Sunday, May 3, 2015
Jet laggggggg.....
So, I just recently got back from South Africa again and I am now suffering the terrible effects of jet lag. Or is it, I'm awake by 3am every morning and have been more productive these past few days than I have been for weeks! Ever wished for more hours in the day? Well I've got the solution for you!😄
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
This is Africa... Part 1
8/18/2014... 4:45am
My iPhone alarm goes off. I throw it across the room. I lay in bed a few more minutes and then realize, I HAVE A FLIGHT TO CATCH!
I'm traveling to Durban South Africa with a small group of people from First Assembly of God in Visalia, CA.
Their job, to scout the location and see how the church can partner with the local churches in SA.
My job? To document it.
I'm traveling with my trusty 4K GH4, a set of cinema prime lenses some audio gear and my workhorse Phantom. Cinema drone, My hope is to be able to capture the beauty of the region and people, their joy, laughter and yes, sorrow.
To tell their story.
Durban is a beautiful city located in the farthest tip of South Africa. It is an amazing melting pot of dozens of different people, traditions and religions. One of the big issues that has plagued the area is a massive concentration of HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately, many people don't have the means to get medical assistance.
This is where our story begins.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Videography kit for mision teams
So, Ive been a videographer for a number of years now and Ive had the privilege of working in the mission field, documenting some amazing work that is taking place. Through the years, I have been using a number of different cameras and equipment to capture what is happening in the mission field, Ive created a small, fairly cheap kit that consists of everything that you would need for documentary film making.
Here it goes.
CANNON T3i- This is the heart of the whole kit. I chose this camera based off of a number of things.
RODE VIDEO MIC KIT- This kit will give you the essentials to capture decent audio in many different situations.
BENRO VIDEO TRIPOD- This small, light weight tripod will give you all of the abilities to film, including pan and tilt with adjustable friction. And, its easy to travel with.
LOWE PRO DSLR FASTPACK- You need something to carry all of your camera gear in that will keep it safe and dry, The DSLR fast pack will do just that with its rugged build and pull out rain cover.
ZOOM H1- One of the hardest parts of videography is audio, the H1 simplifies the process.
SENNHEISER HEADPHONES- These little guys do a great job of giving you accurate audio reference.
SANDISK 16 GB SD CARDS- You need to capture all of your beautiful footage on something!
Total cost for this whole kit- $1362.55
Click HERE to view all of the items.
There is an alternative to the DSLR approach and here is the camera that Ive found does a create job. The only downside is not having the ability to switch lenses for different situations.
CANNON XA10. The Audio Technica shotgun mic does a wonderful job at capturing audio through the cameras XLR inputs.
Hopefully this helps!
Here it goes.
CANNON T3i- This is the heart of the whole kit. I chose this camera based off of a number of things.
- Size- its small form factor allows you to be discreet in your filming which allows you to capture shots that you may not be able to do with a larger camera.
- Ability to capture beautiful photos- Instantly, you can switch between photo and video mode.
- Expandability- By using Magic Lantern firmware, you can unlock many more functions, like time lapse video.
- Price-at $559.00, its a no brainer.
- Image quality- With full manual video controls, you have a ton of options.
RODE VIDEO MIC KIT- This kit will give you the essentials to capture decent audio in many different situations.
BENRO VIDEO TRIPOD- This small, light weight tripod will give you all of the abilities to film, including pan and tilt with adjustable friction. And, its easy to travel with.
LOWE PRO DSLR FASTPACK- You need something to carry all of your camera gear in that will keep it safe and dry, The DSLR fast pack will do just that with its rugged build and pull out rain cover.
ZOOM H1- One of the hardest parts of videography is audio, the H1 simplifies the process.
SENNHEISER HEADPHONES- These little guys do a great job of giving you accurate audio reference.
SANDISK 16 GB SD CARDS- You need to capture all of your beautiful footage on something!
Total cost for this whole kit- $1362.55
Click HERE to view all of the items.
There is an alternative to the DSLR approach and here is the camera that Ive found does a create job. The only downside is not having the ability to switch lenses for different situations.
