Strong mainstream acceptance of faith-based movies creating an entirely new industry, says a film insider.

The New York Times in early April headlined its review of the faith and family film, October Baby, as “Film Inspired by ‘Abortion Survivor’ is Quiet Hit.” Quiet indeed, a hit for sure, when it came out just two weeks earlier on only 390 screens and was No. 8 among movies – No. 1 of independent releases – in a weekend that included such big ones as The Hunger Games.

On the weekend of April 13, it added 150 more screens, a fact that had a lot to say about the ability of moviegoers to deal with touchy subjects as abortion, and to see it from the view of faith and redemption.

What is less evident in the success of such Christian-themed films is the role that churchgoers and congregations have been playing with this movie and others like Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and Courageous — all Christian-oriented movies produced by Sherwood Pictures, a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA.

Using action squads
That role of churches is what is called “action squads,” which is a group that commits to purchasing 1,000 tickets in order to make sure the movie plays in their town. The promotion and distribution of films, especially those with Christian themes, have changed since the days of Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ, when the church community was involved in pushing that controversial film.

Kris Fuhr, vice president of theatrical marketing for Provident Films, which marketed October Baby to Christian audiences, explains how they go about reaching a broad audience. “We ask the group to work with their local theater to purchase 1,000 tickets for the opening weekend. Some groups are able to do this for $5.00 a ticket and sometimes they have to pay full price, depending on the theater. An action squad cannot use a ‘dollar theater,’ and the theater must have five or more screens.”

Fuhr says the squad leaders are usually lay leaders who get the support of the senior pastor, who might coordinate with a sermon series or a small group or Bible study on the same theme.

“We have a list of pastors we invite to the pre-screenings we sponsor,” says Fuhr. “Once a church commits to the 1,000 tickets, we allow them to pre-screen the movie to a maximum of 50 folks who need to be from other churches or groups within the community.” Churches are not permitted to pre-screen for their whole congregation.

Power of prayer
There is another “help” in the promotion of films – prayer. “Movies are a hard business, and we pray over everything: the idea, script, production and marketing. We ask God to open doors for us and to close doors that won’t be fruitful,” says Fuhr. “We pray for him to order our steps so that all might be to his glory not to ours.”

Fuhr finds that not all churchgoers want to go to a theater, and would rather view the film at the church. But she says such churches are missing a huge opportunity to reach people. “Many of the folks who most need to hear the message of Christ would hesitate to enter a church, but don’t think twice about going to the movies. You have to go where the people are, just as Christ did.”

For churches who are considering getting into the film business, Fuhr has this to say in the way of a caution: “It’s not for the faint of heart, and a season of prayer would be advised before undertaking such a project.”

Scott Mills of LifeWay Films says much the same thing, but is a bit more encouraging of congregations that want to enter story- telling through film. “I would tell them to go for it. It is a great ministry opportunity for your church. Be patient, find a great story, and involve as many people as you can from your church body.

“While production is important, don’t get too hung up on that. That will come as you do more and more of it. Who knows, you might have a kid in your youth group who is the next great film producer,” Mills says.

Marketing and licensing
LifeWay Films is a unit of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, the second largest denomination in the country, and began its division last October, working presently only in the areas of distribution and marketing, not production or financing of films. They began when they helped engage the church around the Sherwood Pictures film Courageous last year.

Mills describes LifeWay Films’ involvement as one of becoming a part of a film’s marketing team, and given the size of the denomination, that is a major marketing impact. “We also provide licenses to churches so they can legally show films at the church,” he says, and they have about 16 films they license or plan to do so.

“We are committed to providing quality films, not a quantity of films to the church,” he says. “We also create Bible studies with many films so that the impact of the film does not stop with the credits, but moves people from the film right into God’s word.”

He believes the turning point for churches and the production of films came with Sherwood’s Fireproof (2006), but that “there were not many films to follow it in theaters, so we lost momentum. In 2011 there were five faith-based films in theaters: The Grace Card, Soul Surfer, Seven Days in Utopia, Tyler Perry’s Big Happy Family, and Courageous.” October Baby is leading a new group this year.

A growing opportunity
“I see momentum for Christian films and a growing opportunity as films get better. Many churches are still not engaging films because they do not want to invite people to a film that is not a good film,” Mills says. “Time will make the films produced better.”

“More and more people and churches are creating God-honoring content and our culture needs it. God is using these resources to teach people, as a tool to heal marriages, to challenge men to be godly men, and many other aspects.

“The body of Christ needs to support this movement. It is easy to be cynical when the movie does not match the quality of the big multimillion Hollywood block-busters, but we will get there,” he says.

LifeWay’s next film is called Unconditional, which is a story about forgiveness, healing from a loss, and getting out of one’s comfort zone to reach people. It is based on a real life story of Joe Bradford, a man in Nashville who has devoted his life to working with kids in the inner city.

Getting films with a Christian message, however well done and without religious polemics, can be a difficult task. Andy Erwin, who with his brother, Jon, made October Baby, said in an interview that major movie studies turned them down on the film. One Hollywood executive who is a believer and liked the story, turned him down because of the abortion topic.

Investors backed film
That’s why they produced the film independently. “We have several passionate pro-life Christian investors who put up the money for this film,” Erwin says, “and we’re determined to get it out to a nationwide audience.”

One of the film companies partnering with LifeWay films for public screenings and church exhibitions is Destiny Image Films in Shippensburg, PA. Looking at the current trend in faith and family films, most of them are done independent of major studios. Joel Nori, general counsel, says, “The new era of marketing today is really based on personal relationships and a reputation for providing top quality content that has a message, a purpose and support.”

Destiny has worked with three films in 18 months. If churches get into film production, there are some facts of life they need to keep in mind, says Nori. “A feature film has many different revenue streams that contribute to recouping the production and distribution expenditures that allow a film to break even and become profitable much faster than before. Screenings at churches are one of the revenue streams that must be planned for because it impacts several other revenue streams, such as DVD sales, digital sales and domestic licensing sales.

“Churches must consider production budget, distribution partner, filmmaking crew, a myriad of legal obstacles, funding sources, tax incentive programs, geographic locations for filming and how the location is impacted by the various tax incentives,” Nori says.

He sees not a market segment in faith and family, but “an entirely new industry,” similar to the birth of the Christian music industry in the 1980s. And the marketing of these films is changing too: “The days of spending a promotion and advertising budget for airing TV commercials, print ads and web advertising are ending. People follow people, people do not follow corporations,” Nori says.

