CREATIVITY SUMMIT 2006: LOS ANGELES
May 20-24, I was privileged to be part of 60 Campus Crusade staff from all over the world who gathered in LA to talk about using creativity (ie. fine arts, graphics, websites, filmmaking, and writing) as an engine for reaching people with the Gospel. Several highlights for me were: attending the Damah Film Festival in Hollywood, meeting with Dave Anderson (former Disney Imagineer, and current film producer,) being trained in Imagineering, and meeting with peers to brainstorm.
The Damah Film Festival was an incredible experience. Filmmakers worldwide submit short films on spirituality (any faith or concept) to be evaluated from some of the top producers, directors, and writers in their field. It became a venue for people to talk about spiritual issues and for the Gospel to be shared. Writer/Producer/Director Scott Derrickson shared with us his intent in making horror films. You wouldn’t normally expect a Bible College graduate to be in the business of making horror movies, but Derrickson views his films as a way to tackle issues of good and evil in the world, making people realize that they’re not in control. He described them as taking someone down into a deep, dark cavern, then striking just one match which lights up even the smallest of details. (He’s in process of now making the blockbuster movie adaptation of Paradise Lost due out next year).
Dave Anderson trained us in the process of Imagineering. We gathered in groups with the idea of coming up with a concept, object, or process that would move people towards Christ. It was refreshing and innovative to explore out of the box ideas and build on top of other’s thoughts. The thing that struck home with me the most from Dave’s training and talks was a quote: “The worldwide language is the visual. The world needs the visual.”
Finally, it was so encouraging to come together with peers that are seeking to use media to reach college students. Being able to connect and bounce ideas off of each other as well as create an ongoing forum for these in the future were key. I came home with many ideas and concepts to try out over the course of this next year!
My friend Priscilla and I at the Getty Museum in LA.
Priscilla is my media counterpart in the Pacific Southwest Region.
She is also involved in the Destino Movement.
Destino PLANNERS!
Destino is the Campus Crusade ministry reaching out to Hispanic-American college students. We will be partnering with them this year to produce a Destino student planner. My friend Priscilla and I were able to meet out in Los Angeles during the Creativity Summit to work on the planner’s design. It will be exciting this upcoming school year to see how God uses these planners to reach out to Hispanic-American students and to build new Destino movements on campus.
PRAYER REQUESTS
· After much prayer and consideration, I made the choice not to staff a summer project this year. I’ve seen a lot of movement forward on raising my support and will be spending the summer doing just that so I can report back asap to full-time ministry. Thank you for your continued prayers concerning this.
· Also, please pray for our Student, Greek, and Destino planners. Campuses and ministries nationwide order them to hand out and we would like to see 40,000 handed out this year. We’re also endeavoring to raise money to hand out more planners as well this year.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND PARTNERSHIP IN REACHING STUDENTS WITH THE GOSPEL.
