Culture

2020 Faith-Based Films That Inspire And Encourage

There were at least 29 faith-based films in theaters during 2019, such as “Unplanned,” “Run the Race,” “Breakthrough,” and “Overcomer,” and these are now available on DVD and streaming. Churches can also purchase licenses to show these films to their congregations. And in 2020, a number of new and diverse faith-based films are coming to theaters. These movies inspire and encourage believers and provide a special opportunity for an uplifting experience for our families. They can also be used as outreaches, since people who are hesitant to come to church might accept an invitation to see a movie.   Faith-Based […]

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“Blind Eyes Opened” Informs and Equips to Help Stop Human Trafficking

Many are aware of the growing international problem of human sex trafficking, but very few are aware of how prevalent it is in their own communities and how extensive it has become. One of the most important steps that must be made prior to taking effective action towards resolving any problem is to become informed. A new and effective tool to both inform and motivate people to take action in this battle is the upcoming documentary “Blind Eyes Opened: The Truth About Sex Trafficking in America,” which will be showing in select theaters nationwide one-night only on January 23. The film […]

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Songs of Our City

If we could write anthems and prayers for the Church in South Florida to sing in this season, what would they say? This was the question we asked ourselves at a Village Hymns songwriting workshop. We decided to start a conversation about the brokenness we see around us and pulled out a whiteboard to dive into reflection about specific issues and needs. As this filled up with words like homelessness, racial division, affluence and poverty, drug addiction, and many other expressions of brokenness, the question we asked was: “Where is our hope?” We found ourselves confessing to each other that […]

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“The Bomb Heard Around the World” Memorializes The Life and Loss of Civil Rights Pioneers

“What a man does for himself dies with him, but, what a man does for his community lives forever,” said Harry Tyson Moore, a civil rights leader who founded the Brevard County Chapter and was president of the Florida Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1950. Moore and his wife, Harriette, died in 1951 after a bomb placed under their home exploded on Christmas Eve. Harry T. Moore – Civil Rights Icon Harry T. Moore was the first NAACP member and official to be assassinated for civil rights activism. While the murder was […]

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Christmas and Rest

In 1945 Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne penned one of my all-time favorite Holiday tunes, “Let It Snow.” Growing up in Boston, this song meant more to me than any other tune we sung during the winter. When heavy snow fell, schools would close. All of my friends and I would stay in and play. To me, snow brought rest! This song reminds me of those much desired days off. Whenever there was a chance of snow, I would hum that tune because I knew what would come of it: fun, comfort, and rest. Unfortunately, we are far from […]

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“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” Is An Inspiring Story of Hope, Forgiveness and Changed Lives

“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). The words are easy to say. Christians know the command by heart — the two great purposes: love God and love people. The second one is like the first, as if to mean, that when we love our neighbor, we love God. When we look into the eyes of our neighbor, we see the eyes of Christ. But who is our neighbor? The words are easy to say. To live them, to truly love, is difficult.   A Beautiful Day to Go to the Movies There are few release dates more appropriate than […]

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Eternity In Their Hearts

  “Everybody has their thing,” my pastor said during our staff meeting one particular Tuesday as we were going over prayer requests that had been turned in the previous Sunday. A look around the table, I knew we, the staff of our church, were each carrying our own concerns as we met to lift up the burdens of others. We read off each request – failing health, unsaved family members, divorce, job changes – so many heavy weights, each a jumbotron scrolling the same headline: This is not how it’s supposed to be! Eternity in our hearts I think that’s […]

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This Calling It A Day For Christians

This Calling It A Day For Christians This Calling for TGIF. Everybody’s working for the weekend. If you really loved what you do, it won’t feel like work. Ever hear these words or utter them yourself? Is there anything wrong with them?  A very common cultural view of work is that our work is really a means to end.  The modern view is that you work to make enough money so you don’t have to work. It echoes a common religious view of work, which says that you work to make enough money so you can give it to the […]

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Upcoming Faith-Based Films Will Touch Many Lives

There are a number of diverse faith-based films coming to theaters in the next six months. These movies inspire and encourage believers and provide a special opportunity for an uplifting experience for our families. These films can also be used as an outreach, since many people who are hesitant to come to church might accept an invitation to see a movie. Previous faith-based films, such as “Unplanned,” “Run the Race,” “Breakthrough,” “I Can Only Imagine,” and more, touched many lives on the big screen and are now available on DVD and streaming. Churches can also purchase a license to show […]

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“Overcomer” Brings Faith, Humor and Inspiration

What do you allow to define you? This question invites each of us to reflect on our identity and what it looks like to craft a meaningful life. “Overcomer,” a new film debuting on August 23, 2019, takes viewers on a journey as the characters wrestle with this question themselves.   From the makers of “Facing the Giants,” “Fireproof,” “Courageous,” and the number one box-office hit, “War Room,” is a story of redemption and healing intertwined with humor and an ending that will warm your heart for days. This movie is for anyone seeking inspiration and wisdom on how to overcome […]

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