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  • Writing
    • Not in Vain: 1 Corinthians Devotional
    • Explore Lamentations
    • eBook: Good News People
    • eBook: Filtered Grace
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    • Explore Ecclesiastes
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That Happy Certainty - Gospel | Culture | Planting
Interview, Social Media

Go Chatter, Video Ministry, & That John Lewis Ad Re-Make – An Interview with Dan Rackham

Dan Profile 2015It was a joy to recently interview Dan Rackham. Dan is the man behind the ‘Loved This Christmas’ John Lewis advert re-make in December 2015, which had over 135,000 views online, and was shared at over 500 events last Christmas. He now works as a Digital Content Evangelist under the banner of Go Chatter, whilst living in Liverpool. In his spare time he is into extreme-sports and travelling. We chatted about all things video, including his role with Go Chatter, and how individuals and churches can make the most of video as we seek to engage with our world.
—

– Hey Dan, first-up, have videos always been something you’ve been interested in creating?

No, not at all. I’ve not got a degree in film editing or anything like that! For a while I’ve been interested in Youtube, and found myself following a few prolific vloggers. Then about a year and a half ago, as part of my previous community worker role in Liverpool, I began wondering if there was a way to reach out to folk in the community through video.
Screen Shot 2016-08-31 at 22.35.03.pngSo I tried going to local events, filming & visually documenting them, interviewing those involved, etc, and trying to do all that in fun way. I ended up starting my own Youtube channel and creating a weekly video for over a year.
Some of these videos would be picked up by local press and media, and so I ended up being offered press passes to events, etc. All this was great for getting to know people in the Liverpool community. I also tried to have roughly every fourth video as a bit of a window into the Christian faith, perhaps showcasing an event at church, or something of my own testimony, or a theme I’d be reflecting on.

– So how did that lead to the John Lewis advert re-make?

Well, the John Lewis video was just going to be one of my weekly videos – and then it took off really. Obviously, being a national advert, I realised a re-make had potential for a wider audience than just my local geographical area, but I never thought it would do as well as it did. I think the Youtube video had 135,000 viewings, but more will have seen it through Facebook too – and our website had 35k hits and over 500 churches requested to show the video.

– Tell us a bit about your current role with Go Chatter and how that came about?

A British-based Christian publisher & distributor called 10ofthose had kindly given us some free resources to give-away through the Loved This Christmas website. As they say, one thing led to another and around Easter this year they approached me about this Digital Content Evangelist role. They’d been wanting to develop more short, evangelistic videos – and I hadn’t come across lots of examples of individuals or organisations doing that year-round, so it seemed like an exciting opportunity.

We’ve called the project Go Chatter and the tagline is ‘Gospel Videos to Share & Chat About’ – ultimately the hope is to create video resources that people can ‘go’ and share and then chat about. There’s a great team here to bounce ideas off, and I’m grateful to a bunch of supportive friends who’ve been a fantastic sounding board so far.

– And what would you say to someone who would perhaps question whether creating online videos is an effective use of time and resources?

It’s a good question to ask, and I’m certainly not the sort of person who thinks having a social media presence is suddenly gonna bring mass revival. Personally, I’ve always seen the value of investing in one-to-one relationships. That’s got to be the bread and butter of sharing Jesus and loving people, and so for me being involved in a local church is at the heart of that too.
And yet we’ve got to face up to the reality that so much stuff is consumed on the internet. Sharing online is now just part and parcel of what we all do. And so having really engaging, high-quality content that just gets someone thinking about the Christian faith has got to be a really valuable tool for this aspect of life.
Screen Shot 2016-08-31 at 22.36.10.pngWith this sort of project, I think the more people you reach, the more justifiable it becomes. For Loved This Christmas I spent £630 making the video and it took about 4 weeks of my time. I guess if only 100 people had seen the video, you’d perhaps then question whether it was the best use of time and money. Maybe I should have spent the time knocking on my neighbours’ doors, handing out Christmas cards, etc, which is what I’d done the previous year. This year just gone, Loved This Christmas meant I couldn’t do that, and yet I hope that the amount of people who saw the video meant that it was worth it.
Of course, another complication is that making something go viral is an art rather than a science – ultimately there’s no guaranteed formula that we can control. There’s 400 hours of video content uploaded to youtube every minute, and most videos will just be viewed 10 or 15 times. And so promotion and sharing – getting our videos out there, almost is as important as the content of the video. Certainly I don’t want to make videos for a job just because that’s what I get a kick out of.

