Hey people….
So last year faithHighway sent me to Echo Conference in Dallas put on by Collide Magazine. I’m sure you have heard of it… if not, where have you been hiding ? It’s for anyone that wants to learn how to reach / converse / interact with people in this digital age. They have great speakers like Phil Vischer, Mark Steele, Phil Cooke, Ben Arment and breakouts led by Cynthia Ware, Carlos Whittaker, Tiffani Barnes, Greg Atkinson, Cameron Ware… just to name a few. faithHighway loves how the Echo Conferences helps churches and leaders, so this year we decided to give away 10 free tickets to the Echo Conference.
From the Echo Conference website here is…
Why you should go
- To discover new forms of media
- To be inspired to use media in new ways
- To learn how to create original forms of media
- To move beyond what’s been done and dream about what’s next
- To turn ideas into a reality that impacts others for Christ
What you can expect
- Speakers and classes that challenge you to raise the standard of media being created for the church
- To learn practical techniques, tools, and skills geared toward helping you do what you do better
- Opportunities to connect with others who share your passion for creating and using media
- To find and learn about new resources for media and technology
So here is the contest.
- Answer this question “Why do you want to go to Echo ?”
- Comment Below
- The Best 10 Comments (judged by myself and a few others at faithHighway) each wins 1 ticket to Echo valued at $299
- Creativity, innovation and originality are rewarded
- Starts today ends next Friday May 29, 2009
- Only 1 comment per person will be judged (you can comment as much as you like but you can only win 1 ticket)
- Have fun – this is a contest !
May 18th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
People long to connect – I am a connector- Tweetups are by far one of the most valuable events one could team up with to make the most out of their ECHO experience! I want to go to ECHO, not only to get "schooled" by some of the most creative and innovative people in the Church world, but to connect with people afterward as we all seek to pour ourselves into one another, learning and getting excited about our personal ministries! Nothing brings a head-full of great ideas to a landing like discussing them with like-minded people!
May 21st, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Echo is a GREAT place to connect ! You are right about that.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
I'm from Auckland, New Zealand…at the bottom of the world. We have electricity and stuff, but you people at the top of the world do techo stuff so much better than we do. But I want our Church to be on top of the world, to be a leader in seeking to reach people for Christ in as many creative ways as we can. So please let me come. Let me take the greatest things from the top of the world to the bottom of the world. It costs a lot to get to Dallas; heck, I've never even driven on the other side of the road. I'd love the opportunity. Please.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:39 pm
I you win the ticket are you going to be able to pay for transportation from NZ ?
May 18th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
My passion is to communicate the freedom found ONLY in Christ, and this is the language many are speaking. I want to improve my "vocabulary" by attending this conference, as well as be challenged to reach people in fresh, new ways.
I believe the Church can be culturally relevant by using creativity and new forms of media. I want to be a contributor to this cause, and participate in the future of how God is moving. There is no better message to communicate — not one.
Please send me to the ECHO Conference, and I will give my best effort to use this as fuel for connecting others to Christ and His Church. Thank you.
May 18th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
I want to go cuz an offsite trip to see the new Dallas Cowboys stadium would help me feel closer to Jesus.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:39 pm
will your boss let you go ?
May 19th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
I'd be thrilled to win a free ticket to the ECHO conference.
Since moving to the Austin area last summer, we've found a wonderful church that is helping me to move beyond being a Sunday Christian. The church is doing some interesting things with new media (Facebook page, sermons as audio/video podcasts), but there's much more that could be done — both to engage the existing congregation and to reach people online who haven't yet heard the Gospel.
Communication through social media and emerging technologies is what I do for a living and what I've been exploring for years. I'd like to bring those interests and skills to my church, too, and the ECHO conference would be a good next step on that journey. I know the conference would arm me with best practices and case studies that I can share with our church's leadership group.
Thank you for your consideration.
