223rd Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren
San Diego, California — June 28, 2009
Congregational Life Ministries held its dinner Sunday evening, July 28. Intercultural Ministries director Ruben Deoleo introduced keynote speaker Eric Law, whose topic was, “Media, Faith, and Congregational Life: Connecting Cyber Space and Sacred Space.”
Law is founder and executive director of Kaleidoscope Institute for Competent Leadership in a Diverse and Changing World. While there are many ways culture is changing and areas church leaders need to address, the topic for the dinner was audiovisual and electronic media.
Law reminded those attending that we in the church always have used media and technology. Stained glass windows, organ music, and bulletins are media and they use technology. The challenge today is that for many in our culture, those media have lost their relevance.
Today is a time of texting, YouTube, and twitter. Law’s institute is developing three-to-five minute videos that can be used on the Internet, in worship services, or in small groups to draw individuals to reflect on faith issues. He is committed to producing media that is interactive and thus can help people reflect and enter into dialogue with others about important topics.
During the presentation he shared three DVD clips, one on the need for times of stillness in a busy and noisy world, the second on the importance of respect in human relations, and the third an Easter Meditation.
Further information about these short DVD clips that are being made available through the Kaleidoscope Institute can be obtained at www.ladiocese.org/ki.
Also during the meal, video reports on the Junior High Conference recently held at James Madison University, and the upcoming National Youth Conference (NYC) 2010 were shared, and workcamp director Jeanne Davies gave reflections about this summer’s 31 workcamps with over 700 participants.
–Karen Garrett is a recent graduate of Bethany Theological Seminary.
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The News Team for the 2009 Annual Conference includes writers Karen Garrett, Frank Ramirez, Frances Townsend, Melissa Troyer, Rich Troyer; photographers Kay Guyer, Justin Hollenberg, Keith Hollenberg, Glenn Riegel, Ken Wenger; staff Becky Ullom and Amy Heckert. Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, editor. Contact cobnews@brethren.org.