Latest / Mission SONlight CHATT / Mission SONlight Chatt Ep.4 with Kevin Christenson

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Mission SONlight Chatt Ep.4 with Kevin Christenson · Mission SONlight CHATT

• 0:00
  Music
• 0:23
  Welcome to Mission Sunlight Chat from the Media Missionaries of Network 7 Media Center.
• 0:28
  Typically I tell you, if you're a regular watcher of our podcast, we're from our world headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the United States of America.
• 0:35
  I'd introduce our guest Kevin, I'd introduce our director, our engineer today, Jordan Wagner.
• 0:41
  But I'm not doing those things from our usual location. We are in Kansas City, Missouri at ASI.
• 0:49
  And really excited to be doing this series with ASI Ministries from around the globe.
• 0:54
  And so this is a special episode. You'll hear noise going on around us.
• 0:58
  Jordan will pop up the camera and you'll see down the particular aisle that we are producing here at ASI from right behind the ASI welcome booth.
• 1:08
  And so we're glad to be here and doing this special series of broadcast.
• 1:12
  Again, my name is Christopher Beeson. My director of production, engineer for today is Jordan Wagner.
• 1:17
  Jordan, you can give a wave up here to our friends on the camera. We're just kind of casual and having a blessed time here at ASI.
• 1:24
  And my guest, Kevin, you are the director of Hope Studios.
• 1:29
  Give us your elevator speech of who you are and what you do in the next minute or so. Welcome, by the way.
• 1:35
  Thank you. Thank you so much for having me on here. I appreciate it.
• 1:38
  It's funny because I currently live in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and yet it took us coming all the way out here.
• 1:44
  I know we have such busy schedules. But yeah, as you mentioned, I am the director for Hope Studios,
• 1:49
  which is the newest evangelistic arm of Hope Channel International.
• 1:53
  And we are hyper focused on evangelism, which means we care about people that are non Adventist and non Christians.
• 2:01
  We would love for Christians and Adventist to get on board with the content that we're doing.
• 2:06
  But not because they are the end goal, only because this is tools for them to be able to share that with the rest of the world.
• 2:15
  So we focus on cinematic content and we want to reach the people where they are.
• 2:20
  That's on streaming platforms, in cinemas, and on YouTube.
• 2:23
  You know, everybody is watching something on this device. You know, it's it's can't get away from it.
• 2:30
  Yeah. Yeah. A couple of years ago, I took off and I put my phone all my devices away for five days. I went on vacation.
• 2:37
  It was wonderful. But it's really hard to do. We're just inundated with media today.
• 2:41
  So what you're doing is bringing good content to the world. Yeah. To Christians, non Christians, pre Christians, I like to call them sometimes.
• 2:50
  Yes. So, Kevin, before we go further, we're going to talk a little bit about your work with Hope.
• 2:55
  We're going to talk a little bit about ASI. Let's invite the Lord to bless our conversation.
• 2:59
  That would be great. Gracious and Heavenly Father, we are thankful for the time that we can spend here.
• 3:04
  We want to ask that you bless ASI, the work that is happening here, the connections that are being formed,
• 3:10
  and ultimately the ministries that are being grown, nurtured and expanded.
• 3:17
  And please bless our conversation now as well.
• 3:22
  May we connect with someone out there that maybe has been waiting to hear something that we can share today.
• 3:28
  These things we ask in your name. Amen. Amen.
• 3:31
  So at the end of our conversation, you can remind me of this because I have a bad memory.
• 3:36
  If you want, I want you to talk about the big project. Yes. But I want to do that at the very end.
• 3:43
  Okay. You're going to want to stay listening into this program to catch the really cool thing that's happening at Hope Studios right now.
• 3:52
  But for the moment, tell us about who you are, your family, maybe a little bit about your growing up.
• 3:58
  How you got from here, I know there's a little family history with media, or from there to here today.
• 4:05
  Just share that with us. Yeah.
• 4:08
  And let me tell our audience, they're used to us typically pulling out little details from your present, your past and your future.
• 4:19
  We're going to do that in a separate program from the studios in Chattanooga at a later date.
• 4:22
  So right now we're just getting some highlights in your connection with media. Go ahead.
• 4:25
  Yeah. So I was born and raised in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kettering, Ohio.
• 4:31
  And I was homeschooled until seventh grade. And then I went to Spring Valley Academy in eighth grade.
• 4:38
  And after graduating Spring Valley Academy, I went to Southern Adventist University where I did not actually study film.