Calvary Church, a congregation of 500, tells a story of forgiveness.

Can people look past their differences and help one another? A film titled The Grace Card offers an answer. The movie, which opened nationally in February last year, tells the story of two officers from the Memphis Police Department and their journey from conflict to forgiveness.

The Grace Card was produced by Calvary Church in Cordova, TN, in association with Graceworks Pictures, a Memphis production company. It was a practical extension of the vision of our lead pastor, Lynn Holmes, for Calvary Church to be an authentic community.

The inspiration to venture into filmmaking could be credited to Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA. After attending a showing of Sherwood’s movie, Fireproof, in fall of 2008, Dr. David Evans, a Memphis optometrist, began to dream about the potential for Calvary Church to produce its own faith-based film. The Grace Card is our first film project, but having produced a live, full-scale multimedia Easter presentation in the Memphis community for 15 years, we had a base of creativity and experience to support the idea.

Locals in auditions
After God confirmed the project, we began planning in January 2009 and held acting auditions in April 2009. Filming was completed in November 2009. After the initial edits, professional screenwriter Howie Klausner (Space Cowboys) further developed the screenplay.

Calvary Church members and volunteers were involved at almost every level of the production, and several major areas. Actor/comedian Michael Joiner, local Memphian Michael Higgenbottom, and veteran actor Louis Gossett Jr. were joined by Calvary’s own Joy Parmer Moore, Cindy Holmes Hodge and Rob Erickson. More than 50 Memphis churches were represented at the acting auditions. Only two members of the entire cast received remuneration.

The Grace Card was shot entirely in Memphis, with the full cooperation of the Memphis Police Department. Saint Francis Hospital gave us unlimited access to an entire floor of their facility. Local restaurants provided free meals for our crew during shooting, and several churches assisted with snacks, drinks and manpower. Financing of the movie was made possible when Dr. David and Esther Evans borrowed against their business to provide some $500,000 so we could move forward. We were also able to share the premiere of the film with the Memphis community at The Orpheum, a historic theater in downtown Memphis.

International impact
The team at Affirm Films, a division of Sony, and Provident Films, led us through much of the post-production and helped us market the film. The Grace Card is now available on DVD and has a coordinating small group curriculum and devotional book.

The movie has been translated into several languages and released internationally. We continue to hear stories of healing and transformation from all around the globe. The Grace Card has given us the opportunity to demonstrate to our city that we are genuine and passionate as we answer the challenges of a diverse culture. We are considering more film opportunities and outreach to the Memphis community and beyond.

Mark Hodge is pastor of worship at Calvary Church in Cordova, TN. More information about The Grace Card is available at thegracecardmovie.com.

Three congregations are reaching out to those working in the entertainment community.

Churches across America, both large and small, send missionaries around the globe to use their gifts and talents to reach others with the love of Jesus. These churches commission their missionaries and support them in prayer and with finances. They donate supplies and resources and welcome their missionaries back on furlough with open arms, and even share precious time on the pulpit for updates, pictures and prayer. There’s nowhere that they wouldn’t send one of their own — except perhaps to one place: Hollywood.

As the founder of a nonprofit Christian ministry, The Hollywood Prayer Network, and as an active member of the Producer’s Guild of America, I have one foot in Hollywood and one foot in the church — and neither one is easy. I balance my time between apologizing to the church for the immoral programming and behavior of entertainment industry professionals, and apologizing to the industry for the inappropriate comments and behavior from the church. What is the disconnect between these two worlds, and does anyone in the church see it?

The answer lies in our perspective. The church can either view Hollywood as a mine field like Sodom and Gomorrah, where Christians who dare to go there could get chewed up and spit out or might compromise their faith and sell their soul to the devil. Or it’s a mission field like Niniveh, where Christians can go as ambassadors for Christ, ministers of the Gospel to that unique people group and be an instrument to change lives and culture.

A miraculous community
The radical Christians who come to Hollywood have experienced a miraculous community with entertainment industry professionals who are committed believers. These Christian professionals fellowship together and reach out to coworkers and associates. In fact, since January 2012, there are more than 6,000 known Christians in Hollywood, involved in 16 vital ministries, and actively committed to churches that believe Hollywood is indeed the world’s most influential mission field.

There are many churches in Los Angeles that not only welcome members of the entertainment industry, but have specific entertainment industry fellowship groups that meet on their campuses. Three of the more prominent examples are Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, a 112-year-old church of more than 5,000 members, which hosts The Bridge Fellowship class; First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, a 105-year-old church in the heart of Hollywood, which has birthed six entertainment ministries out of its vision for Hollywood; and Bel Air Presbyterian Church, with some 3,000 attendees, more than half of which work in the entertainment industry, which hosts The Beacon, a biweekly gathering of church members who are entertainment professionals.

These churches have recognized the importance of reaching out to the cultural decision-makers and influencers in their own city. They empower their media professionals as missionaries to a mission field that needs prayer, support and resources. Through their entertainment fellowship groups, Sunday School classes and ministries, they gather the creative members of their church to offer prayer support, accountability and friendship.

Six ministries birthed
Dan Baumgartner, senior pastor of Hollywood Presbyterian Church, a church whose past leadership birthed six active Hollywood entertainment industry ministries in the past 25 years, says, “When I came to Los Angeles, I don’t think I really realized the extent of the entertainment industry in Hollywood. Clearly, I knew it was big.  But coming from Seattle, it felt like the equivalent of Starbucks, Boeing, Amazon and Microsoft (all Seattle companies) being in one industry. The impact, just in terms of the number of people employed, is huge.”

Pastor Kim Dorr-Tilley, a talent agent who owns a boutique agency, also holds the unique position of pastor to the entertainment industry at Bel Air Presbyterian Church. “A number of years ago it became clear that more than half of our congregation works in the entertainment field and the industry poses unique challenges to this group of influential people.

“Our leadership at that time began to consider how best to minister to this group, which encompasses all ages, socio-economic levels and ethnicities. They wanted to find someone who ‘spoke the language’ of this people group, who understood the challenges and risks in a personal way, and who could bring a theological perspective to particular questions and circumstances that permeate this industry and its people. Our church leadership concluded that it needed to ‘pony up’ with an ordained position to show its long-term commitment to impacting culture and caring for the people involved in its creation,” Dorr-Tilley says.

