Matthew Starner

Last night, the Journey of Faith Leadership Core (A group of lay leaders who help guide the Senior Leadership Team) approved the purchase of a new Mac, presentation software, and Final Cut Pro! It was such a great surprise, since we approached the Leadership Core with the intent of purchasing a simple laptop and upgrading our current presentation laptop. A Mac was always in the plan for the future, I just didn’t think it would come so soon! Since the Leadership Core knew that it was in the plan, they decided that since we had money available, now was the time. I really knew I was in the right place last night when one of the leaders made a comment that really impressed me. He specifically asked me how much this will increase the “wow factor” of our Sunday morning worship. How great is it to work with leadership that get’s it! (Plus, we’re six months into this and we’re upgrading our equipment – how cool is that!!)

The prospect of getting a Mac both excites and scares me! I’ve grown up with PC’s. I’m excited about the new opportunities this will give us and the exciting new capabilities that we’ll have. Since a new Mac wasn’t exactly on my short-range radar (I was thinking that we’d look to get one in late fall) I haven’t fully explored the possibilities when it come to Macs and presentation software. I’m taking a trip over to the Apple Store in Grand Rapids to get some hands-on time with Macs. I’ve also been looking at what’s available for presentation software. So far, the best I’ve seen is ProPresenter 3. I’ve emailed some people at Granger Community Church (a church known for their commitment to technology and innovation) who I found out also use ProPresenter. I’m hoping to see if I can get a tour and a demonstration of the equipment they use.

I’m excited to get this new equipment and to see what we’ll be able to do now. I’m sure there’ll be some interesting posts in the future to chronicle the adventures in Apple-land!