Help Haiti Live

Lea and I both enjoy going to concerts, unfortunately we have not been to a live concert in some time. The main reason is because our favorite artists have not been within driving range. This Saturday we won’t have to drive anywhere to attend the “Help Haiti Live” event sponsored by Compassion International. Some of our favorite artists like needtobreathe (my music choice of 2009), Mat Kearny, Jars of Clay, and Matt Wertz will be performing live online. This Saturday February 27 you can expect to find me at home with the laptop hooked up to the big screen attending this special event. The concerts will be streamed from Nashville Tennessee and will benefit Compassion International’s work in Haiti. Check out this well produced video promo (great inspiration for future projects) for the event and plan to join me live at helphaitilive.com.

Are wireless mics in Churches at risk?

I have been keeping a close eye on what the FCC has been doing over the last few months and years surrounding the DTV transition. Many might not realize that the whole reason the FCC took us through the big DTV transition. The goal was to free up frequency band space for the next generation of consumer and emergency wireless devices. The new devices will include 4G service by major cell phone providers and other portable TV Band Devices. So what does this mean for the church and our wireless mics?

First things first, if you are using wireless mics that operate in the 700 MHz frequency band its time for you to stop, and trade-in your gear if possible from one of the major vendors such as Shure or Sennheiser. Most of this equipment cannot be re-tuned. The major US audio vendors have already stopped producing 700 MHz mics, so you are safe in purchasing new mics. To clarify, the FCC is very committed to clearing the upper part of the TV bands between channels 52 and 69 – (698-806 MHz), which is the 700 MHz band. So where does this leave the church?

The FCC has announced in a recent statement that it will begin licensing devices and operators which will be restricted to broadcast and movies. The unlicensed operators and devices which includes the church must accept interference from other license and unlicensed devices. In other-words there will be two classes of wireless system operators going forward. Part 74 licensed users will have their geo-location information entered into a database so that unlicensed TV Band Devices can try and figure out if they’re about to interfere with them, and thereby know when to shut themselves off. Unlicensed users (the Church) under Part 15 must accept interference from others — which is actually what we do when we operate a wireless system currently. However in this new world of TVBD’s their operation is liable to occur in the church where people will be walking in with portable devices which will interfere with wireless mics. Since the geo-location database and licensed use go hand-in-hand, expansion of Part 74 is in the best interest of the local church, schools, performing arts centers, sports arenas, and theaters. Part 15 also stats that the FCC will limit wireless mics to 50mW of total power output.

So what is safe? Churches must trade-in or just stop using 700 MHz wireless systems by June 12, 2010. Those who need to make the switch should look at operating in several 6 MHz TV channels on either side of channel 37 (608-614 MHz). You can also look to operate in the TV band of 16-20 or 169-171 MHz which falls just below channel 7. This whole transition is still very much in process and I expect that some of the verbiage and rules will change in the coming months but at least we are now a bit more familiar with what is coming down the road.

You can read the entire FCC release by clicking here (pdf). The FCC has also released a complete list of mics that are affected by the 700 MHz clear-out, this list can be accessed by clicking here.

-Portions of this post were enhanced by Live Sound International’s February 2010 magazine.

First After Effects Project

I recently completed my first ever Adobe After Effects project for the Brethren in Christ Church. Before this project any motion video projects I needed to work on was done through Apple’s Motion application. I have an old version of Motion and rather then upgrading I made the switch to AE and it was a pleasure to use and create the following project celebrating 2009 in Cooperative Ministries. The project is done, definitely some things I have learned this time that I will change for the next project but I think it is a good start. Let me know what you think of the video!

I have a new Job!

Well, kinda…As of Sunday’s church council meeting vote my full time position at Pequea Church has now been approved. Previously I had served as the technical arts director for both Pequea Church and the Brethren in Christ Denomination. Now I am full time with Pequea Church as the director of technical arts and impact ministries (young adults) and all the praise goes to God!

While I am really sorry to have to leave my position with the BIC general church I am excited about focusing my work and ministry life. Over the last year, it became very clear that I was stretching my time too thin and it was effecting the quality of my work. I was spending lots of additional hours out of the office late at night working to complete projects in a timely manner. On some weeks I easily was working my two, 20 hour a week jobs as two 40 hour a week jobs. In ministry it is all to easy to get burned out and for me to loose focus on God’s plan for my life. In November my girlfriend of 4 years and I got engaged and we are now planning a June 2010 wedding. I had to begin thinking about my “Family or Church“.

Although my new position will still be filled with a lot of work and projects and even new responsibilities I am excited about where God has me and what he has in store for me in the near future. I thank God daily that I am able to have a job like this and get paid for ministry, doing something that I love.

A Disturbing Trend

I am sorry to report a disturbing trend that I am seeing in blogs, facebook, twitter and other social media and I wondered if it troubles you? It seems to me that more and more people are voicing opinions through new posts, status updates and comments that are filled with bitterness, envy, criticism, anger, and self-pity.

Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters.sIf you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. James 4:11 NLT

The bible is clear on this issue of criticizing and judging others. That is why I believe that using any social media platforms such as twitter, blogging or facebook to criticize others is a sin. So why do people do it? I think some do it for the traffic it generates to their blog. I also think that it is much easier to criticize someone online. We don’t often get into yelling matches in the hallways of our local churches. We don’t criticize or humiliate our neighbors or friends when we invite them over for dinner or small group in our homes. Because in social media online we don’t have to look the person(s) in the eyes, we can pretend that they don’t hurt.

I continue to wonder why other Christians look on and even support those who behave this way and don’t say anything. Do we not have the nerve to speak up? Maybe it’s that we don’t recognize what is happening, or that it is just happening so much. I just doubt very much that we would just stand by as a brother or sisters property was being vandalized? Why is it that we stay silent as someone vandalizes the sites and esteems of others?

“In the Epistle of James, the author says no one can tame the tongue because it is a restless evil (James 3:8). In our day and age, we could say the same for our fingers as we write blog posts and leave comments online. Fingers can tap out to their fair share of destruction, effectively tossing Jesus’ Golden Rule into the desktop recycle bin.” -Ed Cyzewski We each have a choice to make. Will we continue to attack one another online or will the next time we witness an act of e-vandalism we will respond by trying to bring peace, clarity, and inspire meaningful conversation, or keep our flamethrowers ready?

-Portions of this post were inspired & taken by reading Collide Magazine’s January/February issue.