Bryan | @BryanPerson
May 21st, 2009 at 8:41 pm
you live in Austin ? I moved here a couple of years ago to help a church plant. http://www.rescom.tv hit me up and we can go get coffee or something
May 19th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I want to break the cycle…the cycle of idiocrity…thinking I will get different results by participating in the same behavior. My normal mode of behavior has been not attending the Echo Conference. I want to break that cycle and attend for the first time. I hear it will be a life changing experience. Help me break the cycle.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Your making me want to break your cycle
May 20th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Girls need to know this kind of material too! Let me represent and as an added bonus, I'll let Christ get top billing! I already talked to Jesus and he said I should go, so it would be in everyone's best interest to follow suit by listening to the King.
Thanks for your time.
May 20th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Do you hear that? You don't… Listen closely! It's the sound of an ECHO
and it's calling my name. It's radiating through my head telling me to go. What would be really kickin' is if faithHighway and Media Outreach made that possible. You know you hear it!!! Listen closely and it will tell you to send one of those tickets to me…
But really, this is and has been the one conference I have had on my calendar for months. It would go a long way for my boss to say yes and send me all the way from Chicagoland to Dallas if I already had a ticket in hand. Thanks for doing this and I can't wait to hear who wins…
May 21st, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Colt… I was listening closely and it got really quiet… and then all I could hear is "THIS IS SPARTA !" I don't know what it means ..do you ?
May 21st, 2009 at 7:37 pm
I want to go to ECHO to be inspired, to bring back to Tulsa fresh new ideas to help people go deeper in becoming authentic disciples of Christ, to learn how others are connecting the Gospel with the unchurched through new media, to get away from the office, to hang out with some of the most creative people in the church, to discover new resources and vendors, and because I think it is going to be freaking blast.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:13 pm
New England-Englan-Engla-Engl *fading out* What more needs be said than that the place where revival once ruled has become ruled by only the creativity of science and art OUTSIDE the church, not within it. wouldn't it be amazing if culture became the creative echo instead of the other way around? we want to be correlating colleagues collaborating collectively and echo is a catalyst for it. Bring us.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:38 pm
hahaha… that was very creative !
May 21st, 2009 at 8:23 pm
I want to attend ECHO because….
Creativity happens, as Dave Gibbons says, at points of intersectional thinking; it occurs when we get outside of our box and mix it up with those from outside our norm. My understanding is that ECHO represents the most creative, missional, new media types… the brightest lights in the church creativity landscape. What better non-insider to have milling about than a mini-van driving mom from Riverside, CA. I represent the epitome of uncool.
OK, I've been known to organize a tweetup or two, but don't let that get out. It'll ruin my image.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:08 pm
I really want to go to Echo. Why? Because I'm passionate. I'm finally passionate about something, and that thing is Jesus and Media. But who am I kidding. As much as I love Jesus, I LOVE making stuff.
It's as simple as that.
I love making media.
And God's been showing me things. Pictures, videos, ideas. I want to express them to people in things other than words. We're a visual culture! Jesus spoke the language of his culture in his day, so I want to learn the language of my culture in my day. And I've heard that Echo will teach you that language, or at least give you a pocket dictionary.
So help me out. I've been trying to teach myself the language for a little while now. Help me learn some grammar. Help me expand my vocabulary. I'd love to speak their language =]
May 21st, 2009 at 9:18 pm
"Why I Want to go to ECHO"
I decided to put my answer in the form of a recipe. Why? Seemed like a good idea at the time.
NOTE: Requires one square white mixing bowl of a text area field.
1. Start with five or six heaping spoonfuls of whole-grain web design / graphics / recording / media technology nerd. Push your glasses back up your nose and mix thoroughly.
2. Slop on at least three or four cups of all-my-friends-said-they-loved-it-last-year-and-I've-got-to-go sauce. Microwave on high for two or three minutes until the peer pressure is just this side of golden-brown.
3. Take three oz. of sugary "I'm the resident musician / artist / webmaster at our church and would love to learn new ways to love God through my passions" brand buttery goodness. Stir slowly, counter-clockwise, under a heat-lamp, at dusk in mid-July (don’t worry, this is the most difficult step).
