"I Missed the IMS Summit. Now What?"
By Ricky DiMartino

"I Missed the IMS Summit. Now What?"

By Ricky DiMartinoSo you were not one of the 70 people from Danshui to Albuquerque who participated in the 2021 IMS Summit?  Fret not. The IMN is here to break down each presentation for you.

Ever wanted a firmer grasp on the notion of edutainment? Andreas Ernst fleshed it out in his presentation, Using Entertainment Education for Scripture Engagement. He reminded us that engagement is ultimately about answering real-life questions and dilemmas. In answering real-life issues, participatory methods are key, because messages or products brought in from the outside are prone to misinterpretation. 

Kris Toler gave us "a tale of two translations" in his presentation, More than Words: Oral Translation and Local Ownership. Recounting his experience among the Central Pame of Mexico, Kris discussed the advantages of oral translation versus conventional translation. In the words of one Pame translator, "But when we did the oral translation and we were all working together in a group... it wasn't heavy.... It felt right."

What exactly is EthnoArts? In Redefining Roles: A Case Study in Journeying Together Toward Community Ownership, Justin Randolph described how he and a colleague used ethnocentric art with Roma speakers in Bulgaria. Employing drama or song or the visual arts, people were encouraged to interact with the Word in their own language. The results were inspiring. If you want to delve further into EthnoArts, check out the podcast Justin co-hosts.

"Disney's live-action remakes... they're just not as powerful as the animated originals." Bold words from Dave Hudson of Create International. But in his talk, Contextual Arts and Animation, Dave explained how artistic images can be "stripped down to more of an essential meaning," thus allowing audiences to become "more aware of the message and less aware of the messenger." Be sure to catch the end of his talk to hear his rundown of the latest developments in animation software.

People do life on their phones. That's the reality of the world today. Learning how to build apps is essential. Making apps that belong to local people is the crucial next step. In Localization = Ownership, Marty Lange shared the compelling story of how one language group in Colombia did just that. Because the Guahibo language project actively drew locals into the app building process, there was instant adoption in the community. 

If Marty's talk was app building in a microcosm, Dave Parton of Faith Comes By Hearing (FCBH) gave us a look at app building on a macro level. His talk, Locally Owned Digital Assets Providing Globally Grown Scripture Communities, was a rousing introduction into the scope of partnership behind digital assets. If you love analytics, technology, and tracking the progress of Bible translation, this is a must-watch. FCBH’s aspirations are nothing short of inspirational.

Darcie Drymon and her colleague, Chris Guthrie, both of The Seed Company, presented Digital Innovation: Unexpected Outcomes from the Pandemic. After doing a lot of experimenting with offering virtual online training, Darcy and Chris were able to scale out what they had learned to the benefit of the worldwide translation community. This led to Project Ignite, an initiative whereby people were trained to train others in subjects that had been overlooked in virtual settings.

Matt Menger, assisted by our very own Anita Glenister, wrapped up the Summit with a sneak peek at the new Scripture Engagement Guide being developed at EMDC. Menger said the solutions offered by the new guide may not always be tools, but at times may instead be a conversation with a consultant or an archived EMDC class, among other things. He noted that the guide will be more about the process, focusing on changing the way people think, and less about just giving people products.