Answers In Genesis Videos: Faith and Science Resource

Where do you go for answers to challenging questions about science and the Bible? The Bible obviously. But sometimes it helps to get answers from people who have made it their career to study these issues. We trust theologians to help us understand spiritual truths, why not Bible-professing scientists on matters of science? While we should never take a person’s word as truth without checking it against the Bible, we can learn a lot from Christian scientists.

Answers In Genesis is an organization that exists to provide Biblical answers to scientific questions. They create fantastic material such as videos and articles as well as more in-depth educational material. You may have heard about this organization in the news because they have been building a life-size Ark encounter. They do much more than that. They actively work to educate Christians on Biblical answers to modern scientific topics. These topics range from evolution, to carbon dating, to biology, archeology, astronomy, the flood, and more.

The articles are a great resource to answer specific questions. They are written by qualified, practicing scientists. The articles can get very technical and way above the average person’s head. But they are usually written so even children can understand the main points. Of all their resources, I like the videos best. They are well made, entertaining, and very educational. The videos are not so technical. They tend to be short and stick to the important points. I like to use them in a group setting to supplement a discussion. I also find them a great resource to share with curious minds. They cover a wide range of topics and most are less than 5 minutes! Check them out here.

Written by David F. Garner

Leadership Lessons Series: Movie Event

How do you go about hosting a movie event?

Its actually pretty simple. But there are a few steps to take to do it properly and legally. It is important to remember that if you are watching a movie in a private group than purchasing the film in a normal fashion is fine. If you intend to show it in a public setting there are a few more considerations. Here is an article from Christianity Today that talks about common myths regarding copyright.

Step 1: Pick your movie. Movies offer a great opportunity for both entertainment and education purposes. So pick a movie that is entertaining and not boring. See this list for recommendations.

Step 2: Get the right license. It is important to remember that if you are watching a movie in a private group (by invite only)3 than purchasing the film in a normal fashion is fine. If you intend to show it in a public setting there are a few more considerations. You must have a movie license. Movies are copyrighted and there are significant fines for improper use. So check out this article about getting the proper license. You can get a license from www.outreach.com or www.clvi.com. Of course, films in the public domain don't have copyright!

Step 3: Advertise! Or don't. If you have a license from www.outreach.com than you can promote your movie event to the general public. See this article. If you have a license from www.clvi.com than you are not allowed to promote using the movie title, character, or producers names. However, you could promote a general "movie" event. Of course if your movie event is completely private (by invite only to friends and family) than you can promote it to them, but only them.3 So decide if you can or will advertise.

Step 4: Prepare. Make sure to test the movie on the equipment before hand to avoid technical glitches. Make sure you have enough seating and adequate facilities and refreshments. Don't forget to take advantage of the educational opportunity! Prepare a follow up discussion with questions. Discuss the positives and negatives of the plot and characters. Determine what moral lessons can be learned. What can stories teach us? Here and here are a few example.4 5

Step 5: Have a blast! You finally get to enjoy all your hard work.

Now go and prepare your own movie event!

Note: OutdoorLessons.org is not a legal entity. Do not rely solely on this article or site for legal counsel regarding this or any issues. Always seek professional legal counsel from lawyers and/or legal advisers.


Sources:

1 https://www.outreach.com/films/Why-You-Need-A-Movie-License.aspx
2 http://www.churchleaders.com/youth/youth-leaders-articles/144190-to-show-or-not-to-show.html
3 http://info.legalzoom.com/copyright-laws-related-using-movies-group-showing-26393.html
4 http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/articles/top-10/top-10-movie-discussion-guides.html
5 http://www.americanbible.org/content/arts-and-media/movie-guides

Written by David F. Garner
Photo Credit: AMDC