Loved regardless
Steve Williams, an industry professional and leader of The Bridge Fellowship at Lake Avenue Church says, “It’s important that the church provides a refuge and a place to receive those from the Hollywood community who are broken and in need of a place where they’ll be loved regardless of their success or failure in Hollywood.”

Why aren’t more churches reaching out to the people who shape our children and our culture? Why aren’t large American churches commissioning creative people and sending them out as marketplace missionaries to Hollywood? It’s simply spiritual battle. The enemy doesn’t want Christians to have influence, or to reach the people who are influencing every people group across the globe.

Therefore, the church has believed the lie that The City of Angels is too scary, too far gone and has giants that are far too big!

The leadership of Hollywood Presbyterian Church never believed this lie. Henrietta Mears had an outreach to Paramount Studios in the 1950s and many people became Christians, including Jane Russell. In 1984 the church launched Actors Co-op, and it continues to produce award-winning plays in two theatres on their campus. Its members are not only union professionals but committed believers.

Baumgartner says, “Since my start in 2010, I have attended nearly every show that Actors Co-op has produced. I love them. And to be honest, I love the very idea of them! The idea that we would have theaters on campus; that the plays have been carefully thought through for content; that people from all over the community would be drawn to the campus and challenged with quality artistic performances, and occasionally with follow-up conversation and thinking — I just love it. I think it honors Christ, and is an open door to people who normally would be very uncomfortable on a church campus.”

Inter-Mission had a 20-year run out of Hollywood Presbyterian, gathering together the community of believers in film, television, music, news and media with speakers, panels, seminars and retreats. Act One was birthed almost 15 years ago and still trains writers and executives to work as Hollywood professionals. Hollywood Prayer Network began in 2001 with Hollywood Presbyterian Pastor Scott Erdman, and it’s still growing its membership of prayer warriors who pray daily for the people in the industry.

Hollywood Connect celebrates 10 years of connecting new believers into our community and offering an exhaustive website containing resources for work, spiritual growth and practical needs. And finally, The Greenhouse, which is 3 years old, is gathering hundreds of industry professionals of diverse faiths on a TV studio lot every month for inspiration, networking and community.

Erdman says, “My hope for our church is to be a springboard for ministry to the entertainment industry, which was taking shape in the 1980s and continues to this day. This was and is a very exciting time as many of our prayers are being answered.”

Now is the time for more churches to join the movement of God in Hollywood. It only takes three commitments: The church leadership needs to recognize that God loves the people in Hollywood; the church must commit to pray for the people who create our culture, instead of ignoring, boycotting or talking against them; and finally, the church needs to commission, pray for and financially support young people who want to come to Hollywood as media missionaries. As more churches join this movement of God, we will experience a cultural shift. And in time, God will bring a cultural revival.

Karen Covell is a producer and founding director of Hollywood Prayer Network in Hollywood, CA. She may be reached at Karen@hpnemail.org or www.karencovell.com

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For more information

Among ministries in the entertainment field:
•    www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org
•    www.hollywoodconnect.com
•    www.actorsco-op.org
•    www.belairpres.org
•    www.lakeave.org/go/TheBridge
•    www.actoneprogram.com
•    www.greenhouseproductions.com
•    www.fpch.org
•    www.A-E-M.org
•    www.lafsc.com
•    www.mastermediaintl.org
•    www.mediafellowship.org

Sherwood Baptist commits to making no-nonsense films to change lives and impact the world.

While hanging out at Disney World with some church staff during a 2001 retreat, Michael Catt couldn’t help but admire the distinctive quality of work and attention to detail that went into every single thing in the park – from landscaping and design to architecture and engineering. The senior pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA, and his team thought: “If a secular company can be this committed to excellence, why can’t the church of Jesus Christ?”

From this challenge was born Sherwood Pictures, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church. It has since produced four full-length movies: Flywheel (2003), Facing the Giants (2006), Fireproof (2008) and Courageous (2011).

The movies have been in at least 75 countries, translated into more than a dozen languages, used by major airlines around the world and shown in prime time from America to the Middle East. Courageous opened in theaters in several countries overseas – a first for Sherwood Pictures. When Courageous released on DVD, it was No. 1 in the retail sales market, which was incredible for a low-budget Christian film.

Jim McBride, executive pastor of Sherwood Baptist, shares with Church Executive some thoughts about moviemaking and how churches can use films to communicate the Gospel without compromise.

After several movie projects, how do you sum up Sherwood’s impact on our culture?

Ultimately, that’s for the Lord to decide. We don’t always see the fruit of our labor. While we’ve heard from tens of thousands of people who have been impacted by the movies, we will never hear from most. Our goal has always been to use entertainment to change lives. We want to present life from a Christian worldview. In my own heart, I was tired of cursing the darkness of this world and felt it was time for us to turn on some lights.

Has Sherwood Pictures accomplished the business goals it may have set from the beginning?

We didn’t have a business plan. It was a step of faith. We don’t approach movies as a way to make money, but as a way to change lives and impact the culture. If you get into movies to make money, you are doing it for all the wrong reasons. It’s about people, not paychecks.

What will you say to other churches who are considering venturing into films?

We are encouraged to see others involved in this aspect of ministry. For too long, the church has given the arts to the world by default. If we want to impact the culture, we have to be involved in the arts. But don’t do it just because someone else is doing it.

I’ve gotten more than a hundred e-mails from people saying they want to make movies. The question is: Has God called them to do that? Another caution: If you don’t have a great compelling story, don’t make a movie.

Cheesy and poorly told stories only hurt the effort to impact the arts. And you’d better have an incredible editor. The reason most movies fail is not poor acting, but poor storytelling and editing. Courageous was edited down to two hours from 136 hours of footage. You have to know how to cut out the parts that don’t really contribute to the story.

If God has called you, do it. But don’t do it to be cool or because you think you might make a buck. If God’s not opening doors, don’t try to push them open. I remember one conversation that went like this. “Pastor, how soon could I tell my investors they’ll get their money back?” I said, “You can’t make that promise. You don’t have any control over that. If you are asking investors to partner with you so they can make a buck, get out of the business now. That’s an unworthy motive.”

Are there ways in which congregations can be involved with Sherwood to engage the culture through the ministry of filmmaking?

