At last the Blog becomes a Conference

Well, we have all heard it before, " all things must come to an end." The graduate class of MC 550, Media in Society has had a wonderful time this semester discussing a wide variety of topics on our blogs and in the classroom. One of the best things about the class was that it was held over the Internet. Our class would meet every Tuesday & Thursday through a web conference host called WebEx where we would discuss real world issues that were timely & relevant to themes we had chosen to blog about. On April 26 at the Mississippi E-Center in Jackson from 12:00-1:20 our class will meet in the physical to host a conference. This conference will feature all of the groups along with guest panelist to discuss how the constantly evolving forms of media effects their theme. For Religious Media, our two guest speakers will be Pastor Stan Buckley, First Baptist church of Jackson and Breyon Brandford of Oromna Media. Come join us 26 April, 12:00-1:20 at the E-Center to discuss the importance of understanding and being active in the new media that surrounds you everyday.

Themes: Youth and Media in Society, Social Media and Relationships 101, Media Portryals, Decline of Print Media, Media in Society, & Religious Media.

Church through the Media: Use or Lose



More and more, churches are using the media to market, promote, and bring awareness to different aspects of the ministry for outreach.   Just yesterday, I received an inbox message for free streaming of church services.  The method of outreach is no longer limited to the door to door  ministry where neighbors are called to salvation and invited to come to Sunday Service.  The use of media saves time and effort on a church which is small and may not have the members to reach a wide span of the community on foot.  On the other hand, the original plan laid out in the New Testament of two by two going from home to home is lost.  Would Jesus have wanted Christians to expand our methods with the times? He did say that latter day Christians would perform greater works than He.  The complaint of many potential congregants is that many churches are too large and have lost the personal feel of the churches of old.  This problem is only likely to increase as more churches use media to attract more members.

Research shows that more people are exposed to different forms of religious media than the percentage of those who attend church with many depending on media such as television, radio, magazines, or books as their primary source of spiritual nourishment.

Do you prefer to go to attend a religious service or seek out your own spiritual advisement through media sources?

What Billy Graham Said

Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2010 10:35:12 AM by WebFocus

Below is a question anwered by Billy Graham regarding whether a person can just stay at home and watch television.

Q: I've always been a fairly independent person, and for that reason I've never bothered getting connected to a church. It always seemed like too much hassle. And anyway, I can watch a church service on TV if I want to. I know you probably wouldn't agree, but why? - N. McK.
 
Ans: Let me ask you a question: If you never ate a balanced diet, what would happen to your body? You know the answer: Eventually you'd grow weak; you might even open yourself to serious illness or disease. We all need a balanced diet if we are to stay healthy.

But it also includes fellowship with other believers. We need their encouragement; we also need to learn from their experience of walking with God. Don't shut yourself off from God's people, but ask Him to lead you to a church where His Word is taught and lived, and where you'll grow stronger in your faith. You need other believers - and they need you.

To read the full response to this question go to: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2604881/posts