Summary Report: Mass Media Track

Dear AD2-Announce Reader:

As the AD2000 & Beyond Movement moves towards its final closure date of early 2001, all of the movement's Tracks / Resource Networks and Task Forces have been requested to provide an overview summary of their specific realm of experience over the 5 - 10 years of their operational existence. These reports have been prepared for compilation of a "lasting record" of this movement and for all to see, as they are interested!

Please see the attached revised report on the Mass Media Track written by Eric Watt, Founder of the Network for Strategic Missions. Please be encouraged by this good report! The Lord has greatly used this Network over many years and with the cooperation of many worldwide. Great appreciation and praises to God for Eric - and many others involved!

These reports will all be included along with other historical reports and data of the AD2000 & Beyond Movement, including the AD2000 website, and much more on a CD-ROM being produced for distribution at Celebrate Messiah 2000. Further distribution of this CD-ROM will also be made after the conference. Please email [email protected] if you<> are interested in purchasing one of these CD-ROMs.

NOTE: Celebrate Messiah 2000 will be held in Jerusalem and Bethlehem 27 December 2000 - 2 January 2001. Registration invitation is still open to those so interested. Please contact Lauri Dennis, Registrar, at [email protected] for more information.<>

The AD2000 International Office will be closing early in 2001. Click here for more information.

Thank you for your interest in the AD2000 & Beyond Movement and its spiritual and catalytic outworkings into the 21st century. Please continue to pray for the movement until our closing day! Thank you!

That all may hear!

Luis Bush
International Director
AD2000 & Beyond Movement

A Report on the Mass Media Track
of the AD2000 & Beyond Movement and Celebrate Messiah 2000

Brief Historical Overview

The Mass Media Track was formed in 1995 shortly following the Seoul gathering. Through the generosity and guidance of the Christian Broadcasting Network, USA the main focus of the Track was to provide mass medial tools for evangelism and church planting initiatives in the 10/40 Window.

How Did God use the Mass Media Track?

The Mass Media Track was able to bring a greater understanding of effective and strategic media. This process created a number of strategic alliances with various initiatives already underway and also created new synergy through developing an effective follow up initiative for evangelism and church planting.

What specific goals did the Mass Media Track accomplish?

There were four basic outcomes of the MMT.

  1. A consultation was convened in October 1996 that enabled mass media ministries to connect, strategize and learn from one another.
  2. The regional and national leaders of CBN lent their leadership in 92 countries for the purpose of new and ongoing production, marketing and strategic planning.
  3. A grant system was put in place that "seeded" new media partnership throughout the 10/40 Window and in new mission sending regions.
  4. A small burgeoning equipping network began to develop to train national leaders in the ongoing needs of mass media ministry (television, video).

What were the lessons learned?

There were at least six lessons learned.

  1. Mass Media can be effectively used as both a pre-evangelism and evangelism tool.
  2. Varied funding sources need to be developed to offset the enormous expenses incurred on a long-term basis.
  3. Mass media is perhaps most effective when it can be sustained and when it is partnered with an effective discipling program.
  4. Training and equipping can help increase the number of culturally relevant tools, but an over-arching strategy that is regional or, at least, nationally focused helps to bring a sense of holism to the initiative.
  5. Mass Media should be conducted in the trade languages and in the heart languages of the people.
  6. The World Wide Web and the Internet are effective tools but not yet effective as evangelism tools in the 10/40 Window. In many cases, the technology has not yet reached beyond the wealthy elite.

What would the Mass Media Track have done differently... what would you recommend for the future?

  1. Work to build a systematic training initiative.
  2. Spread out the loci of momentum to various organizations (the Track was unable to sustain itself when I departed CBN in the fall of 1998).
  3. A cross-cultural school of script writing.
  4. Develop long-term strategies in partnership with church planters and other track initiatives to insure the maximum impact.
  5. Utilize new digital media tools that enable similar quality at a greatly reduced cost.

Eric Watt
Strategic Mobilization Task Force

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