impacting the culture
"Facing the Giants" couldn't be a more appropriate title for a movie. This charming independent film tells the story of a Christian high school football coach fighting a losing streak. He dares his players to harness the power of their faith to propel the team to victory. The film culminates with a game between the comeback team facing the district champs-aptly named the Giants. It's also a movie about facing the giants of life with God behind you and in you. And behind the scenes it's the story of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, facing the giants of the film industry.
Alex Kendrick, associate pastor of media ministries at Sherwood Church had a vision for making Christian moviesAlex sees this model for making movies as a way of sharing Christ with contemporary culture while building the but wasn't sure how his job at the church fit into that vision. God intervened when pastor Michael Catt asked Alex to give him a proposal for making movies.
"When he brought me the proposal," Michael says, "I asked myself 'why can't we do something like this at our church?'" And a new ministry was born.
The movies produced by Sherwood Church, first "Flywheel" and now "Facing the Giants," have been whole-church projects. From funding to labor to acting talent, both productions became a ministry and mission of the church.
Brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick and an all-volunteer crew made "Facing the Giants" for little more than $100K. There were no big stars. No expensive sets. Not even a catering company (Sunday School classes took turns catering on the set). And, here's the real giant, Sony Pictures is putting it in 400 theaters nationwide beginning September 29. Just in time for football season.
faith of people in the church.
"I hope this movie causes people to examine where they stand with the Lord and pursue a closer walk with God, and I pray this will open doors for the Christian community to make more films and impact mainstream culture for Christ."
And even when the film's theater run ends, its impact will continue. With proceeds from the film, Sherwood plans to build a 40-acre recreational park for the community.
This latest movie, while fairly predictable, is still quite watchable thanks to some great football footage filmed by an ESPN camera crew, a feel-good story line-think "Hoosiers" meets "Remember the Titans"-and a moving score.
Synopsis: Grant Taylor, (writer/director Alex Kendrick) a struggling coach at a Christian high school, is trying to turn around a losing team while also facing financial struggles, pressure from parents and his wife's infertility. But, as coach Taylor begins to develop a God-centered view of his role, attitudes of his players begin to change. Relationships throughout the school are mended and students start coming to Christ. But for all its positive tie ups, this is not your typical Christian flick with all the cheap hang-ups (though it did receive a PG rating for "explicit Christian content"). It's a quality family film. You laugh at the right times, and tears are inevitable. When it's all said and done, you'll leave with a feeling that all things are possible with God.
For more info about the movie visitwww.FacingtheGiants.com.
The homeless of Hawaii would seem to be in paradise with the harshest weather a drizzle and the beach their version of skid row. Not so, according to Gary Hamrick, outreach pastor of Valley Isle Fellowship. "We are the ice capital of the world," he says, referring to the island's problems with the drug crystal methamphetamine. "And many of our homeless are families with young children. They're as good as they'll get, but they're not happy. Nobody wants to be homeless."
Because of its high real estate cost ($800,000 for 1,500 square feet), many are working homeless, including public school teachers who moved to the island but can't afford the living expenses.
Following a 40 Days of Community emphasis, members of Valley Isle began planning and praying for an intensive outreach to "Kahului Breakwater Community," the nickname for the homeless community nearby in Kahului Harbor on Maui.
Late last fall, members began flooding the area with acts of kindness. They picked up trash, cleaned up living areas, passed out first aid kits, toiletries, bedding and food and shared the message of Jesus Christ. Children took part in games and activities while parents and others were ministered to by more than a hundred kind folks from Valley Isle.
"This is the largest community outreach project we've ever attempted," says pastor Dick Smith.
In fact, it became a community-wide project with businesses donating most of the supplies and city officials attending just to see what was going on.
It was incredible how receptive the people were to the ministry effort, says Hamrick. "We had bathed this thing in prayer for days," he says. "They're not an easy community to get into, but all their suspicion melted away because of the love of God shown through us."
More than 500 public schools educate the children in northeast Ohio, and it's a ripe mission field says missionary Lora Smith, director of community impact at Cleveland Hope, a strategic initiative of the North American Mission Board.
"I had been working with the Cleveland Board of Education and I asked them 'if you could do one thing in these schools that would transform them what would you do?' One board member said 'I would have churches adopt the schools.'"
So Lora began exploring the possibilities and praying for God's vision.
"I realized that when you adopt a child, you don't just feed him or her every once in a while. You don't just spend one day a month doing things for the child," Lora says. "You become integrated into that child's life. You regularly provide emotional, social and physical nourishment. That's how it should be when a church adopts a school."
