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I Am Second, a global storytelling organization, today released a new White Chair film featuring America's Got Talent Golden Buzzer Recipient Michael Ketterer, the singer and father of six who captured America's hearts with his soulful voice and personal story.
Ketterer performed James Bay's "Us" on last night's America's Got Talent live show, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd and moving judge Simon Cowell to tears.
"Michael, look, oh gosh, as a dad, I get why ... I can't imagine what you've done and the fact that you're on the show and you really need this, and you're a really, really special guy, and I don't know, there's something about you," said Cowell after last night's performance.
Judge Howie Mandel agreed, saying, "You deserve to be here. This is not a sob story. This is a happy story. People should be led and inspired by who you are and how you are."
In the I Am Second film released today, Michael sits with his wife Ivey to share about his experience auditioning for the reality television program and more about the journey of growing their family through adoption.
"The moment I stepped out onto the stage, it was just extremely special to get to perform a song to my children in front of the world, and I got to tell them how much I love them," said Michael in the film.
While Michael and Ivey admit they never expected to be parents, they now have six children, five adopted out of foster care.
"When we went into foster care they were like, 'What do you have to offer?'" said Ivey. "I was like, 'I have two things I can offer children. I have time, and I have love.'"
In the I Am Second White Chair film, the Ketterers share details of their sometimes difficult journey of growing their family, which included saying "yes" to the unexpected and trusting God. To watch their unique and powerful story, visit iamsecond.com.
Originally released in 1979 by Billy Graham's Worldwide Pictures, Joni tells the story of a young Joni Eareckson Tada, injured in a diving accident at age 17, and her journey of faith as she came to understand how her quadriplegia could be used by God to draw others to Him. Subsequently translated into 15 languages and shown in countries around the world, Joni is about to receive new life as it is digitized and premiered at a red carpet event at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, California, on Aug. 6, 2017— just over 50 years since her accident.
The premier is part of a celebration of God's faithfulness to Tada through 50 years in her wheelchair. Joni and Friends International Disability Center is partnering with the church to host the event, which will include representatives from the southern California film industry as well as leaders from area churches who will be honored for reaching out to individuals with disabilities and drawing them into the church—a key mission of Joni and Friends. Along with Tada, others involved in the making of the film will be in attendance, and Tada will share her reflections of starring in the movie in conversation with host and emcee, Senior Pastor Shawn Thornton.
"Doing the movie wasn't the smooth, easy process I thought it would be, but I learned a lot, including that the closer I got to Jesus, the more I found out who I was supposed to be," Tada said. "It had always been my prayer that as people witnessed the struggle of a young girl coming to terms with her hardships and gaining trust in God, hundreds of thousands would embrace Jesus Christ for the first time. I pray this digitized version of the film will have the same impact on a new generation."
The evening will begin with an invitation-only reception before the film premiere itself, which will begin around 6 p.m. All attendees will have the opportunity to walk the red carpet as they enter the church. Following the screening, Tada will greet those in attendance and discuss the film as well as the ongoing ministry of Joni and Friends and churches like Calvary Community, which have done so much to share the gospel with individuals with disabilities.
"We are so excited and humbled to be a part of this special screening, and the occasion to honor all that the Lord has done through Joni and the ministry of Joni and Friends, far and above the original film's release," said Calvary Community Church Senior Pastor Shawn Thornton. "We are grateful to be one of many churches involved in disability ministry, working alongside Joni and Friends to ensure that individuals with disabilities in our communities are sought out, welcomed and valued in our congregations."
Joni and Friends President and COO Doug Mazza clarified the reason for the festivities surrounding the digitized film's Premiere: "While most people wouldn't celebrate their 50th anniversary in a wheelchair, we see this event as a true celebration of Joni's life, and all that God has accomplished through her ministry because of her 50 years as a quadriplegic. So we thought this timing for the 'Joni' digitization and red carpet premiere couldn't be better, and we wanted to mark the occasion with fanfare as well as recognition for others who have been used by God in disability ministry, including our great friend Pastor Shawn Thornton."
Joni and Friends contracted with Fotokem to complete the digitization, and has exclusive rights to show the film for one year, before Worldwide Pictures assumes distribution rights.
