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Introducing the Old Testament
Mosaic Television Winter 2005 ELCA Communication Services
www.elca.org/mosaic
800-638-3522 ext. 6009 DVD: color, 35 minutes, User’s Guide (incl. bonus material: Forbidden Family; and extra scholar interviews), $19.95

For older youth and adults, Introducing the Old Testament, offers a birds’-eye view of the Old Testament — its structure, themes, and characters. It makes a great way to introduce more detailed studies of the Old Testament or Bible studies of specific books.

Beautiful location footage from the Holy Land powerfully illustrates the places, ideas, and events discussed by presenters Peter Marty, Esther Menn, James Kugel, and Brooks Schramm.

They do an excellent job of keeping the discussion understandable and engaging. In particular, the explanation of how the ancient texts became the books of the Old Testament we know today is especially clear and helpful. For many lay people it will be an eye-opener.

At the same time, the DVD does not sidestep the difficult issues in the Old Testament that raise questions or make us uneasy when reading the Old Testament. The roles and treatment of women, slavery, and the seemingly rampant violence and bloodshed are explained and discussed within the context of the times, the culture, and the larger theme of God’s faithful care for his people.

As a concise and informative Old Testament overview, Introducing the Old Testament would be a welcome addition to any media library. Together, with Mosaic’s Introducing the New Testament (Mosaic Television, Spring 2005), you have an excellent general introduction to the Holy Bible.

If There Were No Lutherans ... Would There Still Be Green Jell-O^®?
Tundra Films, 2005
P.O. Box 205 101, Judd Street, Marine on St. Croix, MN 55407 (651) 433-4499
www.ChurchSignGuy.com
DVD: color, accompanying paperback book, 14 minutes, $14.95 + $2 shipping and handling; 25 copies or more, $9 each (free shipping)

This short DVD and its related book is the brainchild (and a strange child it is) of Pastor Steve Molin, a.k.a.“Church Sign Guy,” of Our Savior’s Lutheran in Stillwater, Minnesota. It is being screened at a number of ELCA synod assemblies and independent film festivals in the U.S. and Canada.

The DVD is an entertaining and energizing look at a ubiquitous feature of the church landscape — the church sign. Usually church signs carry messages that rely on pun-fueled quips. Unfortunately, these quips, like jokes forwarded countless times on the Internet, soon become stale.

That’s what intriguing and entertaining about the Green Jell-O DVD. You can see — and hear — the church sign become an ongoing, dynamic, 24/7 conversation between a congregation, its pastor, and the community. It’s like a good stand-up comedy routine that not only entertains but invites the audience into the fun.

It’s clear that at Our Savior’s, the church sign is more than a big bulletin board. It has become an active part of the congregation’s outreach. In fact, the congregation’s enthusiasm for ministry is literally out there on the street even when no one’s in the church. And in this DVD you see the impact.

Don’t have a church sign? Green Jell-O is a still great way to fire up a congregation for evangelism and outreach or renew a sense of joy in being the church.

Green Jell-O is available for use in congregational fundraising programs.

Groups can keep 40 percent — $6 — of the list price of $15 for every DVD/ book sold.

The Polar Express: Preaching and Teaching Resource DVD
www.polarexpressresources.com
DVD: color, all ages (incl. bonus material)
Free (order at website listed above)

Okay, Pentecost may be a little early to be thinking about Advent. But this free DVD of teaching and preaching resources for the hit movie The Polar Express is worth bending the calendar a bit. This is a very professional, feature-loaded tool for Christian education during the Christmas and Advent seasons — or at any time of year.

Chris Van Allsburg’s The Polar Express is beloved by millions as a book, a theatrical movie release, and, as of last year, a DVD. Its timeless themes of faith and belief and the stunning animation are already making this film a Christmas classic for audiences from preschoolers to seniors.

This preaching and teaching resource DVD was prepared in conjunction with the DVD release and contains lots of scenes and clips from the movie. It features in-depth interviews and question-and-answer sessions with star Tom Hanks and director Bob Zemeckis.