Up Periscope?

Who out there is using Periscope? It is definitely the newest tool in the kit. Although I frown at the idea of vertical video, it is a creative and unique way of staying quickly and relevantly connected with your audience. Especially with it's interactivity to other platforms. You still want to make sure you use it correctly though, especially for businesses and churches. I have seen several examples of good users (reporters in the field for covering events as they happen and a few businesses.) But I have also seen several businesses who had no idea what they wanted to say or did not did not do a good job of shooting it. This is definitely one of those contradictions to the saying, "there is no bad publicity." You keep putting poor video up and you will start to loose quickly. Check out the suggestions from Cas McCullough over at Social Media Examiner. (http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/6-ways-to-use-periscope-for-your-business/?awt_l=InyFF&awt_m=3eNNVT_Cl5r.ILT&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=NewsletterIssue&utm_campaign=New )

SIX MONTHS LATER - TRUSTING IN HIM

I am blessed. For the last six months I have sent out hundreds of resumes and done countless interviews, waiting for God to reveal His direction for my life. From churches around the country, to large corporations and small companies, I have applied for media and communications jobs with the objective of "using my leadership, management, production and promotional skills to increase the organizational presence and staff efficiency in an ever changing 21st Century society." I have gone down roads that were quickly and rightly closed and I have traveled down roads that closed at the last minute. But through it all I have kept the faith that God will lead the way, and He will take care of me and my family.

I have been blessed by the opportunity to spend quality time with my daughters and wife this summer. They are my life and joy. By being home it saved us thousands of dollars in child care expenses and it allowed me to get better control on our grocery bills and other expenses. Keeping us financially afloat with out the use of a credit card (haven't had one in over seven years), or completely depleting our savings. With the girls heading back to school next week, hopefully I can find some part-time work to bring in some additional income until God opens the next door.

We have been blessed by finding a new church to call home. Living Water Community Church is an beautifully diverse family that has kept the faith and grown. Reaching out into the community and sharing God's love with our Jerusalem. I am thankful for Pastor Mike and the entire team that have made all of us feel at home, prayed for us and led us with biblically sound teachings.

I have been blessed by the love of many of my friends at CLA, who have prayed for me and my family during this transition and kept in touch. I pray for them as well. I pray that CLA will become a thriving body of believers, trusting in Him and constantly reaching out. I am glad that they have been able to invest in the media ministry. Acquiring some updated equipment and resources which is allowing them to create the content that the church requires. And invest in the four men who have been brought in to continue building the relationships with the many volunteers that make CLA Media great.

So, I am blessed; trusting in Him; and praying for all of you. Please continue to keep in touch, and if you hear of any job opportunities PM me. Only God knows your future and only, through faith, will your future thrive. Love you all.

Serving Him, Richard

FEBRUARY 20 - My Birthday, My Baptism Day (2000), and my last day at CLA

When I first entered the doors of CLA in the spring of 1997, little did I know what God had in store. That was the beginning of the transformation of my life and subsequently my family's life. As a lost Lutheran at the time, my walk, my beliefs and my understanding of who and how the Lord can be in my life began to be enlightened. I never knew this. I was truly changed. From there my wife's walk was changed and in time the lives of our two wonderful daughters began to be formed and filled with His love.

From that start in my spiritual walk, He also began working on my career. I didn't go to Bible school; I had never even considered the thought of working at a church. But God did. From volunteering in 1998, to part-time staff in 2000, to full-time media staff in 2002, I can look back now and see how God was totally in control. He put me where I needed to be to use my skills and talents to further my life, but most of all further His Ministry here at CLA.

My passion for what I did continued to grow. I learned more and more about the church in the 21st Century and how my talents could be used. From media and drama, to communications, web, social media, retail and event organization, God had taken slices of my experience and blessed them and grew them. Even to this day, I am learning more about how He wants to use these skills to further His kingdom. HE is AMAZING!

All of this could not have happened without the love and support of the close to 40 pastors, hundreds of support staff, and thousands of congregation members - and most of all the close to 200 volunteers who have tirelessly served and sacrificed in Audio, Video, Lighting, Photography, Staging, Web, Social Media and Retail. From the youngest teens to the seasoned retirees, each of you has left their mark not only on me and my family, but on the legacy of media at CLA. I am eternally grateful and may He continue to be praised.