CANNON XA10. The Audio Technica shotgun mic does a wonderful job at capturing audio through the cameras XLR inputs.
Hopefully this helps!
Amazing ministry tools (Part 3 graphics)
As it is with many churches, we in ministry find ourselves wearing a ton of different hats. Youth minister, children's minster, media minister, graphic designer, web master, IT guy, janitor... the list goes on and on. So, my hope is to knock one of those things off of the list for you. No, not janitor, we all have to do our part, but Graphic designer. I know of many churches that have the resources to actually have a full time graphic artist on their staff. I know that scripture says not too, but I covet. I wish that I had someone to go to every time I had a youth bulletin to produce or I needed an image for an upcoming lesson. But alas, we don't have a graphic design artist at the church. Fear Not! There is hope! There are a number of great websites online that can help fill this need and I would love to showcase a few of them for you! Mind you, I'm sure that there are a ton of other sites that you can use, these are just a few of my favorites.
CREATION SWAP- This site rocks! the other cool thing? You can post your own work up to it for others to use for free or to purchase. There are some truly talented artists on this site, definitely give it a look see.
MUDDY RIVER MEDIA- This is a go to site when you need a quick countdown timer, street interview etc. These guys have it all and its fairly decent stuff. Ive used a number of their motion backgrounds for some of our worship services. Again, completely free!
STOCK XCHNG- Here is something that I know a ton of churches are guilty of. Pirating images. Guys, this is illegal and people do get caught for doing it. So, stop doing it! News flash, if you go online to Google and search for something like a cat, click images, find the cute little image of a cat that you would like for your bulletin cover (hey, don't judge) and then right click, save as and send it to your downloads to be mass produced on 500 bulletins for Sunday mornings worship... you have just pirated an image. There is an easier way. Not to mention, legal. Use royalty free images and Stock Xchnge is a great place to start. They literally have a royalty free image for just about anything (even cats). So there you have it, quite being a criminal! Now you can sleep better at night.
LIFE CHURCH- Where do you even begin with Life Church.. Do you need a video series? They have it. And not your cheap, low budget videos that we have all come to expect from the Christian video world, but legit, well produced videos that people can really relate too. There is really too much to write about just on life church, I encourage you to just go and spend a few...hours on their site, they really have a ton of resources to offer.
So these are just a few sites that I use on a regular basis feel free to add to the list in the comments section, I'm sure that we would all love to see what you use!
CREATION SWAP- This site rocks! the other cool thing? You can post your own work up to it for others to use for free or to purchase. There are some truly talented artists on this site, definitely give it a look see.
MUDDY RIVER MEDIA- This is a go to site when you need a quick countdown timer, street interview etc. These guys have it all and its fairly decent stuff. Ive used a number of their motion backgrounds for some of our worship services. Again, completely free!
STOCK XCHNG- Here is something that I know a ton of churches are guilty of. Pirating images. Guys, this is illegal and people do get caught for doing it. So, stop doing it! News flash, if you go online to Google and search for something like a cat, click images, find the cute little image of a cat that you would like for your bulletin cover (hey, don't judge) and then right click, save as and send it to your downloads to be mass produced on 500 bulletins for Sunday mornings worship... you have just pirated an image. There is an easier way. Not to mention, legal. Use royalty free images and Stock Xchnge is a great place to start. They literally have a royalty free image for just about anything (even cats). So there you have it, quite being a criminal! Now you can sleep better at night.
LIFE CHURCH- Where do you even begin with Life Church.. Do you need a video series? They have it. And not your cheap, low budget videos that we have all come to expect from the Christian video world, but legit, well produced videos that people can really relate too. There is really too much to write about just on life church, I encourage you to just go and spend a few...hours on their site, they really have a ton of resources to offer.
So these are just a few sites that I use on a regular basis feel free to add to the list in the comments section, I'm sure that we would all love to see what you use!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Amazing ministry tools (Part 2 technology)
The world today is driven by media. Love it or hate it, that's just the way it is. We can run from media and technology and shove our heads in holes and pretend that it isn't out there or, we can embrace it and learn how to use it effectively in our ministries.
So, here we go!
