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I spent last week putting together a Synod Convention presentation to give after church. Google Slides was my choice of software.
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I was never a big fan of Google Drive in past years. That has changed. Now I love it! It is simple to use, has great flexibility for presenting and sharing, as well as publishing to the Internet. It is nice not to be tied to one computer!
You may not be aware of Google’s G-suite for Non-profits. Check it out. It is free and offers you a huge amount of Google resources to administer and promote your church’s’ ministries. It is great not having to manage your own hosting and worrying about mundane things like backups. You can even have gmail using your own domain name!
I’ve used a lot of the major packages like MS Office and Adobe Suite. Its great software, but for most things it is a huge overkill. Go Google! 😀
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My presentation had four themes I attempted to weave together. They were: Our Great Heritage, Synod, Convention. and Lay People Ministry.
I’ve given a fair number of just oral presentations in the past, and I’ve created many slide shows in the past. However, I have very little experience giving a presentation using a slideshow. We learn by experience….
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The presentation contains 62 slides and took about an hour to present. Of course, after giving the presentation there are some things I would change.
You will notice there is a lot of text on some slides, especially in the BORAM section. It isn’t meant to be read (and I told the audience this). It gave me a framework to work around. Perhaps just using a bulleted list would have been better.
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I tried to be a little original and ended the presentation with us all singing “God’s Word is Our Great Heritage.” Since our heritage is part of the theme, I used a scan of hymn 283 from the blue “The Lutheran Hymnal.” ;-D
We couldn’t read it on the screen, though, which leads me to another point.
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Things sure look different on a projected screen than on the computer! Many of you probably already know that. I didn’t have opportunity to do a test run on our church’s projector system. I wish I would have.
The resolution of the projector is pretty bad. The letters on some of the scanned documents almost looked like an old dot-matrix printer created them. The real bone head was all mine.
I was all excited about using my new, state of the art laptop. Its a two-in-one, seventh generation computer using an i5 processor chip. Lots of memory. It doesn’t need a cooling fan because the “hard drive” is a chip, and it is soooo thin! Its the best computer I’ve owned in 30 years of using computers. The battery stays charged a long time too. I probably wouldn’t even need to bring its charger. This was going to be so cool!
OK. I’m using Google Slides. I can run it off the internet, or I can configure things so it will run off my local drive. I decide to just run it off the internet. The church has high speed access.
When setting up at church and I discovered my awesome computer doesn’t have a 9 pin connector for the projector’s cable. Oh brother! I never saw a computer without a 9 pin connector.
The church has a laptop I can use. Great! Sure am glad I left things so my presentation can be run off the internet. Rats, the mouse doesn’t work. Great, I have my wireless USB mouse on my computer. It works on the church’s computer.
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In the end, the technology worked fine. Sometimes I can feel like a real dunderhead…
It’s too bad I hadn’t watched this WELS Tech video first!
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A wireless mouse can be used as a remote presentation controller. Mine works all the way across the room from where the computer is located. Clicking the left button works just like on the computer. The wheel can be used to go forward or backward in your presentation.
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The Presentation
The four main themes of the presentation were Our Great Heritage, Synod, Convention, and Lay People Ministry.”
Pastor had at first intended to teach the Bible Study “The Seven sins on Gilligan’s Island.” before the presentation, but decided to give me the entire time slot. I used it for my opening line. “I’m disappointed that Pastor didn’t teach about the seven sins of Gilligan’s Island this morning. Those people shared a common goal, they all had unique quirks, …and they were all sinners.”
Synod Convention was the same way. The delegates shared a common goal, they all had unique quirks, …and they were all sinners.”
I don’t know how much the presentation will mean to you without the dialog. Here is some extra material I read, or had planned to read.
Extra Material
[su_spoiler title=”1910 Birthday Letter to Clara” icon=”arrow”]
I used this to emphasise who laypeople are and how they passed on the Great Heritage. This pioneer woman lived on the windswept plains of SD. She passed on Our Great Heritage to her 10 children who went on as lay people to the west coast. I explained how mission churches in Alaska were started by lay people meeting in their homes, etc. etc…
Letter Text
South Shore, Sept. 15, 1910
My dear daughter Clara!