After over 1500 services, 200 funerals and 38 productions at CLA; as well as much time, prayer and consideration, I feel God is calling me and releasing me to share this knowledge, skills and experience with others. Where and how is yet to be defined. But I am confident that the Lord has a plan for my life and that of my family.

Thanks to Pastor Paul Wislocky for taking a chance on an unknown young man in 1997 and everyone at CLA for making these last 17+ years truly memorable. May God be praised!

Serving Him, Richard Foster

Christmas Wonderland 2011 Promo

This Year

It is the beginning of a new year. Resolution time. A resolution is the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action. A time where we decide to do things differently than we have in the past.
With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at some very popular resolutions that millions of people make each year. Has anyone you know ever made one of these resolutions?
- This year I’ll spend less time with God.
- In 2011 I will hide my faith from my coworkers.
- This year I will spend more and tithe less.
- I will read the Bible as little as possible.
- I will remain silent when I know I should speak.
- This year I will not share my faith with my best friend.
- In 2011 I will shirk leadership reponsibilities every chance I get.
- This year I will continue to justify my bad behavior.
- I will avoid social interaction at all costs.
- I will only serve the church when it is convenient for me.
- This year I will let the business of life squeeze God out.
- In 2011 I will give God my leftovers.
And you were expecting LOSE WEIGHT. If only people broke these resolutions as easily and often as they do that one. Remember, you don’t have to say it out loud or write it down for it to be a resolution. All you have to do is think it and you will begin to resolve to do it.
So, what resolutions in your life do you really want to break?
LIVE WELL AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The PEN Story

Love Languages for Techies

The lyricist Paul Francis Webster once wrote, “…love is a many splendored thing.” We all want to feel love, know love and in return give love. But how do we relate to all the distinct personalities around us? Everyone is wired a little differently and requires just a bit of insight to their language of love.

With most of us involved in the tech world, you can probably see in yourself, and others with whom you serve with, the challenges that arise. You often get done serving and say to yourself, “Where’s the love?”

Well we techies have a love language too. They are the little things that can be done by others who don’t know what to do or say, to keep us strong, faithful and committed to the big picture.

Mike Sessler (Technical Arts Director at Coast Hills Community Church in Aliso Viejo, CA) recently wrote a great article for Church Production Magazine. Follow the link below, take a look, and then pass it around. You’re the techie, so who in your life could benefit from this wisdom?

read LOVE LANGUAGES FOR TECHIES

Getting Older, Feeling Younger

One of the things many people do with their children is play the reverse the age game. You know the game, when you are 35 you reverse it and you are 53. Your kid is 07, you reverse it and they are 70. So they get to shout, “I’m older than you are!”

The other day, Lilli was trying to figure out how old I was going to be on my birthday this Saturday, and she realized that I am the same coming and going. 44 is the same forwards and backwards. So of course I had to reply that she was “…still older than me. So she should go out and shovel the snow.” As you might expect, that response was not met with enthusiasm.

So there I was, shovel in hand, like many of us the past few weeks, and at the same time feeling older and younger. The shoulder and back were sore from hauling and tossing that snow around. Yet with a big pile of snow in the front yard, it was just yelling for a snow fort to be carved out of it. So I jumped right in there and, together with Lilli, made a one-bedroom snow condo. It was a blast, sending my mind back to the days when my brother and I would tunnel from the top of the driveway to the bottom, spending hours in the snow.

Yes, my body was feeling its age, but my heart and mind were feeling like a kid. It all felt so fresh, new and relaxing. All of a sudden I forgot where I was, started shoveling the neighbors out, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. When I came in, I was not cold and tired; I was refreshed.
In Matthew, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

We talk about our children growing up too fast. But why is it that we grow old quicker? Why is it that we become that grumpy old man (or woman) from the time we hit our mid 20’s or so, and keep going down hill from there?

It is a shame that for many of us, it takes that once every 5-7 year snowstorm, for us to truly step back, become like children, and enjoy the kingdom on earth that God has blessed us with.

ProPresenter 4 Windows Announced

ProPresenter 4 Windows Announced