Happy New Year

May God's grace be real to you as we look back on 2010 and lean into 2011. If you are reading this, you are alive and blessed. May your 2011 be filled with the reality of being blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.

Executive Summary Available

The Executive Summary of the first-ever Mobile Ministry Forum held December 2-4, 2010 is available for download. Select "Download" under the "Resources" tab. Look under the Mobile Ministry section.

American Bible Society - Getting Visual

The American Bible Society is taking strong steps forward into a visual approach to having people engage with Scripture. Several new initiatives are slated for 2011 that should increase their impact. They have a 30 second piece that will be on the Times Square jumbotron through the Christmas season. See below

Butterfly Circus Goes Viral

Kudos to Josh and Rebecca Weigel and team. Butterfly Circus has hit 10,000,000 views. Whoa! The film is available on DVD http://thebutterflycircus.com). They are working on producing the feature-length version. Nice.

Mobile Ministry Forum - Slide Show

The first glimpse of the group that met is available in a slide show format. Look under "Photos" under the "Visual" tab. A milestone event. 16 participants, 15 organizations, 5 continents represented.

Mobile Ministry Forum - Day 1

We just wrapped our kick-off session of the first Mobile Ministry Forum. 12 participants representing three countries are gathered. Brilliant minds and passionate hearts are here.

Historic Gathering

The Mobile Ministry Group will be hosting a small gathering of mobile ministry thinkers and practitioners from December 2-4. To our knowledge, this is the first time a group of mission-minded believers has gathered exclusively to consider strategic ministry opportunities on the mobile platform. That said, we'd be thrilled to know someone has already done this. For more info, clyde@visualstory.org

Wedgwood Circle

I enjoyed the Friday morning session of the Wedgwood Circle meeting in Santa Monica on Friday. Mark Rodgers has done a great job of assembling people interested in for-profit ventures with a kingdom impact in media. Great to get time with Chris Bueno (Ocean Avenue Entertainment) and Bill Oeschler (Ethnographic Media). Props to David Wood for the invite.

Commercial Creative Commons License

I just had a great discussion with Tim Jore of DS Media (see his profile page). He is looking for open licensed video content (see his discussion below). He makes an important case for open access licensing that includes commercial rights with limitations. See his rationale here:http://www.dsmedia.org/blog/toward-common-discipleship-content-license.

My Lausanne Experience in 1 Minute

I have several pages of personal reflections on my experience of the Lausanne Congress in Cape Town. I managed to distill the key elements into a 1-minute video. Please check it out below.

Lausanne Global Congress Day 8 - Partnership

There was a great emphasis on partnership in order to fulfill the Great Commission. "Partnership is a journey of friendship." I picked up lots of sub-text (discontent) in the last two days but P. Fung said "Arrogance and self-pity are the greatest barriers to world evangelization." The final session was a rich, very Anglican worship service. Now the long trek home.

lausanne Global Congress Day 7 - Integrity

"Calling the Church to Humility, Integrity and Simplicity." Ephesians 5 was the text for the day. The session on Ethics and Technology was sobering (e.g. 40 million babies are aborted each year vs. 50 million natural deaths). Great worship and prayer focus in the evening. I had great meetings with Nick & Carol Pollard, Rob Hoskins, Brian Birdsall, and the VerMootens. Tomorrow is the last day.

Lausanne Global Congress Day 6 - Priorities

We studied Ephesians 4. World Evangelization was the focus for the day. Paul Eshleman did a great job hosting the session on "Finishing the Task." There were optional sessions on Oral Storying. I attended the Urban Mission session (Tim Keller was solid). The "Arts in Mission" session premiered the new journal issue on this topic. Got to pray with key leaders from the church in Turkey (humbling).

Lausanne Global Congress Day 5 - Day Off

They give a day off to give everyone a break from the 13 hour days. Joe Sindorf, Cheryl Meredith and I were treated royally by Cape Town native Graham VerMooten (head of Media Village). He took us on a day long tour around the Cape of Good Hope. Absolutely stunning geography, views, vegetation, whales, seals and penguins. I was able to meet and spend the evening with VSN type Chia Kisuh.