"We appreciate our friends at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for their cooperation on this project, and look forward to seeing how Joni's story will be further used to reach people for Christ," Mazza added. "I have seen some clips of the digitized film and it is beautiful; I pray even more people will be able to view the movie and be impacted by this new, enhanced version."
For more than 38 years, Joni and Friends has worked to accelerate ministry to the disability community around the world, offering a wide array of life-affirming ministries, including the Christian Institute on Disability; Wheels for the World; international radio and television programs filled with inspirational stories; and Family Retreats, where families affected by disability learn they are not alone. For more information, please visit http://www.joniandfriends.org/.
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These Christian influencers are the latest to join the drumbeat of calls to Congress to protect the international affairs budget. (Public Domain)
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Hope Through Healing Hands and the ONE Campaign hosted 10 Christian artists, pastors and other faith leaders in Washington, D.C., on May 17 to conduct meetings with members of Congress and their staff and share their concerns about the devastating effects that could result from President Trump's severe proposed budget cuts to foreign assistance. Participants in this "Christian Influencers Advocacy Day," include artists Jennifer Nettles, Steve Taylor, Matt Maher, Dan Haseltine and Brandon Heath, and Pastors Bob Griffith, Brandon Tubbs and Josh Rouse.
These Christian influencers are the latest to join the drumbeat of calls to Congress to protect the international affairs budget. In February, more than 120 retired generals signed a letter warning that cuts to foreign assistance, even while increasing military spending, would not make the country safer. In March, over 100 Christian pastors, leaders and artists signed a letter to Congress asking them to oppose the proposed cuts as their moral responsibility. Signatories included Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Rev. Dr. Samuel Rodriguez, both of whom prayed at the president's inauguration.
That foreign aid helps ensure our national security while also protecting the most vulnerable populations is one of the arguments the leaders will make with congressional representatives on "Christian Influencers Day," in hopes of preserving foreign assistance funding at FY17 levels.
They will use similar language as that sent to President Trump in this recent letter from faith leaders:
"If we can protect the lives of mothers and children, we can intervene not just to save lives but to establish a foundation of health and wellness to uplift communities, societies, and nations out of extreme poverty.
"Beyond our calling to care for the world's poorest as a moral or economic commitment, this is also in the best interest of our national security. We know that development is a critical prevention tool that protects nations from becoming fragile and failed states that are ripe breeding grounds for violent extremism and terrorism.
"Supporting foreign assistance isn't just the right thing to do; it's the smart thing to do."
Similarly, the letter from a group spearheaded by World Vision and sent to Congress, reflected more of these thoughts:
"Matthew 25 tells us when we serve the least of these, we are serving the Lord. As people of faith, we cannot turn our backs on those in desperate need. We are grateful for America's global development and diplomacy programs that have been instrumental in saving lives, safeguarding religious liberties, and keeping America safe and secure. Both Republican and Democratic administrations have strong legacies of supporting humanitarian and development programs that enable countless people to pull themselves out of poverty and live life with dignity. It is through these diplomatic and development tools that we've seen countries and communities build peaceful, productive societies that do not turn to violence or terrorism."
"More than 50 percent of Americans still believe that our foreign assistance amounts to 25 percent of the U.S. budget. In actuality, it is less than 1 percent," said Jenny Dyer, Ph.D., executive director of HTHH. "If Congress accepts President Trump's 28 percent cut to foreign assistance, the historic progress we have led over the past 25 years to halve poverty, preventable, treatable diseases, and the deaths of mothers and children will halt. The world will become less safe at home and abroad."
Tom Hart, the ONE's North America executive director echoed Dyer. "Our foreign assistance programs are among the few places in the government where funding translates to lives saved. Cutting foreign aid would put in jeopardy those who depend on life-saving assistance like anti-retroviral medicines for HIV/AIDS, food assistance for those in famine, bed nets for those fighting malaria, and anti-corruption measures. These programs have had strong bipartisan support for generations and we're going up to the Hill to ensure it stays that way."
