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Ideas for a creative church service with a 'media focus' on Media Prayer Day:
(thanks to various contributors)

  • How would Jesus respond to the top six news items of this weekend's newspapers?
  • What would Jesus say to each of the characters in Desperate Housewives?
  • What would Jesus' website look like? What would it promote? What other sites would it link to?
  • If you worked for a major NZ advertising firm, how would you promote the "Good News"?
  • How might the Apostle Paul use the media if he was a TV/Radio/Film producer today? What lessons does he teach us about how to employ the media more effectively to broadcast the gospel today?
  • What would be in Jesus' CD player?
  • What would Jesus rent from the video shop?
  • The Simpsons pray, attend church regularly and remain loyal to each other. How do they rate as a Christian family? (Consider using a clip from The Simpsons as a sermon illustration.)
  • If a TV network arrived at your church this morning to tape your service and broadcast it, would that be a good thing, or a bad thing?
  • Is it biblical for a Christian to work in the secular media? Are we obligated to avoid it or should we attempt to be part of it?
  • Why are there so few Christians with high profile in NZ's secular media?
  • Consider the biblical/spiritual themes contained within popular movies (such as Lord Of The Rings, The Matrix, Bruce Almighty, Les Miserables etc.) and talk about the spiritual lessons we can learn from them
  • Would Jesus win NZ Idol? Survivor? The Apprentice? Big Brother?
  • What can we learn from The Da Vinci Code, and how can we turn it into a positive?
  • What if the media was dominated by Christians in New Zealand. Would people really be better for it?
  • Conduct an Oprah style chat show at the front of your church interviewing some non-Christians about how they feel about God/Jesus/church/Christianity.
  • Explore what is the typical way Christians are represented in the media and ask why? (Perhaps use the current Christian character in Shortland Street as an example.)
  • Consider using video clips from movies or TV as a sermon illustration.
  • Imagine a TV reality show about a non-Christian coming to live with your church community for a month. How do you think they'd fare?
  • If Christians controlled the media, would they allow freedom of speech?
  • Are the media consumption habits of Christians actually any different from those of non-Christians? Does our Christian worldview influence what we watch and won't watch? Should it?
  • Jesus was familiar with the popular theatre of his time and employed illustrations from it to convey his message (hypocrites = actors). Should we likewise seek to broaden our understanding of the modern equivalent, the cinema and TV, in order to better reach the people of our culture? If so, how?
  • Which actors/musicians/TV personalities are the top three influencers of teenagers today?
  • If Jesus had been born today, would he watch/read/listen to the news? Why?/Why not?
  • When did you last hear the word "forgiveness" on the news?
  • If Jesus had been born today, would the media celebrate him, or crucify him? Why?
  • Consider the role of the current Christian character on Shortland Street and the message he sends about Christianity. Is it positive or negative - fair or unfair?
  • Present statistics of TV watching and its influence on behaviour and society. Use case studies to illustrate how powerful the media can be in influencing the behaviour of millions of people. (Start with the 'War of the Worlds' radio show in the 1930's that so scared New Yorkers that they headed out of the city in their thousands.)

    If you have a further idea you'd like to add to the list, please email to info@mediaprayerday.org.nz

    Useful media related links:

    Christian Broadcasting Association: CBA produces a raft of Christian radio programmes designed specifically for mainstream commercial radio

    Real Life with John Cowan: CBA's weekly programme, every Sunday night 8-9pm on NewstalkZB

    Grapevine Magazine: Grapevine is a colourful, fun-filled NZ family magazine, totally committed to 'giving families a lift'.

    Journeys: exploring faith in the 21st Century

    Radio Rhema is New Zealand's nationwide Christian radio network.

    Shine TV is NZ's Christian television channel available on Sky Digital

    Christianity Works: How Christianity works in every day life with Bible teaching and resources.

    Breakpoint with Charles Colson: A Christian Perspective on today's news and trends.

    Chuck Missler's bible teaching resources: "Bringing the world into focus through the lens of Scripture"