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Resource Sheet – Gathered and Edited by Pastor Shawn R. Thornton

I trust the resources listed below can be of help to you and/or your family. While I believe each can be a help to our homes, their inclusion is not a blanket endorsement of their perspectives and information. The reviews are the reviews of the publishers not mine. –Pastor Thornton

(I have read these, but did not write the reviews – SRT)

by: Dr. James Dobson and Gary Bauer

In the introduction William Bennett writes, "This hard hitting but empowering book exposes the cultural forces that are endangering today's children and shows what you can do to defend your family, your faith, and your traditional values."

The Media-Wise Family By: Ted Baehr

This is more than just another book about the media. It will help you turn your children's hearts away from the negative and destructive influences of the media and toward God and family. You will learn step-by-step how to teach your children to develop discernment, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding about movies, television, electronic games, and all other media of entertainment and communication.

Electronic Millstone By: Phillip Patterson

Criticizing the dark side of the media is easy; lighting a path through the maze is a challenge. The first step towards getting control of the media is recognizing its power. The second step is to channel that power in a constructive way. This book helps parents do both.

By: Steffen Kraehmer

In Heroes, Kraehmer reveals that in the face of competition from Hollywood celebrities, sports stars, and popular musicians, children still regard their own parents as their primary heroes. This book tells the secrets parents can employ to realize their full potential.

Learn to Discern By: Robert DeMoss

Every day the media feeds our youth a steady diet of unhealthy images—violence, sex, suicide, and the occult—that manipulate their minds, and exploit their fears. Even more frightening, children often embrace the activities they see glamorized. Find out what you can do to prepare your children to combat these harmful messages. In Learn to Discern Robert DeMoss, offers hope to parents, educators and youth leaders by providing positive solutions to the media’s fixation with violence and other socially adverse behavior. With this book you will be equipped to teach adolescents and teens how to think critically about the voices of the popular entertainment culture.

By: Frank York & Jan Larue

Pornography is pervasive---it's in our towns, schools, and computers---and all our children are vulnerable. Learn how to porn-proof your home, protect your children from pornography, and fight its evil presence in your own community. This well-researched book includes appendixes for legal reference, Internet filtering devices, and other resources. 225 pages, softcover from Focus on the Family.

By: Stan Campbell & Randy Southern

This companion book to the video, Mind Over Media, takes a light, laid-back approach to helping teens recognize both the positive and negative aspects of entertainment. It offers ideas to consider rather than trying to scare teens away from media, or give them a list of do's and don'ts to follow. Through humor, questions, facts and stories, Mind Over Media encourages teens to develop skeptical eyes and ears in order to avoid being taken in directions they don't want to go.

By: Randy Peterson

My Truth, Your Truth, Whose Truth? tackles the tough subject of making right moral choices. In the context of a simulated internet chat room, author Randy Petersen leads teens in a dialogue about real-life situations and issues, and helps them come to conclusions about what is right and what is wrong. Readers will be challenged to critically analyze their beliefs about truth---and come to conclusions that absolute truth is found only in Christ.

(The reviews are mine. The last and shaded site is the best overall internet resource for media in the Christian home in my opinion. -SRT)

Focus on the Family

General resources, articles, and links regarding the family (including issues regarding family and media).

www.family.org

Christian Media Literacy Institute

A comprehensive website with many resources listed. Great information site. An organized service of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.

www.cmli.org

(Kids First)

Not necessarily a faith-oriented site, but very helpful information.

-Search More Than 1800 reviews of Films, Videos, DVD, Audio Recordings, TV Programs and CD-ROMs!

www.cqcm.org/kidsfirst/

(TV Family Guide)

Not necessarily a faith-oriented site, but very helpful information.

www.parentstv.org

Screen It! Entertainment Reviews.

Movie/Video, Music and DVD Reviews. Very helpful for screening movies and videos.

www.screenit.com

Family Style Film Guide

Movie/Video Reviews. Another helpful site.

www.familystyle.com

(online archive)

Movie/Video, Music and TV Reviews. Very helpful! Best site on the internet for screening the media and helping your family make choices.

www.pluggedinmag.com