Lausanne Global Congress Day 4 - World Faiths

John Piper exposited Ephesians 3. We heard a stunning and tragic martyr story from Afghanistan. The Archbishop of Jos, Nigeria described churches being burned. "We must ask ourselves, is it true I have been crucified with Christ?" (Michael Ramsden). We heard a brilliant young Turk talk about the Church in the Middle Eastern context. Tim Keller spoke on mega cities. I enjoyed lunch with Denver Seminary alumni.

Lausanne Global Congress Day 3 - Reconciliation

We studied Ephesians 2. We learned about the Dalits in India, 27 million slaves worldwide, the Rwanda tragedy and more. I facilitated a session on the visual story movement and short films in particular. The evening session highlighted the Church in the Middle East and two people with HIV/Aids. Bob Beltz screened 30 minutes from "Narnia: Dawn Treader" being released worldwide 12/10/10 (it looks great! Save the date).

Cape Town Day 2 - Truth

"Truth" in a pluralistic world was the theme for the day. We studied Ephesians 1. "Only a high view of the truth will allow us to be transformed" (Os Guinness). Great session on "Media Messages Matter." In the gathering of the American delegation I found Greg Johnson, a Denver Seminary classmate not seen for 18 years. I am undone since hearing an 18 year old North Korean girl tell us her story of losing her mother to leukemia and her father to persecution.

Cape Town Opening Day

We met in our table groups before the opening dinner. I'm at table #231 with Malcolm (New Zealand), Pavul (Russia), Pearly (India) and Miyon (South Korea). The opening ceremony was an African celebration with choirs, an orchestra, and a welcoming address from Doug Birdsall. There was a 30 minute video of the history of missions from Pentecost to Edinburgh 1910. Great start!

Arrived in Cape Town

After 40 hours in transit from Los Angeles, I've arrived in Cape Town, South Africa. I got to visit some friends in Paris (we lived there 7 years) during a 9 hour layover. I observed faces representing the many nations as I went through registration thi afternoon. The main sessions kick off tomorrow. To participate from a distance, go tohttp://www.lausanne.org/cape-town-2010/participate.html

Cape Town bound

I head out of LAX this evening on Air France via Paris to Cape Town. 4500 leaders from 200 countries praying, strategizing, believing God to fulfill the Great Commission. Very exciting.

We spent seven years in Paris so I have a short layover that will allow me to visit some French friends. Thanks for praying for this gathering.

Mobile Phones / Micro SD Cards

Thanks to Stephen Keel we just posted his article on using your mobile phone to carry evangelistic content to "limited access" areas. Check out the full article on the Resources / Downloads page. Look under the "Mobile Devices" category.

British Bible Society

I spent a few hours yesterday with Luke Walton (British Bible Society). Luke is an innovative, forward-thinking leader. He and his team are gearing up for their second annual "Enter the Pitch" competition. Check it out at www.enterthepitch.com. The 11 minute film "Derelict" is the result of the first competition. Stunning film. It will soon hit the festival circuit.

Repository

TWR (formerly Trans World Radio) is developing capacity that will allow organizations to upload digital media and distribute it globally. It is very much in beta stage. In partnership with the One Story network, they have produced this site for audio "story sets." www.onestory-media.org

Mobile Advance Site

Keith Williams (check out his member page) has launched a new site focusing on the use of mobile devices for the kingdom. Check out the site at www.mobileadvance.org. Great work Keith.

Crowd Accelerated Innovation

TED Curator Chris Anderson talks about the new world of innovation driven by the web. A crowd, light, and desire are the three keys. Check out the link in the video section below.

Cape Town Global Link

Here is a great way to benefit from the Cape Town Congress on World Evangelization. Your group can participate remotely through Global Link. Please check this out since the event is just over 1 month away.www.capetown2010.com/globalink

VSN India

Just had a great skype call with Biju Matthews from Bangalore. He wants to connect with like-minded people in India. To anyone wanting to start a local network, please read Phill Butler's article "Effective Collaboration" (go to Resources tab, then downloads, and look under Networking).

International Orality Network Conference

The annual gathering of leaders and practitioners involved in the Orality Movement of missions is this September 20-23 in Atlanta. This gathering is for those who work with the unreached people groups and those who work with the literate who "choose" to communicate by oral means even though they can read and write. Look under "events" for more info.