This day closes another year of life for you. In ordinary life, closing means to bring something to an end. Whatever it may be which we have concluded or ended, the next thing we do is to add up our debts and credits, what the results of the year have been. Tomorrow by God’s grace you will begin a new year of your life.
Let the (year now concluded) pass in review once more before your soul. Do not forget the grace and favor your Heavenly Father has shown to you, how He has protected you in many ways, how He bore you up on eagle’s wings, how he prospered your work, blessed it so that you not only had bread enough, but to spare; besides, how He so blessed your calling that you achieved a promotion. Nor dare you forget that in addition to your earthly bread, the spiritual (bread) has in richest measure been offered to you in His Word, in church and in a Christian home.
The wisest scholar in Greece considered his highest goal to be to “know thyself.” These words may well be the greatest wisdom. But, their meaning is much deeper than the first glance would indicate. No wonder that the lust-ridden, mind-boggling world handed him a cup of poison for saying this.
However, this is also what I urge you to do in your new year of life, “know thyself!” Work at this goal daily with all diligence, all energy, and in all sincerity, and you will then discover that you have something to work at not for a year, not for ten, but for a lifetime. For, this knowing yourself will reveal much to you.
Above all it ought to show you, “Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults” [(Ps. 19:12)]. Then, with the same Psalmist you will learn to plead, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me” (Ps. 51:10.11).
When you have arrived at such knowledge of self, then you also will understand and agree with the poet Schiller who wrote, “The most important thing in life is not the goods you possess. On the other hand, the greatest evil is a debt. A debt, whether of money or goods, is burdensome; the debt of sin nearly crushes one to the ground; a guilty conscience scarcely less so.”
But, through the Word of your Heavenly Father learn to avoid such sins, and when they are committed, recognize them for what they are, repent of them, hate them, forsake them. Thus, through His Word you will learn to know yourself again and again. (You will learn to know yourself as one who daily needs grace and a Savoir, both for living and for dying.)
What is equally important, you will recognize the robe of self indulgence, of self love, and other such disgusting qualities as neither beautiful, decorative, or becoming. Rather, clothe yourself with sincere mercy together with all the great Christian virtues.
With these you will be able to also practice the right kind of love toward your neighbor, toward your brothers and sisters, toward your parents, and toward him to whom you will want to give yourself as his very own (in marriage), as the Word of God expresses it: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife (her husband)” (Eph. 5:31)
May you always increase in the genuine, true, God-pleasing love, and as you grow older, also in knowledge and wisdom and the grace of God. This is the heartfelt wish of your mother.
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I intended to use this blog post written by Jim Behringer, Director of WELS Special Ministries for the 2017/05/05/ in His Hands Newsletter to emphasize the need to equip Lay People for service.
I was running out of time so didn’t. I wish I had. It is a really good post.
Equipping the saints: Where do you find the time?
Jim Behringer is Director of WELS Special Ministries
https://wels.net/equipping-the-saints-where-do-you-find-the-time/
A pastor confided that, when he prayed “forgive us our trespasses” in the Lord’s Prayer, he would recall all the work he had left unfinished that week.
Similar clouds of guilt loomed over me as I read Ephesians 4, then thickened as I noted yet another responsibility I was failing to fulfill: equipping the saints for works of service. “Great!” I thought. “I hope I can find time to do that someday.”
The idea found lodging in my brain, though. I started the Sunday School year orienting our teachers for their work. New church councils started in January with a review of what serving on council meant. The ushers, the new office assistant, and the EFT (early field training) seminary student all needed training. At least I could equip my members for the tasks they’d been chosen for.
It took years for me to realize that many neglected tasks should be delegated to someone “equipped for service.” (I admit that I learned to delegate long before I learned to equip.) Pastors, I recommend that you delegate most special ministries tasks. Rather than investing a lot of time on a handful of members or prospects, you can delegate this work to a caring member or a committee. But how do you equip those members so the project doesn’t fail for lack of knowledge?
Enter WELS Special Ministries! Equipping someone for ministry—to the deaf, or the incarcerated, or special needs students in Sunday School—doesn’t have to be in the hands of a busy pastor. You can connect your members with Special Ministries, where veterans of this work will gladly share their experience, knowledge, and guidance with lay volunteers.
