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Preachers and worship leaders are becoming aware of the power of video in the attempt to present the gospel in ways that seem relevant to today’s culture. The problem is that the medium is deceptively difficult. The technology is affordable. My computer came preloaded with digital video editing software and the cost of digital cameras are well within the budget of most churches and pastors. The problem is learning how to use the technology effectively. The fact that we have the tools doesn’t mean that we are able to use them well. Most people view professional quality video on a daily basis, through their televisions and computer screens. Given that fact, it may be better than we not use the medium at all, if we are not going to be able to use it well.
This is why Rob Bell is so helpful to us. “Nooma” (pneuma … get it?) is a professional quality dvd series that can be purchased and downloaded for use in your services and small groups. These 10-14 minute films cover a variety of themes (difficulty, love, meaning, ...) utilizing the communication skills of Rob Bell and the technical prowess of the Nooma team. The result is a powerful collection of presentations you can use to kick off a sermon series or to stimulate discussion in your small group. At $10 per film, this is a bargain.
Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church (www.mhbcmi.org) in Michigan and author of Velvet Elvis, is a powerful (sometimes controversial) preacher whose purpose is to offer biblical spiritual direction to a generation turned off by the traditional church experience. He sees himself as an artist as much as he does a preacher. In the first video, Rain, Bell describes a walk he took in the forest with his infant son Trace. As the rain began to fall, the young boy began to respond with cries of discomfort and distress. “What he didn’t realize,” Bell says, “is that, as his dad, I would do anything to get him home.” Bell uses humor, passion, and a wealth of biblical truth to communicate the knowledge that God will carry us like a father to make sure we make it home. The presentation is eloquent, moving, and real.
The Nooma website, www.nooma.com allows you to view short clips from each of the films and offers descriptions of each. The films can be downloaded directly from the site or purchased in bookstores (distributed by Zondervan). High quality booklets are available for each film.
“We want a new format for getting Christian perspectives. Nooma is the new format. It’s short films with communicators that really speak to us. Compact, portable, and concise. Each NOOMA touches on issues that we care about, that we want to talk about and it comes in a way that fits our world.” from the Nooma promotional packaging.