Monthly Archive for August, 2009

NHC GenArise “How Do You Know?” Music Video

Posted August 30, 2009 at 2:58 am // 2 Comments

Okay folks, now I can let the cat out of the bag.

About 100 people were on hand to see the premiere of the GenArise group’s music video “How Do You Know?” during the Washington COGOP State Convention Afterglow tonight. (Yes, I said one hundred.)

The backstory on the video is nothing short of amazing. Jordan Reeves, along with two friends, were convicted of arson in 2007 after they burned down the Stevenson Co-Ply mill. To make a long story short, Jordan received Christ as his Savior while in jail, but is now free (physically and spiritually) and now faithfully attends NHC. The wordplay he came up with for, and performs on, the video is his testimony.

We recorded a very rough version of the audio track at the church a couple weeks ago, then Rainier and I shot multiple scenes for a music video. I wanted to give it a somewhat professional look, so I used Avid Media Composer to edit the footage then apply a progressive 24-frame effect to give it a somewhat cinematic feel.

I guess you could call what you’re about to see a rough draft of the audio and video we’ll make in the future, but with something like this already in the bag, our future’s looking pretty bright when it comes to video production at NHC.

Kennewick Calling

Posted August 28, 2009 at 3:42 pm // 0 Comments

I’m out the door to the Washington COGOP State Convention in Kennewick, WA. Estimated travel time is three hours.

I won’t be liveblogging it this year, but I’ll be shooting video and photos instead. Yee haw!

The over/under on the number of hymns the Kirkland Family Church worship team will jazz up this year is seven. I’m taking the over, sticking with eight.

Pray for a safe trip.

Ladies, I Apologize But This Is Hilarious

Posted August 28, 2009 at 3:24 am // 2 Comments

Just watch.

WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Freshening Up A Dusty Blogroll

Posted August 28, 2009 at 2:51 am // 0 Comments

I’ve added some new links to my blogroll and removed some dead ones. Please check them all out by moseying on down the sidebar to the “Springfield Folks” and “Inner Circle” columns.

Visit ‘em all early and often.

A Quick & Dirty Photo Tour Of New Horizons Church

Posted August 27, 2009 at 4:47 am // 3 Comments

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Above: New Horizons Church doesn’t look like much on the outside, but the inside is pretty nifty. I promise.

This one’s mainly for my family, my friends back in Springfield and anyone else curious about my church attendance these days. ;)

My family attended the LaCamas Valley Church of God of Prophecy, a church aligning with a Pentecostal tradition, for a variety of years while I was growing up. I can remember us meeting in an old building next to I-5 where I-205 meets it in Vancouver, then we moved to a church along the outer edge of the ‘Couv on SR 500. Now the church has simply renamed itself New Horizons Church — I think the name change has been in effect for a few years — and has relocated to downtown Washougal, just on the western end of the Columbia River Gorge.

Frank Smith has been the Pastor of the church for a while — his tenure dates back to the mid-’90s, and even before that if you count the Camas COGOP on Greeley as well. There’s been some good continuity with the leadership too, as Rainier and LaDonna Camina have served as Pastors of youth and young adults for many years, and many families from the old Vancouver church days have stuck around, continuing to serve in leadership capacities.

It’s only been recently that NHC has begun to take off, so to speak, as within the last two years they were granted the full occupancy of the former Washougal School District building they bought around 2005. After legal grapples with the city, they began to convert the building from school use to church use, with some good results so far.

The building is open more than most churches its size. We meet for Sunday morning worship and teaching at 11, then Tuesday nights we have prayer meetings at 7, Wednesday night youth/young adult church and classes for all ages at 7 — and there are times the doors are open even more often than that for activities. It seems there’s always a plethora of activity going on at NHC, which is great.

It was shortly before a prayer meeting, in fact, just a couple days ago, that I decided to get some quick shots of the church to give a photo tour of sorts to my family and anyone else interested, so you all could get an inside glimpse to my new church home. So I figured, why not throw it on my blog like I do with most other stuff?

I’ll show you around New Horizons Church, after the jump.

Continue reading ‘A Quick & Dirty Photo Tour Of New Horizons Church’

[You Should] Feel What I Feel…Take What I Take

Posted August 26, 2009 at 4:59 am // 2 Comments

I went through my music collection today and found a personal favorite that came out the year after I graduated high school. It was the summer of 2003 and I had just departed the U.S. for a tour of duty in the Azores.

Somehow I first found this track on television. Some American Forces Network channel was showing music videos (Spectrum, I think).

IT CHANGED MY LIFE.

It was “Star Guitar,” by the Chemical Brothers, directed by the incomparable Michel Gondry.

The track was recently remade into a more rock-style track by Japanese DJ Shinichi Osawa. I usually lose control of myself around the 2:59 mark or so.

And then there’s always-interesting clip of how Gondry and crew came up with the concept for the Chemical Brothers’ video. I think this is from their Singles DVD…I find it insanely interesting because the guy’s thought process when it comes to a large visual project is very similar to mine.

It’s all excellent stuff. Most wouldn’t agree, but I like being unique…

Jilted Green Bay Fans Will Never Truly Forget Brent

Posted August 25, 2009 at 6:41 pm // 0 Comments

I laughed so hard at this story from WKOW in Wisconsin. One store in Madison has a unique way of commemorating and deriding Brett Favre — all at the same time.

Leverich Park Sucks

Posted August 25, 2009 at 12:35 am // 1 Comment

I lost two discs in the first three holes at Leverich Park in Vancouver. The place was way overcrowded, I hurried my shot and hit water. Next thing I know my putter wandered off too.

I was only on the course for eight minutes before I left that God-forsaken place.

I’m never playing disc golf at Leverich again. I vow it.

Other than that, my day was good.

Elvis On The Radio, Steel Guitar In My Soul

Posted August 22, 2009 at 6:00 am // 0 Comments

The sound of a steel pedal guitar is one of heartstrings being broken.

The KLF’s Bill Drummond said so.

Partake.

The Importance Of Church Life Outside The Building

Posted August 21, 2009 at 4:24 pm // 3 Comments

In my initial observations, I am impressed at how the youth and young adults of New Horizons Church have created a close, core community — and it has nothing to do with consistent church attendance.

I’ve only been here for thirteen days, and already I’ve been involved in shooting a video, a church picnic, Thursday night outreach at a teen drug rehab center in Vancouver, and now the youth group is going on a campout. These are all ministries of New Horizons Church, and not one of them has been solely confined to the church building.

In conversations with other young adults in the church, the ones I have spoken to told me they feel plugged in because not only are they being allowed to serve and help out at the church, but NHC has more than its fair share of wholesome, fun activities outside the four walls of the sanctuary that foster unity among the membership and a closeness with everyone in the GenArise youth ministry.

I’d like to believe their views are a product of the environment that Pastor Frank Smith and Rainier Camina have instilled in the youth group over a number of years. Rainier and LaDonna have always opened their home for Bible studies and prayer, and a number of other young people have followed suit.

In short, the young people pray with each other, they talk to each other and they hang out with each other on a consistent basis.

All outside the four walls of the church.

From what I’ve seen, New Horizons has done this for some time, and by taking the central aspect of church and its ministries outside the building and into the community, they’re reaping the benefit by seeing new young people and new attendees on a regular basis. There’s a family feel with all the activities that go on, and that’s a major reason they have lately retained a lot of newcomers.

All in all, it’s refreshing to see a smaller self-sustaining church that promotes so many non-”church service” activities. It definitely didn’t happen overnight though…it took a lot of prayer and work to get there, and it’s going to continue to take a lot to keep it up.