– What’s your take on how well the Church is making the most of the opportunity of online video? Do you sense that in the UK there’s much going on?

There are others doing similar work – but, as I say, one of the challenges for all of us is getting it out there. Ultimately I’d love my role to be encouraging churches and individuals who are seeking to do a similar thing.

– I know a few of the videos you’ve done with 10ofthose as Go Chatter have already made a bit of a splash on social media. Tell us a bit about some of the videos you’ve put out since you’ve started.

Sure, we’ve done 6 videos so far with Go Chatter, plus there’s a further 3 I’m editing at the moment. A number of churches have got in touch to say they’ve used these videos publicly, which is encouraging.
Screen Shot 2016-08-31 at 22.35.34.png
We did a video for the Queen’s 90th Birthday, which seemed to get a positive response. There’s also one reflecting on some of the instability in our country at the moment, called We Need a Leader.
One of my favourites was filming in Wembley Stadium for our FA Cup Final video. We wanted to do something that people who loved football would really enjoy watching, and so we told the story of the FA Cup final hymn, Abide With Me.
Another video picked up on the popular idea of having a ‘bucket list’. And there’s also an interview with Olympian Debbie Flood, and a video reflecting on the fact we’ve been personally made by a Creator.
I think so far we’ve had enough positive response to know we’re doing something right – the key is to keep doing it and work hard at promotion and get the content more widely known and used.

– Is there any way that the Church can be involved in what you’re doing?

For me this is the most important question. I really don’t want Go Chatter to be my own little project, where I’m coming up with every idea and presenting every video. I want the vision behind this to become a resource which Christians all over the UK are feeding into, as well as using.
Firstly, a simple way to make this a reality is for people to feed in their ideas – get in touch!
Secondly, I’m always eager for people to look over scripts and be a second, third, fourth pair of eyes. I can safely say that every video I’ve done so far has been a much higher quality finished product when it’s had 4 or 5 people looking over a script.
But thirdly I’d love to team up with really creative people all over the UK to create a variety of different videos. For example, say you’re someone who’s written an evangelistic rap that you’ve performed in your local church – perhaps we could think how to film and produce it really nicely so that it’s a national, or even international, resource.
To connect, give me an email: dan [at] 10ofthose.com or get in touch on Twitter. We’re also hoping to launch a Go Chatter website very soon that will offer a collection of really good videos, all embedded in such a way as to help Christians think how they can use each of them.

– In terms of what an individual church could do with video, what would you suggest?

One thing I’d encourage is just to produce a little 2-minute video showcasing your church – this could be displayed on your front page or on your Facebook page. I think video has potential to communicate so much more than text or even photos. When people see you’re a bunch of fairly normal people, that’s massively helpful!
I’d also say resist making them too professional – lots of Youtube content isn’t the most professional out there. The latest smartphones will give incredible quality footage anyway. Go for genuine and authentic.
In terms of using video in churches, I think it’s a great idea but don’t make it the be all and end all or do it just for the sake of it. Beginning a church service with a video occasionally, perhaps to raise an issue, etc, can be helpful.

– Dan, thanks for your time. Before we go, the question I’m sure many people will be asking: can we expect to see another John Lewis mock-up from you this Christmas?!

Screen Shot 2016-08-31 at 22.42.20.pngHa! Well, I hope so! I’m actually working on 2 Christmas videos at the moment: one an animation and another featuring a children’s nativity. I know that John Lewis tend to release their advert mid-November – so last year it was a bit of a mad dash to get our version out there asap – but if we think it’s got legs and lends itself to a thoughtful Christian re-make, then yes, we’ll probably give it a go!
—

You can catch Dan at the Premier Digital Conference on Saturday 12th November 2016, where he’ll be leading a seminar on using video as part of the conference’s overall theme of ‘Reach’.  

