Over the past couple of months I have had the opportunity to talk with creatives from several (much larger) churches around the country. I was simply seeking the advice and wisdom of those who have gone before me. It was extremely helpful, I gained a ton of insight, and I am thankful for those who took the time to speak with me.
There was one similarity that I noticed across the board (even in my church), there are very few volunteer creatives. Now I am not talking about your weekend service production teams (these teams tended to be strong).
This is not necessarily a bad thing, or a deficit. It is completely understandable that creating motion graphics, or producing a video piece takes a lot of time, and a highly skilled individual.
However, one creative director and I agreed, we are on the look out for people with initiative and ambition. Most people we know are self taught.
There are a ton of resources out there. Here are 3 that have been a huge help in my devlopment:
This site has tutorials on everything from java script to video production. You can preview a few videos for free in each cource. A $25.00 monthly subscription gives you access to over 42,000 tutorials. I highly recommend this site, it is well worth the cost.
This site has some great content on digital photography and film making. You can take a course via live video stream, or purchase them after the fact for prices ranging from free to $129.00 I recently purchased “HDDSLR Cinema with Vincent Laforet ” (one of the more pricey titles) This course was well worth the cash I paid for it. If you are making the leap from stills to HDDSLR photography, or you’re just starting to shoot video with a Canon 7d or 5D Mark II this course is a must. Vincent Laforet is a legendary still photographer. In addition, this course features special content with Chase Jarvis a revolutionary still photographer.
Smashing Magazine is an amazing blog with tons of “how to” content about web and graphic design. The best part is… It’s completely free. This is a great site for design inspiration, or if you are looking for a tutorial to help you give your blog a fresh look.
Here’s the bottom line: If you are passionate about creatively communicating the powerful message of the Gospel, to a culture that desperately needs this message, then just like any other calling or vocation in life, it takes time and preparation. I personally believe that the next great creative mind (designer, director, producer, etc.) is out there. Will they do what it takes to develop the gifts and the grace that are on their life?
Being a creative at time requires having thick skin. After all, your work that you invested your blood, sweat, an tears into is on display for the whole world to give their critiques and two cents. That is why I love this video from the team over at North Point Media
They were brave enough to poke fun at themselves and other post modern churches. This video is funny because it is so true!!
If you check out the comments on the vime0 page, you will see that there is a lot of controversy over this film. I don’t know what context this video was used in, but here is the bottom line for me: This style of service programming can be very effective if done right and with the right heart, and I don’t believe that the creators of the video intended to say that post modern worship is from the devil. Lighten up! However you do church, do it with all af your heart, do it well, and do it for the glory of God!
Was just thinking the other day about the future….
Did you know that the Bible actually says that we are God’s masterpiece(his workmanship, or prized possession) He cares for us more than you care about your iPhone, or iPad.
He actually has an agenda for your life (you can chose to follow his agenda or not) and that agenda is actually full of good stuff, stuff that will actually benefit you.
I am going to be thankful for the good plans He has for me today.
Ok, I know I may be a few years late on this, but I have been reading through John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership this is a tremendous book with many timeless principals. There is one concept in particular that helped me a ton: The Law of Influence.
I really thought that I never put to much faith in my job title. In fact, I always sign emails with just my name instead of a huge signature. However, I have had several titles in the past 2 years of my life: Barista, Project Manager, Project Coordinator, Website Coordinator, and Creative Director. It’s not that I liked it when people were impressed with my title, it’s that I thought once I was given a title that it came with magical powers that automatically gave me the ability to do everything encompassed within the job description, and do those things perfectly. Maxwell says:
True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only with influence, and that cannot be mandated.
This may be a stretch, but Jesus did this very well. Phillipians 2:6 says:
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Event though the title of “God” certainly came with power, Jesus gained momentum and leverage on earth not by playing the God card, but by serving others and thinking of their interests above his own in order to gain influence among the people. There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus had influence that was gained not appointed. He had 12 devoted followers who dropped everything they were doing, literally quitting jobs on the spot, in order to follow him.
I am so thankful, and exited for where I am at in life, and the position I am in. In these upcoming months and years I am going to serve with tenacity, follow with passion, and grow with determination. I am certain the leaders in my life will only catalyze this process. Bottom line leverage and influence will take work.
OK so I’m no Jenifer Lopez, but I think my future wife and I have done a heck of a job planning our DIY wedding.
On November 14, 2009 I asked Danielle to marry me. She liked me enough to say yes. As soon as she got that ring on her finger, it was almost as if her primal instincts kicked in. As the endorphins flowed throughout her body, Danielle began to go into wedding planning mode. When are we going to have the wedding (wedding date is one of the biggest hurdles to jump), where are we going to have the wedding, who are we going to invite, and most importantly how the heck are we going to pay for this stinking thing?
