By John Cole

(15) But fringers are a minority. Most people can only get their impression of church or the Christian faith from the media.

At this point many churches give up too easily. Churches must understand and use the media - and encourage church folk to work as journalists and broadcasters. But don’t over-estimate the media’s power.

16) The LOCAL PRESS usually sells itself on people’s image of the local community. It often defers to the churches as part of it. The result can be uncritical and trivialising.

(17) NATIONAL papers outdo one another seeking scandal and sensation. National RADIO can take religious issues seriously if people bother to listen. National TV is powerful but always tends to treat everything as entertainment.

(18) Opportunities for Christian involvement in LOCAL RADIO give the churches direct and intimate contact with a large audience, but the scope is limited.

There may be new opportunities with cable and satellite and the new ‘digital’ age but, with so many channels to choose from, any overtly ‘Christian’ radio station will surely end up preaching only to the converted.