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How does your congregation actively help others?
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I'm looking for several congregations who are willing to send me two or three photos that tell the story of how they help others. Perhaps your work is a regular occurrence (like a monthly Ruby's Pantry food distribution) or maybe it's a once-a-year mission trip. It may involve youth or adults or both. The work may be done at your church or another location.
What will I do with the photos?
I need photos (with captions) to be published in the Synod News section of The Lutheran Magazine's December issue.
Why?
I believe that ordinary people in our synod are engaged with others in extraordinary ways that make their faith come alive. We step out of our comfort zones to help others in need--whether that means serving a meal or building a ramp, donating a warm coat or simply taking time to listen, we are committed to "God's work. Our hands." living. I'm hoping that you will share those stories--through photos.
I always appreciate getting photos from you because, as the old saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words." The problem is, for every active, engaging photo I receive, I probably get a dozen or more of people sitting around a table or posed in a group shot beside a bus or in the front of the sanctuary. While those photos have an important place in documenting the history of your church, by themselves they usually don't tell a story. In order to attract attention and tell a story, photos usually need to show people--not just buildings or supplies or things--and the people need to be doing something--not just standing or sitting in a group. Here are a few examples of winning photos: |
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Show action. People splitting wood is more engaging than people posing beside a woodpile.
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 People folding a quilt is a more interesting shot than a table full of folded quilts. | |
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Here are a couple more simple tips:
The best photographers take lots and lots of pictures! If you have ever watched Greg Kaufmann when he's taking pictures at an event, you'll see that he probably takes twenty times more photos than he needs. It improves the odds that he'll get that one great shot. Digital photography makes taking lots of photos (and then deleting many of them) a snap!
Edit your photos. Don't be afraid to crop the extraneous content out of your photo. For example, many photos taken in a church building show the ceiling full of florescent lights. That's usually not an important part of the story, so crop that part out and your photo will be more interesting.
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I hope you'll look through your photos or take some new ones the next time you see people serving others and share your story.
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 The deadline for submitting your photos for the magazine is September 25. Photos received after that date may be used in our electronic publications.
Thanks for your help in telling the story!
Merry
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