We write all our scripts and do not accept scripts or story ideas from outside the team. We have several story ideas in the pipeline that will take us into the next decade if we continue making movies. We do have a DVD/PDF disc that anyone can order from our church bookstore. It has a summary of how we go about making a movie and will give you a rough idea of the process we use.

My best response [to this question] would be this: Where God guides, He provides. You don’t have to chase key men when you know the one who holds the keys. We didn’t set out to get a major studio to embrace our movies. We were in three theaters with Flywheel and hoping for 12 with Facing the Giants. God opened the door for us. I believe it’s because we were a church that was prayed up and in unity. God has been our best marketer, financier and promoter. Others have helped, but God’s been our source.

Unfortunately, some want a system, plan or magic button to push and see all this fall into place. There is no magic formula except trust and obey.

How were you able to tell a redemptive story without compromise while also making it a box office success?

I am opposed to movies that use profanity or play around the edges to try to impress the world. I’m burdened by people who want to make movies to impact the culture with a redemptive story and try to see how much like the world they can be. I remember sitting with someone who wanted to make a “Christian” movie. They told me it would be about a gang and they would need to use profanity, nudity and graphic violence to the get the message across.

I disagreed with them then. I disagree now. My point is, Courageous had a gang and violence and we didn’t play around the edges with any of that and we made it work. The question is: Are you trying to impress filmmakers or are you trying to please God?

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Redeeming the values of mass media

In February this year the “Christian Oscars” were held in Hollywood. The 20th Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry celebrated the faith, family and inspirational films of 2011.

The event brought together movie stars and film producers and gave awards to popular films for what were judged morally uplifting content. It is sponsored each year by Movieguide, founded by media critic and publisher Dr. Ted Baehr. It’s purpose, says Baehr, is to “redeem the values of the entertainment media according to biblical principles by influencing media executives to adopt high standards and by informing and equipping the public, especially churchgoing families.”

“When we started Movieguide in 1985,” Baehr told Fox News, “there were only one or two movies being made with a strong, explicit Christian content or values, but now there are well over 50 each year. Every studio now has a Christian film division, and several studios are doing major movies with strong Christian content.

And now all of the major studios, not just Disney, are making movies for young children and families.”

Movieguide rates films using more than two dozen criteria. This year’s report concludes that seven of the top 10 films of 2011 scored high on its index and therefore qualify as films with “strong or very strong Christian, biblical, moral and redemptive content.” www.movieguide.org

Film producer connects churches that make quality faith-based movies with the best distributors in the industry.

Chris Bueno and his wife, Denise, believe that an inspiring, redemptive film can have the power to transform a person’s life and worldview. In 2009 they founded Ocean Avenue Entertainment in Carmel, CA, a venture primarily focused on the distribution side of the business.

“As a producer, I realized years ago that mainstream distribution channels through major studios like Sony, Fox and others were, for the most part, closed to faith-based productions. The main reason for this is that none of the major distributors thought that a Christian movie could make any money,” says Bueno.

“When The Passion of the Christ exceeded $600 million in theaters worldwide, the studios took notice,” Bueno adds. “Providentially, just before Mel Gibson’s blockbuster was released, I had just started to initiate meetings with major studios in the hopes of establishing key mainstream distribution relationships.”

At the time, there was really nothing else in the production pipeline that was targeted to this underserved audience, according to Bueno. He says this was when he found a little movie produced by Sherwood Baptist Church titled Facing the Giants.
Bueno says that all he saw were a few scenes on Alex Kendrick’s laptop. Kendrick is one-half of the brother-team that directed the film.

“We helped the church by actively working with them on each subsequent rough-cut, getting the film to the point where we could present it to the studios for possible distribution,” says Bueno. After a number of months, Bueno says they finally found the best distributor, in this case Sony and Provident Films. They then negotiated with the studio to get the best possible deal for the producers. After the success of Facing the Giants, Bueno negotiated with Sony/Provident for the release of Sherwood’s subsequent two films, Fireproof and Courageous.

More recently, Ocean Avenue expanded its role to include overseeing the marketing efforts for the films the company represents. Last year, Ocean Avenue released Mighty Macs in theaters and again worked with Sony/Provident in a collaborative way to release the DVD this February.

Telling redemptive stories
When asked what a “redemptive” film means to him and his wife, Bueno says they want their lives and faith to reflect God’s kingdom. He uses the example of working with director David Cunningham. “Our company recently finished the director’s cut of To End All Wars, that stars Kiefer Sutherland. A counselor assigned by the courts in Los Angeles to work with gang members has used this stirring film for the last number of years. She said this movie has been one of the single greatest tools she has used to literally change the cycle of revenge in the hearts of these gang members, showing them the real courage it takes to forgive. When a movie can accomplish that, it is bringing the kingdom of God into our culture and world.”

According to Ocean Avenue’s website, the company’s purpose is to “tell engaging, entertaining and redemptive stories in which truth and hope prevail.”

“We’ve gone to many movies that kept us entertained and engaged but there was nothing redemptive or hopeful about the story. With movies like these you feel like you’ve wasted a couple hours that you can’t get back. At the same time, we’ve watched way too many redemptive films, but because of either poor storytelling or faulty execution, they failed to entertain or engage. For this reason, the most successful films are those that are entertaining in an engaging way and at the same time present a story of redemption that leaves us with hope,” he says.

There have been seismic shifts in the entertainment industry in general in the last few years, Bueno says. “Movies and TV shows streaming via Netflix and Hulu were non-existent 10 years ago and this, among many other things, are dramatically altering the entertainment landscape. As it relates to faith-based productions, we don’t believe we have an underserved audience any longer. Consequently the bar has been raised and people have higher expectations for films that do target this audience.”

Collaboration and prayer
For churches that might have a desire to get into film production, Bueno says, “It’s not as easy as it might look to the outside observer for a megachurch to produce a movie. Alex and Stephen Kendrick, who are pastors on staff at Sherwood Baptist Church, are uniquely gifted at telling engaging stories that really minister. And I don’t believe they could have ever accomplished their objectives without the generous support of Michael Catt, the senior pastor, and Jim McBride, the executive pastor.

“It was also through the members of their church that they literally secured the production funding and cast their movies. Sherwood is also a church that values the power of prayer. Before we negotiated the deal with Sony/Provident for Facing the Giants, every time we went to a studio to pitch the film, there were dozens of people at their church praying for our meeting.”

