Church leadership consultant, Phil Cooke has a highly read article that among other things challenges leaders to “explore the media” this year. Here is what Phil said in the segment:

The latest study indicates the average American family watches TV and surfs the Internet an average of 10 hours each day. Compared to your time in the pulpit of a couple of hours each week, who has the most influence? Unless pastors and ministry leaders learn the power of the media and how to use it effectively, we’ll continue our not-so-slow slide into oblivion.

Discuss movies and TV programs with your congregation, and teach them how to properly prioritize the media. And think more about your media outreach – even the smallest church or ministry can create an effective Web site or energize their graphic design. The battle for influence in your congregation’s life has begun, and you’d better get into the fight.

While Phil’s article was written primarily to pastors and church leaders, there are applications for any Christian leader considering their next steps in the use of new media.

Big Vision, Big Goals, Big Faith 

Absolutely, if you haven’t already, make it your mission this year to review, analyze and investigate the new media universe. Discovery is essential to helping you determine where it is you want to take your organization and your people.

Next, answer this question:

What’s the single biggest thing you can imagine that will enable your organization to become a leader in the use of new media in the next 12 months?

Think about what role new media plays in your organization right now. Think about where you would like to be. Think lost souls. Think customer access to Christian new media channels.

Think Big. Ultimately, this will lead to a Big Vision, with Big Goals, requiring a Big Faith in God to accomplish.

Things are changing so fast with media now, that you cannot afford to aim for small, incremental steps. You need a game changer. You need to do something that will change the way your organization looks at media from the top down. Something that will force you and all those you influence to reevaluate preconceived ideas about media, to come up with bold ideas, and to develop new methods that make implementation of your Big Goal practical. Next, make a list of your most important steps. Start working the list today.

Young people being targeted

If you need more motivation, keep these stats in mind: Time spent with computers has tripled over the past decade among kids age 8 to 18. The bulk of this group’s time is spent on social media, followed by games, video sites and instant messaging. The average kid packs a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes worth of media content into a daily seven and a half hours of media exposure.

So that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:11

Youth are at the center of an exploding digital culture. Alcoholic beverage and other companies have stampeded into this Wild West environment to create an array of “advertising experiences” to glorify their products to young people

Christian leaders must also provide great online experiences to reach and equip younger generations, or risk being left in the dust.

Like Phil said, it’s vital that you “get in the fight.” This time next year you will have stories to tell of how your team moved far beyond the blackboard to create unique digital approaches.

The use of New Media has created new possibilities as well as new challenges for Christians.

It takes great spiritual discernment to understand how digital communications relates to the mission of the Church.

Whenever I think of how churches and individual Christians should respond to the digital revolution, I’m reminded of the men of Issachar.

“The men of Issachar, understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” I Chronicles 12:32

The men of Issachar were an amazing and valuable group of 200 leaders that played a crucial role in making David king over all Israel.

Their wisdom stands the test of time.

They understood the times. They were men of great skill, able to accurately perceive the issues and provide an insightful analysis.

Leaders are needed today to give careful attention to understanding new media and social networks. They will, as the Spirit helps, discern the place for technology in fulfilling the mission of the Church.

They knew what Israel should do. They were forward thinkers, able to establish a clear vision, and transform it into a coherent strategy.

Leaders are needed today to make creative use of the new technologies, to employ their full potential, and to develop practical policies and workable outreach endeavors.

They knew how to lead. They were passionate and totally committed to their mission, “fully determined to make David king.” (v. 38) They were a team, as “day after day men came to help.” (v. 22) They were unified, as “all Israel came together.” (11:1)

Leaders are needed today who will undertake new media ventures; experiment with new technologies; and establish cooperative communication efforts across cultural, denominational and geographical lines.

Generation at a crossroad

We must pray for discernment asking God, who sees and knows all things, to give us His wisdom and clarity.

The men of Issachar didn’t sit on the sidelines as the world changed around them. They knew what was at stake. A great nation’s future hung in the balance. They prepared for battle.

The men of Issachar were mighty soldiers and warriors. They didn’t have to change their God-shaped identity and calling to align their thinking and strategy with the times. They took command of the situation and carried out God’s purposes.

Men of Issachar are needed for the 21st century. Men (and women) who understand the Digital Age. Leaders who perceive that if the Church doesn’t saturate the online world for the cause of Christ, enemies of the gospel will dominate the space for their causes.

Religious broadcasting in America is nearly 100 years old. With the globalization of communication, one media era is ending and another beginning. This is a legacy defining moment in the history of Christian media.

The core strengths of traditional terrestrial broadcasting, and mounting threats to its long-term survivability, have now been well documented.

For a number of years, media consultant Mark Ramsey and Internet marketing pioneer Seth Godin have been discussing the challenges and opportunities for broadcasters due to the changing media landscape.

Mark recently assembled his conversations with Seth into an updated article for a national broadcast convention.