4. Finish it off with a healthy dose of “limited budget for conferences” and a sprig or two of fresh oregano. Maybe a dill slice on the side.
Serve piping hot on a Mickey Mouse plate. Feeds one.
May 21st, 2009 at 11:56 pm
hmmmmm. I like this. Way to be creative!
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:52 pm
You're making me hungry!
May 21st, 2009 at 9:30 pm
I would like to go to ECHO because I am a new Youth Minister in Greenville, SC and with today's media and technology teenagers are learning at speeds I can hardly keep up with (and I am only 27 years old). I use tweeter, facebook, cellphones, email, mediashout, etc. But there is so much more out there to learn and I think ECHO would fill that gap. I want to stretch myself with web design and getting students to want to be on my sites, my blogs, and watch them pass on the excitement and watch out Lord work in a great way.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I would love to attend the ECHO Conference. I am the media director for a small church and have been assigned the task of creating a social media policy and redeveloping our churches online presence. I also lead a small band of creative people who produce graphics and videos to enhance our services. This conference would be a significant resource for helping me lead well in all of those areas. The ideas and information shared at the conference would be a significant benefit for my team. I am passionate about leading my church to use media and technology to further God's kingdom in our community and with those we interact with locally and around the world. Sorry for an answer that isn't humorous. I'm a simple man hoping God will use to accomplish big things for His honor and glory.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:42 pm
I would love to go to the Echo Conference. But, I would much rather our Graphics Designer go in my place. So, I write on behalf of her, because she never asks for anything for herself and always goes above and beyond for the rest of our staff. Kerry, her name, given to her by her mother and father, has such an incredible talent. Over the past 3 years I have seen Christ do a major tranformative work in her entire family's life. Being a bit unwilling to try church out, she and her husband finally got up the courage to try our church and have rarely missed since. We have seen both of them confess their need for Christ and follow Him with their lives. . My words are creative, but I hope they illustrate well a tremendous investment that could be made on your part by providing a free pass for Kerry. Honestly, please wholeheartedly consider Kerry for a free pass to the Echo conference. I would love to see her abilities challenged and her mind opened up to the tremendous possiblilites that she can use her talents within His Kingdom. To him be the glory!
May 21st, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Some people call Las Vegas 'the City of Lights'… it shines brightly in the desert with all of the video screens, flashing marquees, and other "lights" that distract people from hearing the message of Jesus Christ!
As a creative volunteer in a small church – I want to help get the message to stand out above the rest of the noise in the desert. The Echo conference can help us get there!
May 21st, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Honestly I have a zillion ideas swimming around in my brain and spend many late nights trying to make them come to fruition through photoshop, internet, facebook, social media, etc. I'm tired of trying to fit my vision into other peoples preconceived ideas of what that should look like. I'm already trying to find new ways of making technology work for the glory of God and I think this could just light a fire to the piles of paper (sketches, flowcharts, outlines) that have seemingly overtaken my creative processes. I've spent my entire life playing with pixels, code wrangling, and interacting online. It's time to make this work for the Kingdom! Vision is merely a dream until it is realized. I want to realize my vision.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:08 pm
I am a 19 year old passionate worshiper trying to figure out how to keep up-to-date with the current booming of technological advances. I see vehicles such as twitter and facebook as tools to help grow a ministry and I am eager to learn how to utilize such things to the full potential in the church atmosphere. I feel that echo conference can help catalyst someone into that next stage of ministry and I would love to be that someone.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:29 pm
I am a feature film student in Ventura, California. I go to the Brooks Institute of Photography and am one of the few people of faith in my school. My mission is to create and be a part of films that have a purpose and reach people on a spiritual and philosophical level. I also volunteer at my church and am the leader of the Creative Team there (http://www.riverparkcc.com). I would love to go to ECHO because of all I could learn there about media and it would be inspirational in my journey to serve Christ artistically. Please send me there! I'll even take time off of school for it
.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Centuries ago, Christians were at the forefront of cultural movements. Art, architecture, literature – all these things were largely, at the source, products of Christian ingenuity. We look back at classical art now and immediately we think of the Sistine Chapel, the Last Supper, and thousands of churches adorned with great artwork. We think of the thousands of paintings of Biblical stories, of Mary, of the crucifixion. Further we see paintings of religious movements (the crusades, though brutal) and Joan of Arc. Christianity permeated major art.