There are churches working in film, Bueno says, adding that he and Denise are co-producers of a recently completed film titled Not Today, produced by Yorba Linda Friends Church in Yorba Linda, CA. Bueno and his wife were introduced to this project through Brent Martz (writer/producer), the pastor of creative events, and Jon Van Dyke (writer/director), the technical director on staff.

Matthew Cork, their lead pastor, has a passion for abolishing the slave trade among the 250 million Dalits in India. Their church is at the forefront of the fight to abolish slavery and has committed millions of dollars to build schools and provide a Bible-based education for these Dalit children. Given these objectives and to help raise awareness of this issue, Cork commissioned the production of a film that addressed this subject.

“That’s when the church came to us, in the hopes of helping them shepherd the project from concept to completion to distribution,” says Bueno. “We have an innovative plan to platform this film in theaters this fall.” www.nottodaythemovie.com

Marketing to congregations
Some films are especially useful to congregations to educate, inform and inspire their audiences, Bueno says. “Movies like Courageous and Fireproof have proven to be uniquely suited for use in churches, given their strong ministry application. Churches are able to utilize them, for example, to help strengthen marriages or encourage men to become godly fathers to their children. Even though the marketing effort for these films is still extensive, because Sherwood Pictures is now an established brand, they have a tremendous advantage over practically any new faith-based movie targeted to the church.

“In the last 10 years, the major studios have gone to great lengths to try and tap this churchgoing audience. In our opinion, many of these studio films have not been appropriate for a church audience, but that has not stopped them from marketing some of these films in the hopes of boosting the box office results.

“Because of some of these misguided marketing approaches, many pastors have become wary of the marketing efforts for many of these movies. Then there are some films that may be appropriate from a content perspective, but do not entertain and engage as well as they should,” Bueno says. As a result, attempts to market to the church have become more difficult and costly, he adds. “At the very least any marketing effort must incorporate an opportunity for decision makers within the church to view the entire movie.

Ocean Avenue understands these challenges. This is why we believe it is so important to release the best faith-based films. Our objective is to build trust with churches by better serving the needs of their congregation.”

Bueno notes there is a certain amount of criticism of faith-based films that needs to be understood. “One of the knocks we hear quite often is that many of these faith-based movies only preach to the choir – that we should be producing movies that are not so targeted to the church.”

“While I applaud movies like Blindside that are successful in the general market and are also embraced by a church audience, it doesn’t negate the need for movies to also inspire and encourage the church,” says Bueno. “The choir needs preaching and teaching as much as the congregation.”

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Targeting churchgoers

Chris and Denise Bueno also founded WingCinema, a company that provides licensing and resources to show inspiring movies and documentaries in churches. The Buenos plan to premier their first film this fall.

Says Chris Bueno: “There continues to be a genuine need for good quality movies that appeal to a churchgoing audience that are released in theaters. This may not be an underserved audience any longer, but the plethora of these recent faith-based films is still lacking.”

Ocean Avenue, his other company, is developing a slate of high quality faith-based movies that the church family can watch together in their local multiplex. They have a novel way of presenting these movies in theaters, which circumvents the need to advertise to the general market and primarily focuses on the target audience, the church family. “This slate of films will inspire and strengthen the church, and can be a great outreach to the local community,” he says. www.wingcinema.com

Stories have always been a part of the church. In the time of Jesus, stories were primarily used orally to teach and encourage. Today we use cameras to continue this tradition. We hear about many of our stories through word of mouth, and we’ve also created online systems to gather stories from our Austin Stone family. Nearly all of what The Story Team creates are documentaries.

They are films about normal people facing various challenges in their walk with Christ, and our job is to tell the story that the Lord is weaving in their lives. The church has on staff a film editor, a director of The Story Team, and a supervisor who manages the projects and leads the communications team.

Filmmaking is a powerful tool that can breathe life into the local and global body – not to become more insulated or flashy, but as a way to motivate, mobilize, reconcile, redeem and renew the dark places in our hearts and in our world. It is a unique art form that encompasses multiple facets of creativity (written, visual and musical) to create an experience that can be poetic, challenging and inspiring.

Film makes far-off or difficult issues more reachable. It encourages people who are going through trials when they see a film about others suffering. It challenges the church to live in radical obedience.

It presses peoples’ hearts to adopt or support an adopting family and help the marginalized when they see a film about a family that has gone through the hardships and trials of adopting. These are just a few of the ways we’ve seen film encourage, edify and strengthen the local body in Austin, and it’s been amazing to hear of people being moved to action.

Currently, the world is telling better stories than the church because their shots look better, their stories are better crafted, and the time and energy they spend on telling stories is generally blowing the church out of the water.

If the Christian church would invest time, resources, encouragement and energy towards artists, we could begin to see the tide change. We could see the world looking to the church for creativity for the first time in centuries. We could see the art of filmmaking become a powerful tool to glorify God and share the good news of Christ.

— Jeremy Rodgers is film production manager at The Austin Stone Community Church in Austin, TX. www.austinstone.org

Johnny Meier and Dave Stone are actors, directors, screenwriters and founders of Intrigue Films [www.IntrigueFilms.com]; they also star in the new movie One Hit from Home. Adam Hastings is the production and marketing manager at Pure Flix [www.PureFlix.com].

What has changed in the film business where it seems faith-based films are stronger than ever, especially since Passion of the Christ (which seems like a baseline point)?

Johnny Meier: I see a Godly movement happening in the film industry. I feel as if the content of Hollywood films seems to be getting worse and worse (i.e., watch the trailer for Project X), the need for films that offer Christian values and a positive message is ever growing. I think consumers are reaching a point where they are starting to realize that a lot of what Hollywood is producing offers no real value to their lives. Heck, if you are going to give two hours of your life to something it might as well be worthwhile.

Dave Stone: I think The Passion of the Christ portrayed an accurate biblical account of Christ. It was a tough movie to watch because of its inherent content, but a very thoughtful moving piece that touched a very large number of audiences throughout the world! The Kendrick brothers and their ministry at Sherwood Baptist Church have really changed the Christian film industry as well. They are strong Christian men who want to see this world transformed! I believe they are truly guided by God, and they allowed him to use them as a vessel; they press on helping Christian-themed movies change the world. This movement has helped Intrigue Films shape our ministry and has really assisted us in defining our mission of “Changing Culture Through Film.”

