So, you're in media ministry...

So, you're in media ministry. This means that you are either your church sound guy, a motion graphics guy, a graphic designer, a producer, an editor, a worship leader, or in smaller churches, you are all of the above. We get it. We get each other. You know what I mean- we are the ones who struggle with having to explain to the non-creative decision makers at our organization what "rendering" is. Or saying three times before you show a work-in-progress "now, the final audio has not been laid in yet", and after you show it, you still get a "are you going to fix the audio? It sounded a little off...". Or having to explain a hundred times, "now, this is a RAM preview, its low resolution..." and still get "why is it blurry? It looks a out of focus, can you fix that?". Urgh! Or the frustration of getting a request for a project and "they" want a 3-5 minute piece with tons of interviews, b-roll, animation, the works... "oh, and we need it tomorrow".

The world of media ministry. The dark, underbelly, behind-the-scenes job that the only time people see you is when you mess up. The job that no one else knows how to do or what it takes. So, why do we do it? Because we love what we do. Not the crap that goes with it, but we love using our skills and abilities to tell stories, to create something, to make art. We are in media ministry because this is how we show God that we love Him- by doing what he created us to do. He did create us as a different breed, a little quirky, awkward, different, out of the box.

Using our creative juices for the Kingdom is so fulfilling though isn't it? To know that our work means something, that it has eternal value. We are also in media ministry because we love people. There are times you make a piece of art for yourself, but its very rare. A painter hangs art in a gallery for people to see. A filmmaker wants his work on the biggest screen, shown to as many people as possible. We love an audience. We love connecting with people. I am the Video Production Specialist at my church (which basically means I am responsible for everything on the screens on Sundays and Wednesdays, and produce media content for the screens during the week). One of my favorite things to do is fire a video, then quickly run out to the main worship center to 1- see my work on the big screens knowing thousands of people are seeing work that my little pea brain envisioned, and 2- to look around at the people sitting in the seats, my audience. I scan the crowd watching for laughs, tears, faces connecting with the story I've told. There's nothing like knowing your work is making a difference.

We love God. We love people. And we love media. That's what this website and ministry is all about. It's dedicated to people who get it. Who understand what its like to live and breathe in the world of media ministry. This is a home for creatives. My goal with LOVEmedia is two-fold: I want to create and sell some of my own art and worship elements to resource churches, and I also want to connect creatives from all aspects of media ministry together to share ideas, tutorials, network with each other, learn from each other, and encourage each other. If you are in media ministry in some fashion, I would love for you to contribute to the blog (please e-mail me at carl@carlbarnhill.com if you're interested in being a contributor). I want this ministry to be a resource for us. So many times its hard to find help (or even admit we don't know how to do something)- let this be a hub for networking with other media professionals and for finding resources as you serve our King through your ministry.

Let's create something!

Loving God and Loving People,

CARL BARNHILL