Fantastic creation using google street view and a toy car!
For a full description go HERE.
(HT: @kellydolan)
Archive for the story Category
Ready for MERGE
Posted in about imago, communication, creativity, events, faith, gatherings, learning, story on 07/08/2011 by Kelly DolanTomorrow, we head up to Cornerstone University with Michael Novelli and the rest of the team for MERGE 2011. Students and leaders will arrive Monday of next week, and we’re so happy to have a mix of new and returning groups joining us. As we’ve said on the blog before (and pretty much any time we talk about it), MERGE is one of our most favorite things we do each year.
One of the main reasons is that MERGE is a chance for us to take all that we are learning about narrative, experiential learning and creative communication, and use that learning to inspire us to try new things, new ways of learning and gathering. It’s the kind of stuff we think about and help other organizations with year round. But at MERGE, we get to personally be with student ministries for a week and do everything we can to help them truly experience God’s story, and find themselves in that story.
Another reason MERGE is a highlight for us is that the entire week is shaped by the students themselves. We don’t have a central communicator for the week. No one tells students exactly what they’re supposed to learn. Instead, we provide a wide range of creative experiences and a learner-centered environment where we trust God will speak directly to students throughout the day. As they go through the day, we have specific times when students share with one another what they are learning and how God has been speaking. In doing so, the students become the teachers of one another.
It’s really an amazing thing to watch, and we couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of this event!
You can keep up with us throughout the week here, and on the MERGE Facebook page, or by following us on Twitter.
Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts
Posted in creativity, story on 02/09/2011 by mark novelliI remember seeing this before Toy Story 3 and loving it!
I think it has to be the favorite to win the oscar.
To learn more about all the candidates for best animated short check out this article.
Teen Pregnancy Rate Down Because of MTV?
Posted in communication, creativity, story on 01/19/2011 by mark novelli
A new government study shows that pregnancy rate among US teenagers dropped significantly in 2009. The report specifically mentions that MTV’s reality series “16 and Pregnant” had an influence in the rate dropping.
Could this be true? A TV show influencing teen behavior? The main reason I think this could be true is one word: story. Rather than beating us over the head with a message of abstinence or preaching the dangers of premarital sex through statistics, this show tells stories. I haven’t seen enough of the show to tell you whether it does a great job or not, but I do know that good storytelling helps us to care about the people in the stories, and their lives end up speak to us. I believe that shows like “16 and pregnant” can be very powerful voices in our culture.
When I read articles like this, it inspires me to want to tell more stories that actually can help others live better lives.
270 films from 2010 in 6 minutes
Posted in communication, creativity, story on 01/05/2011 by mark novelliVideo: I love stop motion
Posted in about imago, creativity, story, technology on 12/07/2010 by mark novelliThis is a pretty cool video that outlines the history of stop motion animation. I have come to appreciate stop motion so much more given the project we have been working on for the last several months.
MERGE and Storying
Posted in about imago, events, story on 10/05/2010 by Kelly DolanA lot of groups who come to MERGE know what storying is, and maybe even have tried it some in their own ministries. But a lot of students and leaders come in unfamiliar with the process, and it’s fun watching them engage and grapple with it for the first time.
In many ways, storying is at the center of what we do at MERGE. When we worked with Michael Novelli a few years back to develop the event, we decided that the stories (and THE Story) would shape our entire day. Gatherings, discussions and experiences wouldn’t be built around core values or key concepts, but the stories themselves, helping students enter as deeply into the stories as possible each day.
So in the mornings, we narrate an episode of God’s story (using a little audio/visual help to create a storytelling environment) and then immediately dialogue about the story, inviting students to make observations and connections for themselves, then share them with others. In the afternoon we provide immersive, interactive learning experiences (like a re-creation of the tabernacle) to help students push deeper into what is happening in the day’s episode, and what it might mean for them. Finally, we gather together again at night to reflect on and celebrate the ways God is speaking to us through the story.
We know there’s plenty of ways to help students understand who God is. But we’ve just honestly never seen the kind of depth in students’ responses like we’ve seen from storying. It’s really amazing to us.
You can learn more about the storying process by reading Michael’s book, Shaped by the Story, and get also get a quick primer here.
UPDATE: MERGE registration is now live!
Truth in Storytelling
Posted in story on 09/27/2010 by Kelly Dolan
We had a great time at the Story Conference last week in Chicago. Both days were filled with a wide array of presenters, from screenwriters to business leaders, authors to improv actors. One of the refrains throughout the event was the challenge to always be truthful in our storytelling, even when that truth is difficult or even disturbing.
It made me ask some questions:
1. How long have we been hearing this same challenge (Buechner and John Fischer both come to mind) , and why is it just as necessary today as it’s been for the past 30 years?
2. If “Christians have nothing to fear from any truth” (Andrew Klavin), what is the Church really afraid of? What will happen is we tell the whole truth about ourselves and our world?
3. In what ways am I telling half-truths in my own life and in the stories I tell?
Words
Posted in communication, creativity, story on 08/16/2010 by mark novelliThis video is extraordinary. The power of images.
[HT to Blaine Hogan]
