By Bob Simpson, BCM/D Associate Executive Director/Editor of BaptistLIFE
Bob Simpson, BCM/D Associate Executive Director and Editor of BaptistLIFE
COURAGEOUS – the Movie is scheduled to be released in theaters Sept. 30, 2011. COURAGEOUS is a movie that has the power to be a catalyst in changing men, families, and ultimately churches.
What “Fireproof” did for marriages, COURAGEOUS is designed to do for men and their families. The basic story line is this: Four men with one calling to serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood. While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they’re quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark. When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God … and to their children?
Produced by Sherwood Pictures, a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church, Albany, Ga., Sherwood movies entertain as they touch audiences where they live, and show the means to live more fully through faith in God. Their previous movies made great strides in competing with Hollywood-made movies.
“FLYWHEEL” focused on compromise and business integrity; “FACING THE GIANTS” on despair and hope; “FIREPROOF” (the No. 1 independent film of 2008) on a dying marriage rekindled.
The Sherwood Pictures executive team is Sherwood Church Senior Pastor Michael Catt, Executive Pastor Jim McBride, and Stephen and Alex Kendrick. COURAGEOUS was co-written by Stephen and Alex, and directed by Alex, who also plays one of the law enforcement officers in the ensemble cast.
COURAGEOUS, that single-word title, Pastor Catt said, echoes God’s call for men to “rise with courage” in their homes and as leaders. This at a time when four of 10 marriages end in divorce and more than a third of all children live away from their biological fathers. “The statistics on fatherless children are devastating,” McBride said. “And because the family is the building block of society, one important place to rebuild families is through fathers who stay and lead and love.”
“My hope is that COURAGEOUS will cause men to re-think what success really is,” said Catt, executive producer. “Success in life is not in things, but in your most intimate relationships. You are successful if you have a strong faith, children who love you, and a wife who adores you.”
“We focus on the crucial role of father; it’s not just to be a father who loves his kids,” said Alex Kendrick, co-writer/director of COURAGEOUS. “It’s to be engaged with a purpose–to be a father on purpose.” All four leaders of Sherwood Pictures are husbands and fathers. Pastor Catt has two children; Pastor McBride has four; Stephen Kendrick has four; and Alex Kendrick has six.
As with previous Sherwood movies, fans, churches, and organizations around the world became “partners” in leveraging the movie’s impact – giving prayer support for production, distribution, and the communicating the movies’ messages. Ministries used the films in creative ways. Churches built series on the topics. Sunday schools and small groups seized the momentum of good entertainment that emphasizes life-changing truths. In the marketplace, Christians business folks were able to begin conversations and respond to questions from seekers and pre-Christians. COURAGEOUS should be no exception.
I wholeheartedly challenge all of our BCM/D churches to pray, prepare and participate in what promises to be another benchmark in Christian movie history. For more information about COURAGEOUS go the following link: http://www.courageousthemovie.com/themovie.