Arts Blog : Arts Conference 08 - ARISE, Lori Finnegan

Your Favorite Session....

Lori Finnegan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:28:00 GMT

The comments are in and Session 5 of Arise, the 2008 Arts Conference was your favorite! Francis Chan was amazing! He was so encouraging as he reminded us that we are created by an Almighty God and He put His Spirit in us. I'll always remember the...(read more)

Session 4 Highlights

Lori Finnegan — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:46:00 GMT

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a month since the Arts Conference. There are still so many great moments still in my mind. yes"> One of which is Richard Allen Farmer…his words were a great reminder that God made us artists and he uses us....(read more)

Session Two

Lori Finnegan — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:17:00 GMT

The conference was off to a wonderful start, when we jumped into Session 2. As the loquacious audience sat silently, marveling at the skill of Emily Huddock as she played her violin. We all celebrated the amazing gifts of this 14 year old and applauded Emily’s dedication.

Rock Band gave us some great laughs…. Personally, I’m a Guitar Hero player, however, when Guitar Hero IV releases this fall, you’ll find me fighting for the drums. Thanks to Eric and Tony, our guest judges and our two bands for sharing their skills and insights.

Gilles Ste. Croix and Cirque de Soleil are such an inspiration! From their humble beginnings to this huge, world-wide organization. I really enjoyed seeing the video with the clips of the many different Cirque shows and getting an inside look at their amazing training facility! One of my favorite things that Mr. Ste. Croix said was….”the show is there…you just have to discover it”. Do you believe that is true of the services we create?

Good Morning -- Day 2

Lori Finnegan — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:16:00 GMT

This is going to be an awesome day….it’s the day you created! My hope and prayer is that it will be just what you need and that you will be able to hear God speak to you throughout this day.

There are a few things I want to make sure you remember…After Hours at the Learning Expo…from 5:00 – 7:00pm at the Renaissance. There are snacks and door prizes…you may even win the X-Box and Rock Band game from Session 2. You do have to be present to win. Other than having fun and possibly getting free stuff, you do get to talk with over 40 technical vendors and learn the latest about church technology. They vendors are there to serve you, answer your questions and help you take your technical ministry to the next level.

After that, buzz back to Willow Creek for our 2^nd Annual Film Festival starting at 7:30 in the main auditorium. There are some great videos… you will be inspired, you will laugh and you will want to send in submissions next year. Not only will you get creative ideas, but you’ll also have some fun. Hope to see you there.

Until then, learn something you didn’t know before, meet a new friend and let us all know how it’s going….

Welcome to Arise!

Lori Finnegan — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:01:00 GMT

Good morning and welcome to Arise! We are so thrilled to have all of you here and are excited to see how God will move among us over the next three days. We have been praying for each of you and trusting that God will meet you in powerful ways.There are many exciting things going on each day…If you haven’t settled on your Thursday schedule, there are still openings in some of the Point Leader classes. Conference Solutions will help you get signed up if you’d like to attend.On Thursday night, there are a few tickets still available for Jersey Boys, the Tony Award winning Best Musical of 2006, which tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Check with Conference Solutions for that too. Lastly, take some time to share your bloopers at the video confessional today. If you have the best story, you may make it into the final video.Make the most of your time here, get involved, meet new people, share deeply with your team and be open to all that God has in store for you. We’d like your experience with us to be encouraging and rewarding. If you have even a modicum of concerns, please let us know, we’d like to help.Enjoy Arise!

Come For The Day!

Lori Finnegan — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:48:00 GMT

On Thursday, June 12, over 40 trusted technology vendors from around the country will display at the Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg as a part of the Arts Conference Learning Expo. Some of the top audio, video, lighting, scenic, etc. vendors will have staff on hand to show guests the latest in technology as well as to answer questions about their equipment or technical arts in general. A few of the vendors include: Yamaha, Panasonic, Shure, Sensaphonics, Digidesign, Acoustic Dimensions, Meyer Sound, Rosco Labs, Vari-Lite....and many more.

While admittance to the Learning Expo is included in the regular conference registration fee, we are opening up Expo only registration for our local technical artists who are not able to attend the entire conference but would still love to attend and receive the benefits of the Expo. The day rate to attend the Expo only is $30. No need to register – just show up and pay at the door.

The Expo is open from 8:30am until 7:00pm. From 5:00pm until 7:00pm, we will move into our “After Hours” Expo. Light refreshments will be served and door prizes will be raffled off during the After Hours.

Of course, you are still able to attend the entire conference. Simply show up tomorrow at registration and we’ll get you in.

Hope to see you at the Expo or at the Conference.

Party Prep

Lori Finnegan — Wed, 07 May 2008 04:38:00 GMT

Have you ever noticed that having a party is a great catalyst for getting those house projects finally complete, doing a little extra cleaning and preparing those special recipes that you don’t normally take the time to make? That’s a little how it feels this month, as our team gets ready for Arise – Arts Conference ’08. We’ve spent months praying, planning and doing our best to create an awesome event. Did you hear that the Robbie Seay Band is joining us! We’ve been working for months on a new website that will feature service support resources from new churches, an idea network and it will be even easier to find just what you need. We’re securing our locations and dates for the fall and winter Green Rooms and Leaders Tables. Plus even more…you’ll just have to wait and see! My favorite part of all the party prep, is it being over and the party starting. That’s when, I kick back and enjoy every minute with my friends and family. And that’s what our Arts team is looking forward to the most…being with you. Until then, we’ll be working away on our project list.

Wanted: Filmmakers and Video Teams

Lori Finnegan — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:43:00 GMT

One of the experiences I’m most looking forward to at Arise, Arts Conference ‘08, is the Film Festival! This year, it’s open to anyone who created a video or film for their church! So, send us the best original works that you have created this year! This was last year's winner from Granger Community Church. Entries will be judged in the following categories: • Promo (<90 seconds) • My Story/Testimony (<5 minutes); cause, individual or ministry, life change • Humor (<4 minutes) • Drama (<10 minutes) • Music Video (<5 minutes) • Topical (<7 minutes); man on the street, focused on subject area • Animation (<3 minutes) The best overall video/film will win 4 Arts Conference ’09 Registrations. Submissions must be sent by May 12th. Check the website for all the details. Looking forward to seeing your creativity, and I know all who attend the Film Festival will be inspired by your imagination and ingenuity.

Arise is coming...

Lori Finnegan — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:18:00 GMT

Art should lift the soul out of the mundane to a higher place: a place of truth and beauty where we can glimpse the face of God. Last night I was taking a final pass over the Arise brochure before it went to the printer today. I was humbled, once again, to see how God has worked in so many ways….bringing a unique combination of gifted teachers, leaders and artists together to encourage us all at this year’s Arts Conference. There are teachers from over 53 different churches this year! What a collection of insights to be shared and learned. I am really excited to hear our main session speakers, Gilles Ste-Croix, Francis Chan, Brian McLaren, Nancy Beach, and Richard Allen Farmer. I believe we will be challenged to live, lead and create in new ways. One of the highlights of the conference experience is worshipping together. This year our guest worship leader is Kendall Payne. You don’t want to miss this experience. Next Tuesday, 4/8, is the Super Early Bird deadline, so register quickly for the lowest rates. The breakout classes are all on-line now…check them out! Hope to see you at the Arts Conference.