Marc Estes

Let us face reality, TV has become a part of life for billions of people. The truth of the matter is, it is here to stay. The TV industry continues to expand in its influence as well as the viewing options that are available for any home. There are channels which teach us how to read and write, in addition to giving us 24 hour weather. We are inundated with a variety of entertainment which range from preaching the gospel to pornography. The tragedy is that we allow more people into our homes through our TV that we would never allow in through the front door.

You might want to consider the affect of television on your life and the lives of your family members. Listed below are some statistics sorted by category, followed up by some of the influnces of television. Please understand that I am not on a “Throw Your TV Away” campaign, but do suggest that you monitor what is being viewed in your home and make some decisions to minimize its affect.

According to the A.C. Nielsen Co. (Compiled by TV-Free America):

• The average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day
• Or 28 hours/week
• Or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year.
• In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube. Compiled by TV-Free America

 I. FAMILY LIFE

• Percentage of households that possess at least one television: 99
• Number of TV sets in the average U.S. household: 2.24
• Percentage of U.S. homes with three or more TV sets: 66
• Number of hours per day that TV is on in an average U.S. home: 6 hours, 47 minutes
• Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66
• Number of hours of TV watched annually by Americans: 250 billion
• Value of that time assuming an average wage of S5/hour: S1.25 trillion
• Percentage of Americans who pay for cable TV: 56
• Number of videos rented daily in the U.S.: 6 million
• Number of public library items checked out daily: 3 million
• Percentage of Americans who say they watch too much TV: 49

 II. CHILDREN

• Approximate number of studies examining TV’s effects on children: 4,000
• Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 3.5
•  Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680
• Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70
• Percentage of parents who would like to limit their children’s TV watching: 73
• Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV
• and spending time with their fathers, preferred television: 54
• Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours
• Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500

 III. VIOLENCE

• Number of murders seen on TV by the time an average child finishes elementary school: 8,000
• Number of violent acts seen on TV by age 18: 200,000
• Percentage of Americans who believe TV violence helps precipitate real life mayhem: 79

IV. COMMERCIALISM

• Number of 30-second TV commercials seen in a year by an average child: 20,000
• Number of TV commercials seen by the average person by age 65: 2 million
• Percentage of survey participants (1993) who said that TV commercials
• Aimed at children make them too materialistic: 92
• Rank of food products/fast-food restaurants among TV advertisements to kids: 1
• Total spending by 100 leading TV advertisers in 1993: $15 billion

V. GENERAL

• Percentage of local TV news broadcast time devoted to advertising: 30
• Percentage devoted to stories about crime, disaster and war: 53.8
• Percentage devoted to public service announcements: 0.7
• Percentage of Americans who can name The Three Stooges: 59
• Percentage who can name at least three justices of the U.S. Supreme Court: 17

VI. INFLUENCE OF TELEVISION 

For decades, research and studies have demonstrated that heavy television-viewing may lead to serious health consequences. Now the American medical community, which has long-voiced its concerns about the nation’s epidemic of violence, TV addiction and the passive, sedentary nature of TV-watching, is taking a more activist stance, demonstrated by its endorsement of National TV-Turnoff Week.

The average child will watch 8,000 murders on TV before finishing elementary school. By age eighteen, the average American has seen 200,000 acts of violence on TV, including 40,000 murders. At a meeting in Nashville, TN last July, Dr. John Nelson of the American Medical Association (an endorser of National TV-Turnoff Week) said that if 2,888 out of 3,000 studies show that TV violence is a casual factor in real-life mayhem, “it’s a public health problem.” The American Psychiatric Association addressed this problem in its endorsement of National TV-Turnoff Week, stating, “We have had a long-standing concern with the impact of television on behavior, especially among children.”

Millions of Americans are so hooked on television that they fit the criteria for substance abuse as defined in the official psychiatric manual, according to Rutgers University psychologist and TV-Free America board member Robert Kubey. Heavy TV viewers exhibit five dependency symptoms–two more than necessary to arrive at a clinical diagnosis of substance abuse. These include: 1) using TV as a sedative; 2) indiscriminate viewing; 3) feeling loss of control while viewing; 4) feeling angry with oneself for watching too much; 5) inability to stop watching; and 6) feeling miserable when kept from watching.

