06 Aug
Why is Faith Ascent creating something new?
Keep learning and climbing– even after Base Camp has ended.
At Faith Ascent, we want to equip Climbers for their faith journey throughout the year. As Climbers go to college, new cities or new jobs, they’ll face challenges to their faith. Some of those challenges might be from worldviews theyâre encountering for the first time, or from atheists that have arguments that just stump them in the moment. We want Faith Ascent to be able to connect with our Climbers when they need help or a listening ear. Maybe they just need to vent after having a rough conversation with a non-believer. Maybe they want to talk to other Christians who share similar convictions.
Trail Head is a think tank and a relationship-building resource for the era of smart phones and COVID.
What is Trail Head, exactly?
Trail Head is a virtual place where Climbers can…
- interact with one another on a private server
- wrestle safely with hard questions
- continue apologetic conversations without having to wade through all the distractions on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter etc.
- post, text, message, and video chat with other Climbers
- talk with our Faith Ascent staff
- join with just an email address
What isn’t Trail Head?
- A replacement for church youth groups
- A monologue — it’s meant to be a place for dialogue
- A place with all the answers
- An app that requires a phone or download
How does it work?
Climbers respond to an invitation to join Trail Head by registering an account using an email address. Climbers have the option to download the app on their phone or computer, but this is not necessary. They have full access to Trail Head using any internet browser.
Once registered, Climbers can interact with each other on various “text channels” that we’ve created. These channels function similarly to any group text messaging system. There’s a “Weekly Bible verse” channel, “Theological questions” channel, as well as many other categories that Climbers can participate in.
In addition to the “text channels”, there are also “video channels”. We have hopes to use these video channels in a variety of ways, but it essentially works like Zoom or any other tele-video service.
What is Discord?
Discord is the platform we’re utilizing to build Trail Head.
Discord is a website and app that was initially created so that online gamers can form communities where they could chat with each other while playing video games. Essentially, Discord is just another platform like Facebook or Instagram that can be used to chat with friends and others with shared interests. Unlike Facebook and others, however, when a Climber signs up for Trail Head, they aren’t seeing ads or posts from anyone or anything else besides what we post in our little corner of the internet. Think of it as “niche social media”.
Is Trail Head safe?
We’re working hard to make Trail Head as safe as possible. All the “text” channels are monitored by our staff. To keep accountability, we don’t allow Climbers to message individual staff members. When Climbers have personal questions, they can message our joint staff account. We’ve also configured Trail Head with an automated “bot” that erases foul language and warns any Climber that writes anything inappropriate.
Who can join? Are parents welcome?
Our hope is that in time we can open up Trail Head “channels” that will be specifically designed for parents. We’d also like to open Trail Head up to potential Base Camp members, but for now we’re keeping Trail Head membership exclusive to Climbers who have attended Base Camp before. We want to nurture a thriving community before we open it up more broadly.
Still have Questions?
You are welcome to email us with any additional questions? Email: info@faithascent.com