The printing press, devised to print the Bible in mass quantities gave birth to religious literature that spread like wildfire in the midst of intense ecclesiastical turmoil. What followed was hundreds of years of great works which led to contemplative looks at nature and the world around us, hoping to see God's truth at work. The works of Addison are filled with these ideas, and his contemporaries likewise.
The design of buildings past all pointed high to remind us that there is One higher. Whether Gothic in nature, or rooted in a silent monastery, or carved in the sides of mountain rock – we can look back to these and see how Christianity paved the way.
In our present time the questions we ask about our culture are answered in new ways. Social media, graphic design, ready-made-web templates, computer animation – these are our cathedrals, our paintings, our literature. It is almost really all three of them rolled into one new art.
The design is no less tangible in our current world. The literature no less informative. The painting no less awe-inspiring or eye-catching. What has changed is that the moving force behind these ideas is not being driven by a Christian underpinning.
I would not argue that the inventor of the paintbrush was a Christian. Nor can I suggest that the first scribe walked uprightly with God. I can't argue that the first stacker of bricks and thatcher of roof knew that He was loved and created by love. I can't say that they painted, wrote, and built with the intention that their craft was indeed meant to inspire others to live in the sight of God.
Yet, people came along and took the tools at their disposal and used them to cultivate a world where people could see these tangible products and admire a Creator. They could read about a Love. They could walk into a place of worship and worship, surrounded by beauty.
The eyes of the people of today still see beauty. They still love to be caught off-guard by the next and newest product of a craftsmen. We can't belittle these ideas and say graphic, computer art, web, social media and the like are less tangible. They are indeed tangible to those that utilize them, aren't they?
So, why go to the ECHO conference? I am a children's pastor – I work with the generation at the forefront of technological advancement. I minister to the target audience before they are the target. What if I could introduce them to what's next and coming so they can use what's next and coming now?! What if we could teach them that the creativity they see in the world around them comes from a source of an unbelievably creative God and they too can move the world around them to direct people to Jesus. Whoa! Incredible!
What if this 25 year old could bring the best of the best into his children's area and capture their hearts with the imagination and wonder of God's Word by using the tools given to us in our day and time? How can we not simply copy the world around us, but be the front-runners of it, not for gain of self, but for the benefit of the followers and the lost, the wanderers and the seeking?
We are in the brink of a new renaissance – not with brushes and brick but with new tools – Macs and media.
Let's use the tools in the world around us to captivate the world around us, to show them that what is in us is the best thing they could ever have!
I'm not the most tech savvy individual. I don't have lots of money to throw around on the next best thing. But if I can use better the tools I have, if I can go one more step, if only so I have to take another, then that is progress. I don't want to the church to be at the end of the marathon line. We should be far ahead in front, carrying a torch and lighting the way for those behind us.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:42 pm
I'd like to go to the Echo Conference for a few reasons…..
- I'd never been to Dallas and I've never been to an Echo Conference. 2 birds with one stone.
- I'm always looking for fresh and innovative ways to incorporate the use media in my church.
- I want to get better at what I do.
- I'd love to connect with others who share the same passion as I do.
- I'm currently unemployed so I have so time to spare.
- God's calling me to the conference….all I need is a free conference ticket and a plane ride.
- I love Jesus!
Thanks for listening.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:50 pm
As videogames move farther from the nerd-in-the-dark obsession and closer to a universally accepted form of social interaction, I believe there has got to be some way to incorporate the Gospel into this medium. Whether it's through party games, music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, or the steadily enlarging world of online gaming and user-generated content, there are all kinds of opportunities to spread a message.