Adam Hastings: I think there has been a shift in the heart of Christian artists and more specifically filmmakers. In the past it seems like faith-based films went unnoticed because of the lack of excellence in both production quality and the stories, and that has definitely changed. These types of films also stand out so strongly in a media culture that is incredibly dark and depraved at the moment. I’d like to think that people are craving for something positive deep down.

How would you describe those changes in production, financing, distribution, marketing, and the like over the past few years? Who has been out front on that? Who are some of the “players” in biblically based film entertainment?

Johnny Meier: I think as the demand for faith-based films grows so will the budgets and production values of the films. As a filmmaker, however, I do not feel that you should use budget as an excuse to produce low quality movies. I feel that as Christians we should be striving and pushing harder than anyone else to represent the Kingdom well and we can do that by trying to reach higher with the quality of films we are producing. As far as the players out in front right now, I see it as a two pony race with Pure Flix and Affirm Films out in front of the pack. I feel they are both doing a fantastic job of producing and releasing faith-based films. Also, I feel this goes without saying, but Alex Kendrick really is the trailblazer for all us in this genre of film.

Dave Stone: For us at Intrigue Films, making One Hit from Home was a challenge for sure.  Financing was limited; we had no idea about marketing; we had a few solid production contacts but mainly we had God on our side and the perseverance to never stop the momentum. Then once One Hit from Home was finished, we found an excellent distribution partner in Pureflix Entertainment.  They not only distribute, but produce their own content. They are already a player but give it a few years, these guys will be big!

Adam Hastings: I think the films made by Sherwood Baptist (Facing the Giants, Fireproof) have really paved the way for other distributors and producers to make an impact on the industry. Our distributor, Pure Flix Entertainment, is also incredibly unique because they are the only film studio that is both producing and distributing films. They are currently releasing more faith-based films than anyone else at the moment.

Can you talk a bit about the financing of faith-based films? What makes it possible in what is usually seen as blockbuster amounts of money needed to get into the film business?

Johnny Meier: With God all things are possible.  How else can you explain Facing the Giants being made for $100K and grossing $30-plus million? Fireproof was made for $500K and grossed $60-plus million. Those numbers are staggering and show that if your film has a good message and solid story the potential is limitless.

Dave Stone: It is all about the story. When you have a script that is incredible, the money will come. We look for stories that explore Christian worldviews in their themes. We want the characters to experience the journey just as we have in our own lives, suffering and all. Then, in the end, understanding that we are all redeemed in Christ.

Adam Hastings: The current state of technology gives any creative mind and heart the opportunity to explore the production of all forms of art including film, music and design. It’s really exciting because you no longer have to own expensive equipment and cameras to start producing content.

How are you working with congregations in the premiering or distribution of One Hit from Home? What do you expect from a church in showing the film; how are they chosen in being involved; should churches be taking the initiative in seeking to screen the production?

Johnny Meier: We are working with churches in a variety of ways. Our mission is to “Change Culture Through Film,” and one of the ways we can do that is by making these screenings more than just a movie screening.  We are encouraging churches to turn the screening into a fundraiser for a cause at the church where we donate a percent of the DVDs sold at the screening to the given cause. Most recently we did a really cool one for a girl who wanted to take a mission trip. Churches should be taking the initiative to make a screening happening. It is a great way to get people into church who may otherwise never step foot into a church.

Dave Stone: Initiative is a great thing.  We are setting up church screenings and have an easy system set in place if you want to screen One Hit from Home. Usually we set a screening date about two to four weeks out so you can have sufficient time to advertise. Intrigue Films can provide you with a copy of the trailer to show at your services plus any digital artwork you need for slides, if you would like to bring an actor from the film to your church to sign autographs, etc. This can all be arranged through contacting Intrigue Films directly.

Adam Hastings: Another really exciting element to this “shift” that we’re discussing is that churches are incredibly excited to get behind the movies that are being released. It’s an honor any time a congregation is willing to support a specific film. We’d encourage any willing church to start a movie ministry, and Pure Flix Ministry makes that very easy. Our movie can be purchased for licensing from their website at www.pureflixcinema.com.

How does your film work into your personal worldview and faith?

Johnny Meier: My film work is my worldview. As a writer, I find it hard to separate the two. I just want to find film topics that are true to me and the things that God puts on my heart.

Dave Stone: One Hit from Home is a personal story that means a lot to the production team. We explore themes such as suffering, redemption, father-son relationships and mentorship. This movie really brings a message that speaks to our generation about the forgiveness and redemption of Christ.

Looking at the entertainment (film) business today, how have you seen it change over the past 10 years and what do you think about its future when it comes to faith-based entertainment?

Johnny Meier: The future is bright and vast! I feel that we are only scratching the surface right now on the potential of these films. I cannot wait to see the amazing content that Christian filmmakers offer audiences in the coming years. Coming from a background in athletics, I have a competitive streak in me and I feel that if you are going to do something, you should strive to be the best at it. So, I want us to get to the place where faith-based films are the gold standard of filmmaking and not the other way around. Faith-based films should, and will eventually, be the best films produced.

Dave Stone: We are not going away. In the last 10 years, Christian films have grown in the quality of story, production, and the overall messages that are able to reach much wider audiences.  In fact, there is a thirst for faith-based entertainment.  People want more.  People need more. People are demanding more!  We hear all the time that parents want more movies that they can take their whole family to see.  We try to allow the Christian themes in our films to flow through the movie in order to be used as a vessel to spread the Gospel to the world in an inconspicuous way.

Should some churches be more engaged in film and telling stories in film that goes beyond what they use in a Sunday morning service? Should more look to doing what you are doing, and why should they, or not? How can churches be supportive of the storytelling you are doing?

Johnny Meier: I feel that we all have a call and God uses different people in different ways. I think you need to be true to yourself and the call that God has put on your life. For us, that translates into finding creative ways to share biblical principles and messages. For me, I am always looking for ways in stories to have the audience experience the meaning of the movie through the actions and events experienced by the characters, versus just talking about the message.

If I have heard one ongoing complaint about faith-based films, it’s that we talk too much about the message in the movie versus experiencing the faith journey through plot and character. But, again we have to be real careful when dealing with this because sometimes talking about the message may be needed to get a point across and someone in the audience may need to hear that spoken message. It all comes back to listening to what God it telling you to do.