Twelve points about the current state of traditional broadcasting emerged from my refections on their talks. For this analysis, I focused on six stable strengths and six serious threats for broadcasters.

Six strengths

1. Powerful legacy media assets
2. Inherent localness of the platform
3. Loyal audiences
4. Existing base of support from sponsors and partners
5. Access to content creators like ministries and record companies
6. Seasoned leadership and talent

Six threats

1. Declining value of broadcast licenses
2. Increasing intolerance of interruptive advertising
3. A flood of new competitors
4. Lack of widespread data management capabilities and audience data
5. Content creators, “artists,” going direct to new media
6. Failure to reinvent

In their discussions Mark and Seth also considered a number of opportunities created by the challenges.They shared ideas for leveraging broadcasting’s strengths into new media delivery systems and channels for individualized relationships with listeners and partners. You can review more of their tactical thinking in posts on Mark’s blog.

Seth’s conclusion? If broadcasters don’t start building now, “There’s zero chance you’re going to be able to do it in five years,” he said.

The moment

There’s a tension for Christian communicators. Globalization, driven by technology, is presenting monumental challenges. At the same time it is producing the greatest opportunity for Christian broadcasters since the church discovered radio, and sermons were carried over the air waves in 1923.

Daunting challenges can overwhelm and cause us to give up. They can also inspire us to overcome and, with God’s help, to press on toward His amazing future.

Christian communicators have been given what I believe is a God-given moment in time to, quite literally, build an entirely new platform for the gospel. A once in a lifetime opportunity to move toward a new future for Christian media; to create a new legacy.

The next generation of workers is ready, as I wrote about here, and as this email illustrates, recently arriving through my blog. Tina says, “I graduated from Taylor University and would like to pursue online ministry to support my family and serve.  What opportunities are there for a MSW who would love to go to graduate school and finish a Ph.D in ministry?”

So the wall was completed in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6:15-16

The legacy

Rebuilding the industry by creating a new platform will be a massive undertaking requiring considerable resources and coordination. It won’t be easy. There are two basic ways to go about it. Build as individual organizations, doing what each thinks is best. Or, build together, a community digital media barn-raising, if you will.

Either approach may get the job done.

One is an opportunity to show the world an unprecedented level of unity and to complete the project in record time.

That approach would take churches, organizations, ministries, businesses and vendors in communities everywhere becoming true partners. It would mean setting individual agendas aside. It would bring the best and brightest minds together to share ideas. It would result in the building of a new media platform that honors our Lord and spreads the gospel person by person, neighborhood by neighborhood, nation by nation.

The chance to create a legacy for an entire industry comes along perhaps every one hundred years. This is a defining moment for Christian communicators.

Question: Do you know leaders who might be interested in having exploratory discussions around the idea of working together to build a new media platform in your community?

The most ambitious, creative and technologically versatile generation of college graduates in history will soon be looking for work. Savvy Christian media organizations have a huge opportunity to get a jump on attracting this valuable talent pool.

It may take some retooling to get ready. Five basic steps to help jumpstart the process are just ahead.

Colleges Retool

Journalism and mass communications educators are coming to understand the need to revamp for the times. Universities are overhauling course and degree offerings to address the mind boggling changes technology is bringing to all media.

So far, more than 30 major colleges have retooled or discontinued their journalism and mass communications programs.

With a new mission, a new name. Schools of Information are removing walls between programs, combining learning tracks like journalism, communication technology and business entrepreneurship.

In her article for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Katherine Mangan says students are flocking to these schools. “Blogging, broadcasting, and tweeting their way through courses revamped to embrace the digital age.”

“Information students,” as they’re known, are being provided with a wider variety of skills — how to develop multi-platform convergence strategies and design business models; how to take photos, shoot video and use social media; how to connect people, information and technology in more valuable ways.

A huge challenge is looming for the students.

Dismal job market

Upon graduation, these qualified and well-trained new media professionals will face the worst job market since the depression.

The Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication reports that graduates are confronting a job market unlike any they’ve encountered in the nearly 25 years for which comparable data are available.

Big media companies are radically restructuring. But they’re cautious about hiring. Everyone is trying to figure out where media technology is going next.

Jobs are scarce.

One student said that nothing he had done at the university prepared him “to deal with this horrible economy.” His advice to 2010 students not yet graduated was direct: “Stay in school forever. It all goes down hill from here.”

Opportunity for Christian organizations

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Christian students are currently attending Schools of Information. They’re in these schools because of the belief that God has called them to use technology and digital media for advancing the gospel. They too will soon be looking for jobs. Where will they go?

I believe turmoil in the marketplace and a hyper reluctance to hire has opened the door for Christian organizations to attract these graduates before anyone else does. Like the colleges of journalism and mass communications have learned, restructuring around information and communication technology and social networking will put you on their radar.