Violence and addiction are not the only TV-related health problems. A National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey released in October 1995 found 4.7 million children between the ages of 6-17 (11% of this age group) to be severely overweight, more than twice the rate during the 1960′s. The main culprits: inactivity (these same children average more than 22 hours of television-viewing a week) and a high-calorie diet. A 1991 study showed that there were an average of 200 junk food ads in four hours of children’s Saturday morning cartoons.

According to William H. Deitz, pediatrician and prominent obesity expert at Tufts University School of Medicine, “The easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set. Almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV.”

Children are not the only Americans suffering from weight problems; one-third of American adults are overweight. According to an American Journal of Public Health study, an adult who watches three hours of TV a day is far more likely to be obese than an adult who watches less than one hour.

Sometimes the problem is not too much weight; it’s too little. Seventy-five percent of American women believe they are too fat, an image problem that often leads to bulimia or anorexia. Sound strange? Not when one takes into account that female models and actresses are twenty-three percent thinner than the average woman and thinner than ninety-five percent of the female population.

There is proven research that shows that there is one major component in a children’s life that can radically improve the outcome of their life.  This is beyond great parenting and may surprise you. This morning during the weekend service, Pastor Frank Damazio mentioned these statistics regarding this encouraging subject. I hope that you will not only find it encouraging, but consider making church a priority for your children!  Here are the results found when children are committed to a healthy church environment. It will:

One of the greatest challenges of building a great church is finding the right leaders for each ministry. The success of every ministry rises or falls on leadership. In most cases, there is always a surplus of needs and opportunities and a lack of leaders to fulfill them.  Often times, this need can create competition and recruitment challenges between vital departments, where a leader is being coerced to consider multiple ministry options.

It is imperative that each person on the church leadership team recognizes that they are building the same vision and not in competition.  Learning how to work together in finding the best place for each person is a key to real maturity and true vision fulfillment. Over the past few years, we have developed a “Leadership Ethic Code” that has helped us in understanding the process in which we approach potential leaders. It has greatly reduced the conflict of leadership recruitment as well as allowed us to work closer together in building a great church. Take a moment and read through each of the points and consider applying them to your church situation:

Leadership Commitment to Working Together

 As leaders, we agree to conduct ourselves in an upright and professional manner, always reflecting the highest standard of biblical integrity in keeping with our calling. We are committed to honoring our fellow servants in God’s household. We will not seek to build our ministries at the expense of other ministries. We will communicate with the rest of the leadership team to encourage unity and the best use of resources for all areas of ministry.

1. Training new leaders will take precedence over recruiting new leaders. I will “know the state of my flock” and be constantly looking for potential leaders who are already in my department/ministry, or who are new to the church and not yet involved in any ministry.

 

2. Before I discuss a new leadership opportunity with a member of the congregation (whether they approach me or I approach them), I will determine what areas of leadership they are currently serving in, and consider their gifts and abilities. I will contact the Pastor, Ministry Leader or Department Head involved to let them know of possible interest.

 

3. I will be concerned with the overall welfare of any individual (i.e. marriage, family, career, health, calling, etc.) more so than the fulfillment of ministry goals. I understand God will provide the right person at the right time.

 

4. I will not accept a person to serve in any position of ministry within my department if there are unresolved issues with any leader in any other department. I will request the individual resolve any differences and contact the pastor or ministry leader to insure all issues have been resolved before allowing them to serve in my area of ministry.

 

5. When a decision is agreed upon to transfer a lay leader from one area of ministry to another, I will do my best to make the transition smooth and enjoyable for all parties involved.

 

6. I will enhance the dignity and image of every other ministry by speaking highly of each ministry.

Over the past fifteen years I have had the privilege in working closely with Portland Bible College. Having the opportunity to be a part of shaping next generation leaders has been a real blessing. It has been amazing to see the lives of so many young people launched into ministry and to see the lives of thousands touched as a result of the efforts of PBC.

One of the comments I have heard while traveling all over the world is, “I would love to have the opportunity to take some quality Bible College classes, but my current life circumstances will not allow it.” Boy, do we have some good news for you!

For the first time in PBC’s history, online classes will be available starting this week.  You can now grow and learn anywhere. Each of the online classes is designed to replicate a vibrant classroom experience. All of the elements necessary for a truly life-changing theological education are present in the new online format and now available at your fingertips.

If you are serious about taking the next step in your biblical education, it is worth clicking on a few of the links below and checking it out! If you know of anyone in your church, pass it on; it is a recommendation worth making.