Your Voice

Faith-based films need box office support

By Michael Foust
Correspondent, The Alabama Baptist

The president of a Hollywood production unit says movie studios are making more faith-based films than they have in the past — but they will continue to do so only if the faith-based audience watches them.  

“It really is … about the community supporting the movies and coming to see the films,” said Glenn Ross, the president of Universal 1440 Entertainment, which is a production entity of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. 

Universal 1440 Entertainment was involved in the production of “Unbroken: Path to Redemption” but also had a hand in mainstream releases such as “The Land Before Time” and “Bring It On.” 

Ross made the comments during a meeting with faith-based media prior to the release of “Unbroken: Path to Redemption.”

“We believe that the faith-based audience wants a better-quality product that’s better produced,” Ross said. “The studios know how to do that, and I think it’s a matter of just letting the studios know we want these movies.”

In addition to “Unbroken: Path to Redemption,” Ross worked with the first two VeggieTales movies.

“We have three more scripts in development right now that are faith-based stories that we’re hoping to be able to make,” he said. 

Blockbuster movies always will be the studio’s “bread and butter,” Ross said. But that doesn’t mean the faith-based crowd is being ignored. In fact, Ross said, it’s the opposite.  

“If you look, whether it’s Universal or Sony or Focus [Features], more and more films about faith are being made because Hollywood has realized that there was an audience out there for it. And more importantly there’s an audience out there that’s craving quality production, quality storytelling,” Ross said. “So I actually think Hollywood is finding its way more toward faith-based films and quite frankly, the more the faith-based community supports the films, the more the studios are going to be encouraged to do it.”

EDITOR’S NOTE—Michael Foust is a media reviewer for The Alabama Baptist. His blog, www.michaelfoust.com, includes reviews of movies and entertainment, as well as faith-based observations about family life and parenting.

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Preventing child abuse

Recently on my blog at ricklance.com, I wrote an article titled “Helping Our Churches to be Safer Places.” This has been a decades-long goal of your State Board of Missions as we seek to help Alabama Baptist churches with child abuse prevention.

For the past several months your state missionaries have been planning a key conference: the “Is Your Ministry Safe?” workshop, which will take place March 26, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., at Heritage Baptist Church, Montgomery. The event is designed for key leaders — both staff and volunteers — in your Alabama Baptist congregation.

Attorney Kimberlee Norris of MinistrySafe will lead the workshop. She is a strategic thinker and expert in legal standards of care related to child sexual abuse. Participants will be taught Skillful Screening Training and Awareness Training to recognize individuals who may not be appropriate to work with children or youth.

I hope many Alabama Baptist leaders will be able to avail themselves of this critical, timely training. State Missionary Lee Wright can answer questions about this event at 800-264-1225, ext. 241, or lwright@alsbom.org.

—Rick Lance
Rick Lance is executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.

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My Jesus Story

Lord what were you thinking?” My first sign of anger since my husband Jerome’s passing in 2009 took me by surprise. 

Not only had a deadly brain tumor interrupted Jerome’s new ministry as director of missions, it had turned our lives into a rollercoaster ride of physical and neurological changes, treatments, surgeries and MRIs giving hope, then disappointment. 

I’d believed God for a miracle. Yet the tumor had taken Jerome’s life after a vigorous battle. My life was shattered. 

In denial I’d pushed aside the “good” expressed in Jerome’s life verse, Romans 8:28. In my outburst, God’s word surfaced: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways” (Isa. 55:8). I, however, wanted to know His thoughts. 

Waiting for an answer I remembered to trust God even in His silence, and healing began. 

In the years following Jerome’s death I’ve come to know Jesus’ presence, love and comfort more deeply. He has supplied financially and relationally, opened new doors of service and helped me learn new skills and tackle new projects. Jesus is always with me, true to His promises, continually working all things together for my good because He has called me to His purpose.

Frances King
Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala.

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Without abortion, there would be no Planned Parenthood because, according to their own president, it is their ‘core mission.’

Russell Moore
President, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, SBC

I do not believe in the idea that anyone with any addiction has a disease and will be an addict for life. I have seen God heal me in this area as well as many others.

John Doyel
CovenantEyes.com

Fifty-four percent of pastors say fewer than 10 people indicated a new commitment to Jesus Christ as Savior in 2018, including 8 percent who had none. 

LifeWay Research
January 2019 survey

Discipleship is the calling of every believer, and it is accessible to every person who comes to your church.

From “Building a Culture of Discipleship”
Building Church Leaders

Annie [Armstrong] was a living example of Colossians 3:23, which says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” Annie took her calling seriously, and she poured her heart and soul into WMU. She worked tirelessly, sacrificing her time and efforts to see WMU succeed — and it worked. Annie’s commitment to the work God gave her resulted in an organization that has impacted thousands of missionaries for more than a century. 

Selah Ulmer
WMU.com

We can and should celebrate God’s faithfulness in joy and thanksgiving, but … joy and thanksgiving can become exhausted, even cynical, when we  disregard the more “negative” emotions in the Christian life. Indeed, more than a few have turned away from the faith altogether because they felt it had no place for their feelings of hopelessness, anger and fear.

J. Todd Billings
“Can Anger at God be Righteous?”
Christianity Today 

This is an “all hands on deck” and “all family members on their knees” moment for the Southern Baptist Convention. I commit to offer my hands, bend my knees, humble my heart, and open my ears. And I pray we will each do so in order for the hurting to be loved, children to be protected, churches to be strengthened, and Christ to be exalted.

Mike Stone
Chairman, SBC Executive Committee

With children we sometimes use the five finger prayer. Each digit reminds us to pray in certain ways. Beginning with the thumb we Praise God. The second finger tells us to Confess Sins. Next is a reminder to Thank God. Pray for Others goes with the fourth finger. Lastly with the tiny finger we Pray for Me.

Kaye LeCompte
Children’s Director, Providence Baptist Church, Opelika, Ala.

Our hearts go out to those who lost their lives in the storms that hit Lee County. 

Kay Ivey
Governor of Alabama

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From the Twitterverse

@ricklance

Praying for the many who lost loved ones in [March 3] storms. Praying also for the Yellow Shirt Army of Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers as they minister to hurting people.

@WhiteHouse

President Trump’s message to those affected by the tornadoes in the Gulf states: “We grieve by your side and we pledge our unwavering support to help you rebuild from the very depths of this horrible tragedy.”

@kevinwilburn

Envy poisons your judgment.

@RELEVANT

This is what Lent does: It allows us to see the parts of ourselves we’d rather leave covered up. It asks us to drag our full self into the light of day no matter how dark it may be.

@pastorTstawp

Im not going to post the video of students from Spain Park HS in Hoover, AL making anti-Semitic & racist comments. But it’s horrible!! Its a small glimpse of why we need to preach a gospel that addresses racism, ethnic supremacy, beauty in diversity & more. Church Stand Up!

@C__Truett

If I share the good news with many, some will believe! Be a sharer!!!! Who will you share Jesus with today?

@TrevinWax

Failure to see the grandeur of God squashes our hope in what He can accomplish through us. A distorted vision of God leads to a diminished view of ourselves. In the end, we no longer think we are capable of doing what God has called us to do.

@AlabamaChildOrg

OXFORD || Area Director for Northeast Alabama, Amber Albright, says, “They strive every day to provide hope and wholeness to those who feel hurt and broken and, without them, our work could not be complete!” #SOCIALWORKMONTH #socialwork #fostercare #OxfordAL

@ValleydaleSBC

How many blessings can you count in 60 seconds? God has given his children every good thing. Take a few moments to express your thankfulness.