Dave Stone: An ongoing Christian movie ministry at your church is a great way to engage new members and open discussions about their faith and any issues they have that are holding them back from the faith. When you begin a once-a-month movie outreach, people will know that you are not going away. Your church attendance will grow and the effect your church family can have on the community is limitless.

Members can invite their non-Christian friends to a movie. That’s easy!  When people connect with a film, they have a sense of knowing what the character is experiencing. If they see a main character in a film make a life change, they may believe they can change themselves. It can be empowering. Movies have shaped generations. Jesus told parables, and movies can be visual parables that spread the Gospel message to the world.

The world isn’t always kind to stories or to people like you who tell those redemptive stories. What has been the reception you get when talking about what you do to unbelievers? The press release says you are “committed to changing culture through film.” Big order; what do you see now about our culture and how do you plan to make that impact? A bit at a time?

Johnny Meier: A big order indeed! I feel in terms of pushback toward these types of stories you just have to rest in the fact that you are just walking out the task that God has prepared for you and that he is going to give you the strength needed to face any adversity along the way. Actually, I feel that we need to expect adversity when we are walking in our call, because every person in the Bible experienced it. We are fully committed to our mission and it all starts with the content we produce. I feel it is imperative that we are putting out content that is godly and founded in a Christian worldview. I actually want to see the day that faith-based films become what is “pop culture” instead of movies like Twilight.

What’s the next production you plan to release, and what is its theme?

Johnny Meier: The next script is in the works, although I really don’t want to give too many details out about it right now. But, I can tell you that we are trying to create a faith-based film like nothing anyone has seen yet, so stay tuned.

What other aspects of your work do you want to tell our readers, and what might you say to congregations about their involvement or support?

Johnny Meier: I would just like to tell everyone that this is a team effort. It is up to filmmakers like us to produce the highest quality content possible, but then its up to the consumer to support the content. So, I encourage people who want to see more Christ-centered films produced to show their support. If we want to see the production values of these movies go up, we are going to need the demand from consumers. So, instead of renting Friends with Benefits or No Strings Attached on a Friday night, rent Courageous.

Travis Mann is head of production for Mission Pictures International, founded in 2008, and specializing in high quality family and faith-based entertainment for mainstream audiences worldwide. Mann’s focus in his position is for foreign sales, finance, and distribution, and plans expansion into the finance and production of original content.

The June 2012 issue of Church Executive carries a special section on how congregations are involved in motion picture production, and how Christian film is becoming an expanding and influential part of the Hollywood movie-business. A briefer version of this interview appears in the Editor’s Page of the June issue. Editor Ron Keener interviewed Mr. Mann by e-mail.

What is the focus of your company and why have you personally decided on the faith-based part of the business?

The focus of Mission Pictures International has been to provide a global distribution outlet to producers of inspirational and faith-based films.  As head of production, I’m excited to be working with writers, directors and producers earlier in the process to help create high-quality, appealing content – often by simply helping them avoid the mistakes others (and myself) have made in the past.  I personally enjoy the faith-based part of the business because I find those stories to be the most compelling.  There are no better stories than those focused on someone living out the courage of their convictions against all the world’s obstacles.

Can you expand on what your website says: “tell engaging, entertaining, and redemptive stories in which truth and hope prevail”? How does that work into your personal worldview and faith?

Those stories are out there, and despite what you may have heard, Hollywood writers want to tell them and Hollywood stars want to be in them.  But like a prospector searching for gold, you have to turn over a lot of rocks to find a nugget or two.  My worldview is basically one of free will and free markets.  I don’t believe actors, studios and financiers turn down faith-friendly projects because they have some sort of agenda to deny audiences those types of films.  Rather, I believe most of the time the screenplays simply aren’t good enough to be competitive in the marketplace.

Looking at the entertainment (film) business today, how have you seen it change over the past 10 years and what do you think about its future when it comes to faith-based entertainment?

The changes have been dramatic.  First, there are so many more ministries for Christians who feel called to work in the entertainment industry.  The networking and support system has grown exponentially.  Second, the new technologies have allowed filmmakers to produce pictures at significantly lower costs via high-definition digital video and computer-based editing and post-production systems.  Third, the internet has allowed filmmakers to post their movies online in an effort to reach audiences directly.  These factors have combined to create tremendous growth in both the number of filmmakers and the number of films.  There’s some incredible talent out there and it bodes well for the future of faith-based entertainment.

Explain how you work in the development and production (not distribution) and what your company contributes.

With any project, it always starts with the script.  They say you can’t make a good movie from a bad screenplay – but you can make a bad movie from a good screenplay.  Because the screenplay must be strong to even have a chance at success, we work with producers and writers to shape and mold the script so that it’s competitive in the marketplace.  What I mean by that is, if the screenplay is good enough, agents and actors will respond to the material.  A great story will resonate with them.  It will touch their hearts and souls.  And when it does, they will want to be a part of it.

Is there a place for megachurches to get involved in film production, and if so, in what way? What should they be cautious about in doing so?

I believe there is a place for megachurches to get involved in film production, provided they know and understand their motivation for doing so. Too often, Christians will say that they only want to be involved in a film to tell a story – to reach people – and will deny they have a profit motive.  As a result, they often spend way too much money on the production, overpaying actors, producers, and so forth. Then if the film doesn’t perform, they bemoan their lack of financial success. To my mind, the better approach is to go ahead and be led by your faith, but proceed with extreme financial caution.  Be smart about how you spend your money, and what you spend it on. Attach talent that will allow you to pre-sell certain foreign territories to lay-off some of your risk. Take advantage of motion picture production subsidies offered by certain states. Work with established Hollywood professionals who have great referrals and a proven track record of success – not just a well-known name and a big fee.

What upcoming projects do you have and what can you tell me about it in terms of production, distribution, and development?

We recently signed agreements with two very talented directors for slates of films. The first, Rick Bieber, wrote and directed “The Fifth Quarter” last year, starring Aiden Quinn and Andie Macdowell.  He’s finishing up the screenplay for his next project and when he does, we’ll begin approaching actors for the lead roles.  Our other new deal is with Rob Johnson, who directed “Jada” a few years ago.  We’re going into production on his next project entitled “The Anchor.”  It’s a wonderful, inspirational story about a high school runner who must learn to more fully use his God-given talents in order to overcome a series of terrible tragedies in his personal and family life.