Videogames offer just as many connection possibilities between real people as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. And there is virtually no Jesus in videogame media. Just like in film and literature, there stands the opportunity to tell great stories. And those that love Jesus have the greatest story to tell!
I want to go to ECHO so I can get a vision for how to turn my passion for videogames into His Kingdom's work!
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:00 am
I want to go to ECHO for a number of reasons. The main being I feel an intense calling to help lead the Church and prepare the Church to a place where we are leading and not always responding. I feel like technology has a huge part of that… not necessarily using technology as a crutch or a cure all, but a way to connect with and continue to engage our culture.
Of course I always love seeing how new media is being infused within Church, and learning how to help the Church embrace that more.
I also am looking forward to the "turning ideas into a reality that impact others for Christ". That, I feel will be extremely valuable to me.
Looks like it will be a great conference!
May 22nd, 2009 at 2:58 am
I'd like to come to Echo so that I can be creative enough to not have to be the person at the church across the street from our church offices that puts signs up like this: "prayer is the best form of wireless connection" and "tithe if you love Jesus, anyone can honk" (yes, those are actual signs within a 2 mile radius of our church).
I believe the church should be the most creative force on the planet. Its conferences like Echo that can spark that creativity within us all. I'd be honored to come to Echo conference. Thanks.
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:10 am
Bueno, parte de vivir en la era digital es que vivimos en un mundo global y podemos llevar el mensaje de Jesus de manera ilimitada sin barreras como el idioma en este caso. (Siendo que ustedes son tan creativos se que encontraran la manera de traducir esto). Aqui en Lima Peru donde vivo estamos dando un salto enorme al usar estos nuevos medios, estamos en la posicion unica de influenciar a muchos que vienen detras de nosotros, me interesa mucho ir a esta conferencia donde se que uno es desafiado a ser creativo, y Dios es creativo en esencia, tanto que es capaz de crear de la nada.
La Imagen, la musica, el video son lenguajes universales y no deben limitarse por fronteras, tener un participante latinoamericano sera una demostracion de esto, desafiante no?
Gracias
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:07 pm
BECAUSE SCOTT MCCLELLAN IS HOT!
(Because Scott McClellan is Hot!)
(because scott mcclellan is hot) *whisper*
get it? it's an echo … get it?
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:49 pm
I would like to be a part of the 2009 Echo Conference because I am beginning a new role as internet campus pastor at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. I am passionate about spiritual revival in the state of Kansas and renewal within my denomination, The United Methodist Church. I believe that media, technology and the internet are and will continue to be a part of these passions.
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:51 pm
I would like to be a part of the 2009 Echo Conference because I am beginning a new role as internet campus pastor at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. I am passionate about spiritual revival in the state of Kansas and renewal within my denomination
May 23rd, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I would love to be able to attend the Echo Conference! I have loved being in ministry for 20+ years, (please don’t make me say that number; I hate to admit I’m getting that old) and love it. The majority of my life I have taught children and over the course of those years have learned a lot from kids and a lot more from God about kids! However, most of my experience has been in a very traditional church setting. Last year, God brought me to the most amazing church; where to focus is on getting people to Jesus; however you can. God is blessing, people are finding Him, and lives are being changed. Our vision, though, isn’t to amass a huge megachurch just north of Atlanta, but as we are growing, to plant other churches, in other communities with the same heart for the hurting community where we are located. We have 20/2020 vision, the goal of having 20 plants by 2020.
My role is this is to help teach and train children’s ministry workers to go to these new church plants. The insights from the Echo Conference would enable me to send these teams out doing the best they can with every resource available to them. What a difference it would make in their effectiveness if they were sent with the ability to reach these communities with their full potential!!
May 23rd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
“Why do you want to go to Echo?”
I am currently a student at University of Cincinnati in the Electronic
Media Technology Department. I also am employed as the Media Director
at my local church. It has been a deep interest of mine to reach the
lost through Media. Media Ministry has been a career choice of mine
for some time now and a calling I believe God has placed on my life.
