A recent tweet from Byron Hill, director of LifeWay conference centers and camps, summed up a lot of what I'm feeling right now: "@ByronHill: Still can't believe all the Nashville landmarks under water. Not to mention all the homes. It's like a movie, but it's not. It's real."
 
I went to Jefferson City (TN) this past weekend to visit friends and spend time doing different activities with them, including hiking and watching a theatrical production. Unbeknownst to me, Nashville was flooding.
 
My youngest brother was scheduled to have his high school baccalaureate Sunday afternoon, but in the middle of my journey home early Sunday morning, I learned it was cancelled because the high school was flooded. I had a difficult time believing how dire the situation was at home. East Tennessee received no rain, and the entire drive home was clear until I reached Lebanon (TN).  
 
I couldn't believe my eyes as I scanned the watery horizons of my hometown. Homes, schools, farms, churches and businesses were under water. I then reached home to find my house  unaffected (thankfully!) and my family glued to the television as news stations reported on the historic flood of May 2010.  
 
This incredible occurrence has displaced thousands and will eventually cost billions, I'm sure. The Grand Ole Opry, LP Field (Titan's stadium), The Country Music Hall of Fame, The Schermerhorn Symphony Center, and the Gaylord Opry Land Hotel are just a few of the great Nashville landmarks affected.
 
LifeWay's corporate photographer, Kent Harville, and I took the opportunity to video/photograph the flooding of downtown Nashville (Kent's slideshow of his still photos will be posted later this week). Below is the 3 minute video I compiled from the footage.  

 
Please be in prayer for the waters to recede, and for God to lead us in the days ahead. LifeWay has many employees that have been affected in this disaster, including three in our own department. There are accounts of many individuals with destroyed homes who are without flood insurance. No doubt, the recovery effort will last for years to come.
 
Yes indeed, Bryon perfectly summed up the feeling that we all have: "It's like a movie, but it's not. It's real."
 
By Jennifer Tramel

It's time again to take inventory of our staff reading selections and insights. This exercise is always informative -- and often humorous. Hopefully, these responses will provoke you to read and maybe, give you a chuckle.

Rob Phillips ~ I'm reading Whosoever Will: A Biblical-Theological Critique of Five-Point Calvinism. Although I made the decision to pick up this book, I can't escape the nagging conviction that it was somehow determined that I would read it.

Kelly Shrout ~ I'm working on Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson, and  52 Simple Ways to Say 'I Love You' by Stephen Arterburn. I'm just learning more about the importance of teaching my son well.

Katie Shull ~ I usually only read on vacation or something when I have a big block of time to do it -- mainly because I can't stand having to pick up a book and put it down all the time!  I DO, however, read the Bible & my Sunday school lesson & my Mission Friends book. :)

Brooklyn Lowery ~ All I've read over the last few weeks is a dissertation on BMP signaling and critical reviews/articles about Thomas Morton for my final paper. Let's be clear though, I only edited that dissertation for grammatical accuracy ... I have no idea what it actually said. :)

Polly House ~ I'm still reading Crazy Love with my church small group. We will finish this week! In addition, I'm reading Influencing like Jesus by Michael Zigarelli, which presents 15 ways to influence people and change their minds, even if they are resistant to change. For my neighborhood book group, I'm just starting Children of Men, a science fiction mystery, by P.D. James.

Jennfier Tramel ~ I'm reading through Kevin Leeman's The Birth Order Book. I was introduced to the book in college when I took interpersonal communications and psychology of gender. I'm the eldest of four in my home, and according to my interpersonal professor, I'm a classic, textbook people pleasing eldest female child. She often would use me as an example in class and yes, it was embarrassing. All fun aside though, this book really had a lot of truth to it.  It's taught understanding, not only in my siblings, but in every relationship in my life. I recommend highly.

Micah Carter ~ Just started The Exemplary Husband by Stuart Scott. Very good book so far ... challenging and encouraging. I'll take as much help and advice for being a godly husband as I can get!

What does LifeWay photographer Kent Harville do when a hot air balloon comes in low, nearly clipping the top of his house, and then lands in the middle of his street? He grabs a camera and starts taking photos, of course!

The chase truck arrived about the same time the balloon settled down in the street. The balloon was quickly deflated, stretched out to its  full length in the street, gathered neatly in at the edges, and then stuffed carefully in a large red bag. Balloon, basket, pilot and passengers were loaded into the truck and were all gone within ten minutes of landing.

This past week a few of our staff (pictured above: Rob Phillips, Polly House, Kelly Shrout, Micah Carter) had the opportunity to participate in the annual Baptist Communicators Association workshop. This BCA meeting was paired with the 2010 RC Congress.

This BCA meeting was my first to attend, and I enjoyed getting to know other members with whom I was familiar but had never met face to face. I was also encouraged by the breakout sessions of the workshop, specifically the Q&A interaction with Dr. Ronnie Floyd discussing the interim report of the SBC's Great Commission Resurgence Task Force (audio here).

Not only was this my first time to attend the BCA annual meeting, it was also my first trip to Chicago. How can you not love this city, especially at night (see photo below)?

