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What to believe? Is there any quality control of content on the Internet? Why not consider this:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:1-3 (NIV)
For http://cTc.tv to be made available and kept free from any sectarian bias, governmental influence, financial challenges, and denominational doctrine is a daunting task. Missions that once were too small to succeed, yet that also reflected a passion for the Truth, sometimes become quite big. The Old Testament records many lessons of success and failures in leadership during the cycle of life for any organization that consists of more than one individual. Indeed, just consider the behavior of those directly led by Jesus Christ, and the lessons they learned as they passed through their cycle of life on earth. Please pray that the mission of cTc.tv keeps its focus on the core values of responsible stewardship and being a worthwhile servant of the Lord our God.
The statement of faith for cTc.tv is the Holy Bible. It is not the role of cTc.tv to judge available resources, but to seek to bring forth information that you will find useful as you make your own personal choices. Faith is based on one's study and thinking about the Word. The challenge is to bring the Word to all who wish to develop understanding. The means to communicate include the written work, the audio word, and the audio-visual technology that has rapidly encircled the globe via the Internet. Indeed, the tele-virtual means for communications transcend many barriers and may be used for good or evil, by the wise and by fools. The vision of cTc.tv is to bring together within one web site a global connection to core communications resources that transcend geographic barriers and help all who seek access to the Word. For those who speak and can hear any language, but who cannot read, the task is to foster communications through the senses of the ear and when possible, the eyes.
One of the challenges of any Internet user is the process of sorting through the thousands of web pages and web sites that are presented when using most any of the key words associated with a search regarding faith and religion. The more specific the search, the more specific the finding. However, the more basic the search, the harder it is to find the core resources. Hence the mission of cTc.tv is to develop awareness that core messages that come to mind all have the same initials that lead to one easy to remember Internet address: ctc.tv. The messages are many fold. The key ones include Come To Church, Come to Christ, Christians That Care, Churches That Care, Choose to Change, and Change the Choice.
Towards that end, we have listed a variety of web sites on this web site. Please help us assure that they are useful by your feedback when you deem it appropriate. In particular, let us know of any links that do not work, or that suddenly become replete with advertisements, etc.
Another challenge has been how to qualify web based services that have well-established resources, yet also acknowledge those that are innovative and emerging, yet are ultra-small, have limited resources, and are driven by individual passion. The well-established ones are easy to qualify, and several web sites seem to help meet that challenge: http://www.FoundationCenter.org and in particular, http://foundationcenter.org/collections/
The Foundation Center describes itself as follows: "Established in 1956, the Foundation Center is the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. The Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. and, increasingly, global grantmakers and their grants — a robust, accessible knowledge bank for the sector." Visit their web site to get a perspective on this vital services segment.
Responsible use of freedom helps preserve freedom. Towards that end, several organizations exist that seek to provide centralized insights about non-profits that are focused on the work of the church. Part of the challenge is the quality of the source of information. As one wise person noted, what would happen if the same profits noted in the annual reports of public corporations were used for their tax returns? Self-reporting versus third-party insights, and who has a say on such matters can be debated while on earth, but in the final analysis, a judgment can be expected. In the meantime, those who seek to learn more about the organizations listed within http://cTc.tv might find these third-party web sites useful as they do their due diligence:
http://www.ecfa.org and in particular, http://www.ecfa.org/MemberSearch.aspx
The EFCA self-description is that it is "dedicated to helping Christian ministries earn the public’s trust through adherence to Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship™, which focus on board governance, financial transparency, integrity in fundraising, and proper use of charity resources. ECFA accredits its members and holds them to high standards of accountability with respect to governance, financial management and stewardship/fundraising practices." Their membership criteria is met by about 1,600 organizations.
One web site that frequently comes up when doing a search regarding mission integrity and which also posts a considerable amount of basic data is:
Not being a membership organization, it provides another perspective on a variety of ministries, including many that are not in the EFCA.
Other websites that tend to come up in searches, but have a database that includes many beyond the realm of religious entities include the following:
This issue of assuring objective and independent evaluations, needless to say, also draws the attention of those who raise the question of injecting the Federal government into this function. An example of a study of this matter, for the inquisitive thinker, may be found at the following link:
This link brings up a pdf of a paper, "Policing the Good Guys: Regulation of the Charitable Sector Through a Federal Charity Oversight Board", by Terri Lynn Helge. If that link fails you, try the following link:
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COMMUNICATIONS VERSUS CULTURE
What I thought I heard you say versus what you really intended to say, when translated from one nation's cultural and language to another, has been seen by many leaders and followers to be a challenge. By one nation, I do not mean the political boundaries of any named country, but the groups or realms of people in any realm that have a common language and culture. The Great Commission challenge and the realities of the individual human behavior when conflicted between mission, money, mind, and might is guided by the Golden Rule.
Nevertheless, when those with good intentions cross paths with those who perhaps have other intentions, there may be an increase in the risk of unintended consequences. Indeed, the records of human history are replete with examples. With that in mind, an innovative effort that is still in its infancy has come to light -- and the following link is provided for your convenience and use as you deem appropriate:
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Please note that http://cTc.tv is NOT a 501(c)(3). It is an independent resource for any one, any where, any time who desires a free, fast, and easy way to link to what seems to be the "best of the best" informative resources on the Internet for those who are wandering, or wondering, about the church and Jesus Christ. It is a free-will gift for you to use. If you wish to support the missions listed in this web site, please go directly to those sites and act accordingly, and God's speed to you and yours.
John
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TERMS OF USE Shout-outs about cTc.tv are e-Encouraged! PRIVACY STATEMENT
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