Our Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has assisted many lay people as they set up looping in their churches. Special Ministries has helped organize support groups for addictions and other needs. We’ve worked with Sunday School teachers who plan to teach a deaf child or one with developmental disabilities. Bring us your challenges, and we’ll offer suggestions for overcoming barriers to your ministry.
Pastors, is there some member with special needs who comes to mind when you pray, “Forgive us our trespasses”? Recruit someone to contact Special Ministries for possible solutions. (Remember: delegate!) Have them call us at 414-256-3241 or e-mail specialministries@wels.net and we’ll get the conversation rolling.
It will be one less thing you have to ask forgiveness for.
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The last picture is of my wife and I with our twelve grandkids. That’s makes Seven generations where “Our Great Heritage” has been passed on since my great-grandparents emigrated from Germany in 1885 bringing with them Our Great Heritage.
A Facebook post my daughter wrote went well with this. I had intended to use this to emphasize Our Great Heritage. Once again I didn’t use it because of time constraints, but wish I had. It would have been much more effective than the 1910 birthday letter to Clara. It would have be a great transition to the last slide.
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“This morning the kids and I were all flopping around the living room in our pajamas. I had just turned PBS Kids off the TV and the kids, unwilling to leave the fellowship of good pajama-flopping, stayed contentedly sprawled out across the room.
I told them a story about Lydia and I driving to Eskrima class last night. We had just gotten on the highway when a deluge of rain poured down on us.
The wipers were going as fast as they could but not fast enough for me to see anything through the grey rain and bright silver mist. I knew there were cars driving all around me at 70 mph but I couldn’t see them.
Both Lydia and I were praying that God would keep us safe and after a few minutes the rain stopped and the sun lit the highway with perfect visibility. There was a rainbow and everything.
“It was amazing!” Lydia piped up at this point in the story. “Just like Jesus calming the storm in the Bible!”
But then I told my children about the Pals family (I posted a link to their funeral prayer earlier this morning – it’s worth listening to). I told my little children how they were missionaries on their way to tell others about Jesus when their car was hit by a big truck and the whole family died.
This news sobered my children and I asked them “I’m sure they prayed for a safe journey. Why didn’t God answer their prayer and keep them safe like he answered mine and Lydia’s prayer last night?”
My children are so young. They were silent as they thought about this. What answers do you suppose they gave me?
Lydia: “He did keep them safe. They all got to go to heaven together and now they’re safe forever.”
Phineas: “Yeah, because he died on the cross to save them. So that’s how he saved them.”
Peter (silent the longest as he digested his thoughts): “Like he doesn’t always answer prayers like we think he should but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t.”
God is good all the time, friends. Even when it’s heartbreaking, God is good.”
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I thought it makes a great point of how “Our Great Heritage” is passed on from generation to generation and made for a good ending. We closed the presentation with me leading the group in singing hymn number 283, “God’s Word is Our Great Heritage.”
If needed, this Bible Class on Christian Aid and Relief can be worked into a presentation.
Another item worth noting was my convention highlight.
“If I had to name a highlight of the convention I would say it is when other delegates spoke on the convention floor.
It was very neat to be part of a body whose parts came from many different walks of life. They came together as the body of Christ. There were many members, but one body. There were disagreements, but that unity never faltered.
What an awesome experience!”
In closing I told the assembly how important it is to read and act on the material I brought home with me. If that doesn’t happen my time spent at convention was a waste.
I truly believe this to be true
What Now
What should I do with this slide presentation? Is this something you might use in your congregation? Is it worth editing and cleaning up?
I can make online copies of it and give you editing rights. It can be customized to meet your congregation’s needs… Let me know. I’m willing to share.
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Here is my proof that I’ve been busy with other stuff the past couple of weeks after convention. Twelve grandkids, all under the age of ten.
If I had to name a highlight of the convention I would say it is when other delegates spoke on the convention floor. It was very neat to be part of a body whose parts came from many different walks of life. They came together as the body of Christ. There were many members, but one body. There were disagreements, but that unity never faltered. What an awesome experience!
Men from all walks of life were there and they all brought their unique perspectives. One fellow, age 69, was a self-described hippy who’s passion is driving race cars at the tracks. This lay delegate brought wisdom to the convention floor which I never even thought about.