All said, this trip was a great introduction to the BCA and to Chicago. I would be remiss, however, if I didn't mention that our staff won 12 awards in the Wilmer C. Fields Awards Competition! Great job, team! These awards and winners are listed below:

Audio-Visual Division

• Audio - podcast, distributed less than two times per month ~ 1st Place: Brooklyn Lowery and Rob Phillips, "Inside LifeWay"
• Converged media - other converged media ~ 2nd Place: Polly House and Kent Harville, "LifeWay Russia Mission Trip"

Photography Division

• Newspaper / Newsletter - single ~ 1st Place: Kent Harville, "I'll Be the Man" and 2nd Place: Kent Harville, "Thank You, Father"
• Newspaper / Newsletter - series ~ 1st Place: Kent Harville, "To Russia with Love" and 2nd Place: Kent Harville, "Be the Man"
• Magazine - single ~ 1st Place: Kent Harville, "A Heart for Russia"

News Writing Division

• Single Article - Magazine ~ 1st Place: Rob Phillips, "Your Church Needs a Crisis Communications Plan" and 2nd Place: Polly House and Rob Phillips, "Arrange It Yourself (SongMap)"

Feature Writing Division

• 1st Place: Rob Phillips, "The Kingdom According to Jesus: A Study of Jesus' Parables on the Kingdom of Heaven"
• 2nd Place: Polly House, "If the Shoe Fits, Make it a Bible Study"

Design Division

• Promotion and Advertising - Specialty Items, Giveaway ~ 1st Place: Katie Shull and Kelly Shrout, "Hub Dude"

Posted by Micah Carter

Jennifer Tramel reflects on learning to shoot a handgun. And for the record, she favors a .45 caliber! Enjoy!

In less than 24 hours, communications department staff Rob Phillips, Micah Carter, Polly House and Kelly Shrout will be hobnobbing in Chicago at the annual Baptist Communicators Association meeting. This year's BCA workshop is paired with the annual meeting of the Religion Communication Congress, which should prove to be an interesting and insightful experience.

It looks like the communications staff has numerous opportunities to bring back some awards for our work. We'll be posting updates throughout the workshop, so follow us: @lifewaynews (Twitter) and LifeWay News (Facebook). Stay tuned!

Happy Easter from the Communications Department! May you share in the joy and power of the Resurrection of Jesus!

Rob Philips reads the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, complied from the four Gospels. Please enjoy listening to this life-changing story (or read the story here)!

Posted in:Audio| Comments 0

Miscellaneous Media Monday (March 29, 2010)

March 29, 2010

Here is some recent news and information that is worth a look, in case you missed it. There's a ton here to read, see and hear . . . enjoy!

• Podcast with Dr. Jeremy Howard about the authenticity of Jesus' resurrection, which generated an interesting dialogue at www.opposingviews.com. Read those comments here.
• Helpful thoughts by David Francis on five key "competenc E's" for Sunday School ministry.
• Dr. Thom Rainer's blog about "Hubris and Leadership".
• Dr. Thom Rainer's blog about "Seven Characteristics of Highly Evangelistic Christians".
• Easter Resources.
• Great introductory article about Transformational Church by Bruce Raley.
• LifeWay Research study on the value of seminary education for pastors. See also our blog post about this study.
• Podcast with Dennis Pethers on conversational evangelism.
• Photo(s) of the Week

Posted in:Miscellaneous| Comments 0

"Destroy Your Enemies ... With Kindness" (Friday Photo - 3.26.10)

March 26, 2010

When people do their best to annoy, irritate and make your life miserable, “try to destroy them as enemies,” suggested Dr. Joe McKeever, preacher, cartoonist and retired director of missions for the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans.

He quickly added, “And turn them into friends.”

A couple of years ago Mckeever spoke to a room filled with women attending LifeWay’s National Conference for Ministry Assistants, where he shared stories of those in his own life, neighbors, and church members, with whom friendship and love was a real challenge.

“You don’t have to love someone, just start doing things for them,” advised McKeever, who shared the “four most basic acts of love” as found in Luke 6: 27-30. They are:

1.    Do good things for them
2.    Bless them
3.    Pray for them
4.    Give to them

Even if you don’t like someone, you can learn to love him or her by applying these basic principles from God’s Word, McKeever said. In doing so, an enemy is destroyed and you make a friend.

Mckeever, who often follows his presentation by drawing caricatures of those who attend, added that each person is unique and beautiful in their own way. He encouraged the ministry assistants to “love the one God gave you (their spouses) and quit comparing him to everyone else.” Likewise, he said, “Love how God made you. Stop comparing yourself to others. Even if you don’t like your smile, smile anyway. It will always make you look better.”

Photo and comments by Kent Harville

Posted in:Photos| Comments 0

Easter Resources

March 24, 2010

Our friends at Facts and Trends Online here in the communications department have put together some fun and informative Easter resources that might just add that extra "something" to church newsletters or bulletins, provide an activity for Sunday School or small groups, or give some personal enjoyment for individuals as well. Here are some of the Easter themed options:

• Word Search
• Song Scramble
• Quiz

Facts and Trends also linked to helpful resources like "Bringing Easter into Focus" that offers suggestions for ways to help children understand the cross and resurrection better. Also, LifeWay has some free resources for pastors, teachers and church leaders that provide suggestions and information as many prepare for Easter.

Enjoy!

Posted in:Miscellaneous| Comments 2

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