GLO BIBLE- This thing rocks. It incorporates a vast media platform with tons of videos and pictures, an interactive Bible that allows you to use bookmarks and take notes and so much more! Whats great is they have a iPhone/iPad app as well as a desktop app.
APPLE TV- I know, this one seems weird, but let me explain. This puppy will unleash the projector in your youth room. Couple Apple TV with an iOS device and now anything that you pull up on your iPad, iPhone or Mac computer will wirelessly be streamed through the Apple TV and onto your big screen. Not to mention it connects to Youtube, Netflix and Hulu so you will always have a lockin movie on hand.
EVERNOTE- Another great app for your computer/ iPad or iPhone. Take notes at a conference on your iPad, share ideas, save websites, tons of uses for this little app.
Here's my personal favorite combination:
I know, it sounds crazy but, my youth kids respond to it and enjoy it, so I use it and honestly, once you get into the routine of the workflow, it does make things very very simple.
IPAD- Need I really go into detail on this one? There are a TON of ministry uses for an iPad. This may be a whole blog post unto its self.
LIVESTREAM- Be careful with this one. Livestream can be an amazing tool. But please please please, if you are going to do it, do it well and bring in someone that knows what they are doing or at least has the passion to learn. There are a ton of churches that are using this tool and it looks horrible. So, if you don't have the time, people and money set aside to make this jump, DONT DO IT!
That being said, here is what it does.
With Livestream, you are able to live broadcast your service over the internet. Here is why its cool, imagine you are traveling and arn't able to make it to Sunday morning services. No problem, you whip out your iPad, go to your churches website, click on the LIVE NOW link and watch the church service in real time.
There are sooo many possibilities for this technology.
Here's the kicker, its going to cost you. You will need a Livestream account, A decent HD camera, a USB capture device and a computer burly enough to run it, the little laptop that you use to run power point on Sunday mornings aint going to cut it. DO NOT CUT CORNERS ON THIS! Get yourself a decent machine like an iMac (I know, Ive been called biased many times before, but the fact of the matter is, Macs were made to do this type of stuff! I wouldn't use and El Camino to pull a horse trailer, so don't use a Frankeinsteined PC to do heavy graphics work. Yes, it can be done, but you better have someone who knows what they are doing behind the wheel. In this situation, the Macs are intuitive and easy to use, even for beginners. That's the end of my rant)
IMAC- You saw it coming. Let me break down my thinking to you. Awhile back we were looking at putting a new computer in our sound-booth. I suggested a Mac, people freaked out because they are scared of learning something new and they thought that OS X would take themselves and everyone else thatt uses the computer months to learn. Absolutely not true. Give me one hour and I will have you up and running using Mac like a pro. Don't let the fear of something new scare you off.
So, here is why I love using an iMac in the sound-booth.
LIVESTREAM BROADCASTER- Now that you have Livestreaming in the bag, take it on the road. With the broadcaster, you can. All you need is a wifi signal which is easy to obtain. Plug it into your Cannon XA10 and away you go!
There is a ton more that I can add to the list, but these are a few of my favorites. I will update as time permits.
So, here we go!
GLO BIBLE- This thing rocks. It incorporates a vast media platform with tons of videos and pictures, an interactive Bible that allows you to use bookmarks and take notes and so much more! Whats great is they have a iPhone/iPad app as well as a desktop app.
APPLE TV- I know, this one seems weird, but let me explain. This puppy will unleash the projector in your youth room. Couple Apple TV with an iOS device and now anything that you pull up on your iPad, iPhone or Mac computer will wirelessly be streamed through the Apple TV and onto your big screen. Not to mention it connects to Youtube, Netflix and Hulu so you will always have a lockin movie on hand.
EVERNOTE- Another great app for your computer/ iPad or iPhone. Take notes at a conference on your iPad, share ideas, save websites, tons of uses for this little app.
Here's my personal favorite combination:
- Evernote
- Glo Bible
- Apple TV
- iPad
I know, it sounds crazy but, my youth kids respond to it and enjoy it, so I use it and honestly, once you get into the routine of the workflow, it does make things very very simple.