You can subscribe to the Go Chatter Youtube Channel or subscribe to the 10ofthose mailing list to receive updates on the new videos, as well as book offers. When the Go Chatter website is up and running there will be a sign-up option there too.

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September 1, 2016by robinham
Music, Ministry, Interview

The Story Behind Tumbling Sky: Psalms for Weary Souls – Interview & Give-Away with Matt Searles

a3712410159_16As soon as I heard Matt Searles’ first Psalms album, the acoustic Now and Not Yet, I loved it. The idea was simple: set the psalms to contemporary music – and yet it was so powerful to sing along to them. After all, God’s given us a song-book in the Bible, so why not use the wisdom and perspective the psalms give us to tune our own hearts? His follow-up record, From the River to the Ends of The Earth had a fuller sound but was just as excellent – if not better. 

Now album number three, Tumbling Sky: Psalms for Weary Souls, has just been released – and my social media feeds have been full of high praise – not least because of the particular and often avoided topics that this record covers. Matt kindly took the time to answer a few questions about the significant purpose of the album – and I think any Christian will be encouraged by what he’s got to say…

Stay-tuned too for a chance to win one of three download versions of the album at the end of this interview.

Matt, tell us a little bit about yourself, how you got into song-writing  – and how being a church minister fits with that?!

I had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home, and I always played music but it was never more than a hobby for me, and I certainly never thought I’d end up writing and recording Christian songs! After a brief period as a French teacher I trained at theological college and worked as a church pastor for a number of years. Currently I work as Director of Training for the South Central Gospel Partnership, running ministry training courses for 25-30 churches in the local region. I very much see myself as a pastor first and foremost, and anything I do musically flows out of that. It’s probably not the norm these days for songs to be written by pastor (and average musician at best) but there’s something biblical about this model, and I’d love to encourage other pastors to at least think about writing songs, or lyrics (as Newton and Cowper did).

So, this is your third Psalms album. I know Tumbling Sky has a particularly significant story & heartbeat behind it – talk us through it.

Tumbling Sky has a very clear vision that the Lord laid on my heart over a number of years: to record an album of Psalm songs that would be an encouragement to believers walking through dark valleys, and might help them keep engaging with God in these times.

Much Christian music deals predominantly with the joys and the certainties of the Christian faith, but perhaps we’re less well served by songs that speak of brokenness, doubt and suffering. This hit home to me in recent years following a period of depression and ill health that meant for over a year I was unable to work. Also at this time friends of mine were experiencing bereavement, disability and depression, and as we journeyed together, wrestling and doubting, weeping and praying, we realised that in our own Christian lives and perhaps also in the wider church there wasn’t much room for, or language to deal with, brokenness or deep sorrow.

One particular sermon by John Piper struck home, that pointed to Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 6: ‘sorrowful yet always rejoicing’. Often we feel we have to choose between sorrow and joy; it is one or the other. And therefore because Christ has come, because our sins are forgiven, because we’re going to heaven, we should rejoice, and we think there can’t be any place for sorrow in the Christian life.

12489198_10156385674095043_5185303136719241799_oSo Tumbling Sky was written out of a desire to give permission for tears, to remind us that sorrow isn’t a sign of spiritual failure, that brokenness isn’t a denial of the gospel. I pray that people will be encouraged by listening-in to the songs of king David and others, and might discover that the Christian life is not one of every question answered, nor is it without doubts, fears or struggles.

I also pray this album would be an encouragement to those who walk with those who are in dark valleys. I hope it will help us move beyond easy answers, that we might see sorrow and joy can coexist, as we weep with those who weep, as well as rejoicing with those who rejoice.

So, we know this is an album of songs each based on a Psalm. What’s been your song-writing process for this?

