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 popular culture through these media platforms will be greatly needed.

This Network seeks to encourage and equip such leaders who can speak with authenticity and relevance from within these influential arenas. It will also focus on biblical foundations and models, worldview analysis of 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), and who want to relate biblical Christian faith to contemporary culture in a way that is authentic, appropriate and relevant.

This Network will be co-led by Lars Dahle and Margunn Serigstad Dahle. 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.

Lars Dahle is a theologian, educator, preacher and apologist. He works as Principal at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication in Kristiansand, Norway, where he has lectured in worldviews, ethics and apologetics since 1991. Lars wrote his PhD on Acts 17:16-34. It is entitled An Apologetic Model Then and Now? (Open University, UK). He is Chairman of Damaris Norway steering committee and on the European Leadership Forum steering committee, previously also serving as Vice-Chairman of NKSS (the Norwegian student movement within IFES).

Margunn Serigstad Dahle is Lecturer at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication, Kristiansand, Norway, where she has taught in the fields of communication, media and worldviews since 1991. She is Programme Director of the Communication and Worldviews Bachelor Program, which is designed to equip evangelical communicators and apologists in various fields for the contemporary Western cultural context. A regular lecturer, speaker and writer in various contexts in Norway, especially connected to her Damaris involvement, she was previously also Chairman of the Lunde Publishing House.

Rodica Mocan is an associate professor at the Journalism Department of the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj, Romania. She teaches courses in New Media Journalism, Internet and Global Communication and Visual Communication. Her research interests are the use of Internet and multimedia in distance education, journalism as well as the democratising potential of ICTs. She contributed chapters with case studies about the use of new media in distance education and political parties in Romania.

Iain Morris MA (Hons), MEd (Hons) is a producer/director in his own film and television company – Kharis Productions Limited. After a career in education spanning 10 years, he transferred to Scottish Television as a producer of educational documentary programmes.  Subsequently, he was Deputy Chief Executive of the General Teaching Council for Scotland before becoming Head of Programmes at Glasgow based Scope Productions Limited – an independent film and television company.  He is an award-winning film-maker with experience working for all the UK’s major broadcasters as well as many Christian organisations worldwide such as Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Open Doors International, Operation Mobilisation, and Lausanne International.

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 General Secretary. As CMF’s chief executive he is involved in leadership training, teaching evangelism and ethics, medical mission, writing, editing and media work. He is also a member of the European Apologetics Network Leadership Team. He is married to Kirsty, also a doctor, and they have three sons, Christopher, Benjamin and Jonathan. They live in St Albans, UK, and are members of Spicer Street Free Evangelical church.

Tony Watkins is the Managing Editor of Culturewatch.org and Culturewatch.tv, having joined Damaris (UK) at its inception in 1996. 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 Revolutions: A Thinking Fan's Guide to the Matrix Trilogy (2003) and the Talking About series of books, of which he is the editor. He is also responsible for the Culturewatch courses and Culturewatch groups, and is an experienced speaker in a wide range of contexts. As of January 2010, he is also Adjunct University College Lecturer at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication in Norway.

Peter S. Williams studied philosophy at Cardiff University (BA), Sheffield University (MA) and at the University of East Anglia in Norwich (MPhil). He then spent three years as a student pastor at Holy Trinity church Leicester before moving to Southampton to work alongside the Christian educational charity Damaris Trust (www.damaris.org). Through his work with Damaris, he leads over 30 Philosophy and Ethics conferences for sixth form students each year, as well as undertaking various writing projects, speaking and broadcasting engagements. As of February 2009, he is Assistant Professor in Communication and Worldviews at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication in Norway. His publications include, A Sceptic’s Guide to Atheism: God Is Not Dead (Paternoster, 2009), and the forthcoming works I Wish I Could Believe in Meaning: A Response to Nihilism, revised second edition (Damaris, 2010) and Understanding Jesus: Five Ways to Spiritual Enlightenment (Paternoster).

