Faith Entertainment Brings Scripture, Music to Screens and Stages
Faith entertainment offerings this month stretch from a brick-built lions’ den to a survival series, two music-driven films, and a concert tour that its evangelist called a revival.
The projects differ widely but none hide their Christian purpose. Take a look at the “news brief” style short updates Metro Voice has put together this week.
Bible Lessons Click Into Place
Sean Sutton’s Bible Bricks began with a problem familiar to many youth leaders: His students were more interested in building an Old Testament tabernacle than listening to him teach.
Sutton, a longtime fan of LEGO sets and video games, saw an opening.
“Jesus taught with parables and object lessons, because he knew the power of visual learning,” he said.
His first Kickstarter campaign raised $245,763 from 1,699 backers, far above its $10,000 goal. The independent company’s LEGO-compatible sets include the Tabernacle, Sanctuary and Messiah.
Its newest and most ambitious project, Daniel and the Lions’ Den, has 1,723 pieces and a trap door that drops Daniel among the lions. The campaign had raised more than $195,000 by mid-August.
Forrest Frank Tour Ends With Gospel Response
Forrest Frank’s 29-city Jesus Generation Tour drew more than 519,000 people to arenas and stadiums, according to tour producer TPR. Yet pastor Jonathan Pokluda said the response to the Gospel mattered more than the crowd count.
“I watched more than 50,000 people begin a relationship with Christ,” Pokluda wrote on Instagram. “Revival isn’t something I read about anymore. I saw it.”
Pokluda, pastor of Harris Creek Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, preached at tour stops and said as many as 5,000 people responded on some nights. Those figures are his ministry’s count and have not been independently audited. The tour concluded Aug. 1 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
‘The Chosen’ Heads Into the Wild
Bear Grylls takes “The Chosen” actors off the set and into canyons, rivers and forests in “The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls”, now streaming on Prime Video.
The six episodes feature Jonathan Roumie, Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel, Noah James and Luke Dimyan, along with series creator Dallas Jenkins. The cast faces skydiving, rappelling and other outdoor tests while talking with Grylls about faith, fear and failure.
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Grylls said those conversations come naturally outdoors.
“You go and climb a mountain with someone and watch the sunset, you probably all experience it,” he told Crosswalk Headlines. “You chat about stuff, the real stuff in life.”
Petra Songs Return to Theaters
The music of Christian rock pioneer Petra supplies the soundtrack for “Beyond Belief,” opening nationwide Aug. 28.
Set in the 1980s, the film stars Carson Lueders as Andy, a teenage rocker grieving his father and chasing stardom. A mysterious voice telling him to “run” sends him on a journey that tests his ambition and faith.
Lueders, 25, said Petra’s catalog helped him appreciate the band’s influence.
“It’s cool trying to bridge that gap to now show the younger generation who Petra is and what this music is,” he told The Christian Post.
The film includes Lueders’ new recording of Petra’s “One Life” and three original songs. Petra founder Bob Hartman and singer John Schlitt have endorsed the project.
Michael W. Smith Cautions Worship Leaders
Michael W. Smith is celebrating classic praise songs while warning that worship can become too focused on the people holding the microphones.
“We have to be careful that this thing is not celebrity-driven,” Smith told The Christian Post. “You watch social media, and it’s just a little me-focused.”
Smith and Darlene Zschech are executive producers of “House of Worship,” a concert film arriving in more than 400 theaters Aug. 23. The production gathers 25 Christian artists, including CeCe Winans, Matt Redman, Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes and Israel Houghton.
The film pairs generations of performers on songs such as “Shout to the Lord,” “The Heart of Worship” and “Agnus Dei.” Smith said a worship leader’s task is to “kind of disappear” and make room for God to meet people.
“These songs are full of hope,” he said.
#FaithEntertainment #ChristianMusic #ForrestFrank #TheChosen #MichaelWSmith
–Metro Voice and our in-house News Research Assistant
