The very first issue of The CALL was scheduled for release in January 2009. It was only two months since the team had been formed and had come together to work. There was lot of excitement as we were working together in producing this Christian literature.
By the end of December of 2008 we had collected the articles and edited them and they were ready for designing. Now was the time for the selection and designing of the cover image. Since this was going to be the very first issue, we wanted to portray that as the cover which would convey the purpose of the magazine, sound and clear. As the team was thinking over this, an idea struck me – to create the words ‘The CALL’ itself using people! Everyone liked the idea and we took it to our Director and Managing Editor, Bro. D. Augustine Jebakumar. He too liked the idea and he added another beautiful element to this idea. He told us to dress the people in a way so as to depict different professions – doctor, paramedic, lawyer, engineer, teacher, missionary, etc. This would convey that The CALL is about the call of God in the lives of all people.
We came together and drew THE CALL and calculated the positions and people that it would require to make these letters. We needed 14 people to make THE CALL!
Our hunt for people started. First we decided upon taking the help of GEMS Timothy Bible College students. We approached the Dean, Bro. Suresh and he was more than willing to send them. We called them all in the afternoon of the last week of Dec 2010 and started to form the letters in the Bible College ground. After a long session of trying different positions and choice of boys, we finally formed the letters. Though the boys were tired (standing for long time until we called off each shot with raised hands and bent backs), they were very happy and excited too that they are part of God’s ministry and photo shoot, of course! Even some asked whether they had to come dressed well. We told them that this was only a pre-shoot session. They were so cooperative and we enjoyed working with them.
The next challenge was to decide upon different professions and finding appropriate costumes. As we were finalizing the professions, we decided to use girls as well, as certain roles of professions would well fit for girls. We thought of taking the help of the students of GEMS School of Nursing and we approached the Principal Mrs. Packiarani Stephen and she immediately agreed.
We decided upon who is going to wear what. We hunted for the costumes and finally grabbed them all. The big day came when we had to take the final shots with the students wearing their attire depicting different professions. We tried all different combinations of placements. We decided to do the final shots in the banks of Sone River as it would give us lot of space to shoot long angle shots and natural light.
We took the help of GEMS Media Dept for photography and Bro. Gideon M Durai was the photographer. After many shots he realized that there were shadows in the picture because of the angle. And we had to arrange for a ladder for him take shots from upper angle. We couldn’t waste time as the sun was going down soon as it was winter of December. The students weren’t wearing any woollen sweaters and were shivering in the cold.
At last the shots were finalized with one advocate, one doctor, two nurses, one politician, two engineers, one missionary and one executive and the rest of them were used to form the remaining letters. But during the designing as some shots lacked clarity and lighting, the shots with the advocate and politician were removed.
Once after the image was finalized, still we wanted something, a kind of a logo that would sound the call of The CALL “A prophetic voice to the church! An apostolic voice to the missions!” The another editor Bro. John worked on this along with Bro. Caleb,the artist working in GEMS Children Dept and it resulted in the forming of the background image with T formed by a wooden Cross and C formed by a Trumpet Horn, the one that was used in the Temple of God in Israel; both put together represents and sounds the call of The CALL “heralding the triumph of His utterance, dictating the desire of His heart, illuminating the obscure, planting visions and triggering Christendom to stand up and testify”.
It was all together a wonderful experience of team work and sharing, that glorified God. This is the story of the cover of the very first issue of The CALL.
Though it was tiresome, we tried together as a team
Though it was tough, we were through with His touch
Though it was testing, we knew that we were trailing in the tracks of tested testimonies
Though we were tensed at times, we weren’t troubled as we were trusting in a Truthful God
Though it was time-taking, we didn’t consider it to be trivial, because we were together in a task that will trumpet the Truth
Would you like to get involved with The CALL? Click Get Involved to know ways and click Opportunities to know how you can join the team of The CALL, which aims at writing, compiling, designing and producing this magazine to effectively communicate the truths of the Bible, presenting Biblical view points on contemporary & relevant issues.