IPAD- Need I really go into detail on this one? There are a TON of ministry uses for an iPad. This may be a whole blog post unto its self.
LIVESTREAM- Be careful with this one. Livestream can be an amazing tool. But please please please, if you are going to do it, do it well and bring in someone that knows what they are doing or at least has the passion to learn. There are a ton of churches that are using this tool and it looks horrible. So, if you don't have the time, people and money set aside to make this jump, DONT DO IT!
That being said, here is what it does.
With Livestream, you are able to live broadcast your service over the internet. Here is why its cool, imagine you are traveling and arn't able to make it to Sunday morning services. No problem, you whip out your iPad, go to your churches website, click on the LIVE NOW link and watch the church service in real time.
There are sooo many possibilities for this technology.
Here's the kicker, its going to cost you. You will need a Livestream account, A decent HD camera, a USB capture device and a computer burly enough to run it, the little laptop that you use to run power point on Sunday mornings aint going to cut it. DO NOT CUT CORNERS ON THIS! Get yourself a decent machine like an iMac (I know, Ive been called biased many times before, but the fact of the matter is, Macs were made to do this type of stuff! I wouldn't use and El Camino to pull a horse trailer, so don't use a Frankeinsteined PC to do heavy graphics work. Yes, it can be done, but you better have someone who knows what they are doing behind the wheel. In this situation, the Macs are intuitive and easy to use, even for beginners. That's the end of my rant)
IMAC- You saw it coming. Let me break down my thinking to you. Awhile back we were looking at putting a new computer in our sound-booth. I suggested a Mac, people freaked out because they are scared of learning something new and they thought that OS X would take themselves and everyone else thatt uses the computer months to learn. Absolutely not true. Give me one hour and I will have you up and running using Mac like a pro. Don't let the fear of something new scare you off.
So, here is why I love using an iMac in the sound-booth.
- All in One machine
- Everything you need is built into one Glass and Metal case. The argument was made that you cant run dual monitors or a monitor and a projector, again, this is wrong. In fact, I run 3 monitors out of my iMac. The iMac, the projector and a smaller reference monitor that mirrors the image coming out of the projector. Its a $24 adapter that will allow you to run whatever monitor you would like!
- Many programs built right in
- iMovie, iTunes, Garage Band, iPhoto. These programs come pre installed and would cost you a bunch of extra money if you went the PC route. Plus they are optimized to what you need out of a media computer.
- Example: A few years back, a family was using our facility for a memorial service. As it always happens, right at the last minute, they approach me with a CD of images that they wanted put up on the projector to play during the meal. I asked them what the deceased's favorite song was and they told me "Old Rugged Cross". I took the disk, uploaded it to the iMac, opened iPhoto, loaded all of the images into an "event" folder, Found a rendition of "Old Rugged Cross" on iTunes, purchased it, put it as the soundtrack (along with a few other songs) to a slide show that was created in iPhoto out of the families pictures and played the slide show. Elapsed time from getting the disk to clicking play on the slideshow? 7 Minutes.
- Simplicity
- It just works. You arnt constantly closing pop up windows reminding you of updates, virus scan isn't constantly telling you it needs to be updated. When you click on a program, it opens, when you need a file, you search for it and find it. Everything is drag and drop. Move a file from this folder to the other, done, drag it over and drop it in.
- Secure
- This is a given, there arnt nearly as many viruses out there attacking Mac computers.
- My list could go on and on....save yourself the headaches and shell out the extra cash to do it right the first time.
LIVESTREAM BROADCASTER- Now that you have Livestreaming in the bag, take it on the road. With the broadcaster, you can. All you need is a wifi signal which is easy to obtain. Plug it into your Cannon XA10 and away you go!
There is a ton more that I can add to the list, but these are a few of my favorites. I will update as time permits.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Amazing ministry tools (Part 1 communication)
So, the more I think about it, the more Im beginning to see that this may need to be a whole other blog unto itself.
But, to get us started, I wanted to share a few tools that I have felt have been invaluable in my ministry career.
