Youth Ministry Geek » News

SOPA – What is it? – Video

Chris — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:51:57 +0000

You may have noticed a lot of sites on the web went “black” today. If you tired to find something on Wikipedia you were met with a black screen telling you that the internet must remain free. I’ve talked to many people that have no idea what this is talking about. Someone told me today, “The Internet isn’t free, I pay for it with my cable bill.” I had to explain that what this bill was talking about was the freedom to post and share what you want on the internet. At the heart of the matter is piracy, or the illegal sharing of copyrighted materials on the internet. That’s where SOPA comes from, Stop Online Piracy Act. Now, I need to say upfront, that I’m not in favor of piracy. People that create the movies, music, and books that we enjoy deserve to be paid for what they create (even the ones we don’t enjoy deserve it too). But where SOPA goes a little off track is that it doesn’t really accomplish what it says it wants to do.

I’d love to be able to explain it all in a way that makes the issue perfectly clear, but it’s complicated and there are people smarter than me that have already set out to do that. So if you’d like to know more about the issues that people have with SOPA or why people say it will “break” the internet, watch these videos. I thought they did a great job laying out the issue. Once you know the background and the how things work, you can decide for your self what you think.

Defend our freedom to share (or why SOPA is a bad idea)

Kahn Academy – SOPA and PIPA

What do you think?

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10 Favorites from 2011

Chris — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:49:47 +0000

Here are some of my favorites from 2011:

1. Apple MacBook Air MC969LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION)">MacBook Air - I love this little computer. Great for travel, and super fast.

2. Sticky Faith - These books have really made me think a lot about youth ministry and being a parent. I highly recommend them. Plus check out StickyFaith.org for more insights in their articles and blog.

3. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson – I found this book to be a difficult read. He could be so harsh with people. It really made me think about leadership, success, and family from someone who did great things, but failed at so much too.

4. iPad 2 - This continues to be a device that changes the way I interact with content. I love it.

5. Kindle Fire - You probably didn’t expect to see this after I listed the iPad, but it’s a different device for me. It’s a great reader that also does some tablet functions. Plus, I love that there’s someone pushing the iPad to be better.

6. YSnetwork - This one is personal, but we launched it this fall at YS (where I work). It’s a great way to connect with other youth workers, join a network or build your own. It’s free to join, and if you sign up join the Youth Ministry Geek network to stay connected.

7. Flipboard - This is probably the app I use the most, and with the addition of the iPhone version a month ago, I just use it even more. It’s by far my favorite news reader.

8. GoPro - I got one of these cameras to take on our vacation to Hawaii this year, and it’s so much fun. We use it under water, on water slides, in the pool, the beach, on the trampoline. It’s a great camera to take when you don’t want to risk you full size, expensive one. Sure it has it’s limitations, but you get an amazing picture that can go anywhere. It’s my Flip Camera replacement.

9.Timbuk2 Control Laptop Case - After about 7 years, my old shoulder bag finally wore out. This was my replacement. Things I love about it: separate sleeves for laptop and ipad, TSA compliant so I don’t have to take my laptop out, not too big, but big enough.

10. Tech News Today - I love podcasts and increasingly over the last year, this has been my #1 to go to. It’s about 45 minutes every week day covering the lastest in the world of technology. Entertaining and informative, perfect for this geek.

What were you’re favorites from the last year?

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RIP Steve Jobs

Chris — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:05:10 +0000

It’s a sad day in the tech world. Steve Jobs has passed away at the age of 56.

His impact on the world of technology is undeniable, and the products (Macs, iPods, iPhones, Pixar) he championed have helped shaped the world we live in.

I had the opportunity to go to his keynote address introducing the iPhone in 2007. It was an experience I’ll never forget. In his honor, here’s a video of that presentation:

Part 2

Steve, you’re vison and innovation will be missed.

Youth Ministry Garage Debuts Today

Chris — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:48:34 +0000

I saw over on Doug Fields’ blog, that his podcast returns today. It’s now called the YouthMinistryGarage and the new site launches at 5:30 PM EST. I’m so excited the crew is back. I got to see a little bit of the first episode and it’s the return of everything I loved from the version we did over at Simply, and I’m so glad that YS is powering the show now to help keep it going.

Here’s a little video tease of the opening:

I can’t wait to watch it again. If you’ve never watched before this is a great time to check it out.

Apple Camp 2011

Chris — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 19:53:17 +0000

It’s that time of year to sign-up your 8 – 12 year olds for Apple’s free day camp held in their retail stores. I’ve sent my kids that last few years and they’ve had a blast. This summer, like last, focuses on movie making.

Description from their site:

A fun, free workshop where kids become filmmakers.

At Apple Camp, kids aged 8-12 learn how to shoot their own footage, create an original song in GarageBand on an iPad, and put it all together in iMovie on a Mac. This free workshop, held at the Apple Store, spans three days and ends with campers debuting their masterpieces at the Apple Camp Film Festival. Space is limited and workshops fill up quickly so sign up now for a super creative adventure.

