In partnership with the church, to effectively communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ by means of culturally appropriate audio and audiovisual materials in every language.
The church is God’s primary agent of mission. As a para-church organisation, we are not separate from the church and certainly not above it! We are part of the church, called by God to help serve and equip the church
in its task of carrying out the mission of God. Wherever possible, we seek to partner with and support the
local church and other ministries to carry out their work. This partnership is a demonstration of
the body of Christ in action.
It’s easy to proclaim the Gospel! It’s much harder to do it effectively. We acknowledge that the most important factor in effective Gospel communication is the work of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, prayer is the foundational strategy of all of our work. As God’s workers, we are also called to use the gifts and skills
He has given us to carry out the task He has assigned.
Basic communication theory says that effective communication will be receptor oriented (not communicator oriented). This means that the logic, the arguments, the construction and thought processes that seem effective to the communicator may have absolutely no impact on the hearer! A person’s world view and cultural perspective, their education and life experience will all have a profound influence on the way they process and interpret communication. Thus the content, the style and the quantity of material produced for a language group all aim for effective communication of the message.
Basic communication theory says that effective communication is receiver oriented (not communicator oriented). This means that the logic, arguments, construction and thought processes that seem effective to the communicator may have absolutely no positive impact on the hearer! A person’s worldview and cultural perspective, their education and life experience will all have a profound influence on the way they process and interpret communication. Thus the content, style and quantity of material produced for a language group must all be geared for effective communication of the message.
Audio and audiovisual formats will not always be the most effective modes of communication. For instance, a live communicator may be able to better embody or live out the message being proclaimed.
But these two key formats do offer many benefits:
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The permanence of audio and audiovisual recordings guards against modification of the story.
The media is not dependent on the presence or endurance of a live speaker.
The message can be repeated as frequently as desired.
The media is accessible to anyone who can hear. They do not need to be able to read.
Pictures (in various formats) can aid understanding and increase the appeal of the presentation.
The message can be delivered without the presence of the messenger, which can sometimes adversely affect the process (e.g. some cultures do not allow a public disagreement with a guest so the locals agree with the message not out of conviction but out of politeness).
The material can be used discreetly in sensitive locations.
The material can be used at loud volume to enable a community to hear and process the information together.
The materials are adaptable. Once the user has become familiar with the presentation, they can use it in different ways to suit different audiences or contexts.
In some places a recorded message carries an authority not granted to a live speaker.
Audio and audiovisual communications also have their limitations, such as minimal interactivity and a lack of flexibility in different situations, but the advantages should not be ignored.
While there is a people group with no effective, culturally appropriate form of Gospel communication, GRN will seek to provide an appropriate audio or audiovisual resource, no matter how small the group.
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