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The Profound Faith Propelling California's Most Famous Burger Chain
I Am Second, a storytelling movement meant to inspire others, today released a short film on IAmSecond.com featuring Lynsi Snyder, president of In-N-Out Burger. The film, which is part of I Am Second's White Chair Film Series, provides a rare look into the past struggles and present success of the very private owner of the 318-store burger chain.
In the film, Snyder discusses her late father and his profound influence on her life, and how his early and tragic death impacted her own relationships.
"My dad was really funny. He was a little bit eccentric. Loved to make people laugh; loved to laugh at himself," Snyder said. "He spoke to me like I was an adult when I was four years old. Somehow he had wisdom and discernment that I was going to be exposed to so many different things in life, and I was going to need that straightforwardness and honesty."
But Snyder's memories of her father also include the sorrow of visiting him in rehab and the pain of her parents' divorce.
"It was really hard for me to see him fail ... I knew how badly he wanted to be a good husband and a good father," she said.
After his death, Snyder could not bear to be alone. She married at 18, and when that marriage failed, she briefly turned to pot and alcohol to mask the pain of the lost time and love she had had with her father. She searched for love and respect but instead found herself in relationships with men who mistreated and cheated on her. Feeling more isolated and less worthy than ever, she responded to the pain and neglect with adultery of her own, behavior that only deepened her despair.
Grateful now for the lessons offered by those dark times, in the I Am Second film Snyder describes how it was only when she found her true identity and strength in Christ that she was led to her loving, God-fearing husband and to her commitment to live with purpose, sharing knowledge of His love with others to help them transform their lives as she was transforming hers.
In keeping with her belief that media and public attention should be focused on her company rather than on herself, Snyder's interviews are usually centered on her business or her non-profit foundations. This is one of the few times she has discussed the very personal aspects of her life and spiritual growth.
"I wanted to share hope with others, the knowledge that God can turn anything—broken lives, heartbreak, anything—to good," Snyder said. "I felt this was the time and place to be transparent and to tell the truth. Sharing my story might help others; I know it has helped me."
To see where Snyder's journey has led her today and to view her full I Am Second film, visit http://www.iamsecond.com.
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Former 'American Idol' Contestant Reveals Dark Secret in New Film
Jason Castro, who gained fame after placing fourth on season seven of American Idol, opens up publicly for the first time about a deep, dark secret that nearly destroyed his marriage in a new White Chair series film released today on iamsecond.com.
This is Castro's second film with I Am Second, having been one of the first individuals featured on the website when it launched in December 2008. In this new film, Castro speaks transparently about his addiction with pornography and the wreckage it created in his life.
"Having a secret just eats at you like so much. You feel like a liar the whole time," said Castro.
While taping American Idol kept him busy, a sense of loneliness set in after, and Castro ran toward porn to fill the void. What began as a small, every-now-and-then practice quickly grew into a daily dependency.
"By the time I was on tour, I was looking at stuff every day, multiple times a day," Castro said. "This addiction was really bothering me. It was bringing me down. It was keeping me depressed. I wasn't sleeping at night. I would stay up all night out of shame and then go back to my thing. The addictive cycle ... I couldn't stop."
Though Castro had a serious girlfriend at the time, his addiction manifested itself beyond the computer screen into real life when he slept with someone else on tour. "I found myself doing something I'd never come close to with my girlfriend, my future wife. We had barely kissed and here I had slept with somebody I barely knew," he said.
Castro hid the secret from his then-fiancé for four months before he finally confessed. The couple called off their engagement, but four months later reconciled. They married Jan. 2, 2010.
His wife told him if he ever looked at porn again, they would divorce, but Castro eventually discovered the pull of his vice was too powerful.
"I would wake up every morning and my heart would start racing, and I would want to go look at porn. Look at porn and then go start the day. Then be the happy, good husband," Castro said.
For reasons unbeknown to his wife, the couple began to grow apart. Eight months into marriage, they were invited to a 12-step support group at church.
Hearing the raw stories of others' struggles filled Castro with an overwhelming sense of hope that he wasn't alone. After a couple of months of attending, he finally confessed in front of the group and his wife about his addiction. But it wasn't until one night when Castro finally disclosed everything to his wife and revealed his true self, that he found healing.
