Problem
Easter 2021 was on the horizon. Our creative team was tasked with creatively expressing a theme: Hold Fast. The teaching for the Easter service would come from Corinthians 15, a call for us to hold fast to the hope found in Christ. This invitation to cling to the certainty of the gospel was the right fit for a storm-tossed year. The directive was for a nautical theme. Ancient sailors spoke of “One hand for the ship,” a reminder that a constant, firm hold on the ship was essential to survive the biggest storms. How could we help people understand deeply that holding on to Christ will sustain us through the darkest nights?  

Assignment
Our team was tasked with creating graphics and a video for the Easter service. Our biggest challenge was that our landlocked Colorado location made it almost impossible to film storms or ships. Given these limitations, how could we express the idea of God being our safety in a life-threatening storm?

Solution
We dreamed up not one, but two creative video concepts to carry out the nautical theme:

First, we built our own ocean … OK it was more of a pond, but it made a strong visual impact! We had a blast filming four songs in the water to express the Hold Fast theme. One song concluded our Good Friday service, setting a somber tone with just piano and one vocalist. We opened the Easter service with a high-energy, full-band celebration in the water.

The music videos set the right tone, but we needed something more to bring home the nautical theme. We decided to create our own miniature sea-faring world, using a whimsical, handmade animation style. Our illustrators nailed the humble, organic cardboard feel, conjuring a clipper ship from the 1800s, complete with passengers and crew. I concepted, directed and wrote the script for this playful children’s story that carries meaning for grownups, too.

These videos worked in concert with key graphics featuring vintage ship illustrations for Good Friday and Easter. More than 15,000 people joined Easter services in-person, online and on TV. The videos helped open hearts and invited viewers to consider the good news of Jesus in fresh ways. We even adapted the video script to create a little kids’ story, complete with coloring book, for the littlest ones in attendance.