Day 1

Key Worldview Trends in Contemporary Popular Media

Tony Watkins

The entertainment media, such as the cinema, play a significant role in contemporary popular culture. This includes engaging different audiences with secular and religious worldviews.

This session gives an overview of key worldview trends in contemporary popular media. This is exemplified through film-clips from some influential movies, with an emphasis on key strategies for responsible interpretation and the actual worldview content being communicated.

Encountering and Engaging Media as Christian Leaders: Sharing Experiences and Reflections

Peter Saunders

In our media saturated cultures Christian leaders ought to be able to relate to media in a dynamic, credible and relevant way. This involves thinking through appropriate strategies, arguments and formats. In this session Peter Saunders draws on his extensive media exposure, sharing his experiences from various encounters with secular, Christian and medical media and presenting his reflections on how to defend and confirm biblical truth in the press.

Day 2

Science and the God Question: Presenting a New Documentary Series

Iain Morris

Think of Science and the God Question as a form of wrestling match. In it:

• Viewers are asked to wrestle with big questions of life that raise the ultimate question about the existence of God.
• Atheists and theists wrestle with the interpretation of scientific evidence in their search for truth about God.
• The producers, in making the series, are wrestling with the challenge of remaining balanced and fair while creating a forum in which it is hoped truth will be the ultimate winner.

Designed for people of any faith – or none – the first three programmes of the series are scheduled for completion by the end of spring 2010:

1) Cosmos and the God Question: Is There Space for God?

2) Life, Evolution and the God Question: Did Darwin Bury God?Mind, Consciousness and the God Question: Is Belief in God a No-Brainer?

3) In this session, Producer/Director Iain Morris will use excerpts from the series to illustrate the programmes’ content and style and will discuss how they are designed, not only to be of value to people of faith, but also as means of further engaging popular culture in the God question.

The Bible in the News: Interviewing a Leading Biblical Expert

An interview of a leading scholar by Iain Morris and Lars Dahle

Day 3

Maximizing the Impact: Using the Documentary Series Material from Science and the God Question in the Context of Education, Research & Development, and Churches and Communities

Iain Morris and Peter S. Williams

As Christian media communicators we often need to develop flexible multilevel approaches, both in terms of genres, formats and audiences. This is illustrated in reference to the new documentary series Science and the God Question (see above), where both the series itself and the extensive interview footage may be used in various contexts. The session explores the creative and critical usage of this material in education/schools, in research and development projects, and in communication with churches and other communities.

Media Fandom as New Religion

Ted Turnau

The past 30 years has seen the mainstreaming of media fandom – no longer are Star Trek fans weird.  We have entered the age of “geek chic.”  This talk examines the trend towards fandom of film, television series, and various popular musics to try to understand what it all means.  We shall find that the fan’s passionate and imaginative investment into his or her chosen media product looks, feels and acts quite a bit like religious commitment.  We’ll also look at questions such as what fandom as religion means from a Christian perspective, and how to engaging fans with the Christian worldview.  We’ll also look at how religious commitment is different than fandom.  How is being a Christian different than being a fan of Jesus?  Are Christians allowed to be fans?  When does our fandom cross the line from enjoyment to idolatry?

Day 4

Exploring Youth, Media and Worldviews: Understanding and Engaging the Emerging Generation

Rodica Mocan and Margunn Serigstad Dahle

New media and the advanced communication technologies have changed completely not only the way we learn, have fun, use our free time or interact with each other but also the means by which we are influenced into becoming who we are. This is especially true of young people. Understanding the rapidly evolving technological world and the changing youth media culture might help us understand more of the present spiritual context and the prevalent worldview challenges.

This session will focus on understanding and engaging the emerging generation as a key challenge for contemporary Christian media communicators.

Towards a Community of Christian Media Communicators

Lars Dahle and Margunn Serigstad Dahle

This concluding session raises three questions for reflection:

• Which best practices have been identified throughout this Network?
• How can we appropriately utilize Christian apologetics in our media communication tasks, whether our role is as a media practitioner, a media educator or a media scholar?
• What is the potential role of this Network for our individual and shared media communication tasks?