Media Communicators

2012 European Media Communicators Network

In today's world, journalism, film, television, and the Internet dominate the way we, as an increasingly global community, understand and relate to the world and each other. If Christians wish to continue making a meaningful impact upon the world, gifted communicators who want to relate biblical Christian faith to contemporary culture through these media platforms will be greatly needed.

This Network seeks to encourage and equip such existing or emerging leaders who can speak with authenticity and relevance from within these influential cultural arenas. It will also focus on biblical foundations and models, worldview analysis of media and popular culture, and critical reflections on creative communication in contemporary media contexts.

Applicants should be current or potential leaders who are gifted communicators in the media (in such creative fields as journalism, film, TV or Internet), media commentators, media critics, media teachers or media scholars. Whatever the role, the common missional vision should be the wish to relate biblical Christian faith to contemporary media in a way that is authentic, appropriate, and relevant.

This Network will be co-led by Lars Dahle and Margunn Serigstad Dahle. Also speaking in the 2012 Network will be Os Guinness, Henryk Krol, Paul Marshall, Iain Morris, Carol and Nick Pollard, and Peter Saunders. A number of the sessions will be interactive with open discussions where participants will be encouraged to share perspectives and experiences. Prior preparation will be set for all applicants.

NETWORK SPEAKERS

Os Guinness is an author and social critic. He was educated in England, receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of London and a DPhil from Oriel College, Oxford. He was a Guest Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies and a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution. From 1986-1989 he was the Executive Director of the Williamsburg Charter Foundation, one of the drafters of the Williamsburg Charter. He is the founder and was the Senior Fellow of the Trinity Forum and most recently was Senior Fellow of the East West Institute in New York. Some of his influential books include The Dust of Death; In Two Minds; The Gravedigger File; The American Hour; Dining with the Devil: The Megachurch Movement Flirts with Modernity; Fit Bodies, Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don't Think; The Call; and Time for Truth: Living Free in a World of Lies.

Henryk Krol is the President of DR Studio and CEO of DEOrecordings Association, an innovative media ministry based in Poland that combines traditional media (6 FM Radio stations), art (professional recording studio and publishing), and new tools (13 Web portals, multimedia productions) with deep, Bible-centered convictions and a primary goal of evangelism. His heart is in building cooperation and partnership across denominations and countries to network for better effectiveness in spreading the Gospel. Henry holds a PHD in engineering. His research focuses on how to best use the Internet without forgetting to "stand firm" on the biblical truth as the final authority. He is married to Boguslawa, with whom he has three children: Filip, Paulina and Szczepan.

Paul Marshall is Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C. He holds a BSc (Geology) from the University of Manchester, an MSc (Geochemistry) from the University of Western Ontario, an MPhil (Philosophy) from the Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto, and an MA.and PhD (Political Science) from York University, with further studies in international human rights law at the University of Strasbourg and theology and jurisprudence at Oxford University. He has spoken on religious freedom, international relations, and radical Islam before the U.S. Congress and State Department, dozens of international governments and organizations, national news programmes, and universities. In addition to multiple articles and columns appearing in news publications like the New York Times, he has written or edited more than 20 books and booklets, including Their Blood Cries Out: The Untold Story of Christians Who Are Dying for Their Faith, the Wilbur Prize-winning Blind Spot: When Journalists Don't Get Religion, and his most recent book, Silenced: How Apostasy and Blasphemy Codes are Choking Freedom Worldwide (Oxford, 2011). 

Carol Pollard co-founded The Damaris Trust with her husband, Nick. Together they continue to develop cutting edge projects relating biblical Christian faith and contemporary popular culture. She also co-founded The Global Student Forum. In addition to her social entrepreneurial work, Carol is involved in broadcasting, as she writes and presents the Internet TV channel moviemoments.org which also airs on a number of Christian TV channels. She is a columnist for Families First, Mother’s Union’s bi-monthly magazine.

Nick Pollard is a former research psychologist turned author, lecturer, and social entrepreneur. He is co-founder of The Damaris Trust and The Global Student Forum with his wife, Carol. He has extensive experience as a presenter at Damaris school conferences in the UK and abroad. Nick has published a number of influential books, including Why Do They Do That?: Understanding Teenagers and Evangelism Made Slightly Less Difficult. He pioneered Damaris TV in 2008, with educational videos exploring worldviews and ethics, including his own www.pollardonfilm.com, with short videos helping people to think through films. He has a very extensive experience as a speaker at University Missions and school conferences in the UK.

Peter Saunders was born in New Zealand and originally trained as a General Surgeon, before serving with the Africa Inland Mission in Kenya and completing two years mission training at All Nations Christian College in the UK. Since 1992 he has worked in full-time Christian ministry with Christian Medical Fellowship, a UK-based organisation with over 4,500 UK doctors and 1,000 medical student members, first as Student Secretary and since 1999 as Chief Executive. As CMF’s CEO he is involved in leadership training, teaching evangelism, apologetics and ethics, medical mission, writing, editing, and media work. He was a foundation member of the European Apologetics Network Leadership Team, is Campaign Director for Care Not Killing Alliance, and a member of the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA) Board. Peter is married to Kirsty, also a doctor, and they have three sons, Christopher, Benjamin and Jonathan. They live in St Albans, and belong to a Free Evangelical church.

Tony Watkins is a speaker, writer, and editor, working primarily with Damaris as Managing Editor of Culturewatch.org. Tony is the author of Focus: The Art and Soul of Cinema (2007) and Dark Matter: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to Philip Pullman (2004), co-author of Back in Time: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to Doctor Who (2005), and a contributor to a number of other books including Matrix Revelations: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to the Matrix Trilogy (2003) and the Talking About series of books, of which he is the series editor. As of January 2010, he is also Adjunct University College Lecturer at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication in Norway. Tony is also a Bible teacher, and particularly enjoys teaching a course on the Old Testament prophets as part of the IFES/Scloss Mittersill Bible and Culture course.

Day 1

Media Awareness: A Forgotten Dimension in Mission?
Margunn Serigstad Dahle and Tony Watkins

Whereas media technologies are increasingly shaping global cultures, media awareness and critique often seem to be a forgotten dimension both in society at large and in evangelical mission and churches. However, the urgent need to equip pastors, youth leaders, and church pastors for engaging both the news and the entertainment media properly is crucial. This session addresses this urgent need and introduces key tools and resources, including CultureWatch and EngagingMedia. Though global and local media present some major challenges to mission and churches, by identifying key issues and asking key questions, we can transform the challenges into fantastic opportunities to engage with people in appealing, non-threatening ways. This session includes an interactive part where people are sharing ideas and impressions from local, national and / or global media.

Christian Mission and Major Media: Being Partners with the World for the Sake of the Gospel
Carol and Nick Pollard

Quentin Tarantino famously said that "cinema is the new church". Certainly it is through films that many people do their spiritual and moral thinking. This provides a missional opportunity provided that we can appropriately engage with the film industry. In this session Nick and Carol Pollard, co-founders of The Damaris Trust, will describe and illustrate how they have developed relationships with major film studios that has led to contracts to create official community outreach resources for films such as The King's Speech and The Iron Lady.