ELCA NEWS SERVICE
June 9, 2009
ELCA 'God's Work. Our Hands' Video Contest Starts June 15
09-130-JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
is inviting congregations and individuals to submit 30- to 90-second
videos in a contest related to the ELCA tagline, "God's work. Our hands."
The contest begins June 15 and runs through July 15, the deadline
date for submitting video entries. ELCA Communication Services is
managing the contest for the churchwide organization.
ELCA members have many stories to tell about how God works in the
world, said Kristi S. Bangert, executive director, ELCA Communication
Services. "With this video contest we are asking people to illustrate
the meaning of 'God's work. Our hands.' by sharing these stories from
their own contexts through the medium of short-form video," she said.
"By promoting this story-gathering, storytelling process as a
contest with significant prizes, we hope to encourage strong
participation while generating innovative content," Bangert said.
The contest aims to give members a voice in demonstrating how
Lutherans do God's work in the world "for the sake of the gospel,"
she added.
Prizes include a $5,000 ministry grant for an ELCA congregation and
a $2,500 cash prize for an individual entry. Second prize in both
categories is a high-definition "Flip" video camera. Prize sponsors are
Odyssey Networks and Lutheran Film Associates. Winners will be announced
at the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 17-23 in Minneapolis.
To enter, finished videos must be uploaded to the Web. Each video
will be available for viewing and rating by the public from June 15
through July 22. A panel of judges will then rate the top 10 videos
based on creativity, ability to inspire, interpretation of the theme
and popularity.
Resources and contest rules are at http://www.ELCA.org/videocontest
on the Web.
Bangert said participants are encouraged to be creative. Examples of
possible topics could be congregational ministries, human interactions
and responses to community needs. Humorous videos are welcome, she said.
Contest rules spell out video requirements. Key requirements
include a maximum length of 90 seconds per video, submitted in a specific
format; use of the ELCA brandmark; online submission of videos; and
original work. Contestants may submit as many videos as they wish, but
only one prize per congregation or individual will be awarded.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
