestions or comments about this post please place them at the bottom of this post and I will reply. Also please look out for my next blog titled “2009 What a Year!” or get it by email here.

Your Brother in Christ

The official website address will be BALIVAMUSIC.com and my new and only email address will be mark[at]balivamusic.com. If you are on the Pause & think facebook group, I would encourage you to join the Baliva Music group which is located @ Facebook.com/balivamusic. Lastly If you want to keep up to date with all that is happening you can subscribe by email here.

Baliva Music Ministry – “Our goal is to make Christ known with creative arts and provide free or affordable  resources in the form of blogs, podcasts and music that will help people understand and believe”

Posted by Baliva