People often feel that the chat room is a safe place to share their struggles and ask deep questions. As hostesses we want to be ready to disciple and minister in all situations. Here are some suggestions on how to respond in these situations:

• Before answering, pray for the person and for God's wisdom to guide you; ask God to show you the underlying issue that may be troubling this individual.
• When answering, lead with empathy. For example, say, "Your situation certainly sounds difficult."
• Offer a relevant Scripture; work with your co-host here. Some possibilities: Jeremiah 29:11-13; Psalm 73:25,26; Romans 8:38,39 and Joel 2:25 .
• Offer to pray right in the chat room. You could say, "Can I  pray for you (or for this situation) right now?” Then lead the group through a prayer time for this person.
• When sharing your thoughts or biblical advice, open your sentence with, "I'm wondering what would happen if you tried..."
• Recommend a book that relates to the topic. Some good ones that may be suitable are:

Changes That Heal, by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
Love is a Choice, by Hemfelt and Warren
Faith is Not a Feeling, by Ney Bailey.

• Recommend a good web site or article that you may be familiar with.
• Suggest to the individual that he/she team up with an e-mail mentor for more personal follow up. Take time to then direct him/her to the mentor button on the chat room page. http://www.christianwomentoday.com/chat/mentoring.html
• Offer to continue to pray for the person.

Check out more great chat tips.