What will you bring back?

Overdue blogging. Basically, the last 6 months seem like a blur. Now I'm going to try to catch you (& me) up!

Let's start with the new Short-Term Missions catalog I completed back in July!


Click here to experience it digitally on our website... yup, you can even flip the pages yourself. Of course, lovely professionally-printed versions are available too. Let me know if you, a friend, or your church would like a few!

Here's what I wrote about it in our August Newsletter. Somehow, it didn't make it to the blog...

Summers are busy for me. I usually have to get materials created, designed, and printed in time for the busy fall recruiting season. I spent the last 3 months working on OM’s new short term mission trip catalog. This was the third catalog I’ve designed since I started working here 2 years ago.

This piece is directed at pastors, church leaders, and campus ministry leaders. We want these leaders to understand that as their students and church members go out on short-term mission trips their world views will stretch dramatically. They will serve alongside long-term ministries and local churches and see how
global God’s heart really is. Ultimately, participants return home changed—with a heart on fire for Jesus—ready to impact their home community with His love.

To illustrate this concept, we ask the question “what will you bring home?” Each page features a cheesy souvenir contrasting with a quality like “compassion” to illustrate the life changes that participants will “bring home” with them. Yes, they will
come with fun souvenirs from the exotic countries they visit; but more importantly, God will work in their lives even as He works through them.

This project was a lot of work. I pulled together a little team to help me develop the concept. I borrowed all the tacky souvenirs I could find. OMers have an unlimited supply! My office looked like a junk shop for months, piled with boxes of stuff. A colleague and I set up a make-shift photography studio. I borrowed a camera. I
photographed every item. I did all the photo editing. I designed the layout. I typeset the entire piece. Our team tested the piece with a few pastors. We revised. Finally it went to print. I literally shed blood, sweat, and tears. All a part of the process.

I packaged up the files, handed them to my client, went home, packed the car, and fled with Edgar to the North Carolina mountains for a week of recovery. We both really needed some serious down time. It was wonderful!