However I know there are many things that I can learn by going to the
Echo conference. I am a beginner in this industry and would like an
opportunity to learn. I have been learning how to do media in the secular world, but I want to see how it is being used in the churches and outreach areas. I want to hear and understand the outstanding skills and tools that I can use and develop to make a difference in the world today. I plan on graduating from UC next year and begin my career/ministry. It would help me to be able to connect with other Media specialist and talk with them about their experiences and understand how they have ministered in peoples lives. I believe it will inspire me to use media in various new ways, learn how to create my own original forms of media, and move beyond what’s been accomplished and dream about what is to come. I believe this conference will give me some great ideas about the media industry and how I can go beyond what is expected.
May 25th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Because I'm starved for new, loud, effective, relevant ways to say 'Jesus.' "Oh for a thousand tongues to sing…!" …And a better understanding of twitter, more active LCD projectors flashing messages on walls, to not be limited to Digital Juice jumpbacks alone for screens. I am starved for new ways to shout and whisper and frustrated knowing they're out there — want Echo to be today and to come home and set the knowledge, conversations and ideas to action to reach directly into lives. What else is marketing but a modern day translation of the Great Commission? At New Venture we say we're a "21st Century Church with a 1st Century message." I'd like to ECHO Him by fluently, excellently speaking our nation’s primary language: Media. Through all things…Jesus.
May 25th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
These are some great posts! Its great to see everyone's response. I am already registered but I still want to comment why I am going. I want to be able to effectively create community through media and I believe this conference with people like Carlos Whittaker, the blog king himself, or Ben Arment, Mr. Story, can help me do that.
Like Catalyst I think this conference will be life-changing. Not only for me but for the people I will share and cast vision for when I get back. I work as a semester missionary for a collegiate ministry and to have the opportunity to help show various ways to speak through media is exciting.
Lastly I want others to experience this with me first hand. My good friend will be joining me in this awesome adventure. I also hope that another joins me. Now I don't expect to win but if I were to win I would give my free ticket to a friend. He would benefit greatly from the experience as well.
Needless to say if one of these guys/ladies that took the time to post were to win that would be awesome too!
Thanks for creating this opportunity for so many!
May 26th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I want to go to Echo to discover new forms of media and to be inspired to use media in new and creative ways. I want to create environments to allow people to encounter God and engage in community.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
The Echo Confrence sounds like a great place to be, to listen and gather new ideas, and to meet people to network with.
I'm a college student working in a smaller church, doing weekly videos, graphics and (my favorite) Motion Graphics. It would be great to attend Echo and get reenergized with new great ideas and to connect with others to bounce ideas around. After all, What would bring more glory to God than inovation and creativeity in his house!?
Thanks for the opportunity to receive a free ticket to ECHO, I can't wait!
May 26th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Why I want to go to ECHO…
I want to create art that releases the Gospel; art that brings into the light things that are found in the darkness.
As an Experience Engineer at Willow Creek Community Church, my job is to create spiritual experiences using movement, music, and multimedia. Even though I do this with an amazing team of people, the job of creating something (seemingly) from nothing can often feel like a lonely task.
For me, attending ECHO is about connecting with others who share the same joy/burden for creating art on a weekly basis. For me, attending ECHO is about listening and learning from others who share the same joy/burden of creating art that moves people.
Events like ECHO make me believe once again that good art really can change the world.
For me, ECHO is about hope.
May 26th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
I want to be in Echo conference,it will widen my knowledge to preach the gospel faster to the of the world .Rev Marshall Uba
May 27th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
One of the definitions of Echo is any repetition or close imitation, as of the ideas or opinions of another. Another is a person who reflects or imitates another. This is not why I want to go to Echo. As a matter of fact is the the opposite. I want to go to Echo not so that I can Echo what others are doing and saying in the digital space but so that I can be inspired by what they are doing and become more effective in sharing God's story through the digital space.