North Africa

I just returned from a 12 day trip to North Africa. Clearly, visual media continues to invade the lives of people in every corner of the earth. While sitting in the living room of a family with very modest means, we had to talk over the volume of a Rachel Ray show broadcast in English (subtitled in Arabic).

Mission Media Teams / I Just Got Back

I'm very excited about the three teams that are going out this summer to serve young, growing ministries. We'll have reports forthcoming. I just returned from a week of vacation in Colorado. Great time.

Media Saturation

We just added a new section to the down loadable resource page on Media Saturation. The 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation slide presentation and report on the use of media by youth in America can be downloaded. Go to the Resources tab and scroll to the bottom.

Edutainment

David Hurtado introduced us to Dr. William Brown, one of the world's leading authorities on entertainment and social change. He has graciously allowed us to offer several of his published articles on the Resource page (scroll down to Edutainment).

Phill Butler - The Best Thinker/Practitioner in Collaboration

Phill Butler is the guru when it comes to kingdom networking and collaboration. His decades of pioneer experience in network-building can be found in a short article. Phil's book "Well Connected" is the authoritative work on kingdom networks. His article distills it into 20 pages. Go to the Resources / Downloads page to get the article.

Saddleback and Outreach Content

I just met with the mission pastor at Saddleback Church. Saddleback, along with thousands of other churches, is interested in effective visual content for outreach on short-term trips. The Jesus film will continue to be a tool many use, but there is a need for additional content. If you have ideas, comment on the forum "Compelling Outreach and Evangelistic Content."

Storytelling in Christian Education

Thanks to Brad Stutzman, a Film and Christian Ed major at Biola University, for contributing an article to the VSN community. Storytelling is critical teaching device for long-term memory. Go to Resources tab and scroll down to the the General section to download the article.

Regent University

I spent a great day this past Friday with David Hurtado and David Garcia of the Regent University Cinema and Television program. Great guys with great vision. They have built an exceptional program. Great job!

VSN India

VSN participant Obed Tewes and I had a great skype conversation yesterday. He has a desire to create connections among visual innovators in India. I know several of you live in that part of the world. Look him up on the Members page and send him a message if you want to know more.

Media Training Movements

We had seven global innovators in the area of media training from four countries meet today. Very inspirational! Check out the different organizations in the Media Training Movements group that we launched today.

Top 5 Filmmaker Mistakes

CJ Powers exposes the most common filmmaker mistakes. 1. Wearing Too Many Hats. 2. Sparing Your Favorite Scene. 3. Networking to Name Drop. 4. Thinking Production is King. 5. Message over Quality. Check out the fill article under the Resources / Download tab.

Empowered21 Team

A huge thanks to the team who represented VSN at the Empowered 21 gathering in Tulsa this past week! Abby Chilton led the team of student volunteers that included Lauren Rockett, Brettley Ruggles, Austin Anderson, Amanda Bernard and Alecia Jackson. Great job on setting up, staffing, and breaking down the booth!

Back from Break and Loaded with Macbook

I took most of last week off to be with my family during spring break. Empowered21 went very well according to Abby Chilton and her team. Thanks for representing VSN! David Nixon's "Letters to God" opened on 900 screens this weekend. With the help of Andy Lara I made the switch from PC to Mac! Still feels awkward.

Empowered21

Special thanks to Abby Chilton, Don Eland and the ORU student volunteers at the VSN booth at Empowered21!!! It runs April 8-10. May God annoint the gathering. http://www.empowered21.com/

Resurrection Changes Everything

We contemplate Christ's purpose and suffering this week. He knew where He was headed and what He would accomplish. I love the line from the Passion, "Mother, look, I'm making all things new" (love the present tense use). He did not stay dead and that makes true transformation possible. Be inspired by this in your life and your storytelling. Christos anesti! Il est ressuscité! He is risen!

Too Much Media

It's disturbing to think how much of the world will follow this American example. American youth now consume 10 hours and 45 minutes of media each day (http://bit.ly/7O5QHo). If you have children, please don't let this be your household. Starter tip: Don't leave the TV on all day.

Staying Grounded

I just got back from a 24 hour personal retreat. Once or twice a year I get away to be alone with God. I'll spend the time reading scripture, playing the guitar, prayer walking, napping, journaling and listening. God always meets me in transforming ways. I encourage you to be sure that you are abiding in the Vine.

