Chapter 1
So I've been in Bend now for about four weeks and I'm just now getting the chance to sit down and write. Which in reality I really don't have time to be doing this right now but I need somewhere to process all that's going on.
I don't really know how to stucture this cause I could probably write 7 blog entries in 7 different catagories. So I'll start with Bend itself.
BEND
The first 4 days we were here rain and cloubds sort o
f covered the mountains and made the whole town look rather dismal. From what I was told before coming everyone s
aid rain and cloudy days was something that would be normal in the northwest. However this weather is apparently abnormal for Bend. Since we're in the valley on the east side of the Rocky's that go through Oregon they say most of the rain breaks up in the mountains before it gets to Bend itself. And really didn't get to experience Bend in it's fullyness until nearly a week after we got here. Saturday it was beautiful 75-80 with a nice breeze
and a clear sky. We could finally see the mountain
s that surround Bend and it was wonderful. If I were to
describe Bend to a midwesterner the best example would be for me to take a weathy Chicago suburb, throw some mountains around it, have a river rub through it, make sure everything in the town has b
een built in the past 10 years, and well throw a little more weath in for flavor. It's a really unique place and really has everything to offer. Bend has been said to be the number one fastest growing citys in Am
erica for the past 10 years. It's the outdoors sportsman's mecca and has been labeled as one of the top five cities for entrepreneurship. It's a thriving place and has Trippled in size over the past 15 years. The story is that 20 years ago this
used to be the Vacationing spot for many southern Californian executives CEO's business owners ect. And after a while they started to sell their houses down there for a fortune and move up here to stay. So quickly
the Southern Cal weath was moved to Bend and this vacationing spot stayed a vacationing spot but also became very residential. Just to give you an idea of what type of place this is, Bend is home to Tiger Woods, Drew Bletso and many of the top athletes in the US. Moral is its gorgeous.
World Relief NEXT
While I'm here in Bend I'm working alongside World Relief NEXT Go to the site are read up on all their undertakings its really worth educating yourself on that. Its a group that was formed to collaborate and bring into the light the work that World Relief had been doing for decades. They are primarily working in the
Congo, Sudan and Haiti at the moment. Where I fit into the equation is focused around film and networking. I love every minute of what I do and its really a joy to be wo
rking with the people that are here. I have finish
ed four projects thus far and will be working on th
ree really big projects over the summer. 1st Project. I fit in quite well here and the staff and I see eye to eye on almost everything. I just met Ann Mara this morning and am really looking forward to getting to know her better but when I introduced myself she said. "Oh your Jerod, the one they've (World Relief Staff)
been calling our Jerod." So needless I they like me :).
I am being stretched beyond what I could have ever expected. The issues of Gender Violence, Rape, Sex Trafficking, War, and multiple other war related abuses are fresh on my mind. I'm really taking time to approach these issues with dignity and to gain and understanding of how to appropriately address, raise awareness, and understand these issues in light of the omniscient God I serve. I fallen in love with the work that I'm doing and am looking forwa
rd to my likely future with this company.
Mentorship
Meet Matthew Smith. Matt is my m
entor for the summer and is my future best friend forever. We're and odd pair the two of us, him being 6'6'' and me 5'8'' but were the person in many ways. Matt is one of the writers and producers at NEXT. He is a gentle in his approach to his job and that is one thing I love about him. He has a deep passion for what he's doing a
nd a driving
need to end the injustices that are invading the Congo and Sudan. He has a way with words the way I have a way with film, and we very much so speak the same language. During the summer we'll be going through two books. Evil and the Justice of God by N.T. Wright and The Return of the Prodigal by Henri Nouwen. Both books I'm really excited to read b/c they both are very difficult r
eads and cause me to process much more than I'm used to at one time. You can read some of Matt's work here
AntiochAntioch is the church that is home to all of the interns this summer and is an incredibly unique place. This church is by far the most ambition and visionary churches I've come across. They live their lives spent way in over their heads and they wouldn't have it any other way. They are home to World Relief NEXT, The Kilns College, The Church itself including Redux which is its own separate thing, and an internship ministry that host 24 present interns. After saying all of that you would probably guess this church to be quite large, with members in the thousands but really thats not Antioch at all. The congregation in probably 500-700 in attendance and meet high school auditorium. Like I said they're
very ambitious. Ken the lead pastor of Antioch is probably the most entrepreneurial pastor I've ever met. He the president of The Kilns College, Co-founder of NEXT and lead pastor of the church. I had many conversations with him and he incredibly encouraging and wants more than anything for you to find your niche and run with it whatever it is. Literally if you come up with a new concept or idea that could possible open up new ministry opportunities within Antioch he'll back you and say go... It's really neat to be a part of a community like this. You can read Ken's blog here.
Production Company So on the second day of the internship I finished the first project that I linked above for Haiti 5. Ever since then there has been some pretty intense discussion revolving around a production company being formed. What this means none of us really know right now but while Ken Matt and Mandy were in Chicago for a Haiti 5 conference Chad (My partner in Arcane Productions) came out to the suburbs and met up with them to talk about the future of film and production in both of our lives. It's a beginning to something that I'm really excited about and now have Chad committed to coming out here next summer and work alongside me at Antioch and NEXT. What God has in store for this idea none of us quite know but he's certainly on the move. Arcane West Coast? Maybe? You can take a look at the work Chad and I have done together up to this point here.
The Justice ConferenceMore information to come... Just get excited with me cause this will be the majority of my summers work and I couldn't be more excited. Here's the link to the facebook page. Some amazing speakers including Francis Chan, Shane Claiborne?, Mike Yankoski, Nicholas Wolterstorff and music by Evan Wickam. There are over 20 speakers overall in this two day event Feb 11-12.
My task is promotions and films. I'll be making the opening film for the conference and two to three promo pieces. All of which are gonna be ridiculously time consuming and I'll love every minute. You can view most of the speakers here.
The Kilns College
The story behind the Kilns is a really cool one. There was a really small school that was set up and really wasn't going as well as originally planned so the school itself was sort of handed over to Antioch. The school has just been given their 2 year associates certification so they can now provide accredited degrees to the students enrolled. It's still in its infancy and is beginning to grow. Ken, when talking to him about the vision for the college said, "My goal is to turn this into a Christian Juilliard, a school where there aren't any classes that students are taking that they feel like they just have to make it through, but rather are excited and each class they take is that "it" class that makes learning engaging." It a wonderful place that I'm really looking forward to getting involved in and helping web out and gain some attention. I'm working with Ken and Trisha, the dean of admissions right now on some recruitment material and ways to market and help this school reach the potential that it has.
One really neat thing about the school is the fact that its so closely tied to the church itself. This provides the congregation to easily have access to classes and the opportunity to continue to educate themselves at a college level which to me is so essential. To educate the lay people in the church and to empower them with sound biblical teaching will dramatically change the overall vibe and growth of the church. I'm in love with the idea and am wanting to pour into it.
Chapter 2 will come when I have something else to say but expect it to be awesome.
Jerod
0 Response to "Chapter 1"
Post a Comment