Here is the disclaimer, these are only tools, nothing more. None of these items will magically transform your ministry, they will assist you in your ministry. Ministry is based off of one thing, spreading the word of God. You, have to do that, don't allow an auto updating SMS message to do it. Technology and social networking DO NOT REPLACE RELATIONSHIP!!!!! They can help to enhance it, but good old fashion coffee dates are still the way of the future (in terms of building relationships in your ministry) SMS and Twitter DO NOT REPLACE PRAYER!!!
Ok, now that all of the ground rules are set, lets get going.
Weebly is simple. Its template based (not lame templates) and its drag and drop. It hosts a number of excellent tools to help you get the most out of your site. It also integrates seamlessly with Facebook and Twitter so that any time an update is made, a notification is posted up.
There are a number of excellent free, template based web site creators out there, so search for one that will work best for you. (Weebly, Wix, a number of blog sites like Blogger or Tumblr.)
FACEBOOK-(Does it really need a description?) We all saw this one coming, but honestly, I love Facebook! It allows you to do so many things from online Bible studies, Event posting and even dropping a quick message. (not to mention, it allows me to remember everyones birthday!) Create a page for your church or ministry. Its quick, easy and completely free!!! (Your business administrator will love that.)
SENDHUB-(Desktop based Group SMS) Send hub is a game changer for ministry. I love my iPhone, but so often, I get annoyed with sending group messages. And, many times, I just want to do it through my computer! Enter Sendhub. Send hub is a web based SMS program that allows you to set up text groups (youth group, youth parents, volunteers etc.) You simply open the site, select the group that you want to message, type your message and hit send. It routes the message through your phone and sends it to the whole group. Your can even have it post the message up to your ministries Facebook page. There are a ton of other options out there that do the same thing, but this one has the best free option. They offer 250 texts a month, 60 free voice minutes, 3 groups of 50 contacts and unlimited messages and calls between Sendhub members.
GOOGLE APPS- (The base for everything) What so many organizations don't know is that Google offers a free Google Apps account for non profits. Why is this important?
But, to get us started, I wanted to share a few tools that I have felt have been invaluable in my ministry career.
Here is the disclaimer, these are only tools, nothing more. None of these items will magically transform your ministry, they will assist you in your ministry. Ministry is based off of one thing, spreading the word of God. You, have to do that, don't allow an auto updating SMS message to do it. Technology and social networking DO NOT REPLACE RELATIONSHIP!!!!! They can help to enhance it, but good old fashion coffee dates are still the way of the future (in terms of building relationships in your ministry) SMS and Twitter DO NOT REPLACE PRAYER!!!
Ok, now that all of the ground rules are set, lets get going.
COMMUNICATION
WEEBLY- (A personalized website just for your specific ministry!)One of the great things about Weebly is its cost. ITS FREE!!! Granted, you can purchase premium accounts, but for most ministries, their free version works just fine. Log on, create your ministry an account and link it to your churches main website. Is soo frustrating to have to figure out how to post all of the information about the ministry that you are involved in on one tiny page, so link it out to its own website!
A great thing about Weebly is that you can bring in collaborators and set different privileges. Do you have a student that lives and breathes music? Put them in charge of the "New Music" section of your student ministries web site.Weebly is simple. Its template based (not lame templates) and its drag and drop. It hosts a number of excellent tools to help you get the most out of your site. It also integrates seamlessly with Facebook and Twitter so that any time an update is made, a notification is posted up.
There are a number of excellent free, template based web site creators out there, so search for one that will work best for you. (Weebly, Wix, a number of blog sites like Blogger or Tumblr.)
FACEBOOK-(Does it really need a description?) We all saw this one coming, but honestly, I love Facebook! It allows you to do so many things from online Bible studies, Event posting and even dropping a quick message. (not to mention, it allows me to remember everyones birthday!) Create a page for your church or ministry. Its quick, easy and completely free!!! (Your business administrator will love that.)
