Educational screen & audio-visual guide (c1956-1971])

WlhtitcK beMttntent by William S. Hockman iBack To Green Lake >fost oldtimers in the church AV ield will welcome the news that the I WO international conference will be lekl on the beautiful grounds of the Xnicrican Baptist Assembly at Green Lake, Wisconsin. Ojjening Sunday eveliiig. September 6th, with a keynote jrrsentation, the 16th Conference will oncludc Friday evening the 11th. During these days the theme will be Improving C;hristian Communicaion." Let us hope that the accent will al! on "communication" and not on .pclling out "the message" — a temptaioM the clergy find it hard to resist. \.t;ain, let us hope that .some of the high ecclesiastical brass" show up for lie consultation which will run conurrcntly in some manner to be de.ised by the Conference sub-committee. In 1960 the Conference is to be held It the University of Colorado, at Bouller, with August 17 to 24 as the fa.ored date. The AVRG what a handsome and useful volnne. that FOURTH EDITION W'RG! Here is a book every minister, 'ducatioiial director, and church chool superintendent will reach for )ften, and as he does he will have ivarm inner feelings of gratitude to the Committee on ."Vudio-Visual and Broadast Education (C.WBE) of the Naioiial (iouMcil of Churches (NCC) ind especially to Don Kliphardt, exjediter and editor of the vast project. \nd a vast job it was! Assembling more than 50,000 pieces of informa:ion from the Preview and Evaluation ^onnnittees acro.ss the country and ther sources, and reducing it to the aages of the AVRG, while carrying orward the other concerns and work )f the Department, was a task requirng competent skill and many hours )f labor beyond the line of both pay ind duty. We salute them for a job well done! Now let the church buy ($10.00) this indispensable resource and use it. Orders sent to C.AVBE at 257 Fourth Avenue, New York 10, will receive prompt attention. Ids For Lent If I were responsible for the Lenten services in my church this year, I would seriously consider using a filmstrip series. It woidd be no short-cut to ease. Far from it; even more work would be involved than for a talk-andhear series. It would do at least two things: a) give a new format to these services; and, b) bring Biblical scenes and persons alive as talk can't do. To get my series of seven, I think I would use Part IV of Cathedral Film's "Stories of Jesus" filmstrips. On the pictorial side they contain good dramatic photographs, and on the visual, a commentary both informing and inspiring and having good technical (|ualities. To these six I would add another filmslrip. The Raising of Lazarus would be a good prelude to Passion Week events covered by the six. Again. I woidd consider the fitness of another: Symbols of The Cross, from Cathedral's "Symbols of The Church" series. How would I put this material together into progress? Many others would be suitable, and among all of us there is bound to be a great range of valid preference. I would start with a hymn, follow with scripture, and end this opening phase of the service with an invocation. Now would come another hymn, and after this a session of prayers. Now I would make the group ready to see (and experience) the filmstrip presentation. To do this 1 would set the event — Triumphal Entry, Passover, The Trial, The Crucifixion, The Resurrection, and the Upper Room Revelation — in their largest context. I would avoid saying what the filmstrip was going to say. I would, however, give it a very large frame of reference. I would be quiet and factual about it; not tense or preachy; and not over 5 minutes long. Now we would be ready for the filmstrip. Of course, 1 would have everything in readiness and tested, and be sure of any who were assisting me in the operation and control of facilities and equipment. After the filmstrip would come a prayer. It would bring our total experience before God in thanksgiving and praise, and recommitment, under His grace, to Christian living. Now the closing hymn, still in the mood of the prayer, and, the benediction. All this within an hour, and better still within 50 minutes. For promotion I would make up an attractive little four-page folder, to be mailed out to the parish ahead of Lent, and placed Sunday by Sunday as a reminder in the pew racks. That's how I'd go about using a filmstrip series for my Lenten services for my parish. How would you plan vours?-WSH Tipping In Church According to the 64-frame color and sound filmstrip, A Tip Or A Talent, the giving of young people to their church's budget often resembles tipping more than Christian stewardship. Produced by the United Presbyterian Church in the USA in cooperation with the Department of Stewardship and Benevolence of the National Council of Churches, this filmstrip will have wide acceptance and usefulness in the local church, in youth conferences and rallies. It takes up the situation of teenager Don, who tells his own story. On a double date on Saturday night, he is just about (financially) able to meet the tip when the check for refreshments is dropped on the table. On Sunday, just after the collection plate passes, he suddenly realizes that he has just tipped God, as it were. This triggers a chain of reflections on all that he has received from God via his parents, his home, his friends, and his church. As he shares these reflections on the quality of his Christian stewardship via the commentary of the filmstrip, we join him easily in resolving to do better ourselves. ^dScreen & AV Guide — January, 1959 41