Lora tells the story of her visit to a local elementary school and to a third grade class holding a young authors day. Each child sat at a desk covered by a white plastic tablecloth holding a pen and ready to discuss the small book they'd written. She watched the excitement of the children as parents and other adults sat listening to the young authors describe their creations. But she also saw more than a dozen kids who had no one there to visit them.
"What would happen if a Sunday school class at a local church committed to having somebody present at these special events-to be there and care for the emotional well being of these children? Imagine what an impact we'd have on them," says Lora.
In coming months, Cleveland Hope will partner with Tony Evans' Adopt-a-School program to make those ideas a reality. Cleveland Hope also has appointed Jo Anne Anderson, an MSC missionary, to work with schools by ministering to the needs of teachers, students and parents. Jo Anne has been a substitute teacher for six years. "I discovered you can have the greatest impact on teachers if you're regularly in the classrooms."
For more information on how to support the ministries of Cleveland Hope visitwww.clevelandhope.com.
volunteering in missions
"Child of Anshun" | by Tracy Jackson
"I took a trip with Alpha Baptist Church in Morristown, Tennessee, to the city of Anshun in the Guizhou Province in China. I took this picture while doing ministry in the city there. In the image a boy is sitting outside a Buddhist temple begging for food. It broke my heart that all any of our group had to give him were a few pieces of candy."
Photographer Tracy Jackson, who also is a licensed cosmotologist, went on this mission trip to learn the discipline of Chinese massage while teaching Chinese hairdressers the techniques and practices of cosmotologists in the United States. In the process, Tracy was able to share her faith with Chinese hairdressers and with residents of Anshun such as this boy, who is pictured holding some of the candy he received.
Picture This! Find your favorite mission trip image, and send it to On Mission for our 2007 ?PICTURE THIS! photo contest. Winners will receive $100 plus we'll publish ?your photo. Email photos to amiller@namb.net or mail them to On Mission, ?North American Mission Board, 4200 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta, GA 30022. ?Entries due by August 30, 2007.
sharing Christ
Moving season's over. The kids are in school. Your new neighbors are settling into their homes and, much like you, into the even busier schedule of fall. Don't let life keep you from those important relationships where you can share Christ. Here are three simple ways to build and maintain relationships in your neighborhood throughout the year:
www.nambenespanol.net The Spanish version of NAMB.net, NAMB en Espanol provides the latest information for Spanish speakers about the mission in North America and how Spanish-speaking congregations and believers can more effectively reach North America for Christ. Log on for information about evangelism, church planting, volunteering in missions and sending missionaries.
www.nambenespanol.net Este nuevo sitio de la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas provee información para los hispano parlantes sobre nuestra misión para Norteamérica y cómo las congregaciones y los creyentes hispanos pueden alcanzar a Norteamérica para Cristo. Vaya al sitio para más información y recursos sobre evangelismo, nuevas iglesias, voluntarios, y misioneros.
www.marketplaceleaders.org The website of marketplace ministry leader Os Hillman provides devotionals, resources and inspiration for professionals wanting to make a difference where they work. You can subscribe to the TGIF newsletter and receive daily wisdom about impacting the marketplace.
www.icwm.net The website of the International Coalition of Workplace Ministries provides tools and resources such as PowerPoint presentations, articles and other materials that will keep you informed and inspired about doing God's work where you work.
One Sacred Effort (B&H, 2005) by Chad Owen Brand and David E. Hankins chronicles the history, function, purpose and future of the Cooperative Program of Southern Baptists and how the program fits with New Testament teachings. The Cooperative Program organizes and distributes the missions-giving efforts of Southern Baptists, enabling state conventions and national SBC agencies and educational institutions to carry out their tasks with greater effectiveness.
The Complete Evangelism Guidebook (Baker, 2006) edited by Scott Dawson gathers the wisdom of Christian leaders, pastors and practitioners who have years of experience in sharing their faith and have undergone the trial and error process of getting it right. From the soul-searching research of George Barna to the servant spirit of Steve Sjogren, The CEG is a practical companion for any believer's shelf.
Making Change (B&H, 2006) by Ken Hemphill is the third book in a series on Empowering Kingdom Growth. Hemphill provides a step-by-step plan for refocusing the view on financial and other material wealth into a biblical perspective that views wealth as a tool God uses to build His Kingdom and provide for his people. With practical instruction on debt reduction, earning, saving and spending, this six week study reminds us that "God is the owner; people are the managers. When we operate from that mind-set, we avoid the stress in life that keeps us from being kingdom-focused people."
A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics (IVP, 2006) by James Sire provides an introduction to defending the faith the way scripture teaches: humbly yet boldly. Sire presents snapshots of apologetics on college campuses and offers the aspiring apologist wisdom in pursuing further study in the field. It's a good little manual for college students, too.