How To Use GlobalChristians.Org
GlobalChristians.Org is like a bible school that has a big library. You can study courses in GlobalChristians.Org or just browse the resources.
You are free to use GlobalChristians.Org any way you like - do a course, read an article or download something and read it later. To this end we have short courses, long courses, articles, material to download and links to other places on the Internet that are full of useful information.
Much of the material has also been compiled into zip files and ebooks - so you can quickly download them to your computer and read them without having to be connected to the Internet. The ebooks and zip files are "compressed" which means that you can download 20 or more major articles in five minutes or so in one hit. This keeps your costs down when using the Internet.
The courses are all free. It is recommended you be a bible-believing, born-again Christian and over 18 to do the courses.
Finding Information
To find information about a topic that interests you use the search box at the upper right which uses a Google site search engine. You can search aibi.ph which contains GlobalChristians.Org. Type in the term you want and click on the magnifying glass icon (looks like a Q), and you will quickly find all you would like about the topic. Try searching for the following terms: "Jeremiah", "prayer" and "church management" and you will find information about each of them in the vast resources of GlobalChristians.Org!
Using Ebooks
GlobalChristians.Org uses electronic books to help students download their class material as quickly as possible over the slow Internet connections that are common in rural parts of Asia. An ebook can contain hundreds of pages of bible teaching yet take only 3 minutes to download and they can be read in most web browsers.
ZIP type ebooks - download the ZIP file to your computer. Remember where you put it. Use WinZip or similar archiver program or the Windows built-in "extract all" menu selection (right click on the file name to get the menu) to open the file. (Hint: Make sure you extract it into a directory of its own and not into your downloads folder! So in extract to you might type ebook1 for the folder name) Go the folder where you put the extracted files and find the file called "index.html" and double-click on it, or open it in your favorite web browser. The ebook will come up and you can start work.
Selecting A Course
GlobalChristians.Org is currently offering the two-year Harvestime International Network course for pastors, church planters and evangelists.
Harvestime Bible College Course Two-year bible college course that trains people in evangelism and church growth and basic pastoral knowledge and skills. The only text needed is a bible. The English level is fairly straightforward and simple. It has already run in at least 50 countries successfully, and is now online.
GlobalChristians.Org is also offering fifteen Short Courses on topics as diverse as prayer, urban ministry and the life and ministry of Jesus.
Downloading Ebooks and Files
To download an ebook or a file, click on the link and then follow the instructions in your browser. Remember where you put the file on your computer. Then use Windows Explorer or a similar file manager, go to the file, double click on it and it should open.
Zip Files
Some files are ZIP files. To open these you need an archiver program such as WinZip or 7-Zip - one is probably on your computer already. Zip files are not complicated - they are just compressed and "zipped Up" making them much smaller and hence easier to distribute over the Internet. WinZip just "opens the envelope" and extracts the file from being zipped up back to its normal uncompressed state. Just install WinZip then click on the "zip file" in Windows Explorer and the file should open - then just follow the simple instructions on the screen. Or you can right click on the file and use "extract all" to unzip it.
PDF Files
PDF stands for "portable document format" and its a very nice, attractive and secure way of presenting data so that other people can download it and use it - whether they have PC or a Mac or Linux or whatever. However to read a PDF file you may want to download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, (although most web browsers can display a PDF file these days) . Once you have done that and installed it on your computer you will be able to read PDF files - and that's a good idea because lots of people are using them now!
Using Articles In Your Ministry
Generally speaking you may use articles from GlobalChristians.Org for personal ministry, a bible class, sermon etc. but not for publication, use in the mass media etc. The articles are all copyright and if you want to reproduce an article then simply e-mail the author and ask him or her for permission. Some authors give permission in the article itself, others are a bit more restrictive. Always check with the individual author. When the author is John Edmiston (that's me) you may use the article for ministry purposes quite freely but not in the mass media or print or elsewhere on the Internet without permission. So say you find one of my articles on prayer and you want to teach it to your bible class - go right ahead and send me a note telling me how it went! I love to hear of my material being used for God's glory! However if you want to publish it in your denominational newspaper - then please drop me a note first.