SENDHUB-(Desktop based Group SMS) Send hub is a game changer for ministry. I love my iPhone, but so often, I get annoyed with sending group messages. And, many times, I just want to do it through my computer! Enter Sendhub. Send hub is a web based SMS program that allows you to set up text groups (youth group, youth parents, volunteers etc.) You simply open the site, select the group that you want to message, type your message and hit send. It routes the message through your phone and sends it to the whole group. Your can even have it post the message up to your ministries Facebook page. There are a ton of other options out there that do the same thing, but this one has the best free option. They offer 250 texts a month, 60 free voice minutes, 3 groups of 50 contacts and unlimited messages and calls between Sendhub members.
GOOGLE APPS- (The base for everything) What so many organizations don't know is that Google offers a free Google Apps account for non profits. Why is this important?
- A domain specific email address no more youthminister@aol.com. Now, its youthminister@gracelutheran.org or whatever your organization is called. (you get a total of 10 domain specific email addresses)
- A collaborative calendar. It is so frustrating to log onto a church website and see a handwritten, scanned in calendar. I applaud your effort to get onto the "intra web" but come on... I cant do anything with your calendar. Churches now days serve as a social hub! So many things going on that it is incredibly hard to keep track of them all. Give people a calendar that they can use, Something that they can download and print out, something that they can subscribe to with their own calendaring program, something that they can even have sent to their phones. Google calendar is this and more. So, quite making your cutsie monthly calendars with the snow flakes on top and give people a usable calendar!
- Contacts. I have the whole church directory uploaded into my Google contacts. From there, I break them out into different groups. youth, youth parents, volunteers, young adults group, etc. etc. I can load all kinds of data into each contact.
- HERES a trick, I combine my Google drive and Google contacts all the time to make life easier. Heres how:
- I scan in all of my students contact/info sheets, medical releases, media releases and any other file that needs to be associated with that student.
- In my Google drive, I create a folder for each student.
- I share that folder and generate a Share address
- I go back to my Google contacts and find the student
- I create a new field within the contact info labeled FILES
- I paste the Google drive Share address into the FILES field.
- Now all of my students information is combined with their contact card and accessible from anywhere I have web access. even my phone.
- Google Drive. each Google apps account comes with online cloud storage for each user. The possibilities are endless on how to use this storage.
- A ton of other Apps, go explorer!
Ok, this ends the first part of Amazing ministry tools. I am not paid by any of these companies, I have just found that they make life a bit easier in day to day ministry. Im sure that there are a ton of others that I haven't listed, if you can think of any, list them out in the comments with a short description.
Friday, October 4, 2013
A thought on Prayer
Prayer.
Honestly, such an awesome thing. Communication with our father. A conduit of relationship.
Here is the kicker.
Relationships require communication. Communication is a 2 way street. We talk and maybe more importantly, we listen. Prayer is a form of communication, which means..... thats right, prayer is a 2 way street, talking and listening. The issue is, we generally only take part in one side of this communication. The talking part.
WE need to learn the fine art of Shutting up and listening. ]You want to hear from God, you want direction, healing, peace? Are you listening and giving God a chance to respond? Or do you, like me, cast up my prayer and then carry on with my busy day, completely unaware that God may be trying to say something.
The solution (my opinion)
Pray, and then take some time to BE in communication with God. What does that look like, It looks a lot like just sitting and listening. Give God an opportunity to respond to your prayer. Maybe, carve out portions of time to only sit and listen and hear what God has to say.
Give it a try, let me know what happens.
Honestly, such an awesome thing. Communication with our father. A conduit of relationship.
Here is the kicker.
Relationships require communication. Communication is a 2 way street. We talk and maybe more importantly, we listen. Prayer is a form of communication, which means..... thats right, prayer is a 2 way street, talking and listening. The issue is, we generally only take part in one side of this communication. The talking part.
WE need to learn the fine art of Shutting up and listening. ]You want to hear from God, you want direction, healing, peace? Are you listening and giving God a chance to respond? Or do you, like me, cast up my prayer and then carry on with my busy day, completely unaware that God may be trying to say something.
The solution (my opinion)
Pray, and then take some time to BE in communication with God. What does that look like, It looks a lot like just sitting and listening. Give God an opportunity to respond to your prayer. Maybe, carve out portions of time to only sit and listen and hear what God has to say.
Give it a try, let me know what happens.
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