Five steps to “retool” and prepare for the next generation of digital media graduates:

1. Be certain that you have a complete understanding of the Internet and digital media. For instance, very soon the majority of us will consume most of our digital media on a mobile device. It will be visual and two-way. See “YouTube Starts Testing New Live Streaming Platform.”

2. Protect operational basics (people, processes, technologies), then restructure or blow everything else up and rebuild.

3. Create new jobs. Director of New Media would be a good place to start. (A post on new media job descriptions is in the works.)

4. Form collaborative team to anticipate which way media is going in order to design new business and ministry models.

5. Actively recruit students who are prepared to deal with a variety of applications across diverse working environments.

Revamping legacy operations will be a daunting job. It will take time and patience. For those rising to the challenge right now, willing to be made into new media communication centers in a sense, there will be many highly trained Christian graduates eager to serve.

Threshing sledge

Sharp digital media warriors in sync with the times and the great mission.

You will be made into a new threshing instrument with many sharp teeth. You will tear your enemies apart, making chaff of mountains.  Isaiah 41:15

In biblical times a threshing sledge was used to drag fields to chop straw in preparation for being separated from the grain by the winnowing process. The chaff, and the grain would be tossed into the air, and the chaff would be blown away, leaving the grain.

QUESTIONS: What other steps could organizations take to retool? What other jobs should be created? What advice would you give to graduates looking for jobs in Christian organizations using media?

(Image of threshing sledge courtesy of www.HolyLandPhotos.org)

Technology is completely reshaping media. Religious broadcasters and churches are right in the thick of it. It seems to me a good time for looking back on the legacy of religious broadcasting and looking forward to Christian media in the third millennium.

Let’s look at five building blocks provided by God that have sustained Christian media for nearly 100 years.

Looking back

Five building blocks God provided for traditional broadcasters.

1. The network. God had a redemptive purpose for man’s “harnessing” of radio technology. The U.S. Christian broadcasting network currently consists of 2400 full power radio stations and 100 full power TV stations, and a total audience reach of 75 million.

2. The workers. God always calls people to fulfill His purposes. Over the years, hundreds of thousands have answered the call to work in radio, TV and church media. The National Religious Broadcasters and The Gospel Music Association were formed to provide community and bring unity to these Christian media workers.

3. The content. God’s promises have been the cornerstone of a wide range of faith-based, hope-filled and family themed broadcasting content. Created by pastors, churches, ministries, individual broadcasters, networks and artists.

4. The partners. Through donors and advertisers, loyal audiences, public and private partnerships, God has provided support for the greatest Christian communication platform the world has ever seen (to date).

5. The results. Whenever I’ve asked someone involved in using media for the gospel what the greatest benefit of their work is, they’ve always said, ‘the lives of people changed for Christ.’ It’s the reason we do what we do. Historian Tona Hangen defined the impact this way:

In the latter half of the twentieth century, religious broadcasting made possible coalitions and personal relationships that permanently changed individual lives and revitalized a set of religious traditions that seemed on the verge of extinction.

Looking forward

“I know that everything God does will endure forever. Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.” (Ecclesiastes 3:13-15)

The individual characteristics of the five building blocks will change to accommodate new technologies, globalization, and participants but their fundamental nature will remain intact. “Everything God does will endure forever.”

The network. God has a redemptive purpose for man’s “harnessing” digital technology. The global communications network is providing tens of thousands of Christian individuals and organizations with the opportunity to build local and global outreaches, reaching massive audiences. Some are using both traditional and new media. Some exist entirely online.

The workers. A new breed of worker is being called to jobs such as Digital Pastor and Director of Digerati. Roles are being redefined in traditional media organizations to incorporate an understanding and execution of new media.

The content. Digital technology is making it possible for Christian new media networks like LifeChurch.tv Open to create and distribute ‘free’ libraries of creative materials and sermon series. Faith Comes By Hearing has developed Bibleis, a ‘free’ suite of mobile and social media applications for reading, listening to, and sharing the Bible around the world, in over 450 languages.

The partners. A consensus is forming on the need  for more partnership and collaboration. To break down barriers between organizations by sharing knowledge, skills, experience and financial resources. What new media evangelism, discipling and community service ventures will materialize as broadcast stations, churches and ministries join forces?

The results. Lives are being changed by the gospel, through all forms of electronic media, on a global scale never seen before.

We are the first generation in all of human history to hold within our hands the technology to reach every man, woman and child on the earth by 2020, said Walt Wilson, founder and CEO of Global Media Outreach.

The future of Christian media

The future of Christian media will include revolutionary technology innovations, new workers, attracting younger audiences, greater collaboration and impacting all nations for the glory of Christ.

Success will, to some degree, depend on how well the aforementioned five enduring building blocks, the legacy of religious broadcasters, are kept in place as a firm foundation for constructing the new Christian media platform.

Trusting that, “God will generously provide all that you need,” to accomplish the mission.

Question: What are some other key building blocks of Christian Media in the Digital Age?