wfn.org | Lutherans Help Develop Web Site to Connect Faith Communities

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

September 8, 2000

LUTHERANS HELP DEVELOP WEB SITE TO CONNECT FAITH COMMUNITIES
00-212-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) --  A new Web site that will connect faith
communities with a variety of spiritual and intellectual resources,
is expected to be fully operational in 2001, said the lead consultant
for the project, John L. Peterson.  Peterson is director for public
media with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Department for Communication.
     The site -- www.faithandvaluesmedia.org -- will introduce its
concept with a video streaming event, "Is God in Cyberspace?" Sept.
11 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.  Panelists scheduled to participate are
Dr. Bruce Lawrence, chair, Religion Department, Duke University
Durham, N.C.; and Steve Waldman, founder, chairman and chief content
officer of beliefnet.com, a Web site for a wide array of religious
perspectives and beliefs. Journalist Jim Hartz will host the online
conference in front of a live audience.
     The program will also air on Odyssey, a national cable
television network, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m. Eastern Time, as a special
edition of the network's regular series "The Real Bottom Line."
     This month, www.faithandvaluesmedia.org broadcast videos of
various presentations at the 2000 ELCA Communicators' Consultation
held in August in Chicago and Lisle, Ill., Peterson said.
     Faith and Values Media is a service of the National Interfaith
Cable Coalition (NICC), New York, the nation's largest coalition of
Christian and Jewish faith groups and traditions dedicated to media
development, Peterson said.  The Faith and Values Media Web site was
developed in partnership with eCorporation, which helps organizations
and businesses develop their uses of the Web.  The company is based
in Lexington, Ky.
     The Faith and Values Media Web site is undergoing initial
testing this fall, a business plan is being refined, and the Web site
design is being developed, Peterson said.  "The site must provide
good value and cover operational costs," he said.
     Peterson cited four reasons why www.faithandvaluesmedia.org
will be different from other Web sites that offer faith-based
information and resources:
     + The site offers connections to faith groups in every
community in the United States, he said.
     + There are many spiritual and intellectual resources "that
have not made it to the marketplace because they are not necessarily
'popular,'" Peterson said.  The site will make those available,  he
said.
     + The site is connected to the Odyssey Network.  "Research
shows people are simultaneously surfing the Web and watching TV in
greater numbers," he said.
     + The site will highlight streaming of audio and video on the
Web, he said.
     The value of www.faithandvaluesmedia.org is that people seeking
spiritual information will be able to find it in one place versus
surfing through several sites on the Web, Peterson added.
     "This exciting new Web initiative is a natural evolution for
Faith & Values Media," said Rick Baker, chief executive officer of
eCorporation. "The site will offer 'seekers' the resources they need
to make spiritual choices and provide them with connections to local
faith communities."
     The Web site has a "tremendous" number of potential users,
Baker said, noting NICC's faith groups comprise more than 160 million
people.
     "John Peterson was selected to lead the charge in this effort
because of his years of effective leadership in NICC, which has
garnered him much respect in the organization," said Edward J.
Murray, president and chief executive officer, Faith and Values Media
and NICC.  "While knowledgeable in 'all things Internet' he has a
great affinity for the needs of real people whose expertise is
modest."

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html