Jesse and his team over at Worship Films have released a new looping background collection that contains over 20 videos that are available in both HD and SD format. From their website:

    This long-awaited collection of 20+ looping backgrounds contains awesome images that will inspire your congregation in worship. Each background comes in MPEG-1, Quicktime, and WMV formats, as well as a still JPEG image.

You can preview the backgrounds here.

Greg Atkinson recently posted in his Church Video Ideas blog about a new website called OpenResources.org. This site’s purpose is to provide free resources for the church. According to OpenResources.org’s website:

Our desire is to maximize the effectiveness of the resources which God has entrusted to us and the churches we partner with. That’s why the OpenResources.org website is available to pastors, churches, and ministries worldwide to give access to and usage of an entire library of creative materials – absolutely free. 

The site includes sermon audio, graphic design, videos including countdowns and sermon openers. When I recently visited the site I only saw one video resources available but keep in eye on this site as it builds content.

Sometimes videos can be very simple in their production and convey a very powerful message. I recently saw a video for that first time that has been around for about a year called This is the truth by Blister Studio. It is essentially a narrator and scrolling text but it contains a clever twist that works really well. Check it out.

As long as I am on the subject of simple but effective, one of the most simple videos out there is an all text video called Be Still by SermonVideos.com. Except for an opening “Sshhh” sound it is just text reminding us to “be still, and know that I am God” 

The Echo Conference just announced that they are offering a one-day only $100 discount for today, June 20, 2008 between 9am to 5pm CST. For more information visit their website at www.echoconference.com

Are you wanting to challenge your audience to do the Unthinkable? The Grove Center for the Arts and Media has produced a short film called: Unthinkable: The Scott Rigsby Story. The video tells the story of Scott Rigsby, the first double amputee to complete the Kona Ironman Triathlon. With simple but effective production treatment, Scott tells his amazing story. The Grove also created a six-week study called The Unthinkable Experience: 6 Weeks to Changing the World.

The ECHO Conference, a new gathering for those involved in church media and technology, will be held in Dallas, TX on August 14-16, 2008. This has been a much need conference for those involved in creative communication in the church community. according to the conference website,

“ECHO will encompass all things media – visual, web, music, technology – and hopes to resound the truth of Christ through the power of media and technology. It will be a gathering place for church leaders to discover new and creative forms and uses of media. We hope to inspire church leaders to creatively use media to serve the church body and to reach those outside the church.”

To find out more information or to register, go to their website at www.echoconference.com 

Muddy Rivers Media provides a unique service - free media. The company was started with a desire to “use the creative gifts God has given us as well as our passion to help smaller churches have cutting edge, culturally relevant media they could not afford to purchase.”

Muddy River Media is a registered, non-profit mission society. Mark Fogarty is the first “video missionary” on staff and they hope to raise enough money to add more.

To download their free products or support their mission visit their website at www.muddyrivermedia.org/

Beamer Films is currently offering 40% off of all of its current catalog. Beamer Films has great product - make sure you check them out. Check out their video Evangelism: Here I am Lord, Send Me. It is powerful.

Visual Scripture is offering a 4.99 Summer Special for all of its videos. They produce videos that creatively communicate scripture.