May 28th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Why I want to go to the ECHO conference…
As a 22-year old college graduate, I have spent most of my formative years watching how media and technology have had a huge influence in many spheres of American culture. From business to science to social networking and beyond, media has changed and continuously influences the way that the world is viewed by the average person. The same is true of how the average American views the church.
Less than a month ago, I graduated from Azusa Pacific University with my Bachelor's degree as a church music major. About the same time, I was hired as the new Worship Coordinator at NewHeart Foursquare Church in Simi Valley, CA. As I look back at the things that I learned while I was in college and look forward to the amazing potential that comes with the new position that I have taken on, I have come to the conclusion that knowing how to understand and use media will play a big role in the future of music ministry and church ministry overall.
At NewHeart, our goal is to “Build Bigger Hearts and Better Lives,” and we are constantly looking for new ways to reach out to the community of Simi Valley and change it for the kingdom of God. We understand that in the culture that we live in, it is no longer possible to just canvass a neighborhood with flyers and say “Come to our church!” We realize that by introducing our church to new forms of media, we can have the opportunity to meet people where they're at… wherever that may be! This is about more than getting people to walk into a church building in Simi Valley, it is about advancing God's kingdom in the world.
I feel that ECHO would be a large step in reaching our goal of enhancing the way we minister to people of our congregation and of southern California. Technology and media were not apart of my church music track at APU, so I feel that this conference would allow me to learn a lot about how to create and do new and different things through media at NewHeart as well as open up new doors of creativity and expression in the church. In the beginning God created and because we are made in his image, we too have been given the ability to create, whether that is through music, media, drama or anything else that we can use our talents in.
I believe that the church should be striving to be excellent in everything that we endeavor to do and I am confident that ECHO would be a way for my church to begin that path of persuing excellence in the area of media and technology. God gave his best for us and so the very least we can do is offer back to him our best worship, in whatever area we choose to worship him in. Media dominates our culture, so why not redeem the culture and have quality, creative media coming out of the church; media that will make the rest of the world sit up and take notice.
May 28th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
(Part 1 of 2)
Top Ten Reasons I Want To Go To Echo…
10. I think my son knows more about my computer than I do…he's five
9. When someone asked if I had After Effects, I thought they meant "side effects" and gave away some pretty embarrassing medical history
8. I heard that everything is bigger in Texas. Hoping this cures my freakishly small ears.
7. I'd like to learn how to make a logo that doesn't look like something my four-year-old did with sidewalk chalk (disclaimer: she's not half-bad)
6. I plan to begin every conversation with Mac owners by saying, "Hi, I'm a PC"
May 28th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
(Part 2 of 2)
Top Ten Reasons I Want To Go To Echo…
5. Hoping this training will finally allow me to say "tweet me" without snickering
4. I keep telling myself that three days spent with people half my age and twice my IQ won't be humiliating at all
3. My wife is having an affair (okay, that's a lie. but you felt bad for me, didn't you?)
2. Two Words: Mini Bar
and the number one reason that I want to go to Echo…(insert obligatory drumroll here)…FREE WI-FI, BABY!
(My name is Bryan Roberts, and I am the founding and lead pastor at Church Relevant – http://www.churchrelevant.com. I live to tell the story of Jesus in a way that engages our culture. I believe that Echo could help me do this better. Thanks for considering me in your contest.)
May 28th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
[seesmic GV03D51dXi|gKXBFBgP8w_th1.jpg http://www.seesmic.com/video/GV03D51dXi seesmic]
May 28th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
I I I
would would would
like like
to to to
go go
to echo echo echo echo
because cause cause
okay enough of that, it sounded really clever in my head.
….it would be nice to be able to just attend a conference and soak it all in instead of being a part of the conference as a speaker.
May 28th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
I want to go, and should because its guaranteed I can be there—I live right here in the Dallas area. I'm sure this conference would be just the kick in the pants my creative juices need to carry on throughout the rest of the year. I'd love to connect with all the other bloggers who'll be there—finally meet them face to face. I might just be the most connected blogger who has never been to any conference of any kind.
