![]() |
Emily Ibarra helps media students from Moody Bible Institute make a short video (at the end of a seminar/workshop at the HCJB Global Technology Center in Elkhart, Ind.) for GraazTV in New Zealand. |
(Feb. 15, 2013 - by Marla Bender) A shared passion for ministering via media amid rapid changes has brought together two evangelical organizations with long legacies in Christian broadcasting to produce innovative video content for an online television channel.
Six Moody Bible Institute (MBI) media students were hosted last month by the HCJB Global Technology Center in Elkhart, Ind., to exchange ideas with Emily Ibarra on various aspects of media and communications. Ibarra is a media specialist with the mission.
In a session called "Ethics in Christian Filmmaking," Ibarra explained that "in our desire to show people's needs around the world, we can end up exploiting or demeaning those we want to help. Honest portrayals maintain people's dignity and motivate the audience to action without manipulation."
"We should not get lost in the art and sacrifice the content," warned Ibarra, adding that it's tempting to be so artistic and creative that the clarity of the message is compromised.
![]() |
After trading ideas on trends in media, conferees at the event finished the day by working together on a brief video for GraazTV, launched by staff members at the HCJB Global-New Zealand World Office. GraazTV is an Internet-based television channel (www.graaz.tv), offering on-demand content that seeks to entertain, educate and provide interaction with the digital community while prompting viewers to investigate the gospel message further.
Helping GraazTV with video projects is well suited for students at different levels of competency and experience. The newer students can produce simple station identification spots while those with more experience can edit video content created by GraazTV or create their own original videos.
"I'm bridging the gap between the two organizations," Ibarra explained. She will work with the New Zealand office to develop project ideas and be a resource for the MBI students as they complete the projects.
Ibarra, a communications graduate of Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind., has helped expand the capabilities of the Nikkel Media Center (a section of the Technology Center) in the following ways: creating media tools for ministry, training future media specialist through internships, and assisting ministry partners with their media needs.
"The Technology Center is looking forward to developing this relationship with Moody and hopes to replicate it with other schools in the future," reported Ibarra. "It makes sense to build these relationships because in reality, we are all on the same team."
Source: HCJB Global