• 4:45
  Even though I've worked in and now I work in film, I actually studied business.
• 4:51
  But growing up, both grandparents on both sides, they were part of the Adventist Church.
• 4:58
  And my grandfather was actually part of the very first Adventist Christian television to ever happen.
• 5:08
  He was on the first nationally syndicated broadcast in America, which was...
• 5:16
  Is it a voice of prophecy?
• 5:17
  No, no. He was actually part of Faith for Today. Specifically, he was in the quartet for Faith for Today.
• 5:25
  So I grew up hearing these stories about Adventists that were in media and they were telling stories.
• 5:34
  And Elder Fagel was bringing in kids from New York City that are memorizing their lines on the subway.
• 5:40
  And they get there and they're telling these stories.
• 5:42
  And then that progressed into shows like Westbrook Hospital, which was a medical drama that was Adventist produced that I believe ran on ABC.
• 5:53
  And fast forward to I graduated from Southern. I went and worked in the film industry, did projects in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, and other places.
• 6:03
  Even some international films. And I said, why is it that there were more opportunities 60, 70 years ago for Adventist storytellers than there are today?
• 6:15
  It just did not sit right with me. And so fortunately, our leadership at Hope Channel International, they had a vision.
• 6:25
  And I have to give a big shout out to Derek Morris and Vyacheslav Damian, who said, you know what? This is a good idea.
• 6:35
  We should return to our heritage of storytelling. And we launched Hope Studios.
• 6:40
  So that's a little bit of my journey there. And it's been exciting. And God has blessed beyond what we thought we could do.
• 6:49
  Very cool. That's a great story. May I ask what your grandfather's name is? Maybe somebody would remember?
• 6:54
  Yeah, Roger McNeely was his name.
• 6:56
  Roger McNeely. Okay. And that, of course, isn't your last name. So I'm assuming it was on my mother's side. Yeah.
• 7:02
  So my last name is Kristen Son. My grandfather on the Kristen Son side, he actually was a professor at Miami University in Oxford.
• 7:13
  So I had two very big shoes to fill in success on both sides of the family there.
• 7:21
  Wow. But just an incredible connection to ministry and media and mission.
• 7:27
  Yeah. It's in my DNA, apparently.
• 7:30
  And I'm going to re-say your last name because I realize I've been saying it wrong, incorrectly. I'm Kristen Son.
• 7:36
  That's correct. Yeah.
• 7:37
  Okay. So I've got it right. Kevin Kristen Son. Very cool.
• 7:41
  We're going to take a break and we're going to come back and talk about the connection with ASI.
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  Mission Sunlight, as you know, as a regular watcher, is a nonprofit Christian media organization.
• 7:52
  So if you'd like to know more, you can visit us at missionsunlight.org.
• 7:55
  And if you want to give, you can click donate there.
• 7:57
  Thank you in advance for what you may be led to give, whether it's prayers, whether it's money or any combination of these two.
• 8:03
  We're truly grateful for you and we appreciate whatever you would like to do for this work.
• 8:09
  Now, just one more thing. We need to grow to touch more lives for Jesus, to share the story of Jesus,
• 8:15
  to spread the truth as it is in Jesus. So please, if you can't give your time, you can't give your prayers,
• 8:20
  maybe you can't give your monies, would you please, please share this link to today's program with a friend or even an enemy.
• 8:28
  But post it on your social media, text it to a friend right now, even snail mail it if you want.
• 8:33
  Share Mission Sunlight Chat today. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We'll be back in a moment.
• 9:03
  Thank you so much for joining us for Mission Sunlight Chat.
• 9:30
  We are here with our friend Kevin Christensen from Hope Studios.
• 9:36
  And Kevin, as I mentioned in the first segment, we are live or at least we're recording live in the ASI Kansas City edition,
• 9:46
  the convention hall, the exhibit hall here. Folks are walking by. We've got folks watching, stopping to listen for a moment.
• 9:52
  So as folks hear the ambient sound around us, it's very much intentional.
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  Even when they're making announcements about giveaways up on these speakers.
• 10:02
  How did you know to do that? Wow, the coordination here is incredible. Perfect timing.
• 10:06
  Hey, we are thankful for the Lord has given us an opportunity to be here.
• 10:09
  We do want to say to our viewers or our listeners, depending on how you're absorbing this program,
• 10:14
  you can find out more about us at MissionSunlight.org.