Prophetic Imagination -- Transforming Culture

I just got off the phone with Christine Gunn-Danforth. She has a PhD in Biblical Studies and another one in Communication Media. She has taken Brueggemann's idea of the "prophetic imagination" and applied it visual story telling in her book "Transforming Culture: A Model for Faith and Film in Hollywood." I just ordered it from Amazon.

Bonhoeffer

We watched "Bonhoeffer" the other night as a family. A man who loved Jesus. The pastor who tried to kill Hitler. So much for cheap grace. http://bit.ly/bp7gwA

Distance Mentoring

The VSN Distance Mentoring program is underway. Thanks to mentors like Jeff Holder, Brian Bird, Rick Eldrige. This is a trial run to see how we can connect those in the early phase of the visual storyteller journey with those further down the road.

Top Ten Redemptive Films

I love the annual Top 10 Redemptive film list from Christianity Today. There are usually 1-2 sleepers. http://tiny.cc/a28dT

500th Member: David Couchman !!

David Couchman is the 500th person to join the VSN Global Social Network !! Glad you are here David.

Media Training Programs

We're looking to identify short-term (6 months or less) ministry focused media training programs. We'll be pulling together leaders of these kinds of programs to help them share ideas, resources, learnings etc. Already we've got Media Village, Global Short Film Network, Media Light and IMM. Any other suggestions? Email me at clyde@visualstory.org

Strategic Planning Weekend

Thanks for praying for the team that met in Dallas this past weekend. We had a God-annointed time and have a clear sense of the priorities we need to focus on in the next 6-12 months. Check out the Downloads page under the Resource tab for the VSN Strategic Planning Diagram and a great devotional given by Rob Hoskins.

Pray for us in Dallas

19 of us from across the US are gathering in Dallas this weekend to plan and pray for God’s direction for the growth of the visual story movement. Pray for us as we prayerfully plan!

Tim Burton's Failures

Seth Godin on Tim Burton: When I was at MOMA last week, I saw a list of director and artist Tim Burton's projects. Here's the guy who's responsible for some of the most breathtaking movies of his generation, and the real surprise is this: almost every year over the last thirty, he worked on one or more exciting projects that were never green lighted and produced. Every year, he spent an enormous amount of time on failed projects.
A few: Catwoman, Conversations With Vincent, Dinosaurs Attack!, The Fall of the House of Usher, Geek Love, Go Baby Go, Hawkline Monster, Lost in Oz, Mai the Psychic Girl, Mary Reilly, Superman Lives, X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes.
One key element of a successful artist: ship. Get it out the door. Make things happen.
The other: fail. Fail often. Dream big and don't make it. Not every time, anyway.
Tim got his ideas out the door, to the people who decided what to do with them. And more often than not, they shot down his ideas. That's okay. He shipped.
Next!

Africa, the Church and the Mobile Phone

Nice link from Tony Whittaker to a helpful article. Check out the most recent post under the Mobile Media Ministry group.

Internet Evangelism Day

Check this out from our friend Tony Whittaker: "Digital media are transforming the way we communicate, behave and even think. Internet Evangelism Day is a strategic resource to help the worldwide church understand these issues and use the Web to share the good news. It is both a year-round online guide and an annual focus day - to be held this year on Sunday 25 April." www.InternetEvangelismDay.com

Google Takes Another Step to Complete Control

Aaagh. The Media Mission Partnership team had a call this a.m. When we went to access the EtherPad tracking all the notes we've taken, we found the site was shut down. This is the second time Google has done this in the last 6 weeks (since they acquired EtherPad). The bottom line...get used to Google Wave.

Barna Research in US: Year End Perspective

Barna Research Group reports the following four major themes in his research:
1: Increasingly, Americans are more interested in faith and spirituality than in Christianity.
2: Faith in the American context is now individual and customized. Americans are comfortable with an altered spiritual experience as long as they can participate in the shaping of that faith experience.
3: Biblical literacy is neither a current reality nor a goal in the U.S.
4: Effective and periodic measurement of spirituality – conducted personally or through a church – is not common at this time and it is not likely to become common in the near future.