By Jerry Coleman, Director of Speakers
2020 started as an exciting year with clear vision and wonderful possibilities ahead! But soon my 2020 vision became cloudy and unclear. In February as we were returning from three weeks of leading pastors’ conferences and preaching in local churches in India, we began to hear about a novel virus. I didn’t imagine it would interrupt my 2020 plans too much. I was so wrong!
In 2019 I was on the road or in the air 50% of the year—most of it overseas. I grieve the fact that five international trips that were scheduled for 2020 have been postponed indefinitely:
- Kenya
- Australia
- Rwanda
- Egypt (we were to be in Egypt as I write this)
- Chile
Our usual ministry methods to denominations, local churches, pastors, and church leaders have been drastically changed.
In March I dusted off the pile of video-making equipment my children had given me 18 months earlier. For years they had been urging me to record my messages. Me…video? I knew nothing about it except for taking the occasional selfie.
What else was I to do stuck a home? How would I communicate my heart and God’s message to those we love and honor around the world? Maybe my children were right.
I set up the tripod, hooked up the axillary lights, and attached my camera to it. Now what? Call the kids for instruction. I started this journey like a Freshman starts high school. A crash course in learning a more sophisticated version of selfies began. My head was dizzy with all the new information and instruction. I took down notes on paper like my father-in-law would do when I coached him about his computer. I tried to follow the directions and failed more than I succeeded.
It took me forever. But I had time. What else was I to do?
I kept working down my list from my young coaches: find a good background, adjust the lighting, raise the camera slightly above eye level, iron your shirt…. “Try not to read your message, Dad.” So, I tried to memorize it and tape my outline onto my tripod.
Then editing the raw footage! A whole new field of study and technique. I began to figure out the basics with more coaching.
Actually, I can thank Pastor Daryl for kick-starting this new thing. He invited me to produce a video on a biblical response to the coronavirus for our church’s YouTube channel. After a lot of work and prayer, I sent my “homemade” video project to Pastor Daryl’s computer in March.
Then I just kept going at it with kind but constructive encouragement from my children. They continue to coach me. I continue to listen to them and try to improve on what I’m now doing.
We are thrilled to see that people are actually watching these videos! I have a praise party when I get 500 views of a video—some with more and some with less. I am getting messages from people I know from many countries around the world. Others I don’t even know are joining in.
Just yesterday I sent out my weekly video. It’s just under four minutes in length but the Holy Spirit is taking it beyond where I can physically go.
I’m seeing through the cloudiness of this crazy year. God is making a way for me to reach many people even though I’m not traveling in person. More people are hearing my messages through a different means. Hmmmm. I’m seeing 2020 more clearly these days!