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Wednesday, November 03, 2010

 
Here is my latest “From Time to Time” (T2T) e-mail to members and friends of Odyssey Networks - I like to write from time to time with updates on the work of Odyssey Networks:

It was good to see so many of you (95 in all!) at our first annual Odyssey Member Gathering in Silver Spring in September. Evaluations were very positive – thank you! New Christian Science representative Brian Talcott blogged about this event. You can read his words at http://christianscience.com/questions/2010/god-in-america-is-coming-to-america/. I hope you have seen the photos from this event – they are still online on the bottom on the Odyssey website main “member” page at http://www.odysseynetworks.org/Members/MemberNews/tabid/394/Default.aspx . Our video summary from this event is also online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfUCCRdvLsQ .

Speaking of blogs, once Odyssey’s new website is up and running later this month, we plan to have a regular blog, BlogON, from Odyssey staff and members and friends. I will be coordinating this effort and would welcome your posts. Odyssey CEO Nick Stuart will blog monthly for Odyssey member, the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good. You can read his first post at http://www.newevangelicalpartnership.org/?q=node/72 .

In Nick’s blog-post he references the “Three Faiths – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” exhibit at the New York Public Library for which Odyssey produced videos of key pieces in the exhibit for Coexist, one of the sponsors. You can see samples of these videos online at http://www.odysseynetworks.org/Causes/ThreeFaithsJudaismChristianityIslam/tabid/532/Default.aspx . They are also available on their own channel on Call on Faith, Odyssey’s new app for smartphones - visit www.odysseynetworks.org for more information. Nick’s blog-post also references Auburn Media’s recent “Take the Bully Out of the Pulpit” event. We have a wonderful segment from that event on our website member page also - http://vimeo.com/15779908 .

And, speaking of our Member Gatherings, we already have dates for three Member Gatherings in 2011, one via the internet and two in person:
* January 11, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. eastern time – “Town Hall Meeting” for members.
* May 9 – 11 – Odyssey Member Gathering, New York City (the NCC Communication Commission may attach a one day meeting to our gathering).
* September 26 – 28 or 29 (tentative) – NCC Communication Commission meeting, location TBA (Odyssey may attach a one day meeting to this gathering).
More details on the “Town Hall Meeting” coming to you soon!

Call on Faith, our new app for iPhone, Blackberry and Android products, now also offered on the Sprint network, has launched its second “flight” of content and a number of new member channels. Here is the new line up: In addition to the special Coexist (“Three Faiths” exhibit) channel noted above, the Odyssey main channels are Wise Words, Compassionate Acts, My Story, Prayer and Spirit Boost. And, member channels now include: Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters, Daily Devotions (First Radio Parish Church of America), The Episcopal Church, Mad About Marriage (Seventh-day Adventist Church), Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, 30 Good Minutes (Chicago Sunday Evening Club), the United Church of Christ, and the Voice of Prophecy (Adventists). You can expect contact from us in the near future about Call on Faith. We want to give you, our key members, this app for free!

On the November 1 deadline we had received 27 member grant proposals for Odyssey’s 2011 Member Productions Grants. Thanks to all those who applied. We are still hoping to notify everyone on or soon after December 1.

Beliefnet is now featuring a number of Odyssey’s “Faith in Action” videos. You can view them on their site at http://www.beliefnet.com/Video/Odyssey-Networks/Faith-In-Action-An-Interview-With-Imam-Muhammad-Musri.aspx .

We were all saddened to read the news of the recent major layoffs at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA’s) churchwide offices in Chicago. A number of Odyssey’s good friends lost their jobs, Ava Martin and Kristi Bangert among them. We send our best wishes to Ava and Kristi and so many others at the ELCA churchwide offices and other denominational offices who have been laid off in recent months. Godspeed to you all!

Please take a look at this recent NY1 cable news piece on the “We Are Family” Foundation’s October 27th gala. Odyssey produced two videos for this event and excerpts from one of them, of Nigerian peacemakers and gala honorees Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye, appear in this television report - http://www.ny1.com/content/127877/feel-good-rock-benefit-drives-home-how--we-are-family- .

Thank you,

Eric