Day One (1.5 hours)

Introduction to the basics of moviemaking, including creating a storyboard.

Create an original soundtrack by making a song in GarageBand on an iPad.

Prepare for shooting footage outside the store overnight or inside the store at the end of the workshop.

On day one, Apple Camp also includes an optional, one-hour Parent’s Workshop that focuses on using and setting Parental Controls on the Mac. Registration is not required.

Day Two (1.5 hours)

Introduction to iMovie — simple-to-use moviemaking software.

Use a Mac to import and edit collected movie footage, incorporating stills and music.

Create a film.

With guidance from Apple Camp Counselors, kids will use iMovie — part of the iLife suite of creativity applications built into every Mac — to create, edit, and produce their films.

Then on the Saturday following camp, there’s a film festival where all the kids get to show the movies they’ve made.

Registation opened the morning, and in the past, spots have gone fast. Not a bad free summer activity. And if you don’t have kids of your own, it may be a good way to get some of those younger middle schoolers in your ministry excited about movie making and they can help make videos for youth group.

Click here to go to the Registration link, and see if there’s one near you.

Goodbye David Crowder*Band

Chris — Tue, 24 May 2011 14:30:07 +0000

This last weekend I got an email from the David Crowder*Band announcing that this falls tour and new album will be their last. From their announcement:

Now, another reason we are sure this will be one of the most meaningful tours we’ve ever been on is because it will be our last as a band. This is why we so cleverly named it The 7 Tour. We’ve always hidden this little number here and there in our music and artwork, sometimes it would appear in the sum of the numerals 3 and 4, and other times it would be sitting there outright, but it’s always been with us. As you know, the number 7 has often been used to represent completion, and that feels exactly where we are as a band.

You can read their whole announcement here.

Needless to say I was super disappointed, they have been one of my favorite bands for over a decade. I remember the first time I saw them live. I think it was 1999 at a youth workers convention and not only did their worship catch my attention, but they also played a cover of Down Under; one of my favorites from the ’80s. Over the years I grown to love their music more and more. They have the rare talent of writing poetic lyrics, but also incorporate fun in what they do (Keytar anyone?).

I will miss them, but can’t wait to see what they have in store for us with their last album and tour.

Here are a few other posts I’ve written about them over the last few years:

Thanks guys for all the great music through the years, I’m so glad you shared so much with us.

How the Internet Changes Student Ministry

Jeremy — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 04:28:59 +0000

I confess that I still haven’t seen the movie about facebook written by one of my favorite scriptwriters Aaron Sorkin. I have read several reviews, and was struck by Lawrence Lessig’s insight into what amounts to a fundamental shift that has been created by the internet. This shift has a lot to teach us about our students and our ministry.

Lessig explains that the movie missed the whole point and magic of Zuckerberg’s story. He says, “what’s important here is that Zuckerberg’s genius could be embraced by half-a-billion people within six years of its first being launched, without (and here is the critical bit) asking permission of anyone.” I agree. As a person who spent his adolescence in a world where the internet was just beginning to take shape, I am constantly surprised by the total lack of limits (both good and bad) that the internet provides.

I have seen this first hand (tough not nearly as lucratively as Zuckerberg!). I have a personal blog where I post thoughts on faith, ministry, and the future of the church. It has regular visitors from 23 countries! I’m just some punk youth pastor sitting on a chair at home drinking sweet tea! I love writing it, but never thought I would have that type of audience when I started posting on it years ago.

What this means for our students is that they live in a world where they do not have to get corporate financing, a publishing contract, or a record deal to make a serious attempt at their dreams.

I think that is something that we MUST capitalize on as youth ministers. I don’t mean having a blog or a Facebook page, but helping set youth free to do something about their faith. Instead of encouraging them to engage in the 1950s passive learner model of sitting and listening every time we get them together, we need to be giving them the kind of permission with their faith that the internet gives them. We need to be giving them permission to fulfill Jesus’ dream of “thy kingdom come, thy will be done.”

I think the key to getting those students engaged is to follow the lessons from the internet:

Start small and close to free. What can you and your friends do in your spare time to make a difference?
Make it social. A cople of people working together have much more insight and potential than a lone ranger.
Release the beta. Launch sooner than later. If it is overwhelming, make it smaller. If something non-essential is going to delay the launch, do it later.
Remind them that when Jesus gives the Great Commission in Matthew, he is both asking us to go, and giving us authority to go… just like the internet.
Allow comments. Find ways to get other people to tell you how you are doing, and what you could do better.
Tap into a social network. Students have a limited network on their own, but when they have adults on the team, they have access to a much broader network of people and resources than they did on their own.

These are a few. I know there are more. Instead of resisting the internet’s no-limit posture, let’s funnel that power into the true hope for the hopeless.

Apple’s iPad: What We Know, What We Don’t, and Whether to Buy, Wait, or Pine

Jeremy — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:16:51 +0000

I will be honest. Today I took a longer than normal lunch so that I could watch live coverage of the Apple event on TWiT. As a self-proclaimed fanboi, I was excited and intrigued by the latest thing I didn’t know I needed until Steve Jobs told me I did.

