June Series 2015 | the church and the mediaPastor Clement Akran, Healingsprings fellowship

During the course of this lecture, we will explore…

- the media’s influence over Christianity, culture and politics

- and its enormous potential in our mission to reach the lost, and discipleship

Overview – the landscape…

The Media is oftentimes described as the Fourth Estate, almost like the invisible hand in economics…

the Fourth Estate can be defined as a societal or political force or institution whose influence is not consistently or officially recognised

- What you don’t recognised, you cant handle.- For instance: Goliath never recognised David,

- Samson never recognised his limitations,

- Satan completely underestimated God’s plan through Jesus Christ

the media’s influence over faith, culture and politics

…

politics…

The CNN effect: The term's coinage reflects the pioneering role played by CNN in the coverage of events like: the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 in china, the fall of Communism in eastern Europe, the first Gulf War, the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia.

These were all viewed as being strongly influential in bringing images and issues to the immediate forefront of American political consciousness and beyond.

- In more recent times, the FIFA scandal

…

In the UK alone, the media has been the subject of government enquiries, police investigations, legal cases, and ethical debates; most notably the recent phone-hacking scandal (the subject of the Levinson Inquiry)

- In the interest of the public or Public interest?- Active participation in political life by the majority is an essential component

of democracy, but it too depends on an adequate flow of communication to and amongst citizens and constituent bodies

culture…

- Cultural imperialism refers to the creation and maintenance of an unequal relationships between civilizations which favours the more powerful or dominant civilization

- Opera

- Gerry Springer

- MTV

- Body especially with women

- Media imperialism, a theory based upon an over-concentration of mass media from larger nations (most especially America), in which the national identity of smaller nations is lessened or lost

- The effects of African American Gangster Movies and Songs on African youth

Christianity…Secularisation: National Council of Churches defines secularisation as “...the ongoing, growing, and powerful movement called secularism, a way of understanding and living that is indifferent to religion -- in fact, not even concerned enough to pay it any attention, much less oppose it.”

- For example: in 1864 the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) published a document as a hostile response to fledging secularisation, as growing tolerance for other religions and the growing power of democracy was challenging their power to implement its doctrine in the countries of Europe

- As the world develops morally, public equality soon comes to the fore, therefore religion (because it causes issues), retreats from the public sphere as people prefer to meet on neutral terms (in peace).

Secularisation Theory

A theory in sociology which argues that as society advances in modernity, religion retreats

So, through the help of the media:

- intellectual and scientific developments have persistently undermined the bible, doctrines, spiritual, and supernatural ideas; on which the Christian faith relies for its legitimacy or credibility

- this is with a view that the faith declines into obscurity through the loss of finances and active participation and membership

- If God is so loving, why doesn't he allow calamities to happen, especially to the poor and helpless?

5 ways of looking at the impact of secularisation…

1. "Decline of popular involvement in institutionalized religion. This can be seen in the decline in church attendance, with fewer marriages, baptisms and funerals being performed under religious auspices"

2. "The loss of prestige of religious institutions and symbols" and the decline in influence of religious organisations

3. "The separation of society from the religious world, so that religion becomes purely personal matter"

4. The loss of the idea of the sacred. "As science increases our understanding of humanity and of the world, the area of 'mystery' and the supernatural decrease"

5. "Religious groups themselves become increasingly concerned with the things of this world rather than the spiritual world“

- Moojan Momen, the Phenomenon of Religion

My thesis: How do we turn the tides?

the enormous potential of the media in our mission to reach the lost, and to

make disciples

…

How did Jesus deal with bad news?

Luke 13:1-5

13 At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 He asked them,

“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

he used the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree…

Luke 13:6-96 Then he told this parable:

“A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 So he said to the gardener,

‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ 8 He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’

lessons from the parable…

• we have very limited time - For 3 years…

• God is looking - I have come looking..

• God is looking for fruits - Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?

• time is running out - He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it…

Matthew 28:16-20 (NRSV)

The Commissioning of the Disciples16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.18 And Jesus came and said to them,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

digital and social media in fulfilling the commission…

According to Lausanne Global Consultation on Media and the Gospel, there are 3 main continuous stages digital and social media plays in evangelism:

SOW — In this stage (which might also be referred to as pre-evangelism), people aren’t actively seeking Jesus. But digital and social media can play a role in influencing the perception of Christianity and creating an environment that fosters openness and curiosity to engage

REAP — the REAP stage extends from when someone reaches a place where they’re beginning to seek answers, through to a decision to follow Christ. Digital and social media provide a unique and safe environment for people to struggle and question, often in more vulnerable ways because of the perceived anonymity and safety of technology

DISCIPLE — After someone becomes a believer, the lifelong journey truly begins. Digital and social media can help people connect with a local church, provide resources and connections to deepen in the faith, and provide encouragement and tools to share Christ with others.

8 key roles digital and social media can play in the work of evangelism…

1. Authenticity: We should be as Christian online as we are offline, so that our friends know we’re Christians. Even on Facebook

2. Vulnerability and perceived anonymity: Something deeply psychological happens when someone seeks answers to tough questions using digital or social media. They’re often willing to be far more vulnerable and transparent than they might otherwise be in other settings (in person or on the phone, for example)

3. Findability: Google has changed our world fundamentally. It may have started as an easy way to find information. But when searches take on the form of existential questions — like “Who is Jesus?” — you can see that “Googling” has reached a new level of meaning

• This makes findability critical in today’s world. By creating good content and using search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, you can place the Good News seconds away from any search globally

4. Indirect evangelism: Particularly in the SOW stage, it’s critical to note that our content doesn’t need to be explicitly evangelistic. In fact, you could argue that a bulk of the digital and social engagement in the SOW stage should not be overtly evangelistic.

• Examples of indirect evangelism include a mom blogger with a massive following who doesn’t openly evangelize, but is unapologetically Christian and occasionally posts Christian content. Or the stars of a reality television show who clearly live out their faith in a winsome way.

…5. Platforms: In the REAP and DISCIPLE stages, platforms provide us with the tools to reach massive numbers of people. Technologies include web pages, chat rooms, instant messaging, videos, curriculum, location and more

6. Open source approach: Too many ministries approach technology and tools with a selfish mindset. They look internally to develop proprietary tools and technologies without considering what is available in the marketplace. They don’t share with other ministries. Far too many resources are wasted in continually re-inventing the wheel, rather than collaborating and using existing technology to accomplish goals.

7. Leveraging world news / cultural moments / memes: We live in a world where the news of the minute attracts massive attention. Rather than trying to drum up our own attention and interest, we should consider leveraging existing world events and cultural moments to evangelize, particularly in the SOW and REAP stages.

- For example, after singer Miley Cyrus gave a lewd performance at the MTV Music Awards this year, Focus on the Family chose to respond by blogging from the perspective of a father on their Dad Matters Blog. That single post generated more traffic and attention in one day than the blog typically receives in an entire month. And as a non-evangelistic topic, it gave Focus on the Family the opportunity to introduce a winsome voice into the conversation that points to Jesus.

8. finally, Content: Quality content is king — it’s core to your success in reaching and influencing people in digital and social media. Christianity is the greatest story ever told. The Bible gives us content on every issue related to the human condition. As wise and creative Christians, we need to be committed to creating and sharing evangelistic content for all three stages: SOW, REAP, DISCIPLE.

June Series 2015 | the church and the mediaPastor Clement Akran, Healingsprings fellowship