This CD ROCKS! ...and has great interactive content.

When Actual Reality first came out --it was the first CD since Pathways Through Jerusalem to give me goosebumps.

Pardon my superlatives, but this is a stunning achievement in interactive Christian multimedia. Actual Reality rocks both literally and figuratively --reaching out to teens (and some of us old folks) by sharing the basic message of Jesus through hot Christian music, state-of-the-art graphics, a witty and well written script, and plenty of youth smart cool interactive stuff. If I sound "beside myself" about this program, it's because I am. Parents, pastors and teens take note, Actuality Reality is proof that God is calling us forward in this medium. Actual Reality sets a new standard other Christian software developers would be wise to notice.

Actual Reality guides teens in an exploration of the basic beliefs of Christianity. Users search an interactive inner-city landscape encountering Christian rockers talking about their faith, how God changed their lives, and what the Bible has to say to teens today. OR....they might encounter special animated dudes or celebrity clips. The message is straightforward and hip. Who is Jesus... What does it mean to follow him.What is sin, grace, prayer, etc....and it is done through very cool interactive graphics.

• View the "Jesus line-up" and read "Jesus rap sheets" in the Police Station: Jesus the rebel, the prophet, the preacher, etc. Click on the wall clock and the tiny little preacher dude comes out thundering. (He's cool).
• Jump in the '57 Chevy and tune into audio clips on the radio and videos in the rear view mirror.
• Open the newspaper box and click on the headlines to hear what Christ says about issues kids face today: RACE, SEX, SELF-ESTEEM. (The NBA and ESPN star Clark Kellogg has a clip. A former American Gladiator does a little rock climbing talking about "having something you can stand on." ...This is very well done folks).
• Browse a futuristic landscape and encounter a Christian rapper talking about his lyrics, how he deals with stress in his life, and how God is part of his life. Sincere and insightful.
• Check out video clips featuring what teens are thinking, believing and doubting about these days.

In addition to great interactive/animated content, Actual Reality is full of interviews with young Christian rock 'n roll bands and individual artists.  Hear and see ... The Supertones talk about self-esteem. The Newsboys talk about sharing your faith. Church of Rhythm (these guys can sing) talk about prejudice. Rebecca St. James talks about God's love. T-bone talk about what it means to praise God.Third Day, Audio Adrenaline, World Wide Message Tribe. And a little animated preacher dude who pops up on occasion with his own brand of wild raise the dead sermonettes. and many more... Pictured here : An interactive lyrics screen featuring video clip discussions about the lyrics from one of the Supertones. In all, there are 17 lesson topics and nearly 250 verses to check out.   I am most impressed with the section of this CD titled: "The Actual Reality Observor" ...and in particular, a section in the Observor titled "COLOR BLIND." Color Blind has numerous interactive presentations and even a guessing game that help create healthy discussion on RACE and PREJUDICE. This section alone is worth the price of the CD. <>< Neil 2002 Update: This CD has been in our catalog for several years now and I still can't say enough superlatives about it. In my latest romp through the CD the word that came to mind is "FRESH." Actual Reality is a great example of a fabulously good CD that was ignored by almost every publishing house and denomination in this country. I am reminded that a variant of the word "ignored" is "ignorance." Actual Reality reminds me of why our company exists. <>< N.M.

NEW RESOURCES for ACTUAL REALITY!  http://www.actualreality.org.uk/media/resources/church/ 18 Professsional produced lesson plans using Actual Reality: Christ Historical Resurrection Ignites a Response Saved The Way Bible Prayer Praise Faith Temptation Sin and Forgiveness Peer Pressure Personal God of Love Sexual Purity Evangelism Love One Another Self Esteem Visit our United Kingdom friend's website and print these professionally laid-out lessons in PDF format. The lesson plans include opening activities, step-by-step instructions on navigating Actual Reality content for the lesson, additional discussion questions and more. Actual Reality was recently approved for use in public school education in the U.K. after extensive evaluation. The weblink to their site also takes you to their incredibly detailed INDEX of what's all in Actual Reality. These materials can be downloaded in PDF format from their website or purchased on CD ROM from their company.

This CD ROCKS!

One of Actual Reality's many triumphs is it's ability to pull together a wide range of Christian hip-hopsters, rappers, Christian pop divas, guys with earrings, and radical hair dudes. You'll hear a very 1998 soundtrack throughout the CD, meet the bands, and be able to tune in to 25 MTv quality music video clips. The music of Actual Reality may in fact be the biggest surprise to teenagers, Christian music that isn't all organs and choir robes. From Point of Grace (pictured left) to The Newsboys and beyond. The diverse musical styles of this CD give it a longevity that isn't soon out of date.

Actual Reality's theology is what I would call mainstream, Jesus-centered, and traditional with a non-threatening, un-preachy evangelical flavor. The hip-ness of the program design, content and recording artists give this CD's content a great edgy-ness. It does have a little of what some would call an evangelical vocabulary. But no fire or brimstone here. This modern and moderate Presbyterian minister and former youth pastor found the theological expression vital and refreshing. Anyone could probably find at least one theological nit to pick (I did), but it would pale in comparison with Actual Reality's huge amount of content, heart-felt expression and technical achievement.

In addition to our standard evaluation process -which included youth, I previewed Actual Reality with a group that included many Presbyterian pastors and educators as well as three Southern Baptists. Everybody wanted a copy of this CD. If however, IF you have a sore spot about anything even mildly evangelical, you may want to avoid this program (which is too bad).

The content is pure Sunday night fellowship meeting, which comes as no surprise given program designer Ray Neu's Youth for Christ background. We've met and I've heard his story. His work in this CD was truly inspired.

How could you use Actual Reality? This CD belongs in the hands of teens, whether they are in your Sunday School, youth fellowship, Confirmation class, or not in your church at all. This is a CD to share with the kid next door who doesn't go to church. This is a CD to wrap as a gift for your niece, nephew, or grandkids. This is a CD for the pastor to slip into the hands of that lost teenager. Just remember who you lent it to or get extra copies, you won't be getting it back soon. I've used this CD on several teaching occasions with teens, older AND even selectively with younger elementary.

FREE with this CD is our exclusive 17 PAGE STUDY GUIDE and OUTLINE to the program. With so much to explore, you'll appreciate the guide's outline and commentary following every section of the CD with suggested discussion questions.

Pictured at right: Screen shot of three Bible character videos you can see and listen to in the CD.

OUR Recommended & Realistic System Requirements: Windows 95/98/Me/XP or Mac 64080 (PowerMac recommended). 16 mb RAM, 8 speed CD or higher. Thousands of colors (16 bit) at 640 x 480. And some decent speakers to play Actual Reality's terrific music.

Price: $20 for your first copy..... $16 each for 2 to 4 copies. $14 each for 5 or more copies.

Order ON-LINE or call 1-800-678-1948.

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