August 2007

Finally!  I've meant to blog this for several weeks and now with the premier issue of Collide Magazine to be released on September 7th, I'm motivated to promote what looks like an excellent publication.  Billed as a collision between the Church and the media, the magazine will feature contributing writers like:

Tim Stevens, Matthew Paul Turner,  Mark Steele, &  Gary Molander.  

• Seeing God’s fingerprints in media
• The roles of media and the Church in culture
• Media resources that communicate Truth
• The creative use of media and technology in ministry

I'm particularly excited about this resource because the increasing ubiquity of media in our world presses Christian leaders to harness, utilize, experiment with and employ these modern day elements of communication for the presentation of the Gospel.  

Adobe Launches "Moviestar" Version of Flash Player - HD Television Quality for Web Video

Given that I've been shooting with my new HD Camera and editing with the Final Cut software I purchased for my MacPro; it's obvious I've been anticipating higher standards for Web audio and video content.  Looks like Adobe is making it's next advancement. 

Richard MacManus reports at Read/WriteWeb that Adobe has announced the latest version of its near ubiquitous Web video software, Adobe Flash Player 9. It's codenamed Moviestar, because it includes H.264 standard video support – the same standard deployed in Blu-Ray and HD-DVD high definition video players. In other words, the quality of video has been substantially improved from the previous version of Flash Player 9. Also added to the mix is High Efficiency AAC (HE-AAC) audio support and "hardware accelerated, multi-core enhanced full screen video playback".

Adobe claims that these advancements will extend their leadership position in Web video "by enabling the delivery of HD television quality and premium audio content".

You can get the beta at Adobe Labs - and the final release is slated to be available in the fall (September - November). The last big update to Flash Player was the launch of Flash 9 in June 2006.

Three things to know about Moviestar:

1) H.264 support means superior video quality; it is also an open standard.

2) High Efficiency Advanced Audio is a "successor to MP3"- higher quality audio, but at a lower bit rate.

3) It means "hardware acceleration" for Web video.

Moviestar is believed to be a tipping point for the H.264 standard, because now Flash Player is supporting it as well Blu-Ray.

Richer Platform for Online Video Producers

As well as the consumer benefits, this also gives online video companies a platform to deliver richer Flash experiences on the desktop, Web and H.264 ready consumer devices. As well as the new Flash Player, H.264 playback will be supported by the Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR - a platform to create rich Internet applications to the desktop) and applications developed with Adobe AIR software, including Adobe Media Player.

Currently Adobe Flash Player is said to have 98.7% penetration in the Web, making it the most used media player:

Source: Adobe; Millward Brown survey, conducted March 2007

Conclusion

Higher quality online video is great news for consumers and producers alike - especially in a near ubiquitous media player like Flash Player, which is used on YouTube, MySpace and other major platforms.

Yesterday, Kent Shaffer at Church Relevance posted a brief interview with Foursquare Pastor Wayne Corderio from New Hope Christian Fellowship in O'hau.  I just covered Pastor Wayne's church here last week having returned from a visit there in early August.   Here's the permalink of my experience at New Hope.

The Church Relevance interview includes this bit of Pastor Wayne's simple advice:

Establish 5 or 6 things and live toward them. For example, his six are:

1. A genuine and growing relationship with Christ Jesus.
2. A genuine and healthy marriage.
3. A family that is close and healthy, spiritually as well as emotionally.
4. A ministry that is fruitful and healthy and one that overflows into resourcing other leaders.
5. A body that is healthy and a soul that is able to be creative.
6. Time to enjoy life with family and friends.

Head over to Church Relevance to read all 10Q.  Permalink: 10Q with Wayne Cordeiro.

Greg Atkinson, who's known by just about everyone with a Church / Technology interest, is conducting a worship presentation software poll via Squidoo.  In case you've never seen a Squidoo lens - this is an excellent excuse to stop by the Seth Godin endorsed site and see what it can do. 

If your church uses a worship software other than PowerPoint you can vote here to express your preference between EasyWorship, MediaShout, ProPresenter, SongShow Plus, LiveWorship, and  Sunday Plus.  On of Squidoo's features is that you can grab the list and be notified by feed who wins.

Did I also mention Greg's primary blog site is Church Video Ideas and he is the Technical Arts Director at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, Texas.

About 2 years ago I was visiting with a friend in Nashville who was about to depart for college at Baylor.  He walked me through his brand new Facebook page and explained to me that it was designed for college students like him.  It seems I wasn't paying enough attention.  At that time MySpace was so completely dominating the launch of the social networking revolution that every other site somehow seemed dwarfed in it's Goliath shadow.

Now I'm seriously thinking Facebook could be more than just a social networking site with an open source attitude and an endless stream of apps.  Looks like Facebook is a platform.

Although some blogs are grossly overstating Facebook's potential (e.g.- "Facebook Could Challenge Google and Become the Remote Control For the Web" - The Information Week Blog), it does seem like the Facebook platform has a unique momentum and appeal.  New innovations in Facebook apps are released weekly and my guess is it won't be long until someone hits it out of the park with one that is absolutely necessary (unlike drinks and gifts, etc.).

