On January 1, 2009, 3ABN is launching a new 24-hour channel for children called the SonBeam Channel. Initially it will be available only to those with the MOIPTV and MOPCWeb systems. One of the tasks assigned to my department was creating a logo for this channel.
Goals of the design included making it unique, appealing to kids, cheery, bright, fun, and easy to animate. We also strove for simplicity and contemporary colors and shapes.
After several stages of review, this is the logo design chosen:
The logo looks best on dark backgrounds which accentuate the glowing sun. In those cases, the grey lettering is almost white. However, for light backgrounds we also created this version.
There is also a 3D version of this logo that is being developed. In the 3D version, the sun is a sphere, not a disc. The letters may have a tube shape. However, details of the 3D version have not been finalized yet. When the 3D version is complete, it may become the official logo in place of the flat one.
Tags: 3ABN, art, design, logos, television
Recently, I have been trying to find good programming for my two year old son on DVD or VHS. The best I have been able to find is Janice’s Attic which used to be on 3abn. Now they have Kid’s time but that is becoming more and more unchristian with their praise music. It seems there are fewer and fewer places where you can find good christian music, especially for kids. It would seem like 3abn would be lifting the standard higher as they do in some other areas, but in this area, they have always in my opinion not done so. I have voiced this to Moses Primo, Jr. in the past, but it seems that everyone’s conviction is not the same. I hope that those who do programming will pray earnestly that they may make the kid’s channel programming the best it can be for the glory of God and not follow the trends of the other churches in the production of songs that sound like loves songs with no substance for our kids. I would ad more to this comment, but I have run out of time. Please consider this.
You could email your comments to kidstime@3abn.org. Last I checked, I thought the music on Kids’ Time was quite conservative … especially by comparison to what you’d find at most churches or Christian networks. But I confess I seldom if ever watch! If you have suggestions for sources of good children’s music, I’m sure they’d like to know. It takes rare talent to make something that is both appealing and wholesome.
Abiding Radio on Itunes has a lot of good music and they have a website where you can order all the music they play on their station on CD or mp3 download. I am not sure about music for children but I do know that as a church we have had many children’s songbooks in the past that I don’t see why we cannot use them. Don’t you think that what is conservative relative to the word of God instead of what is conservative relative to popular culture is the best? As David Gates said, “If we choose heavenly music, whatever is sung in heaven, we will get heavenly results.”
Have you emailed those suggestions to the Kids’ Time email address in my previous post? That would be more direct and therefore more effective than me doing it for you. The Kids’ Time songs that I’ve heard are mostly old, well-known songs — such as most of the ones on our YouTube page (http://www.youtube.com/3abnpublishing). The Bible doesn’t limit us to singing any particular songs, nor does it discourage writing new ones. The Bible is also silent on many aspects of what constitutes worshipful music; most of what I believe about godly music is extrapolation of broader principles such as reverence, modesty, God-focused, etc. But the application of these principles can be quite subjective. Without plain “Thus saith the Lord,” it can be dangerous to dictate details. I agree that we shouldn’t be content with merely “being better than the world.”
i can’t wait til the sonbeam channel comes out some tthat me nieces and nefue can watch i love your idea!
Having just watched Discoveries 08, I am wondering about using the symbol of the sun in the logo. There has been a lot of sun worship in history and we don’t want to send confusing messages to our children.
Hi David! I can appreciate your concern, and it is certainly an aspect that we thought about. In the Adventist Church, symbols concern some people much more than others. For me, a symbol’s meaning is attached to its usage and context. That is, symbols do not have universal, absolute meanings. For example, in the Bible a serpent represents Satan (Revelation 12:9), but also represents Christ (John 3:14). Leaven represents sin, or false doctrines, or hypocrisy (see Luke 12:1 for example), but also represents the kingdom of God (Matthew 13:33).
Personally I do not feel that the way the sun is presented in the SonBeam Channel logo is going to lead anyone into sun worship. I was a child once, as we all were, and I am sure that as a child I would have understood the metaphor. In the context of the whole channel package, I think it will be obvious that the focus of the channel is Jesus, not the sun. Besides that, a logo is a logo, they are all around us. We don’t worship them; they are just symbols. And the symbol of the sun is one of many that God uses for Himself (Malachi 4:2; Psalm 84:11).
how can I workshop with God
Genet, I do not understand your question. Can you rephrase it?
how can I go with God allways in my life
Genet, I’m sorry I did not answer your question earlier. Somehow I lost track of it. I would answer your question in two parts: (1) In one sense, God is always with us. We could not exist without His power upholding us. Even when we do wrong, God desires to help us. (2) But the more important question is, How can we walk in God’s ways, or live a life that is pleasing to God? I think if you make an effort to study the Bible and follow what you learn there, and pray that God will help you to live a life that will honor Him, you will find the experience you seek. Remember that walking with God is not always easy, but neither is walking without Him. Remember that God will always forgive your sins, when you ask for forgiveness in Jesus’ name. And throughout your life you will grow stronger, as you practice what God shows you.