The latest label to be placed on the generation of young people currently in high school and college refers to their habit of being voracious consumers of media. Multitasking is something they do instinctively; surfing the Internet, instant messaging, downloading music and videos, joining multi-player role play games online, all of these done simultaneously. How can the church compete?
Good News Productions, International launched a creative new program last year to reach this audience, hoping to entice them away from the mind-numbing blitz of negative media influences. The goal was to try and share a vision of how the media can be used to connect with young people on a positive, spiritual level. By offering technical training and lots of creative guidance, teens were challenged to create video programs that speak with zeal about their Christian faith.
The
Media Challenge video workshop was a tremendous success this summer, with a total of 77 teens participating in the USA and around the world. The theme guiding the workshop was
‘Family,’ and students responded by producing videos covering a range of topics from communication in the home, divorce, parental responsibility, and even sibling rivalry.
Many of the teens who completed the week-long workshop are now anxious to use these newfound skills to produce meaningful videos to share with their peers online, in youth group meetings, and in their local congregation. Others committed to using these talents on the mission field, with several pledging to help on one of the upcoming international workshop projects in India, Ukraine, or Poland in the coming year.
For GNPI, it is encouraging to know that young people are catching the vision for how media can be used to fulfill the Great Commission. Media Challenge is proving to be a great opportunity to work with Generation M, equipping them to multitask with the most meaningful message of all!