When films like “Courageous” and “Facing the Giants” come out, how can congregations effectively use them in their churches to educate, inform, and inspire their audiences? Is there a marketing function that churches might become engaged in and what is useful and appropriate?

Part of our job as producers is to provide audiences, including churches, with the things they need to motivate them to see and enjoy our films. We work to partner with church and ministry leaders to shape study-guides and background materials so that congregations will know about the film, understand why we think they should go see it, and have an opportunity to learn how the film relates to them as Christians. If we’ve done our job right and the film is good, they will tell their friends. It’s my hope that with Mission’s upcoming slate of pictures, people will not only tell their friends from their churches or Bible studies, but that they’ll also be excited to tell their friends from outside the church.

What can you share about the intersection of faith and culture and Hollywood, that you find important in terms of “truth and hope”?

In my opinion, Jesus was the greatest storyteller who ever lived, and the Bible is the greatest collection of stories ever told. It’s all in there – every topic is covered.  That gives us as Christians a lot of freedom in the stories we choose to tell. Please pray that we’ll have wisdom and discernment in selecting those stories, and hiring the right writers, directors and actors to bring those stories to life. Motion pictures are the most powerful communication tool yet invented. Christians need to be able to use that tool as effectively as any other group, because when done right, a film goes beyond mere entertainment. It can touch your heart.  It can touch your soul.  It can even change your life.

Yorba Linda Friends Church sees the entertainment business as a mission field ripe for harvest.

By now I’m relatively familiar with Hollywood. Entertainment’s hub and hometown is just up the I-5 freeway from Friends Church in Orange County, CA where I serve as teaching pastor. In October of 2010 my wife Tammy and I began to minister to a group of Christian entertainment professionals.

Since founding their group, {l.a.}god, they have been able to disciple an ever-growing collection of people united in filling a void where they saw a “lack of much needed mentorship and protection from the hazards of the entertainment industry.” Out of {l.a.}god’s mass of talent was born a Christian music label, {l.a.}godMusic, whose namesake band released their debut album Shake the Earth in November 2011.

Within 24 hours the album jumped into the top-25 on iTunes’ Christian genre chart. When successful, professional session and touring musicians take up the challenge to live out their faith in the midst of

Hollywood, a small mission is born. When those same musicians write worship songs and now desire to play in churches or other Christian venues, it becomes a transformational ministry. You’re probably asking yourself, “How on earth does this affect me and my church?”

Mission field
A missional church is one that identifies a need, sees an opportunity and launches a strategy to affect culture for Christ. Probably the most influential industry in the world today is the entertainment industry — it is a mission field ripe for harvest.

But it’s also a stronghold and will not be influenced by the faint of heart or those who don’t understand the culture. That poses a challenge, as I don’t work in the entertainment industry: I am a pastor and that is my calling. Rather, Tammy and I partner with people who know Hollywood’s nuances and share a desire to advance Christ’s kingdom.

{l.a.}god and its offshoot music label are examples of what can happen when churches begin to seek out and implement strategic partnerships. This can be with the wealth of creative talent that is present, but often untapped, amongst their attendees or via other partnerships outside of their own membership. The early church was noted for its willingness to take risks and partner with believers in other cities and regions: all with the ultimate goal of advancing his kingdom. We would be wise to follow their example.

Strategic partnerships involve identifying and mobilizing individuals with unique gifts that can manifest themselves for Christ through myriad media and collaborative projects. Every church has a “hidden” opportunity waiting to be discovered. Those opportunities may require that we form alliances outside of our denominations and comfort zones, but the Holy Spirit is always birthing wonderful new ideas and dreams of what is possible with God. It behooves us all to seek the leadership of the Spirit to discern the right cultural fit for our unique congregations.

Congregation did film
Take some of the projects at Friends Church. Recently it completed post-production on a film, Not Today. Making a movie. Being a church. They don’t really seem to go together and yet a few churches have started breaking out and making films.

What resulted was a movie that utilized people within the church (Brent Martz, producer; Jon Van Dyke, writer/director) placed in a strategic partnership with people from without (Mark Clayman, executive producer). It took the church being able to say, “Let’s partner up with people from outside ourselves to make this project happen.” Friends actively sought out and partnered with like-minded individuals who weren’t members and the result was a film that not only entertains, but also reflects Christ’s love and how it can be shown in the context of India’s Dalits.

The film looks at the social realities of the caste system in India and their implications for the people who live under them: not in an airy, theoretical way but in a gritty, in-your-face manner. Now there is a product that raises both social and spiritual awareness. And it wasn’t just people who were “in the know” who got involved around the church — many non-industry churchgoers acted as extras, runners, assistants and donated various props and locales to make the film happen.

Suddenly there’s a product that raises both social and spiritual awareness and incorporates members from the church both with specific talents and who just want to be a part of the project. In the end, all of this culminates in a cinematic ministry for Christ that allows the entire church body to be involved and is driven by strategic partnerships.

Another way Friends Church implemented strategic partnerships was music. Singer/songwriter Caitlin Crosby released a single recently entitled “FLAWZ.” The music video for the song features various people being interviewed about their flaws while Caitlin sings about God’s love in spite of our humanity.

Using music strategically
When Caitlin came to speak at the church about the song as part of a message series, she played it live.

Afterwards, she asked the entire congregation to write their flaws on sheets of paper provided and hold them up for a picture. They did. What resulted was a beautiful moment of vulnerability and togetherness.

The congregation wasn’t necessarily involved in the artistry, but they were a part of its movement.

Friends Church partnered with Caitlin and made that moment — a moment where everyone stepped out and came together as the body of Christ, flaws and all. No small feat at a place like Friends with more than 4,000 weekly attendees.

Friends Church may be a bit of an anomaly – it’s admittedly huge – but at the same time there’s no telling how much of a wealth of talent is in the pews every Sunday until you look.

It would be impossible for me, {l.a.}god, or Friends Church to do any of what’s been done by themselves.

It’s the strategic partnerships we’ve sought out and fostered, with a lot of prayer and faith to boot, which have made any of it possible. Until a church is willing to step out, look around and give partnering outside itself a shot, there can only be conjecture as to how far its ministry can reach.

Phil Hotsenpiller is lead pastor at Yorba Linda Friends Church, Yorba Linda, CA. www.ylfc.org. Contributing to this article was freelance writer Andrew Young.