One of the central themes at my blog is exploring new ways of using communication technologies to reach people who are not coming to church with the gospel.
One business model outlined in several posts recently, here and here, is the creation of a new type of local Christian media platform, using a holistic community approach.
Dream Year
The Dream Year Weekend retreat in Nashville was an opportunity to further shape the idea in a collaborative environment.
If you’re not familiar with Dream Year, it is a 12-month process designed by Ben Arment to help individuals launch their ideas.
We met for three days at Cross Point Church to better understand, articulate and pursue our God-given dreams.
Some of the amazing people I met, and their dreams:
Barry Sims (Arkansas) – a federal judge who wants to launch a dynamic youth ministry
Dana Byers (Indiana) – to launch 10 internet church campuses in other countries
Dusty Craig (Texas) – an online pastor who wants to start a church online conference
Ben challenged us to look into the future with high expectation. To focus our thinking and energy. To go for it. “God has given you a vision. You have the responsibility for moving it forward,” said Jenni Catron, one of the guest speakers.
Frustration behind the idea
The idea I took to the retreat was to build a SaaS (Software as a Service) online video platform, with end-to-end technology and content, that would enable local broadcasters and churches to start their own regional Web TV stations and networks.
The interactive characteristics of the solution would allow local organizations to offer world-class, stimulating, audio-visual content and establish relationships with people not coming to church.
“Great frustration shapes the dream,” says Arment. “Your dream should solve the problem.”
Individuals on a spiritual journey but not coming to church represent what I’ve come to believe is the last mile of outreach for local churches. Tim Stevens, Executive Pastor at Granger Community Church wrote about the problem in this post.
As a Christian broadcaster, I share Tim’s frustration. We’re living in an age when we’ve saturated the culture with Christian media, and still … there is 30, 40, 50 percent, or whatever the number is, to be reached.
Christian communicators have run an outstanding race using media. It’s been a grueling marathon. Claiming radio and television technology for the gospel. Perfecting the ministry and business models. Overcoming obstacles. Reaching millions.
But now, at a critical juncture in the race, technological and organizational change presents new challenges. Some are understandably weary of the uncertainties. Others are energized by the opportunities.
Helping hands
On Sunday at Dream Year, we attended church at Cross Point, pastored by Pete Wilson. Pete was teaching from Exodus 3-4, where God gave Moses the dream to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Then the Lord said to Moses, “So now, go.”
You know what happened next. Moses experienced a free fall into fear. Who wouldn’t have been scared to death of Pharaoh? When Moses complained, God didn’t kick him off the team. He sent Aaron.
Enemies just as dark, ferocious and cunning as Pharaoh are at work today. You can be sure, they are scheming to keep Christian communicators from taking huge risks with their media assets; from doing things they have never done before, to reach people no one is reaching.
In his message, Pete pointed out that Aaron represented community to Moses. “Community is the way God confronts and redeems our desire to give up,” Wilson said. At our time of greatest need, God gives us helping hands to defy human fears and the evil enemies of His plan.
Overcoming the opposition
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do.” Exodus 6:1
I believe building a local Web-TV syndication platform is an opportunity through which God could bring His people together to overcome the opposition. Greater cooperation and coordination of local media assets can be a powerful force for enabling Christians in community to run that last mile of the outreach race … together.
“Every God-given opportunity has an expiration date, and the cost of missing out can be a lot greater than the cost of messing up,” Wilson cautioned.
There are times when working together is imperative to survival.
In the Lord of the Rings, Lord Elrond called together a meeting of all the inhabitants of Middle-earth: Man, Elf and Dwarf to unite the realm for war. “You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction, none can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom.”