How
to support this website
By Kim Michaels
From time to time, visitor's ask how they
can help support this website, and here is a list of things you might
consider.
Financial contributions
Currently
this website is created and maintained by one person. While the actual
cost of maintaining the website is insignificant, there is a substantial
investment in time.
When I receive a question from a visitor, it can take several hours
to get the answer from Jesus, to edit the answer and to create the new
webpage. In recent months, the site's popularity has exploded, and I
am currently receiving more questions than I can possibly answer given
the time I have available. I divide my time between the website, writing
books for Jesus and making a living.
It was never the intention
to make this website into a commercial venture, but obviously the more
time I have to spend making a living, the less time I have to devote
to the site and other writing tasks for Jesus. Therefore, financial
donations to the site will help me focus more time on improving the
site. You can contribute in two ways:
-
Buy one or more
of the books.
The Christ Is Born in You is a fabulous book that people
really love (when they read it). Jesus says in the book that he
wants this book out to millions of people because it is a transforming
book. Buy it for yourself and consider giving one or more as gifts
to family, friends, your local library, local media or other people.
Some people have bought up to a dozen copies to give as gifts. Also,
The Jesus Koans is the perfect Christmas present for anyone
with a sense of humor and a just marginally open mind. People just
love many of the sayings in the book.
-
Make a donation.
This website
is part of a non-profit organization called Shangra-la. It is registered
as a charitable corporation in the state of New York, U.S.A. and donations
are tax deductible for New York taxpayers. To find out more about
Shangra-la, visit www.shangrala.org.
Mark donations with "Ask real Jesus" and they will go exclusively
to support this website.
You can send checks or money orders to:
Shangra-la, 85 Washington Avenue, Coxsackie, NY 12051. USA.
Help promote this website
Obviously,
many or you are already telling others about this website as can be
seen from the site's growing popularity (there are currently thousands
of visits per month, which is remarkable giving the fact that I have
had very limited time to promote the site).
There are many ways for you to help promote this website. Obviously,
the best way is word of mouth, but consider the following:
-
E-mail
is very powerful. Consider copying the Jesus koans from the home
page into an e-mail and sending it to everyone on your mailing list
with a recommendation for the site or just the web address. If people
like the koans (as most people do) they will send them to others,
and it can spread very quickly.
-
If you participate in
any chat rooms, discussions forums or message boards,
consider promoting the website there. Include a reference to a page
on the site that talks about the issue people are discussing. For
example, many people find Jesus' comments on current affairs to
be very informative.
-
If you know of any internet
directories or other websites where the site would fit
in, please feel free to submit it. The site is already submitted
to the major search engines, but there are many more, and you are
welcome to submit it (I simply don't have time to do it myself).
-
Ask other websites
you visit to consider doing a link exchange with this site. I am
very open to linking to other constructive sites about spirituality
and religion.
Help improve the website
I would like to eventually have sections that address the most common
questions of specific groups of people. For example, a page that addresses
questions that might help a Catholic, a Christian fundamentalist, a
non-Christian or people from other backgrounds. The questions might
relate to the following:
- Questions people would
have upon finding this site so that they don't reject it without taking
a closer look.
- Questions that would help
people come to a higher understanding of Jesus' inner message.
- Questions that would help
people look beyond their current beliefs and attain a higher understanding
of the spiritual side of life.
If you come from a particular
background, please consider putting together a short description of
what people believe and a list of questions that such people might ask.
I will then ask Jesus to comment on the questions and post the answers
on the website.
Help promote Jesus' new message
I am sure you can see that Jesus is using this website and
the books to bring forth a new message for today's seekers. I feel it
is an extremely important message to get out, and if you agree, I could
use your help.
I can assure you that the last year has been very busy for me. Besides
creating this website, four books have been written and published, and
I have been involved in creating the Shangra-la website. On top of that,
I am not a professional in terms of marketing or promoting books or
websites. If you have experience in any of these areas and would like
to give me advice or volunteer your time, I greatly appreciate it.
I am open to your suggestions
and creativity, but here are some of the areas where I could use help:
-
Promoting the website
on the internet or in the media. I know there are many opportunities
for promoting this website that I haven't even started tapping.
-
I could use help to promote
the books to the media. I will be happy to give interviews or go
on radio/TV shows. If you have contacts with your local media, please
let me know what you suggest.
-
I am an accomplished
speaker and I am willing to give talks about any of the topics covered
on this website. I am willing to visit church groups or any other
groups open to hearing about Jesus' new message. If you have contacts
in such groups, please feel free to tell them about the site and
have them contact me.
-
I am open to having a
larger publisher take over distribution of the books. If you have
contacts, I welcome your help.
If you happen to have experience
or a professional background in publishing, marketing, promotion or
the media, I could certainly use your advice and help. Obviously, I
don't have the resources to pay a professional, but any help you can
give is greatly appreciated. As Jesus would say, there might be a reward
somewhere else.
You can
e-mail me with any suggestions.
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© 2003 by Kim Michaels |
