Biannual Update 2021
Post-Apostolic Church
INTRO
On this day, eight years ago, this channel began. As is my tradition, it is time for a biannual
update. I would like to talk about where this channel has been,
address the advertisements that have appeared, share some statistics, and also
get personal. In advance, thank you for
listening to this update.
PROGRESSION
Greetings and so forth, everyone! Yes, I do still exist. If you have been a subscriber for a while, you have probably noticed the lack of
activity on this channel. Over the last couple
years, the channel has been very, very quiet, except for a few videos on the
Septuagint and the video on the Name of God the Father, which was posted two
weeks ago. Recently, I have been working
to change this season of silence.
The good news is that
the mini-series of videos on God the Father has been completed. There were 14 videos. The series on the Divinity will continue. Next, the plan is to share seven or more
videos on God the Son, Jesus Christ. And
after those, there will be three or more videos on God the Spirit.
If you are curious as
to how this channel is progressing or about what is in the works, you can find updates
on the blog. Also on the blog, I post
the full scripts of the videos. As a reminder, whenever there is a quotation from a Pre-Nicene Christian, a
direct link is included to their quotation.
That way, if anyone is interested, they may read the early Christian
quotation in context. There is also a
link in the description. Special thanks
to the website Christian Classics Ethereal Library, which provides the
Ante-Nicene Fathers for free.
YOUTUBE ADVERTISEMENTS
For the last half-year
or so, you have noticed the addition of advertisements on this channel. From what I could tell, this began when the
channel reached 20,000 subscribers.
Since the beginning of
this channel, I have purposely declined to become a Youtube Partner. Being a Youtube Partner means you gain some extra
benefits as a Youtuber and you gain a fraction of income from the ads that are
played on the videos. I have been
diligent in trying to prevent ads from showing up on this channel. Because of the following verses,
I committed myself to keep this channel ad-free.
You have received free of charge; give free of charge. (Matt 10:8b, HCSB)
Buy—and do not sell—truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding. (Prov 23:23, HCSB)
When the ads first started showing up, I was very disappointed. I have looked for ways to remove them, but I have not been able to do it. I would like to be clear: even though there are ads on this channel, I have never received any money from Youtube and do not plan to receive money from ads. This is my commitment for this channel.
Because Youtube will
be running ads on this channel and because Youtube is a free service (for both
you and me), I hope you will consider the ads as if they were “Youtube taxes.” Yes, ads are annoying, but we can think of them
as a way of paying taxes to Youtube in order to enjoy these services. As for me, I have decided that
whenever I see an ad on this channel, I will thank Youtube for the opportunity
to share videos for free. I encourage
you to think the same way. So, the next
time you watch or skip an ad, choose to be grateful. Remember the words of Paul,
Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor. (Rom 13:7, HCSB).
GETTING PERSONAL
It has been a quite a
few years since I have shared anything personal in these update videos. This year, it is time to get personal again.
The main reason this channel has been quiet for a couple of years is because of a significant and very unpleasant life change. I went through a divorce. I greatly desired to spend more time and effort on this channel but was not able to do it. I continued to read (and sometimes respond to) the comments, there was not a lot of progress in making new videos. With an event such as divorce, I spent much of my time and effort leaning on God and focusing on His will for my life. I dove into finding recovery from this experience.
And my story is a story
of victory. When hardship came, I
decided to lean into God, completely relying on Him. When life turned against me, I turned to God. And that made all the difference in my life. Through this experience, my faith has grown,
my relationship with God is deeper, and I have learned much. In fact, I have taken my story and given back
to others who have gone through similar hardships. I have seen the power behind Paul’s
words, when he said,
Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2Cor 1:3-4, HCSB)
I both received and gave comfort through others, which was the working of God. No matter what hardship you have experienced or are experiencing, I have seen how one thing is true: you are not alone!
It was important that I take a hiatus—more or less. But as I said, my story is a story of victory. God has allowed me to return to a place where I can continue making content. I am so excited to begin the next mini-series of videos on God the Son. Specifically, we will begin with what early Christians believed about the deity of Jesus. That will be the next video!
SUBSCRIBER BOOM
A year and a half ago, one of
the most amazing things happened. Up
until that time, the rate at which people were subscribing was steady. It was about 300 or 400 people each month. But in November of 2019, 6,000 people subscribed in a single month! It was shocking. In the comments, I was hoping to see some
clue as to why so many folks showed up at that time. Did a popular website or Youtube channel
promote this one? Did Youtube change the
way they count subscribers? Was it something
else? It is still a mystery as to why
this happened. Regardless, I’m glad
folks are finding this channel so that they can learn about early
Christianity. I want to thank YOU so
very much for subscribing!!
STATISTICS
Finally, let’s end this video
with some statistics. In the previous
update videos, I read the statistics out load.
But from now on, they will only appear on the screen.
Subscribers
Here are the statistics for subscribers.
First two years (July
2013 – July 2015). +542 subscribers. 542 total subscribers.
Second two years (July
2015 – July 2017). +1,708 subscribers. 2,250 total subscribers.
Third two years (July
2017 – July 2019). +5,406 subscribers. 7,656 total subscribers.
Last two years (July
2019 – July 2021). +14,625 subscribers. 22,281 total subscribers.
Currently, there are 106 listeners who have subscribed by email.
Videos
Here are the statistics for videos posted.
First two years (July
2013 – July 2015). +35 videos. 35 total videos.
Second two years (July
2015 – July 2017). +19 videos. 54 total videos.
Third two years (July
2017 – July 2019). +12 videos. 66 total videos.
Last two years (July
2019 – July 2021). +4 videos. 70 total videos.
Views
Here are the statistics for videos viewed.
First two years (July
2013 – July 2015). +26,966 views. 26,966 total views.
Second two years (July
2015 – July 2017). +126,552 views. 153,518 total views.
Third two years (July
2017 – July 2019). +339,721 views. 493,239 total views.
Last two years (July
2019 – July 2021). +666,863 views. 1,160,102 total views.
CONCLUSION
I feel very blessed to be able to share the faith and
history of early Christianity with you. I
pray that the Lord grants renewed activity over the next two years! Please stay tuned for more, and please share
this channel with your friends and your ministers. Again, I ask that you to pray for this
ministry.
Blessings and so forth.
