Visuals

Rev. Joshua Patty

Regional Minister and President

A picture is worth a thousand words, conventional wisdom says. Now, pictures and images seem to catch attention better than words – no matter how thoughtfully written or spoken they may be. Perhaps this season is a good time to consider how you can get and share pictures and images of your ministry.

This article reminds how photos can connect people with ministry. There are challenges.  You need to find capable photographers with an eye for “candid” or action shots. You should be careful about how you take and share photos of children. And while worship is a big part of congregational ministry, it’s hard to get good photos of worship.

These photos are often shared on social media, in church newsletters, etc. Are there ways to incorporate them more into the life of the church? Could photos be effective in reports to the church board/council?  Could efforts be made to show such photos more regularly during worship as a celebration of ministry?  

Speaking of visuals in worship (uh oh, the preacher’s about to meddle)... could we consider the different visual aspects of our worship service? Lighting, backgrounds, placement all come to mind, but with an important addition. If you are sharing worship services online, how much thought have you given to those visuals? What else is visible in the frame? What should be or could be visible in the frame?

Some leaders have a passion for visual communication, and the above is probably oversimplified. But many worship planners put much more emphasis on the words and the music – and the vitally important task of making sure everyone knows their responsibilities. All vitally important, but people aren’t just listening, they’re watching.

Youth Ministry Connections

Here’s a good article about empowering youth in youth ministry, featuring a Disciples congregation in Kentucky.

General Assembly Business Items Q & A

I am hosting an online Q&A session about General Assembly business items on Tuesday, July 1 at 6:30p. This is a chance for voting delegates and anyone else to ask questions and learn about some of the business being considered by the 2025 General Assembly. You can read the business items here. Register to participate in the Q&A on Zoom here.