Sundays

I’ve spent a lot of time using presentation software and it takes a lot to turn my head. What could they really be doing that is different, interesting and worth noticing? Is this really worth my time? I was truly surprised by what I found with Proclaim online.

One of my favorite college memories was borrowing a video projector from the AV department, inviting all my friends over, making a bunch of food and watching the Super Bowl on the big screen. When I say big screen, I mean...BIG. This was way before 80” LED flat panels. The biggest TV at that time was a large, fuzzy rear projection monstrosity. There is nothing like everyone getting together to share in a live event like that. Imagine, though, if we all gathered on Monday to do the same thing. It would not be live. It would not be as electric. The excitement would be somewhat diminished. The DVR Generation We live in a world now where the lines between Live and video streaming, or Video On Demand (VOD) are starting to blur.

Before we jump into the topic of hiring your first technical leader, let me explain why I feel confident to speak as an authority on the issue. First, I'm the former product manager for the LifeChurch.tv Digerati Team (YouVersion, Church Online, Open, ChurchMetrics, et al...) and I've hired over 100 technical folks in all sorts of roles.

There are many software options available to make sure Sunday morning is a success. While most of us have a soft spot in our hearts for PowerPoint, it is far from the best option for churches for a number of reasons. With various other software applications used by church techs such as Planning Center Online, Google products, and other church software solutions related to management and workflow, there's a wide world of worship software options that can find a place in any church budget - from small to mega.

At Disney's California Adventure there is a room called The Blue Sky Cellar. This room showcases the newest projects, dreams and plans that Disneyland is working on. They invite you to follow a project from the no holds barred “ Blue Sky” dreams of the Disney Imagineers to the final delivery and public unveiling.

It's amazing... Different denominations. Different states. Different church sizes. Same challenge. Budget Challenges The lack of adequate financial resources seems almost universal. While it happens for a host of reasons they fall into two camps.

I am a huge fan of survival shows on TV. Who doesn't love Running Wild with Bear Grylls, right? One strategy I have noticed when these folks are trying to catch fish in the wild is how they make a spear. We often think of a single pronged harpoon sharpened to a point, ready to stick an unsuspecting fish. However, making a spear with multiple points gives a greater degree of success. With this type of spear the fisherman can cover more area, have more points to stick, and minimize the chances of missing or deflecting off of the target. We can translate this strategy to how we publish video on the web and social media. Cross-platform video deals with utilizing multiple publishing outlets as part of your communication and video strategy.

I am an introvert. There, I said it. So, going over to dinner at someone’s house, whom I have never met before, ranks right up there with a root canal or standardize testing. C’mon my fellow introverts, you know exactly what I mean. You have to smile constantly for 2+ hours, keep up some semblance of conversation, and maybe even play charades. Somebody push the eject button, please.

On the other hand, we have no problem spending hours over at a good friend’s house. We can be the best refrigerator friends money can buy. The million-dollar question is, “What is the difference?” The answer: familiarity.