Internet radio station nurtures children's spirits

UMNS PHOTO/JOHN GORDON

"Common Good Radio for all God's children."

That station ID — voiced by different children — comes every 15 to 20 minutes to listeners of a 2-year-old Internet radio station providing 24-hour-a-day programming aired for children. Fans of the station, www.commongoodradio.org, hear music and spoken words to nurture love, friendship, honesty, exploration, curiosity and other behaviors, says the Rev. Robin Blair, founder and executive director.

Interspersed among the positive musical messages from many genres are Bible stories and other scripture-based messages, prayers and spots in which "children synthesize their own spiritual formation in 30 seconds or 60 seconds and share what their thinking is about peace, love, hope and kindness," Blair continues.

Children contribute to the programming when they record their own thoughts and send them to her in an MP3 file attached to an e-mail. When listeners in 60 countries visit the website, they can also add to a prayer wall and parents can read Blair's blog.

The commercial-free station operates on gifts from supporters. Corporate donations are not accepted.

Common Good Radio, Blair says, fulfills the mantra of evangelists to "meet people where they are.

"Where are the kids? Guess what — they are on the computer. They are there so much that we've given them a name — digital natives. When they go there, they can be on Common Good Radio where there is much that supports and affirms their spiritual selves.

"Digital ministry is so accessible. The question is how do we make it free and child- and family-friendly and give children a chance to lift their spiritually magnificent voices?"

Read more about Blair and Common Good Radio at www.interpretermagazine.org.

The Rev. Kathy Noble, editor, Interpreter and Interpreter OnLine, Nashville, Tenn.