The communication project started out as an email plea for help. Our mission committee was working with two orphanages in Mexico and they wanted to provide backpacks for the children there. I got a frantic email for help--the committee knew they needed a way tell the congregation about it, but they didn't know where to start.
They gave me lists like the one here and a jump drive of photos.

Below is the video I created for them. I also did up other materials, (detailed brochure, posters, website materials), but the point of what I wanted to share here is that, as I thought about it, I realized this project illustrated one of the most important things we do as church communicators--we incarnate ministry vision.

To incarnate literally means to put into bodily form, to put on flesh and bones. Jesus did that when he came to earth. Peter worshipped an invisible, holy God as a child. When Jesus became incarnate, Peter could go fishing with him. He could hug him, laugh with him, go to a party with him. God became real to Peter in the incarnate Jesus.

So many of the ministry dreams and visions of the leadership in our church are wonderful, godly visions of what God can do. But until we put them into tangible form in our communications, they remain the intangible stuff of vision. When we create a video like the project--people see the children; they see the need; they know what to do. Lord willing, we touch hearts and motivate minds to action. We incarnate. We put flesh on the vision of the ministry to our people.

Often when we do this, not only do we help our congregation get involved with the ministry, but it touches us also. I became very involved in this project and became a back-pack making maniac for a few weeks. Since then I've been involved in other Backpack projects and below the video are some flyers/bulletin inserts and social media you can use to advertise back-pack ministries at your church.

Resources to help your church share backpack ministries

Note: I used animoto.com to create the video above. It is very easy to add pictures and text to the program and then a video comes out! Really, it is that easy.

Other materials for Backpack Ministries:

PowerPoint Slides for Backpack Ministry to remind and motivate your congregation to give: https://wp.me/pDky9-88N

Instagram Images for Backpack Ministry to remind and motivate your congregation to give: https://wp.me/pDky9-898

Bulletin inserts and Flyers for Fall Back-Pack ministries: https://wp.me/pDky9-7rX

My personal motivation for Backpack ministry—my memories and prayers about crayons and little kids in need: https://wp.me/pDky9-pL