Video Production

Now that I am done with my video I thought I would share a few thoughts on the process...
Overall I thought that it was a good experience.  This assignment gave me the opportunity to work on something for class but also create something that i can tweak for the church that I work at to be used at a later time.  I think the video turned out ok.  I was disappointed at how I was not able to make the video look exactly the way that i envisioned it. Though imovie is fairly easy to use it is really confusing at the same time- I felt like i never really knew what I was doing and every time I made a change I hoped it would be a good one because there is no option to save your work- imovie automatically saves your work so if you want to go back to a different version there is no suck luck (unless I totally missed that, which could be very true!!!)
Again, overall I think this was a great assignment and I am proud of what I made.  AND since I was not able to use my month of Animoto for this assignment I will just have to find something else to make a movie about!

one more book..

Here is one more that I have started and have really enjoyed what I have read so far...

Shane Hipps
Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes your Faith

Book

I am not much of a reader... but here is a good book that i have found to be related to what we have been talking about in class:
Brian Mclaren's The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture

Happy reading! 

Pictures...

There are millions of pictures online... how can it be so challenging to find one that captures that idea of giving your money away.

Animoto

I have been meaning to comment on Animoto for a few days not but keep getting distracted with a different shiny object...
I thought that Animoto would be my best bet for our project... I like to think of myself as relatively techable but in reality i am not so good. I purchased the $5 unlimited month access but realized that you are limited in how much you write per slide.  Not sure if i missed something but this program seems fairly limiting in your own creative influence on your piece.  Needless to say I have a month to make a bunch of videos that say very little.  

Blogging

So this blogging thing is not my cup of tea.

I knew that it was going to be challenging but I did not think that it would be this challenging.

I mean how hard is it to write down a few thoughts and press publish...

For whatever reason blogging is like keeping a journal. I always have good intentions but two days after I start I stop.  This blog is different- my grade depends on its content- scary.

Oh well- after looking through the blogs posted for this weeks readings I am feeling utterly inadequate.

Funny

So this site gave us some good laughs yesterday at work-

http://www.thebricktestament.com/

Free Music

Here is a link that might be helpful:

http://freemusicarchive.org/curator/creative_commons

Rob Bell in MN

If you are interested Rob Bell will be in MN on Monday talking about his new book-  here is the information from their facebook event posting-

The Bookcase is pleased to announce that Rob Bell will be visiting Wayzata on Monday, April 11. The event will be held at 7:00 in the evening at Wayzata Community Church. Called by some the “most controversial character in American Christianity right now,” Bell will be here to discuss his new book, "Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived." Bell is the pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, a congregation of 10,000 people. His other books include "Sex God," "Jesus Wants to Save Christians," "Drops Like Stars" and "Velvet Elvis." This event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early, as the sanctuary is expected to be filled to capacity. Wayzata Community Church is located at 125 E. Wayzata Boulevard in Wayzata.

Use

I have been thinking about what is the best use for social media.  I know that facebook is a wonderful thing, I have loved it recently because my boyfriend and I just got engaged.  It has been a great tool for getting to word out, talking with family and far away friends.
BUT...
Facebook has a dark side- people are able to communicate with one another much faster and can use it for ill.
How do you talk about this issue with people who don't use social media in the 'right' way? Do you ignore it or do you call them out?

ELCA Tips on Internet Security

This is a great resource for churches and individuals related to internet security.

http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Information-Technology/Security.aspx

Love Wins: Talking Points

Since I have been on the topic I thought that I would continue!
Here are eight talking points that we will be using at Incarnation for groups that might have concerns relating to the big issues in Rob Bells new book Love Wins.  These came about during conversations with small groups that currently use Rob Bells short videos- NOOMA.

1. "Who is saved" and "how salvation happens" are questions filled with mystery.  While we can talk about a variety of theological perspectives and personal viewpoints, ultimately, these questions are filled with mystery and not certainty.
2. It is God who decides, not any of us. We believe in a God that is bigger than anything humans can comprehend, with greater knowledge and understanding. Fortunately, "who is saved" isn't our decision to make.
3. We believe that God's love and grace are clearly revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. We believe that salvation, individually  and for the world, comes through the grace of Jesus Christ. We believe that the best expression of God is Jesus Christ.
4. We are grounded in God's grace. We believe that grace of God is filled with compassion, forgiveness, and love. It is not based on something we do or something we believe, but ultimately a gift from a loving God. Our understanding of grace opens us to the possibility that God's grace and love may be broader and more expansive than anything we, as humans, can comprehend or imagine.
5. While we believe in the saving power of love and grace expressed in Jesus Christ, that doesn't mean that Jesus isn't at work in the world in other ways, and perhaps through other religions.
6. We believe that God's Kingdom is here on earth, right now. Questions for heaven, hell, and salvation are just as relevant to how we live out our lives today, as they are eternally.  It is as important to be about God's kingdom here on earth, as it is to pay attention to God's kingdom eternally.
7. We encourage small groups to have discussions that are filled with love and mutual respect. Each person has a unique faith journey that has brought them to this place. We encourage open, honest, non-judging, safe conversations and the freedom to ask questions.
8. We learn from the different perspectives shared in a small group context. In the diversity of perspectives, we will actively seek to find places where we share common ground.

Another Rob Bell related post...

Here is another great resource:

http://www.livestream.com/lovewins

Here are a couple recommend readings related to the topics being discussed:
* "Who will be Saved" by William Willimon
* "The Story We Find Ourselves in" and "The Last Word and the Word After That" By Brian McLaren

Rob Bell

I mentioned that Rob Bell and his new book are a hot topic around my work place... here is a great question and answer session that might be helpful for those of you who might be having the same conversations!

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/features/25030-is-rob-bell-a-universalist

You might get a kick out of this!

So, in my morning staff meeting today we started talking about the new Rob Bell book and some of the conversations that we have been having with members. Long story short we did not get very far- but here is a video you might get a kick out of!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh5nyR4y-eI

Social Media

Today during class we talked a lot about social media and how that that is changing the way that we think about ministry.  I cant help but feel sad and overwhelmed at the world that we have created for ourselves to live within.  How do we continue to sever those within our congregations when they are finding the community that we claim to provide on a computer screen?

Things to Consider..

I work at a large church where communication is getting more and more challenging.  People don't read their mail like they used to and their email addresses are bogged with junk mail.  Facebook is a great way to communicate what is going on but there are a number of things to take into consideration.  Here is a link I found with some helpful questions/ ideas to take into consideration before starting a facebook page for you church.

http://www.kansaseast.org/console/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/The_Church_and_Facebook_UFDHYKCV.pdf