There is no doubt about it, planning a wedding on your own and on a finite budget is a task that takes teamwork and organization. Luckily for me, I have one amazing team mate in my future bride, and some awesome tools at my disposal to help along the way.
I can honestly say, google docs has been our number one organization tool when it has come to planning everything from our budget to our guest list. It is free, allows for collaboration, and goes with us where ever we go (iPhones, laptops, etc.).
Here are some pointers:
Utilize the template gallery there is a ton of stuff already out there.
Schedule a block of time to sit down with your significant other and plan out the docs together, and get on the same page when it comes to “rules” for editing updating and communicating.
You can import office docs you may have already created.
Take a deep breath and realize that it is just one day of the rest of your lives together (for my bride, and all you ladies, don’t worry it will be one of the most magical day of your lives).
Here are a few examples of docs we created (morphed from other templates), feel free to use them for your wedding.
One final word of encouragement, planning a wedding can be a difficult thing. In fact, it can be a huge stressor on your relationship. I just want you to know I believe in a God who cares about the details of our lives… even the wedding details. Be encouraged it’s going to work out, put your trust God.
Every year Victory Family Church hosts a community wide easter egg hunt called Eggstravaganza. There are always multiple thousands of people that show up. The best part is they all get the opportunity to hear the amazing life changing message of the gospel. This year was no different.
The Making Of…
I owe a huge thank you to my volunteers. Nathan and Brad did a fantastic job of filming. They used the Panasonic HVX200 and the Panasonic HMC150. All of the slow motion footage was shot using the HMC150 at 60 frames per second (720 60p) I slowed the footage down to 24p (23.976 fps) using the cinema tools conform feature.
Finally, I used the Canon 7D (Tokina 16-50mm f/2.8) for all of the time lapse footage. I posted up on the roof at about 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, the day we set up, and took an exposure every 10 seconds (with a remote) until about 3:00 p.m. On Friday, the day of the event, I did the same thing from 8:30 a.m. to about 2:30 p.m. I ended up with over 4000 stills stitched together at 60 fps.
Ok, I know this is old news. Conan O’Brien has left NBC…
For the record ” I am with CoCo” I always loved Conan more than any of his late night counterparts.
One thing that struck me when Conan gave his on air farewell speech, was “If you work hard and are kind, amazing things will happen”
This is so true. Kindness and loyalty will give you favor with people. Not only will it give you favor with people, but it will give you favor with God. If you are sure to be kind, and stay loyal, it will take you to heights you never imagined.
Proverbs 3:3-4 NLT
3 Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!
Tie them around your neck as a reminder.
Write them deep within your heart.
4 Then you will find favor with both God and people,
and you will earn a good reputation.
I have accomplished a lot of the things that have been on my heart in the past few years (dream job, getting married to an amazing woman, buying a house). Quite frankly, this is a principal that I am continuously tying to apply in my life.
There will always be a next step, something bigger and somewhere further, but kindness and loyalty is always going to be one of the things that will get me there.
The process of making known one’s thoughts or feeling.
When I think of expression, I think of the ways that people communicate their identity. When someone is expressing themselves they are expressing who they real are. Some people sing, some people paint, some talk, others yell, or even fight. All these verbs are ways that people express themselves. An expression is a glimpse into someones personality.
As a communicator, I often ponder how to express who God is. How do you express something you have never seen with your eyes, or touched with your hands?
Well, how does God express who he is?
The Bible says that Jesus and the Father are one, in other words we can say He was the expression of the Father. Furthermore, most everyone knows: “For God so loved the world that he GAVE his one and only Son” -John 3:16
God gave. He gave in such a manner that it illustrated who he really was. This act of gving was the ultimate selfless act. God gave expecting nothing in return. He gave something that was one of a kind, it was His “only” When something is one of a kind it usually increases in value.
The expression of Jesus was an expression of God that was local. In other words it was confined to the places that Jesus could physically be. However, when Jesus told the disciples to “go and tell the world” he had something global in mind.
It’s pretty amazing if you think about, we are called to a global movement. A movement of giving.
I am going to try to start my days asking: What can I give? To my future spouse, to other relationships I have, to my co-workers, to strangers.
ChrisMart.in will be a place to share almost everything going on in my life. I want this site to add value to lives of the people that read it. Some of the things that I will be wrting about include but are not limited to: Technology, Faith, Communictation, Life, Web Design, Ministry, Tutorials, and Marketing.
