What people are saying about 'Facing the Challenge of Television'
'It
is vital that we, as Christians, understand the dynamics of television,
the exact processes by which it has the dramatic influence that it does
and then, on back of this understanding, how we can work for change so
that we can use its influence constructively. This new course from Focus
Radio is an excellent resource to help us do
just this. I wholeheartedly commend it to you.'
Charlie Colchester, International Director, CARE
Television changes us all - the advertisers are well
aware of that - which is why Christians should be far more aware than
they are of what is actually going on as they watch it. This well-designed
course enables us to discern between the good and the bad, and to decide
when to watch, and when to switch off!
Revd Dr. John Balchin, former minister of Purley Baptist Church and Above
Bar Church Southampton.
Following on from the success of 'Facing the Challenge
of our Times', David Couchman has put together a much needed resource
specifically aimed at the all-consuming impact that TV has upon the Christian
mind. Indubitably, we are influenced by our environment, and the
media form of TV is so pervasive that it necessitates a thoughtful Christian
response. Couchman delivers: in this 8 week course there are helpful
questions, quotations from modern authors that will stir discussion,
and a general call to a careful and thoughtfully balanced engagement
with today's media rich world.
Revd Dr. Josh Moody, Senior Pastor, Trinity
Baptist Church, New Haven, CT
'The course directs us to various Bible verses
and does a good job of seeking to get participants to apply biblical
principles to their TV habits.'
- John Benton, reviewing the course in Evangelicals Now, March 2007. Read
the full review on the Evangelicals Now web site
Television is the most profound tool for altering
values in our society. It gets under our radar screens. It presents powerful
views of what is true and false, acceptable and unacceptable. And someone
is controlling what is presented there.
In our media-saturate age every Christian should learn to think about
and respond biblically to television. This series of studies is overflowing
with important insights, biblical values and practical help. I hope
it will be used widely.
- Marcus Honeysett, Living Leadership
It was great to make use of these materials on a subject which impacts so
much of life today. Balanced, practical, relevant - the studies provide a
wealth of interesting study material. We need to be conscious of the way
our thinking and choices are influenced by television, and this course helps
us to do just that.
- Group leader
Our group of ten Christians used 'Facing the
Challenge of Television' and certainly found it stimulating.
The group, none of whom spend hours and hours watching TV, found the
material led to deep discussions about the use of time, and about bias
in the media generally, and we all were horrified to learn that the average
person in the UK spends 10-12 years of their life watching TV and being
influenced by it. One challenge that came out of the discussions was:
do we spend 10-12 years of our lives reading the Bible/worshipping/discussing
the Word?
- Group leader