The folks at Sherwood Baptist Church saw the first fruits of their volunteer labor last evening when the church hosted a screening of FIREPROOF for the congregation. Senior Associate Pastor (and movie producer/co-writer) Stephen Kendrick fills us in with how things went in Albany, Georgia.
What an incredible experience: Sherwood was able to see a private screening of FIREPROOF together! We rented a high-def projector, a huge screen, and turned our worship center into a massive movie theater. About 1,000 of our closest friends came, including the church family, out-of-town crewmembers like producer Dave Nixon, Albany’s fire chiefs and captains, the mayor, and the city manager. We reversed the red carpet and had the actors and producers cheering the church family and city leaders as they walked down it and into the room.
We started the night with worship music and a time of prayer. As a church, we dedicated the movie to God and asked Him to impact the world—and marriages—through it.
Then, the lights went down and the opening credits began. After months of working and waiting, we were finally getting to enjoy the movie together as a family. Immediately, you could see and hear the improvements in image and color quality, acting, and musical score from a live orchestra. After the first few scenes, the room became electric. The tears were flowing with the drama and the laughter was so loud in many of the scenes you couldn’t hear what was going on next in the movie. There was a standing ovation at the end of the film … and a lot of buzz in the room.
Michael Catt, our Senior Pastor, closed the night with a prayer time, and a challenge for people to evaluate where they stand with God. It was a really meaningful moment for us filled with lots of joy and tears.
Afterward, our local Chick-fil-A provided food as the church’s volunteer actors and crew hung out and shared their feedback and set stories. For them, it was a thrill to watch the whole film in context instead of rough cuts of individual scenes on the set.
We now all feel like it was worth all the hard work, long nights, and incredible corporate sacrifice. We all feel like God again has faithfully carried us through to the end and He’s done more than we could ask or imagine!
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3 comments:
Great to hear the awesome reactions you all received! And what an experience to see the finished film... it's both a relief and joy, and we can praise God for His grace in helping us through the process!
Hello, Kendricks and Sherwood Crew!
What a fun and gratifying evening that must have been for all of you! I wish I could have been at the Birmingham test screening (*snif*) but I rejoice for those folks who did get a sneak peek. : )
We blogged about you tonight. The Lord had me on a blog break for a while, but I'm back in the game and look forward to promoting Fireproof often, especially in encouraging others to PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. Please keep those prayer requests coming. Folks out here really are lifting you up to the Lord.
The Shepherd Family in Alabama loves and appreciates all of you!
May God be glorified!
~ Ruthanne
I can't wait to see 'fireproof'. I know it will be wonderful...Just as 'flywheel' and 'facing the giants' was. When will the dvd's be released in stores? I am a fan of your work and the message of God's Word you are presenting. I will be praying that just as the other movies and 'fireproof's' message will reach many. God Bless! Your Sister, In Christ. kgriff1027
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