Concepts Concepts Concepts - 6 Week Campaign

In a few short weeks we will be starting our latest Church-wide campaign. But this time we are not calling it a campaign or treating it like the 40 day campaigns we have participated it and produced in the past. After completing last years campaign we did some internal searching and questioning of staff and volunteers. We found that our volunteers and leaders felt burnt out - enjoyed the great campaigns but burnt out. There is just a lot involved from research, design, music, graphics, sermons, small groups, and more and to make it all seamlessly work together takes a large amount of willing people.

Another thing we discovered is that we pushed small groups but yet scheduled church-wide events to take place when most small groups would meet. Impeding on a regular meeting schedule proved harmful to the success of new small groups that formed. So this time around we are going basic. The staff is still putting a ton of time and energy into planning and execution but doing our best to use a minimal amounts of volunteers and leaders.

This campaign is focusing on Spiritual Disciplines as Modeled by Christ. If we are really seeking spiritual discipline, then where better to look than the man whom led a perfect life and whom we base our entire religion around. Christ as a model for our spiritual life....hmmm sounds like a pretty solid idea.

I'll post more about this campaign at later dates but we have some amazing and creative ideas planned so far and I can't wait to see how this plays out. I know this is not a new idea but it is new to us given our space and facilities, but we are attempting physical props and stage design that reflect the series we are planning. Humans are very visual and being so we associate things better with visual stimulation. Our goal is to provide something not distracting but memorable that will help someone engage with and remember the messages from the series.

Above you see what, as of now, is a design concept for our campaign. We want to build an 8 foot replica of this directional sign where each week we put the sermon title on one of the directional arrows. Hope it works and keep tuning in for updates and pictures from this adventure. Share you ideas with us as well - the more people apart of the conversations, the more ideas that come to fruition.

Finally Started Reading Again

So its been almost 2 months since I graduated from Belmont. My time there was great and treasured but as the time passed I watched as the list of books I wanted to read grow as the list of books I had to read seem to never get smaller. And even though some of the books ended up on both lists, the must read list made it hard to want to read those particular books. It's nice to slowly work through a book on your own pace rather than reading at the same pace a Usain Bolt runs. I was so burnt out from the pace of academia that I took time off before even looking at the want to read list.

I am happy to say that I have finally started reading books that I want to read and at my own pace. I have started 3 books thus far. Jesus Wants to Save Christians, Pop Goes The Church, and Beyond Doubt: Faith Building Devotions on Questions Christians Ask. I am not very far as I am slowly reading (and it feels so good) but want to recommend these books so far.

Just a short post to keep you updated.

Super Imposing

This was last weeks installment of our morning announcements, Derek and Derek in the Morning. If you check out previous posts you will find the Derek and Derek Debate which was one of my favorite installments we have produced thus far. Well here is probably my second favorite. Our Youth Minister (Derek) was away at camp this past week. We normally just have a guest host fill in for the missing Derek when this type of thing happens. This week we had an idea that we wanted to try but weren't sure if it would work. Superimpose our Connecting Pastor (Derek) interacting with himself.

In theory this would be easy - in reality we were not set up to really make this happen. All I ended up doing was setting the camera on a tripod for a steady shot and marking lines that Derek couldn't cross. I stood on his marks and ran through lines with him so he would know where to look so it looked as natural as possible. During the takes I read the opposite lines for timing.

After importing the footage, all I did was use half of one shot and half of another and did a little color correction and touch up work to make it look smooth and natural. Honestly I think I found it funnier than most others but if we can't make ourselves laugh then what's the point.

Schools out for Summer

Well for me, school is out forever; or until i am led to go on for further education. It is safe to say however, that it won't be for a while. Four years as a full time student who decided to double major while effectively working a full time job or two to three part time jobs at one time, getting married and building a house all at the same time has left me pretty burnt out and weary (to say the least). But i graduated with honors from Belmont University and am beyond excited and thrilled with my experience. I took four years after graduating High School to decide to pursue higher education. I have always believed that education without direction is wasted just the same as direction without education. So i found my direction and had one foot in the academic world and one foot in the working world. I wouldn't trade that specific experience for anything as idealistic nathan and practical nathan often fought. Well graduation passed and now (after a few weeks of effectively doing nothing but relax) i find myself with both feet in the working world recalling the academic. It's the meshing of the two that has become the challenge now.

Musing on a Glass of Water

The optimist sees a glass half full.

The pessimist sees a glass half empty.

The cynic sees a glass with dirty water.

The realist wonders if you poured into the glass or out of the glass.

The philosopher would ponder if there really is a glass with anything in it.

The scientist sees a 500ml glass with 250ml of liquid.

The physicist would say that the volume of this cylinder is divided into two equal parts; one a colorless, odorless liquid, the other a colorless, odorless gas. Thus the cylinder is neither full nor empty. Rather, each half of the cylinder is full, one with a gas, one with a liquid.

The seasoned drinker would say that the glass doesn't have enough ice in it.

The plumber checks for a leak.

The engineer sees a glass that is twice as big as it needs to be.

The banker would say that the glass has just under 50% of its net worth in liquid assets.

The agnostic doesn’t seem to care either way.

The Christian sees a lack of joy.

People only see what they are prepared to see. - Ralph Waldo Emerson