I wish I knew!!! As I’ve said, my theological and pastoral vision has been clear, and so I have always been trying to write songs that fit this vision. Personally, I’ve never found intentionally sitting down to ‘write a song’ has worked for me. Often I’ll just be meditating on scripture, and a line from the Psalm will inspire a melody to go with it. I try to have my phone with me most of the time, so I can capture these snippets – and I’ve got over 1000 of these recorded! Most aren’t worth bothering with, but occasionally I’ll listen back and think there’s something there to work on. Actually, many of my songs have been written on holiday because I find I’m often more creative when life is less busy. And very few are written at the piano or guitar – for me I find it easier to focus on the melody and the words without an instrument to hand.

One of the things I love about some of my favourite albums is the way that the record takes you on a journey – and the transition from one track to the next becomes familiar. Is there an order or logic to Tumbling Sky? 

At every stage in the making of this album I’ve tried to rearticulate the goal to myself – to record an album that will help Christians walking through dark valleys engage with God our Father – and this then informs the ordering of songs as well. I wanted to begin with the brutal honesty of Psalm 143 ‘Lord hear my prayer!’ and Psalm 88 ‘Darkness my closest friend’. Then Psalm 13 ‘How Long O Lord’ marks the turning point on the album, as the psalm itself moves from doubt to trust. The middle section of the album has more upbeat songs of trust, but offset by songs like ‘Weeping is only for a night’ that remind us that this joy is a joy that coexists with sorrow. The penultimate tracks are more reflective – still psalms of trust, but also being very honest about life’s struggles. The last song is the most upbeat, as it is a psalm that celebrates the gospel, and points us to the future hope we have in Christ. I wanted the album to move (as the psalms do) from lament to praise, but not too quickly, nor in a completely linear way, as this isn’t how life works.

I pray this album might teach people to doubt, not in a way that leads to unbelief, but in a way that does lead in the end to rejoicing.

12764594_10156515787275043_8618449220861495749_oYou’ve played around with different styles in your previous two albums. What would you say are Tumbling Sky‘s particular musical influences?

Again, the theological vision was primary here. In preparing for this album and whilst recording I’ve been asking the question: what musical styles best communicate sorrow, grief, and doubt? The prevalent styles in contemporary Christian music don’t always suit these themes, so I’ve drawn a lot on older British folk music (including using a number of tunes for songs on this album) as well as looking to blues and gospel music. The goal has always been to try to find musical styles that will best serve the words and the tone of the album – whilst still being familiar enough that many of these songs might be sung in churches.

It’s been a joy to hear some of the story and heart behind Tumbling Sky, as well as the some of the details involved in putting it together. Perhaps that’s persuaded some readers to give it a listen! What’s your hope and prayer for this album as people do just that?

As I’ve said above, my prayer is that this album would be an encouragement to believers walking through dark valleys, to help them keep engaging with God. We’ve kept this in mind at every step of the process (even doing a total re-record of one song, as I thought it wasn’t quite serving this goal). I’d much rather this album was precious to a few people who really need it, than generally popular with the many. If those who are struggling find it to be an album they want to keep turning to, and more than that, if in turning to this album they are helped to engage with our loving Father, than I think this project will have achieved its goal.

Give-Away! Matt’s kindly made it possible for three readers to win a download-version of Tumbling Sky! If you’d like the chance to win, all you have to do is leave any comment below – but why not tell us what your favourite psalm is – and why.

The Give-Away will close at midnight on Monday 20th June 2016. I’ll select three winners at random after that point and get in touch with you direct. Alternatively you can part with £8 right now and download Tumbling Sky: Psalms for Weary Souls directly here. The site also allows you to sample the album. CDs are currently in production and can be ordered as well.

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June 14, 2016by Robin Ham
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Hello, my name is Robin. Welcome to That Happy Certainty, where I write and collate on Christianity, culture, and church-planting. I’m based in Barrow in South Cumbria, England, where my family & I are part of Grace Church Barrow.

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“If we could be fully persuaded that we are in the good grace of God, that our sins are forgiven, that we have the Spirit of Christ, that we are the beloved children of God, we would be ever so happy and grateful to God. But because we often fear and doubt we cannot come to that happy certainty.”
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