
Experts survey the new media landscape and explore specific ways in which Christians can expand their ministry effectiveness and advance their worldview with discernment and grace.
A Pew Study reports that only 2% of America’s twelve million bloggers claim “religion, spirituality or faith” as their main topic. This leaves a great mission field in cyberspace, say contributors to The New Media Frontier, because the latest forms of communication present so many opportunities to promote the cause of Christ in other topics and fields. Before blindly jumping in, however, Christians need to weigh the possibilities against the consequences, and then proceed with the practical discernment and grace this book provides.
With a foreword by national radio host Hugh Hewitt—who has been at the forefront of the new media movement among Christians—editors Roger Overton and John Mark Reynolds (along with an impressive list of other new media experts) survey the current landscape and explore specific areas in which God’s people can creatively expand their reach to a lost world. By stressing the urgency for Christian involvement, unearthing the dangers, and advising readers on how to use this media with different audiences, this book equips believers to advance, demonstrate, and utilize the Christian worldview in this exciting realm.
a must read
I recently read the new media frontier (blogging, vlogging, and podcasting for Christ..) The New Media Frontier is a must read for any leader in a church, school or organization that has a desire to use technology to further the gospel and use it wisely. While I don’t want to spoil the read for all you who haven’t read it yet, I would like to pull out some principles and ideas from the book that really resonated with me.
1. New Media pessimism is here and must be handled carefully in a playful philosophizing sort of way.
2. Old Media can be looked at as passive whereas new media is active and can generate discourse that can invite furthur conversation.
3. Christians must act quickly while we still have any chance to capture the new media habits of this generation.
4. The chief danger of new media is that our souls will die for want of silence, solitude and reflection.
5. A blog can serve as a microwave community.
6. Social networking allows leaders to be vulnerable and open and get close to the people they are leading.
7. Taking the gospel to the ends of the earth may mean the virtual world communities such as second life.
Brandon Riley
Radiant First Productions
cell 817.808.8086
web http://www.radiantfirstproductions.com
blog http://partoftheglue.com