For those of you who consider yourselves media buffs, or for those of you who wish you could, I present to you a resource for all people no matter what you do, or don’t know, about media.
It’s no secret that the Church could use some pointers about how to effectively communicate and reach our world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes it’s excusable, while other instances seem to be straight up laughable. Some legitimately have no idea where to begin in the realm of video, social media and the like. Either way, it seems that we could all use a little schooling from the pros so that we can better carry out our mission. It is in this vein that I present to you Collide Magazine (“Where media and the Church converge”).
Similar to other groups like Relevant Media Group, Collide’s purpose is definitely rooted in equipping the Church to be relevant to the culture around it. The difference, however, is that while Relevant studies the intersection of faith, God and culture, Collide takes a different route into creating and giving a media tool-box of sorts that actually enables the Church to be on the front lines of media and communication. From articles on why design matters in the Church, to how to fail at social media, you will also find pointers on the latest media resources as well as tech reviews, website solutions and more. Bottom line: if you pick up a subscription to this magazine (only $16 for the bi-montly issue), you’re bound to find something to apply to your situation, no matter who you are.
Now, I’m sure there are a few that are skeptical of this media trend. Is it really important? Do we need all the latest bells and whistles? I mean really? Well, no. Not really. Scott McClean, Collide’s Editor, talked about this very idea of the limits of media in the latest issue. A church in Dallas has recently started a fundraising campaign in order to build a few new buildings. Their target goal is $130 million (that’s a lot of zeros). And it got him thinking:
“The last thing I want to do is use this space to criticize this Dallas church…But in considering this issue, a thought came to mind: new buildings are good at solving problems posed by old building, but new buildings are bad at solving problems posed by something other than an old building. In other words, a new building is great for solving problems such as cramped hallways, bad acoustics, lack of seating, or limited education space. On the other hand, the best new building in the world won’t solve problems such as uncommitted leaders, unloving congregants, power-hungry leaders, a lack of emphasis on missions and service, or a bad reputation in the community. Period.
I think the same goes for media…Media is good a solving communication problems, but media isn’t good a solving problems unrelated to communication. Visual media helps an artist or communicator impart meaning or an idea to his or her audience. Social media helps groups of people communicate with one another around shared interests, experiences, or proximity. But media can’t fix underlying problems in an organization, leadership team, or church body.” (Collide Magazine, The Limits of Media, Issue 14, page 6).
So there you have it. If you have communication difficulties at your church, then Collide Magazine comes highly recommended from this author. If not, then you have a nice resource to pass along to those who do.
Visit Collide’s website here.
