A picture is worth a thousand words, and people across the globe took over 1 trillion photos in 2015, estimates Mylio.com in its online magazine. (If 1 billion people take three photos per day, then that’s 1 trillion-plus photos per year.) Four-by-six prints of all those photos laid side by side would reach from the earth to the moon … and back.

And those pictures aren’t in private albums like they would’ve been before the digital age. They’re online for all to see because it’s effortless to share them. Of course, we see the not-so-great pictures, hastily snapped, thoughtlessly posted. You know the ones I mean. But then there are the wonderful ones … the ones that reflect …

• The smiling faces of friends or family who live across the country and whom you’d never otherwise lay your eyes on
• The playful antics of children or the peaceful slumber of newborns
• A loving tribute to a parent, spouse, mentor, or long-gone grandparent
• The excitement of traveling to a new place or trying something for the first time
• The beauty of God’s creation
• Time spent in the company of loved ones, spiritual family, or even in communion with God

This summer, we’d like to promote “good” picture sharing by hosting our first photo challenge!

You can participate whether you’re a private person who never ventures in front of the camera or you’re a selfie superstar.

Here’s how it works:

Twice per week from Memorial Day weekend to GMBA Campout, we’re going to ask you to share a photo of something specific. It may be a shot that you can quickly capture first thing in the morning, or it may require some digging through those dusty albums (the ones with the pockets in the back for storing negatives).

Once you see the challenge posted here on the blog, then…

1. Snap your photo.
2. Post it to your social media outlet of choice.
3. Hashtag it #saycheesetcojc

Make sure to include the hashtag it #saycheesetcojc. When you hashtag your photo, everyone can easily find it and see what our church family is up to.

We’re going to publish some of our favorite contributions here on the blog, so if you apply the hashtag, we’re taking that as permission to snag your pic and post it here. We’re only going to search Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the hashtag because … well … we don’t have heaps of time to work with.

We hope that this fun summer challenge will help us feel connected to one another across the many miles. We hope it’ll inspire you to know that you’re not alone, even if you feel it. We hope it’ll motivate you to float something good out onto a sea that’s become quite polluted. We hope it’ll — simply — put a smile on your face.

So, get ready. We’re issuing the first challenge this Friday. Look for them every Monday and Friday from now till GMBA Camp in July.

What’s the one thing you have to remember? Include #saycheesetcojc.

As they say in yearbooks, thanks for the memories!

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.