The Big Idea

Our curriculum for this year is Romans 12. Romans 12 starts by talking about our relationship with God, and then moves into our relationships with others in response to that relationship with God. One of the characteristics that should be a "response" to our love for, and relationship with, God; is a lifestyle of serving. All the time we hear, a "servant of God". But what is that really? Well, that is one of the lessons that I have been assigned to teach, so as I have been preparing to teach, I have been putting some thought into what that should look like. No, literally, what it should "look like".As a photography team, we teach photography. Our cameras are our medium through which we connect with people, transcend culture and language, gain audience and credibility, and share the hope of the Gospel. On my website, I call this "Hope Renewed". For many children, teens, or even adults in third world countries, they have no hope. No hope for their futures, no hope of breaking the cycle of generational poverty, no hope of learning a trade or skill beyond what their ancestors have done, no hope for change...but most importantly; no hope of the Gospel. By bringing a photography team into a group of people, we can offer hope. We teach these students how to take pictures using point and shoot digital cameras by teaching composition, art, and storytelling techniques. We give them practicums, assignments, and challenges, and help them learn how to tell their story; how to use their voice to reach the world. But at the end of the class, we use pictures we have taken to tell them OUR story. Our themes always coincide with what the children's ministry team is learning through crafts and games (our curriculum for that year), but use pictures we have taken to tell them personal stories from our lives based on these themes. In the growing technology oriented world, this is a practical and helpful skill for them to learn coupled with a dynamic way to share the Gospel and simplify complex concepts.So, as you can read, I needed a way to make this concept of being a servant of Christ simple and able to be translated into pictures that illustrate the big idea. As with any translation, in order to translate, you have to understand what's really going on. What IS the overarching theme?As I was getting ready yesterday morning, I asked God to show me what being a servant of God really looked like. To do that work in my heart, in a deep and practical way, and reveal to me what that should be. I feel like that prayer shaped the entire storyline of my day, and I cannot wait to share that with you.To Be Continued...-AshlynPS: I'm a photographer...so of course I can't not share a few pictures as well :)