Using Media
"When it comes to audio and video products, the mobile phone can be an effective method of getting the Scriptures to people... who then pass them on to other people... who then pass them on to other people..."
This article discusses some of the implications of mobile phone technology for encouraging the sharing of audio/video Scripture products. Questions raised include:
- Who is your target audience?
- What are the best Scripture products for the phone?
- How will people get their first copy of the media files which they can then share with their friends?
- Are there any copyright issues involved?
- How could mobile phone technology become an obstacle to people engaging seriously with God’s Word?
- What are the most positive aspects of using mobile phones for Scripture distribution?
"Make a big effort to understand the full meaning of the text... Try to put yourself in the shoes of your character. Think of their character, their temperament, their behaviour. What do they like? What don’t they like?"
This is a list of advice for narrators and actors working on audio products for promoting Scripture Engagement. These could be dramatised Bible portions or Scripture relevance dramas.
The advice comes from a drama team with many years of experience in producing radio programmes in West Africa. [more...]
The Saber is a solid-state digital player with hand wind power. It enables people to listen to Scripture in areas without electricity.
It has an amplifier, speaker and sound box, so it can play at significant volume with good quality. This makes it ideal for use in groups. It handles speech and music equally well.
The Saber is powered from internal rechargeable batteries. A built in generator allows the machine to be recharged by turning the handle. External power sources, such as AC/DC power packs, solar panels, or batteries, can also be used to recharge the machine. [more...]
People need to engage with God’s Word in order to have their lives changed. What if they could engage with without picking up a Bible? What if it could be delivered in a new way? One that is always with them? 411God delivers God’s Word to users’ cell phones in either SMS, voice or e-mail format at a convenient time they choose each day. It helps engage people who may not otherwise take the time to read from the Bible regularly. [more...]
 | JAARS, Waxhaw, NC, USA Sponsor: JAARS VMS |
Courses offered include:
1. Vernacular Media Specialist Training
This training gives instruction and hands-on experience in all aspects of vernacular media work in Wycliffe. Concepts covered range from strategizing for use of appropriate media, communication principles, evaluating media, designing programs, choosing an appropriate recording platform, and instruction in various recording platforms.
2. Program and Curriculum Design [more...]
The Lunaba Radio Drama team developed a weekly radio program in which they teach the people through means of drama. They teach how Christians have resolved the problems they meet in their lives by doing what God teaches in the Bible.
Radio drama shows the relevance of Scripture to everyday life.
In each radio program made by the Lunaba team in Africa, someone has a difficulty. Then a friend or a neighbor says something like, “You aren’t the first person to have this difficulty. May I tell you a story from God’s Word about someone who had the same difficulty?” In this way, they show how someone obeys a teaching from the Bible and finds God's help.
Sample scripts and more a detailed description can be downloaded from the SPARK site. [more...]
The Papyrus audio player is available from Renew World Outreach:
Features:
- Putting content onto it is easy: it reads from internal memory and/or removable SD memory cards.
- It can contain the whole New Testament.
- It is charged using a built-in solar panel, or via computer or AC power.
- Total playing time when fully charged is estimated at 8 hours.
- It is loud enough for around 100 people.
See the Renew website for the latest pricing information.
For a review of the Papyrus compared with other audio players, see here. [more...]
"The Bible" page on Facebook has over 8 million fans. The idea is simple: Scripture verses are posted every day and Facebook users have the opportunity to leave their comments - as they engage with God's Word and with each other. It is not unusual for posted verses to receive several hundred comments and to be 'liked' by several thousand users.
The Bible page was launched by Mark Brown, former CEO of the Bible Society New Zealand, as an experiment in presenting the Scriptures in the Digital Space. The page is now managed by the United Bible Societies. [more...]
Pilot programs have clearly shown that extensive word and concept explanations are often needed if a non-Christian is to understand the written text as read on a cassette. The explanations will need to be provided in a format that is appropriate to both the medium and the listening context. It may be... a dramatic series of daily readings, presented in the context of a village family, and a narrator who will provide the necessary help with background information so that the listeners can place the text in its geographical and cultural context.
Although written before much of the revolution in digital media, this book provides a lot of useful strategic input for those involved in media and Scripture Engagement.
It is divided into three sections:
- Foundational principles for use of media in church and mission – Biblical principles, communication models, research methods.
- Selected media descriptions – chapters on television, radio, video, audio cassettes, print, film, music, painting & dance-drama, computers
- Practical guidelines for media in church and mission – strategy, planning, production, testing, distribution, evaluation.
What excites us most is that people who have never before led a Bible study are now having regular studies in their homes.
This article relates how Bible study cassettes on Genesis 1-11 and James have had a big impact on the Central Bontoc people of the Philippines. It outlines the format of the Bible studies and the ways they have been used both within churches and in evangelism, and how they support the development of literacy. [more...]