Pick me and I can assure you there will be wall-to-wall coverage on my blog.
May 29th, 2009 at 12:58 am
Let me begin by saying that I went to ECHO last year and it was one of the best conferences I have ever attended. I was so impressed that I went home and wrote up a blog review about how it was great from top to bottom, http://rhettsmith.com/2008/08/18/echo-conference-...
So one of the reasons I want to go, is because I know what awaits someone who goes to their conference. One can expect great hospitality, great networking and connecting, and a real family feel. All these things combined, really make for an amazing experience and opportunity to link arms with others doing great Kingdom work.
I also would love to go because I really owe ECHO for helping me get grounded, and connected with many people in the Dallas area after my wife and I moved to Dallas last August. We had just moved and were living with my inlaws for one month out in Ft. Worth, and I decided to go to the conference so that I could meet some people. So I drove into Dallas and walked into register and Rob Thomas' (CEO of Igniter) wife, Haley, was standing there to greet me. She asked if she could hold my daughter while I registered and she said she would watch her if I wanted to walk around for a few minutes to check things out. I had never met these people, YET, I'm handing my firstborn child, 14 mos old to complete strangers. But there was something about them. That really kicked the whole experience off for me.
Though I learned a lot of things, and was really excited to hear Donald Miller speak, ECHO for me was about building relationships both locally and nationally. I met so many great people there, and I have continued to hang out with Scott McClellan, Greg Atkinson, Rob Thomas and others….they have inspired me to be creative and to continue to follow my heart and what God has placed within me.
ECHO is a chance for me to really connect and network here locally in the DFW area, and to really link arms with others to help make an impact. But it's also a chance to connect with other friends such as Cynthia Ware, and to continue to strategize ways we can work together.
I would love to go to ECHO, because it really has a place in my heart, and really got me started here in Dallas. And I could be a positive for faithHighway, singing their praises in many of the conversations that I will have along the way.
I think normally I would never try to win free tickets, but this is a different year. My wife and I are trying to pay off some graduate school debt, and we are on the Dave Ramsey plan. So this year is not a year to pay for many conferences…just a luxury we can't afford. So it would be a huge blessing also.
Thanks,
Rhett Smith
May 29th, 2009 at 1:40 am
[seesmic N6G6cQF5fQ|bBkZ40ndcO_th1.jpg http://www.seesmic.com/video/N6G6cQF5fQ seesmic]
May 29th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Why I want to go to ECHO? Other than the ability to scream my name out and hear it bounce of the walls back at me, and reverberate over and over again; Other than I can't afford to go myself; other than I am in the midst of opening a homeless shelter with my wife and 3 of our 8 children; other than you are offering a free ticket and who can pass up something free (we once picked up rocks and put them in a basket with a free sign and people actually took them);and other than the fact that I need a vacation (haven't had a vacation in many moons); I would like to go to the conference because I have all this stuff to learn to better communicate the message the world so desperately needs, with the help of technology. I want to discover, be inspired, learn how to create, dream about what’s next, and turn ideas into a reality that impacts other for Christ. (stolen from the front page of your echo site showing the need for me to become more creative).
——
Plus, My mom said You should give me the tickets so there
May 29th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I just took a job as an Internet Campus Pastor and I have no idea what i'm getting into. This conference might help
May 29th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
A list of my reasons:
-I'm the media director at DCCI in OKC
-I'll be transitioning into a new, more complex media position very soon.
-I'm a learner
-I rarely get to attend confrences, but have wanted to attend ECHO for a few years, I'm just unable to afford it.
-I have many great friends in Dallas that I've met through Twitter that i'd like to see again (Ben Jordan, Michael McMinn, etc)
-I like Dallas
-I did the Train Friday video, as well as the "Thomas the Tank engine, Train Friday edition"
May 29th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
I want to go to ECHO because:
1) just read @rhetter blog post raving about ECHO
2) never been
My video comment I left yesterday was much better than this comment post, but I don't see it here.