Hundreds of millions of people exercise the power of sharing each day online by passing along yet another inane grumpy cat meme or music video parody. But what if what was being shared could instead lead people closer to God?
That’s the vision behind ChristianLife.com, a content-sharing website based on the idea that some things, like the gospel, are worth sharing. Launched this week by Charisma Media, the site features a daily stream of videos, images and memes that are not only funny, but also inspirational, encouraging, worshipful and even evangelistic.
With seven out of 10 adult Internet users engaging daily with a video-sharing website and 500 million photos shared each day, videos and photos have quickly become the dominant online vehicles for user engagement. ChristianLife.com will serve this rapidly growing audience with content that’s intentionally uplifting and always “shareable”—everything from awkward church signs to inspirational testimonies to hilarious conversations with children.
“Humor is part of the heart of God, and whether it’s a funny video or picture, our natural instinct is to share it with others,” says David DeVore, director of ChristianLife.com. “I think that’s why we’re seeing such a massive surge of sites built around sharing content. But while other sites tend to highlight the completely pointless and often trashy, we believe there are countless uplifting, godly messages out there worth sharing. It’s just a matter of helping people find them—which is where Christian Life comes in.”
DeVore is better known as the voice behind the camera of “David After Dentist,” one of YouTube’s most-watched videos of all time and Time magazine’s No. 3 greatest viral video ever. Recorded in 2008 when his son, David Jr., returned medicated from a dental procedure, the video quickly became a pop-culture icon and to date has been viewed more than 123 million times. Since 2008, DeVore and his son have appeared on virtually every major TV news, talk or late-night show, and have leveraged the global spotlight to raise money for Operation Smile.
In joining with Charisma Media, one of the leading publishers of Christian resources, DeVore hopes to bring about the same good by encouraging believers around the world with “shareable” content. ChristianLife.com not only helps Christians avoid the questionable content that dominates most content-sharing sites, but it’s also a resource churches and individual believers can use to share biblical messages with others.
“We’re excited about helping Christians engage more with others through a site like this,” says Steve Strang, founder and CEO of Charisma Media. “I believe we can not only encourage believers through ChristianLife.com, but we can also reach those who need hope through simple yet profound uplifting messages.”
Charisma Media is the leading charismatic/Pentecostal publisher in the world and is best known for its magazines such as Charisma, Ministry Today and Christian Retailing, as well as its digital brands such as CharismaNews.com and its Spanish group, Casa Creación. The company’s fast-growing book division has had 11 New York Times best-sellers in recent years, including Jonathan Cahn’s The Harbinger, which to date has remained on multiple best-seller charts for more than 110 weeks.