"That is when everything started to change, because I started feeling freer," Castro said. "I always believed in God but didn't really trust Him with everything. I thought this thing was too dirty, too dark to share with anybody, but once I trusted Him, we started the road of living a godly life, living in community and being known. It feels good to be known."
Castro eventually removed every outlet and potential hazard that might aid his temptation. Through accountability with friends and openness with his wife, he has found freedom from his addiction. Today, he and his wife have two children.
"This struggle might never go away. It's part of my flesh, but I've been able to overcome it really," said Castro. "This is the real miracle. That I'm able to have a family right now, married to my wife and a better relationship than either of us ever imagined."
3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!
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The creators of Masterless, a movie that mixes problems from the 21stcentury with imagery from feudal Japan to tell a timeless story of faith, have launched a YouTube channel to help viewers gain an greater understanding of how the film can be used as a tool to discuss challenging concepts of faith.
The launch of the YouTube channel coincided with the home-entertainment release of the film. The DVD can be purchased at Walmart stores or ordered at amazon.com and christiancinema.com. Movie fans also can watch the film via streaming video on iTunes and video on demand on DISH TV, DIRECTV and Comcast, among other outlets.
Each episode is narrated by Masterless star Adam LaVorgna (7th Heaven, Brooklyn Bridge) and concludes with a series of discussion questions designed to engage those who may not practice the Christian life.
"We wanted to do this because of the allegorical nature of the story," director/writer Craig Shimahara said. "When people of faith understand the symbolism, the movie and the YouTube channel together become a meaningful resource."
Masterless has received high praise at independent film festivals, including being named the "Best Overall Feature" at the 2015 Fort Worth Indie Film Showcase.
LaVorgna plays the dual role of two lost souls searching for meaning: Kane Madison, an architect in Los Angeles whose master is his work, and his spiritual counterpart, an 18th-century Ronin, a samurai with no lord or master, who is wandering a netherworld of masked demons and Japanese swordsmen.
On his journey, the Ronin encounters many obstacles, including a mysterious madam played by Kaho Minami, a well-known Japanese actress and the wife of actor Ken Watanabe, in her first English-speaking role.
The film is Shimahara's first full-length feature, and he sets the contemporary story in the competitive world of architectural design, a field he knows intimately as the owner of an architectural illustration firm, Shimahara Illustration, in Los Angeles.
Shimahara Illustration produced all of the visual effects for the film. A team of more than 30 artists in three time zones worked for a year to digitally create all of the "Spirit World" backdrops for more than 600 green screen shots.
The filmmakers discovered the Japanese armor worn by the characters in the film at the Warner Bros. wardrobe storehouse. It was originally designed for the 2003 epic,The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise and Watanabe.
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A still from Ray Comfort's film 'Audacity.' (YouTube)
Ohio Factory Worker Fired For Recommending Faith-Based Film to Lesbian Co-Worker
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Producers of the recently-released faith-based film Audacitywere contacted last week by Chris Routson of Middletown, Ohio, who wanted to share with them his story of recommending the film to two lesbian co-workers and subsequently being fired after 13 years as a well-regarded employee.
"I have had good reviews from my supervisors for the past 13 years at my job, and I have always been outspoken about my faith to other employees and have never had any problems up until the last week of my employment," Routson said.
Routson was told that he was terminated not because of his faith, but for making his co-workers "uncomfortable." He was first told to stop doing this after he friended one of his lesbian co-workers on Facebook, and recommended the film Audacity to her on his own time from home.
She didn't seem bothered by this, but the next day Routson was informed he had made a co-worker uncomfortable and he was to stop. He said that he couldn't stop sharing his faith, and his supervisors said it wasn't about his faith, just about making co-workers "uncomfortable."
Two days later, Routson shared his personal testimony with a different co-worker, telling her "Every new person I meet I want to share the gospel with them and if they still want to be my friend then I have gained a friend."
Later he recommended the film Audacity to her and she never seemed uncomfortable or like she didn't want to discuss the topic with him, even sharing about her own family discussion on homosexuality.
It was not long after this that Routson was called into his manager's office and told that he was making an employee uncomfortable and would need to go home. He was told to report the following morning at the usual time, but then was called early the next morning to come in several hours later. Upon his arrival, he was terminated, asked to take his belongings and leave immediately. Routson is seeking legal counsel.
