Work Locally but Think Globally

When I started writing my new book The Red Pill, I was convinced that raising up media missionaries to Hollywood was the answer to changing the media culture. But God showed me this is only part of the answer. You are the other part because you can be a media missionary to your friends, family and local church. We all are part of the answer in solving the media culture crisis. Without media missionaries at the local church level, nothing will change. Yes, it may be possible to send a few media missionaries to Hollywood, or a few more people may pray for Christians and non-Christians working in the industry. But that will result in no significant change without your participation at the local level. The local media missionary is just as important as the media missionary working in Hollywood.

You probably think there’s nothing you can do or offer. But think again. You don’t need a film degree or any experience in helping to make a difference. There are things you can do today that require little or no resources that can make a big difference in the lives of young people in your church or community. It’s just a matter of getting started and taking a few small steps toward a greater goal. If we want to change the entertainment and media industry and our culture, our best strategy is to work locally but think globally. 

What can you do ?

Read my book The Red Pill. This is not about selling books but about real answers. Each day read the five core principles and commit to 5 to 30 minutes of prayer. Ask God for wisdom and discernment concerning the five core principles. Ask God to reveal his plan for Hollywood and the entertainment industry. Pray that God will give you a vision for media. Keep a log of all the ideas God gives you.

Commit to praying for Hollywood and the entertainment industry every day. Remember you can keep it simple by praying any where at any time. Just a few minutes is a start.

Start a prayer group that prays for Hollywood and the entertainment industry. This can be done in your home without getting your home church involved. Just invite a few friends over. Also HollywoodPrayerNetwork.com can be a great resource for current prayer requests

Start a film night. You can do it at home or in your church. We have a list of film recommendations on our website. Most people love movies. It’s a great way to start a discussion. We will provide the study guides. Just screen the film, ask a few questions and see what happens. It is a great way to have a dialogue with friends and family who don’t go to church. It can be a lot of fun and a great social outreach with spiritual benefits.

Start a dialogue with your church about the five core principles Does your church have a vision for media? You have influence and can be “boots on the ground”. Does your church see Hollywood as a mission field? Is anybody praying for Hollywood? Has your church ever raised up media missionaries? Is your church providing financial support to any media ministry or media missionaries? These are questions that you can put on the table. The discussion starts with you.

Seek out Christians in your church who work in the media in your hometown. They could work for the local TV station or production companies. See if they would be interested in coming to your film night to speak to your group. Perhaps, they may be interested in joining your prayer group. Take initiative and get them involved.

Take it upon yourself to find young people who have a passion for Christ as well as for film and media making in your church. Talk to your youth pastor about how they are helping and supporting these young people. Are they encouraging or guiding them in the pursuit of their passion? If you have a media ministry at your church, are they involved? You would be surprised that most churches that have an extensive media program do not have high school students involved. Encourage them to mentor the youth.

Start a mentor program in your church. Connect Christian media professionals with students who have a passion for film, media and Christ. This may take work and involve some red tape, but will be well worth the effort. If we are going to change anything, we have to take ownership. You can be the first.

Personally provide financial support to a media missionary or a media ministry.

Work with your church to develop a media literacy program. It’s not as hard as you think. We can provide training, resources and materials.

Offer a summer film camp for high school students. You will need to work with some media professionals in your hometown. By now you should have a contact base. Mediamissionaryschool.com will help with training, resources and materials.

By now, your church may be ready to financially support media missionaries or media ministries. But get the people on the missions board involved in the media program and encourage them to take the course on media literacy. Make them aware of the need. If you have a potential media missionary in your church, the missions board needs to know this. Make sure they get all the information and resources first before you ask for finances.