And of course, where ever you find new innovations, the LifeChurchtv Digerati Team cannot be far behind.  Pastor Terry Storch is busy developing YouVersion, the interactive Bible application I'll blog on in a week or so, and Innovation Pastor Bobby Gruenewald is inviting friends to church on a Facebook page built exclusively for experiencing church.

Kinda gives new meaning to the phrase "let's get on the same page" doesn't it?  And yes, I finally put up a Facebook page so you can add me.

John La Grou (who, yes, has mixed me up with his wife before due to too many incoming "Cynthia" emails) sent out this handy Wikiklesia authors' links list.  You don't even have to go to the wiki to get informed about the interesting and diverse authors who participated in the publication of Voices of the Virtual World. 

I certainly meant to blog some details about a few of them but I made the mistake of stopping by Bill Kinnon's achievable ends page.  There I ran into the Internet Way Back Machine!  (warning, warning, prepare to squander time…)

Thanks a lot Bill; now, instead of contemplating our future, I've researched my archived past.

 I'll put the list up now anyway and re-blog Wikiklesia later.

 
Andrew Jones
Andrew Perriman
Bill Kinnon
Bob Hyatt
Brad Sargent
Brother Maynard
Calvin Park
Cynthia La Grou
Cynthia Ware
David Hayward
Derek Flood
Drew Goodmanson
Ed Brenegar
Heidi Campbell
Jo Guldi
Joe Suh
John La Grou
John Sexton
Br. Karekin Yarian, BSG
Katharine Moody
Kester Brewin
Len Hjalmarson
Matt Reece
Michael Lissack
Mike Morrell
Mike Riddell
Peggy Brown
Rex Miller
Rick Meigs
Scot McKnight
Scott Andreas
Scott McClellan
Scott Ragan
Stephen Garner
Stephen Shields
Steve Scott
Steve Knight
Stuart Murray Williams
Thomas Hohstadt
Wild Grace

With increasing frequency, more and more U.S. Christian leaders are listening in on cyberspace conversations.  Many are persuaded that hearing divergent views hardly threatens one's convictions, rather it often strengthens them.  Furthermore, many leaders are beginning to blog and master their own voice in the online dialog. 

For the novice, however, navigating the blogosphere of God, can be a daunting prospect. 

If you are just getting started, here's a tip.  Rather than wander cyberspace aimlessly, it's helpful to read some of the experienced pros on a regular basis while you get your footing.  Whether you agree with their views or theology isn't the point.  These guys know how to blog and all have developed their own style or brand.

Wandering aimlessly can come later.

Random samples & worth the read:

• Church Relevance  (Kent Shaffer)

• Monday Morning Insight (Todd Rhoades)

• Jollyblogger (David Wayne)

• Church Marketing Sucks (Kevin Hendricks / Brad Abare)

• Challies.Com (Tim Challies)

• Adrian Warnock's Blog
  

• Tall Skinny Kiwi (Andrew Jones)

• Smart Christian (Dr. Andrew Jackson)
  

• Evangelical Outpost (Joe Carter)

A few of the more well known U.S. blogging pastors:

• Dave Ferguson

• Bobby Gruenewald 

• Mark D. Roberts

• Tony Morgan

• Perry Noble

• Mark Batterson

• Dan Ohlerking

• Dino Rizzo

Additionally, here are some personal, although lesser known, gems.  These blogs capture how powerfully one's personality can shine in their writing style.

Special mention: 

• Cerulean Sanctum (Dan Edelen)

• Transforming Sermons (Milton Stanley)

• Heal your Church Website (Dean Peters)

From evangelical to emergent, from inspirational to challenging, from personal reflections to megablogs, from "we're on vacation" to scholarly, the God blogs offer plenty to choose from and reflect the diversity found in the Body of Christ.  Although there's no one place to get an exhaustive list, starting with these 20 will give you access to more blogrolls than you'd have time to read.  I hope.

On vacation in Hawaii last week my family attended New Hope Christian Fellowship O'hau pastored by Wayne Cordeiro.  They meet in a local high school.  I felt like Jim & Casper, without the atheist part.  It's one thing to visit a congregation as an honored guest.  It can be an entirely different experience to arrive unannounced and attend incognito. 

It was really a good service.  So many good things happened throughout our morning, it would be hard to list them all.  But since all of us who are in church leadership are hoping to improve the interface that we have with guests at church let me list a few of the highlights.  

The Pew Internet & American Life Project has released a new report that analyzes existing gaps in home broadband adoption among Americans. The commentary suggests where stakeholders in the broadband debate might take aim if they want to do something to encourage those lacking broadband access to get off the digital sidelines.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project is a highly respected research organization located in Washington, D.C.   They produce the most sophisticated data available when it comes to analyzing online trends.  Pew research covers diverse topics including Internet penetration, diffusion trends, blogging and a variety of other online pursuits.  Pew findings are designed to give us a better understanding of online activities (who is using the Internet, how often and for what).  Often quoted by media institutions such as the New York Times, ABC tv, etc., Pew is an authoritive source on the evolution of the Internet. 

The new report on broadband adoption, compiled by John Horrigan, Associate Director & Pew researcher, is available here.