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| Breathing life into your preaching and worship | June 2004 | ||
BRAND NEW PRODUCT  The print & web edition This Month's Articles: |
A New Perspective
by Renée HarmsI used to think the parable of the prodigal son was simply a lesson of repentance, forgiveness and God's unconditional love. No doubt that message is the central theme of the story and of utmost importance—yet I am wondering if there is also something to be learned here about transformation. While it is not stated directly in the story, when the prodigal son left home he apparently considered his relationship with his father only one of family placement. His sole concern was getting the money "owed" him and being free from parental authority, thus going so far as to shame his family name by his actions. It is no wonder that even at his lowest point he was afraid to return home, expecting only a servant's position in the household at best. He did not yet understand his true relationship and rights as a son and brother in his family. But on his return, his father ran to meet him, embraced him and called him his son—despite his protests of unworthiness. In that moment there was a transformation in the relationship between them. No longer was he the selfish son who had taken advantage of his father and stepped on the family name. No longer was his father the "bad guy," an authority figure who represented a barrier to experiencing freedom. And no longer was there a need to separate himself or proclaim his independence. Read the Complete Article: More Than a Father |
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  Lights, Camera, Sermon Church services are looking different than they used to. Stage lighting, quality sound systems, and A/V equipment hanging from the ceilings signify attempts to being more tech savvy in order to improve the impact on our congregations. If your church is just starting down the road of multimedia, it may all seem very overwhelming. This month's lesson is going back to basics in giving you the starting blocks for setting up your media ministry. We will be outlining the basic equipment that you need to get started, as well as how to choose the right type of equipment for your building. Read This month's Article: Choosing the right hardware Product Spotlight: The new communication companion is here Many of you have wanted the ability to use our art collection for more than just on screen media. Well now you can! The new Oxygen Communication Companion will offer you the ability to use our award winning art collections for print, web and broadcasting. Here are some things you can do with our new companion. Each image will be given to you in the appropriate sizes and formats for each use. Our first Communications Companion is for our Volume 6 collection and is now available in a Complete Communication Kit. Special Note: This product is only available for those customers who buy or already own volume 6. If you have previously purchased volume 6 or are a Premier member we will be sending you a coupon within the next couple days. If you would like to order this product immediately feel free to call us at (888) 654-4452. Inspired Views: In our attempts to enhance the strength of our product and usability for you in the field, we have decided to highlight tips and ideas from fellow pastors. We believe this is an effective way to increase the imagination and inspire other congregations in the use of church multimedia. We know how busy you are during the week, but we are asking for your help with this new feature. If you have used Oxygen or other multimedia resources in a creative way, or if you have particular sermon that works great with specific images, we would like to hear your ideas . Send us a short message about your sermon or multimedia use and we will pick at least one per month to display in our newsletter. Send your inspirations to us at sermonstories@oxygen-multimedia.com*. We look forward to being able to help everyone communicate about their multimedia experiences so that we can all increase our effectiveness in forwarding the kingdom of God. * Oxygen Multimedia reserves the right to reprint any of the stories issued.
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