Our Stories
WHERE ARE WE?
Caine Ruruk presenting the Tech Talk at EBC Church.
Recent Tech Talk
The three-phase approach to answer the question of where we are, give us a good platform to address the current issue (COVID-19), the changing trend for the new generation (I’m Digital) and the continuing process of growing in faith. “Growing in Faith by Following Jesus is the 2021 moto for the youths with EBC Goroka District circuit.
I thank the Lord for this setting because the Word of God exists to address the practical questions we have in life. Sharing God’s Word in the context of current issues makes us see the depth of God’s wisdom that has authority to address every situation under the sun.
Someone correctly stated that situations do not change what God has planned and purposed before the foundation of this world, but the situations are a means by which we have the opportunity to change to be under the covering of the Almighty God.
The strategy to highlight the information or misconceptions related to the Covid 19 pandemic to the youth who attended was basically focused on the current situations and remind them that the only truth with authority is from God’s word.
I see young committed Christians who are active members of a Church as the ones that have the potential to share what they hear with others; they are the agents of change for their peers, their Church and their community.
Our existence as technology for the church continues to motivate us to speak to issues, especially information on Social media and the everchanging lifestyles and cultures evolving by being part of the global village.
Addressing the concerns
My introductory statement on our recent Tech Talk was in question form; asking, where are we? as Christians, with Covid 19 concerns and the launch by “Save the Children and Facebook for youths in the country. I was speaking to about 50 youths on the occasion of delivering another Tech Talk. The youths who attended came from the University of Goroka Campus, Goroka Business College, Goroka Secondary School, Goroka Nursing College, Don Bosco Four Mile Technical School and youth members of various EBC churches in Goroka District circuit.
We are now about one year and one month since Corona virus surfaced in our country and so while presenting the general awareness against the wrong use of technology, I covered ten concerns about the Covid 19 pandemic that are on the Social Media platforms.
The ten concerns are;
1. COVID-19 epidemic is a ‘hoax’. And why are not so many PNGeans dying right now,
2. COVID-19 infection is just like a mild ‘flu’ or the same as Influenza,
3.Taking home remedies (like lemon tea, honey tea, herbs, eating good diet, breathing in steam etc.) will protect you against getting COVID-19 or help you not get too sick if you do get the infection,
4. ‘God will protect you’, so just relax,
5.COVID-19 is (overseas) man made and all we have to do is keep foreigners out of PNG and we will be safe.,
6.COVID-19 is not as bad as HIV, TB, Malaria etc. and therefore we just focus on these serious health and medical problems and not be too focused on COVID-19,
7.The COVID vaccines are ‘not safe’,
8. The COVID vaccines are being brought to PNG so that they can be tested on us PNGeans as ‘guinea pigs’,
9. The COVID vaccines are not necessary in PNG at this time,
10. The COVID vaccines are ‘not effective’.
The poster at the top is a summary of the main concerns I presented to the youths on Friday night. CRMF plays a major role in informing our remote communities about the latest in our country via HF network and awareness talks.
CRMF’S ongoing commitment
As technology for the Church, the Lord has allowed us to do awareness to the Church and ministry leaders since 2018. We are thankful that “Save the Children” and Facebook have launched the “I am Digital” safety campaign in February in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga.
In 2019, we had an increase in requests to do Tech Talks specifically for the youths with churches like Evangelical Brotherhood Church (EBC) and Foursquare during district youth camps, in preparation for school breaks, back to school programs and the regular normal Friday youth fellowship nights.
As a non-government para-church organization, our goal is to educate the youths on the advantages and the disadvantages of technology with our famous illustration of a bush knife. Technology has produced a bush knife to make gardening easier, however, this same bush knife is used as a weapon during tribal fights to kill a person.
How one uses technology depends on the person; because technology has become easier and available at our finger tips, a simple touch can put us into the chains of addiction.
We use a lot of Scripture references during our Tech Talks to educate our youth audience to help them decide how to use technology for their benefit. One of the main Scriptures we use is 1 Corinthians 10:23 “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up.
Our aim is to educate the youths that symptoms of common sickness is easily identified and medical help is quickly given but a person who is addicted by the wrong use of technologies; there is absolutely no physical symptoms for others to see and help. Basically, you are digging your own grave!
The non-physical symptoms of someone using a mobile device for the wrong purpose is what makes it really cunning. The devil has been defeated on the Cross of Calvary but he continues to play tricks; one of his tricks is the wrong use of technology.
We remind our ourselves and our audience during these presentations that the ancient battle between good and evil has not changed. Jesus has defeated the deceiver Satan on the cross but we allow him to continue to play tricks with our minds.
In the garden of Eden, it was a fruit and in this technical age it is technologies. CRMF’s prayer is that the young generation can be better informed with the initiatives like Ï Digital campaign launched two months ago and the plans with PNG s Censorship Board to continue to educate our people.
‘We thank the Lord for the opportunities to continue to do Tech Talks with Churches and ministry organizations to protect our younger generation against the cunning tricks of the enemy.