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CDs, DVDs and video

The potential for evangelism

Almost every computer now has a DVD player. There are relatively few groups using CDs or DVDs for evangelism, yet increasingly, Christian organizations are offering free multimedia CDs explaining their ministries to potential supporters. (Er, supporters = necessary incoming money. Evangelism = outgoing often unavailable money.)

Advantages

CDs and DVDs become so cheap when produced in bulk that the direct price of production is no more than a small printed booklet. They have some big advantages compared with evangelistic websites (and literature):

• no slow download times: sound, large graphics, animations and video clips can be easily used, with complete user interactivity.
• external links to complementary websites can be included.
• targeted distribution: people with a CD in their hands are likely to view it, whereas they may never find an evangelistic website.
• using it costs nothing, whereas in many parts of the world, Internet access remains slow and expensive, paid for by the minute.
• people who might refuse to receive literature may be prepared to accept a CD.
• easy to copy if copyright permits.
• an entire evangelistic video can be placed on a DVD. Since, people are wired up to appreciate truth through the means of story, there is enormous power in distributing fictional films. (See Visual Story Network for more on the power of film story.)
• Comic stories for children or adults, with animation and sound, are ideal for CDs. Comics and story-telling are vastly under-rated channels for evangelism.

Distribution of CDs and DVDs is particarly strategic in non-western countries where web access may be relatively slow, and where poverty may make a free CD or DVD film story very welcome.

Strategies and suggestions

It is time-consuming and expensive to design and write an evangelistic CD. But the potential is so great that large organizations with the resources to do it should consider this option, and perhaps be prepared to distribute thousands free. It is easy to incorporate existing evangelistic websites onto CD. It would be easy to offer a range of the best evangelistic sites, navigable from an entry page.

Such a CD might be made more attractive to non-Christians by incorporating some genuinely useful secular material: language-learning, some other type of tutorial or free software. Of course, evangelistic material on CD should be designed the same way as evangelistic sites and literature: no Christian jargon, no preachiness, sensitive presentation, assumption of zero Christian knowledge and background, and identification with readers’ needs and viewpoints.

It would be wonderful to see such compilation CDs distributed in thousands on secular magazine covers and available to give away in evangelistic campaigns, traveling outreach ministries and in other types of overseas outreach.

Available CDs

Here are examples of evangelistic CDs – please send details of others.

• Damaris is a culture-watch ministry. They are also producing CD games. Their first, President for a Day, is a sim game which causes users to face up to moral choices. The player is President of a fictional African country, taking it from independence up to the present day. They receive advice and information from officals, but have to make all the crucial decisions. The game was produced in assocation with UK’s evangelical NGO TearFund. The Times Educational Supplement said, "The only downside of this game is that it will be difficult to drag students away from it." The product has been nominated for a BETT award for Secondary Educational Software: more details.

  The Quest contains evangelistic apologetics material for the thinking person of student age: more details.

• The highly-recommended Quotations evangelistic screensaver could be added to any Christian CD, as an additional piece of free software by arrangement with the author.

Evangelistic video

• Jesus Film is available in this format in various languages. There is, of course, a great lack of evangelistic videos in languages other than English. There is huge potential for CDs in Japan, China, and the Middle East.
• Ransom: two men friends during their teens, became separated by military service... Available in French, Arabic, Turkish, Sylhetti, Uzbek and in Turkish with subtitles in English, Spanish, Cyrillic. Ali and Silvana: two young people who have fallen in love. Ali and Silvana come from very different religious backgrounds (Muslim and 'christian')... Available in: Bulgarian, Turkish, Uzbek, Turkish with English/French subtitles; Albanian in preparation.
• Create International offer a range of contextualized CDs and videos. Christian Television Association offers their evangelistic videos on DVD. CPO offer evangelistic videos

Mission Resources maintains a list of evangelistic videos. DVDs (and videos) in a range of languages are also available from

Video formats vary – this lookup site lists which types are used in different countries round the world.

Games on CD and the Internet

Computer games on CD or DVD are a very powerful medium, and are played by millions. There is considerable potential for using games to communicate elements of the Christian faith.