Challenging Times

Several papers this morning carried reports about a new paper by psychologist Aric Sigman, which says that watching television does even more harm to children’s health than was previously thought.

In Sigman’s paper, published in the journal Biologist, he analyses 35 studies, and identifies a wide range of health problems caused by television:

* It causes obesity, and may be a bigger factor in obesity than either diet or exercise.
* It significantly increases the risk of developing type-2 diabetes
* It suppresses the production of melatonin, which plays a vital role in the immune system, the sleep cycle, and the onset of puberty
* It can cause permanent damage to a child’s eyesight
* It can be linked to autism

The average six-year-old child in Britain has already spent an entire year of his or her life watching television. Sigman says that:

‘To allow children to continue watching this much screen media is an abdication of parental responsibility – truly hands-off parenting.’

He says that ignoring these findings could lead to the ‘greatest health scandal of our time,’ while cutting the amount of time children watching television could save the NHS money. He recommends that very young children should not allowed to watch any television, while it should only be introduced ‘judiciously’ for older children. Sigman comments that

‘While society has shown alarm over school dinners, it has ignored the high-screen diet children have been consuming.’

Maybe future generations will look back on television the same way we look at child labour, people trafficking, drug abuse or smoking.

A new online self-assessment tool from Internet Evangelism Day team enables churches to develop and improve their websites. And this year’s web evangelism focus day is set for 29 April 2007.

‘Does your church’s website communicate to outsiders as well as to the members?’

… asks a new web resource. A church site is the congregation’s ‘shop window’ to its community. To fulfill this function well, it must be enticing, people-centered and easily understood by outsiders. Unfortunately, many churches are unsure how to achieve this vital mix.

So the Internet Evangelism Day team has launched an online self-assessment tool. It leads a church through a series of key questions, to highlight areas of their website which may need development:
http://ied.gospelcom.net/design

‘I think it will be very helpful to churches,’

… comments Gene Anderson of Resurrection Lutheran Church, California.

A church site which has been prioritized for non-Christian visitors can be remarkably effective in reaching the community.

‘Week in, week out, more visitors turn up at our church on a Sunday because of the website, than anything else,’

…writes one growing church in London UK that uses these principles.

The Internet Evangelism Day (‘IE Day’) website also explains other types of online evangelism, such as outreach sites, video clips, blogging and podcasts. There is even a free ‘conversation starter’ screen-saver to download.

April Church Focus Day to Increase Awareness

The IE Day team also encourages churches and other groups around the world to hold their own ‘web awareness focus day’ on (or near) 29 April 2007. The IE Day site provides downloadable video clips, drama sketches, posters, handouts and a PowerPoint presentation, making it easy for any church to create its own IE Day program. This can as brief as a 2-minute spot within a worship time, or an entire themed church service, seminar, or midweek meeting.

Churches that have already held their own focus day are enthusiastic.

‘It was a real eye-opener for many,’

…writes one in Muncie, Indiana.

‘We held a midweek evening presentation of 90 minutes, for other local churches,’

… says another from Dawlish UK.

A Canadian church leader comments,

‘I used a 10-minute presentation that focused on how anyone can get involved in reaching out to the Internet community. I also added a section on using our church website as an evangelism tool, as some of our members have already had great success with it.’

One surprising aspect that the IE Day team emphasize: web evangelism is for anyone, not just the technically gifted.

‘There are many ways to share your faith online, without any technical background at all,’

… says IE Day Coordinator Tony Whittaker.

IE Day is supported by a wide range of Christian leaders.

‘I am glad to commend Internet Evangelism Day,’

… says John Stott.

Internet Evangelism Day is an initiative of the Internet Evangelism Coalition, an umbrella group of major interdenominational Christian groups involved in Web ministry, based at the Billy Graham Center, Wheaton. IE Days purpose is to explain to the worldwide church the potential of the Web for effective proclamation of the Christian Good News by:
- a detailed resource website: http://ied.gospelcom.net
- encouraging churches and other groups to hold an annual web awareness focus day

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interviews available: http://ied.gospelcom.net/publicity
Photos available: http://ied.gospelcom.net/photos
Recommended photo for this item: http://ied.gospelcom.net/churchphoto
Additional articles – ready-made material and MP3s: http://ied.gospelcom.net/articles
Leaders supporting IE Day: http://ied.gospelcom.net/supporting
Online formatted version of this release: http://ied.gospelcom.net/latestnews

Tony Whittaker is co-ordinator of Internet Evangelism Day and editor of the Web Evangelism Bulletin email newsletter. He is available to consult on any issue relating to online evangelism.