All joking aside, this is an interesting device. Apple is positioning it as a media player, content creator, book reader, and TV. It’s a lot to fit into something .5″ thick, but they seem to have done a pretty good job. You can go to Apple’s iPad site for all the gory details and places like Engadget and TUAW for even more. But here’s a brief overview:

It has a pretty 9.5 x 7.5″ LCD screen with an iPhone-style capacitive touch interface (there is a pretty wide bezel, but the people who have played with it say that it makes sense because you have to have some place to hold it without touching the multi-touch screen).
The screen is 1024 x 768 pixels which mean that HD movies are going to look pretty good on your lap.
It will have a full browser, email app, photo app, notes app, etc (think iphone standard apps).
They have totally revamped iWork’s UI to make it intuitive on a touch screen. Even keynote’s graphics-intensive elements seem to work without a strain.
It will have a new app called iBooks that is a book reader as well as an iBook Store. They have already secured major US publishers and are adding more.
It has built in speakers (and 3.5mm headphone jack), mic and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR but no camera (there is no way this will be absent from the 2.0 release)
It will output VGA and standard A/V cable.
There will be models with 16, 32 and 64 GB of storage available.
It will have wifi built in and an optional 3G modem.
There will be a dock, keyboard dock, and case (with stand) available.
Though they released an updated SDK today, almost all iPhone apps will work on the device and can be used in their native size or at 2x to come closer to filling the screen..
Apple says it has 10 Hours of battery life (doesn’t seem like this is possible, but no one has them to test as of yet).
It will ship in 60 days starting at an un-Apple price point: $499

What it doesn’t have:

Multi-tasking
Support for flash
Across the board true GPS (only available in 3g model which is $130 more)
USB ports
Did I mention camera!??!

Now, that is a lot, but there are several things that are unclear:

Will it have the ability for external storage? There are adapters that allow you to connect USB and SD to the 30-pin iPod connector, but Apple says they are for importing pictures.
Will it sync with Mobile Me? They say it will sync with a computer, but did not mention their “cloud” service.
Will there be magazines? It seems logical, but was not announced.
The hands on experience. This one is big, until people get to really sit down with it, we won’t know exactly how reality stacks up with apple’s claims

Overall, I am interested in the product, but I will probably not buy one for one simple reason: Apple’s second generation is usually far better than the first. I did the same thing with the iPhone, and I got the 3G, and am not disappointed.

Apple generally sacrifices features for stability and user experience on the 1.0. After they work out all the bugs, they release a product that seems complete. The iPhone 3g added GPS, third party apps, streaming audio over 3g, push e-mail, and other niceties. I fully expect the iPad 2.0 to have a camera, (maybe even two) some form of external storage (if that is not part of this version), higher quality screen (OLED?), and a couple more pieces of glory that I can’t forsee right now.

Bottom line: should you seriously consider buying it?

If you were considering a netbook because of it’s size: yes.
If you wanted a netbook because of its price and storage capacity: no.
If you were considering a new laptop and do not need video editing or large amounts of storage (in other words you primarily use it for email and word processing): yes.
If you have a church administrator who loves Apple and will let you play with $500: yes
If you use keynote for your talks and cant afford a macbook but want something more portable than a mac mini: yes.
If you need to run any traditional apps like Photoshop, Final Cut, etc.: no.
If you were considering an ebook reader but couldn’t justify almost $300 on something for that single purpose: yes.
If you are secretly in love with Steve Jobs and want to show him your undying devotion: yes.

There you have it. Let us know what you think! Although I said I was not buying one for myself, you are more than welcome to send me one in the mail, I would not even come close to turning it down… I am a fanboi after all.

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Apple’s “latest creation” Event Today

Chris — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:01:37 +0000

If you’re interested in watching Apple reveal it’s latest creation at it’s event this morning, there are lots of places on the web to watch it unfold today at 10 AM PST (1 PM EST).

Bloggers love to Live blog these events and it’s almost live being there. Here are a couple of my favorites:

And if you are really obsessive, one of my favorite podcasters, Leo Leporte and his Twit network, plan on covering the event all day with follow-up after the announcements. You can watch them here:

Live.Twit.TV

Will it be the mythical tablet? Also rumored are iLife 2010, and iPhone 4.0 software.

I can’t wait.

Teens Without Tech

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:00:16 +0000

I found this video from the Today show about teens having their technology taken away for ten days was interesting. Do you have some students that are addicted to their technology? I think this going to be more and more an issue for this generation, finding a balance of time with technology and time “unplugged”. I’m sure the feelings of the mother that was interview would be echoed by many of the parents in your group. I think as we work with families they will be looking to us to help tackle this issue. I know it’s becoming an issue even for me, I find myself being drawn into spending time on my phone, laptop, or ipod. I think the exercise of shutting everything for a segment of time everyday is important. Just like the student in the video, I’ve found it’s not as hard as I thought it would be.

What advice would you have for familes that may stuggling with this issue?