Jesus, all about life

A guest post by Paul Chia.

The “Jesus. All about life” campaign, developed by Bible Society NSW, is seeking to bring the message of the gospel to the Australian community using the media – in particular, prime-time television and film – as the catalyst and the local church as the delivery point for city wide ministry.  For Western Australia, it will start in the last week in September 2009.

In Acts 16 Paul sets out on his second missionary journey. Paul, on many occasions, used the Roman roads. Roads were the first ‘highways of information’.  Now, we have more media available to us than ever.  How can these too be harnessed in getting the good news of Jesus out there?

In Acts 17, Paul gives us a great example of how to sow the gospel to a pagan secular society. Paul found himself in Athens, waiting for Timothy and Silas. As he walked through the city, he saw heaps of idols.  Paul engages with the people in Athens and connects the point at which they relate to, into the gospel.  In this case, the Athenians relate to these altars of worship.  So Paul says, in Act 17:23 “For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.”

In Australia, Christianity is perceived as an anachronistic and undesirably rigid set of doctrines‚ while the church is widely regarded as an old-fashioned organisation that is guilty of failing to live up to its own ideals of tolerance‚ forgiveness and humility.  However, research also revealed that Jesus is somewhat well-regarded, and this gives us a way to connect with what people around us can relate to, and present the claims of Christianity to our audience.

Using the media to get the message “Jesus. All About Life” out there will be likely to stir up conversations about it, and so give Christians many opportunities for easily starting conversations about Jesus.  What do you think about it?  Who are people around you that you could have conversations about Jesus with, triggered by seeing “Jesus. All About Life” on TV?

It’ll be fascinating to see how this goes in Western Australian communities.  Pray that this idea, and the use of these means available to us, will see Christ made known and people stirred to consider Him, throughout our communities. Check it out at http://www.jesusallaboutlife.com.au/
http://www.jesusallaboutlife.com.au/campaigns/western-australia.html