Whether the recommendation of the movie Audacity itself is what made Routson's lesbian co-workers uncomfortable or not, that was never the filmmakers' intention.
"Audacity was produced particularly to show that Christians don't hate homosexuals," Executive Producer Ray Comfort said. "We deliberately didn't stereotype or vilify homosexuals even slightly. Before it was released, one reviewer said that it had the potential to bring reconciliation between the LGBT and Christians."
In fact, Comfort has received positive feedback from two members of the homosexual community who have already seen the film:
"I am a lesbian. I watched your movie Audacity on YouTube. Very powerful. Thank you for not hating us."
"I have to say, as a gay woman who watched Audacity, I agree that the topic was handled with love and compassion which was refreshing to see..."
Since Audacity is now freely available online at www.AudacityMovie.com, viewers can decide for themselves whether or not they think the film would be worth firing someone over—especially a 13-year employee with two kids at home.
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Creationist Ken Ham Goes Toe to Toe With Arkansas Over Noah's Ark
Answers in Genesis' Ark Encounter phase 1 (YouTube)
Answers in Genesis (AiG) filed a motion in federal court this morning seeking an injunction against Kentucky officials who it believes are discriminating against AiG's Ark Encounter theme park development. The park, which is being built around a life-size recreation of Noah's Ark, is scheduled to open in Williamstown, Kentucky, in 2016.
With the injunction, AiG is asking the court to allow the Ark project to participate in a state sales tax rebate, even as its religious discrimination lawsuit proceeds. The motion today seeks to override the blocking efforts of Gov. Steven Beshear and his tourism secretary and send the incentive application directly to a state tourism board (the Tourism Development Finance Authority), where the ultimate approval for a tax rebate is given.
AiG is asking the court that its rebate application be treated by the state as it would one filed by a non-religious group and go through the approval process without being blocked. The Tourism Authority had already given preliminary approval to AiG's application, but when secularist groups around the country vigorously protested, the governor and his tourism secretary, Bob Stewart, bowed to the pressure and kept the application from being voted on by the Tourism Authority.
AiG and its affiliates, Crosswater Canyon and Ark Encounter, filed their civil rights lawsuit Feb. 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. The suit shows that Sec. Stewart and Gov. Beshear are engaging in unlawful religious discrimination by "wrongfully excluding the plaintiffs from participation in the Kentucky Tourism Development Program simply because of who the plaintiffs are, what they believe, and how they express their beliefs."
Although the popular rebate program has allowed many other tourist attraction developers to qualify for a gradual rebate of a portion of the new state sales taxes their projects generate, AiG's lawsuit explains that its application for the program has been blocked by state officials simply because of: 1) the Ark project's religious messaging; and 2) the intention of AiG to utilize religious preferences in its hiring for the project.
"The state gave us no choice but to bring this legal action," said Ken Ham, AiG president and the visionary behind the new theme park. "We, along with our attorneys, tried for many months to show these officials why their actions are blatantly violating our rights under the federal and state constitutions, as well as the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Kentucky Civil Rights Act. The law is crystal clear that the state cannot discriminate against a Christian group simply because of its viewpoint, but that is precisely what is happening here."
The video features Ham and constitutional law attorney Mike Johnson. Johnson is the chief counsel of the non-profit public interest law firm, Freedom Guard, and is serving as co-counsel in the case pro bono, with Nate Kellum, chief counsel of the Center for Religious Expression. The firm of Taft Stettinius & Hollister is also serving in the case as local counsel. The video also includes clips of a 2010 Ark Encounter press conference, at which Gov. Beshear originally expressed his enthusiastic support for the Ark project.
"Every American should be concerned with this kind of overt government discrimination, regardless of their individual perspectives on the Bible," said Johnson. "When such an unconstitutional state action goes unchallenged, it sets a dangerous precedent for all other religious and minority groups. If our freedom of religion is not vigorously defended, it will be taken away."
- See more at: http://www.charismanews.com/us/49366-creationist-ken-ham-goes-toe-to-toe-with-arkansas-over-noah-s-ark#sthash.fqoeR6mR.dpuf