• 10:17
  We want to ask you to share the link to today's program or the entire show podcast platform with a friend by text, by social media, or even by email.
• 10:26
  You can take a moment right now or during the break coming up, share it with somebody.
• 10:32
  And we just want to thank you for being a part of our Mission Sunlight chat family.
• 10:35
  Kevin, you are here at ASI representing Hope TV, Hope Channel, Hope Studios.
• 10:42
  I'm going to use that broad umbrella look of Hope International. Hope Channel International, yes.
• 10:47
  So tell us why. Why bother with ASI? What's significant? What's important?
• 10:53
  Or maybe it's not significant or important at all. Tell me why you're here.
• 10:56
  Well, I think that Hope Channel International has really has a place for everyone.
• 11:03
  It has a place for people outside the church and it has a place for people that are actively engaged in mission in the church.
• 11:11
  Because Hope Channel International is exclusively focused on evangelism, which means we are not here to reach people that are already in the pews.
• 11:21
  We're not here to preach to the choir or even tend to the flock, so to speak.
• 11:26
  Our goal is to reach out to people that are beyond our churches, people that would never walk into a church,
• 11:32
  people that would maybe never watch a sermon or listen to even a religious podcast.
• 11:39
  Those are the people that we feel called to reach.
• 11:42
  Now, to reach them, we've got to find people that are dedicated to mission.
• 11:47
  Because I don't believe that media should be a substitute for evangelism.
• 11:54
  I want to say that again. I don't believe that media is a substitute for evangelism.
• 12:01
  And to me, evangelism is telling people person to person about Jesus.
• 12:05
  Exactly. Media is to be a tool for evangelism.
• 12:10
  Because it's these kinds of conversations that get people excited. They go, there's something different. I have questions. I want to talk about it.
• 12:16
  The media is the thing that can get those conversations going.
• 12:20
  But the relationships, that's really where the evangelism happens.
• 12:24
  So we're excited about that because we want to be able to provide those tools to members,
• 12:30
  to people that are actively engaged in mission, to be able to share that with people that may have never heard the gospel before.
• 12:37
  And hopefully something in our shows, in our films, in whatever content we have on social media,
• 12:46
  something clicks with them and they go, you know what, I'm curious.
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  Because our goal is not to provide answers as much as it is to instill questions.
• 13:00
  Because if you have all the answers, why do you need to go to church?
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  Why do you need to talk to someone? I already got all the answers.
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  Instead, we want to inspire people to actually be intrinsically motivated to seek out the answers. That's our goal.
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  You know, a lot of those answers change when you really do dig in.
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  So you're really challenging people to find more.
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  And I would dare say, I know you said, you know, we want to reach people outside the church, those unchurched,
• 13:31
  those who are wanting more of a faith build.
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  Or they don't even know they need or want a faith build.
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  But there are a lot of us within the church family that are seeking that faith build too.
• 13:46
  Absolutely.
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  Maybe struggling on our way. And so I think hope just covers both of those segments.
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  So why ASI? What did you come for?
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  ASI is a perfect place to bridge the gap between, I would say, nonprofit, more church related mission
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  and missionally minded for-profit and nonprofit business people.
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  So there's a famous writer.
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  She actually is, I believe, listed as one of the Smithsonian Institution's top 100 most influential women writers in America.
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  Her name was Ellen White.
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  And she said something that was kind of inspirational that said religion and business are not two separate things.
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  They're to be one in the same.
• 14:39
  That's right.
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  And the more you look into that, the more it makes sense.
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  And that's one of the things that we looked at.
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  And specifically with my department of Hope Studios, we said, how can we bridge this gap?
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  How can we bridge the gap between the two?
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  Because we've got to find a way to work together.
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  And we were actually able to do something that combined both sides.
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  We were able to work as essentially a bit of a film financing company, investing in quality media,
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  and then bringing in for-profit companies to execute the production on a higher quality than we've ever done before
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  and in a more effective capacity than we've ever done before and then help distribute that to the world.
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  And ASI does that.
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  They bring ministry members and business members together to network, potentially to share resources,
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  because ministry resources are valuable to business people.
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  And frankly, business resources are valuable to ministry people.
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  The Hope Studio model operates, or at least initially, through gifts and support from individuals who are likely in business
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  and have discretionary funds to share.
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  The business people who love Christ and want to share Christ in their marketplace,
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  that's what we say in ASI, sharing Christ in the marketplace,
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  those business people find resources from people who are doing ministry every day
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  and be able to take those ministry resources and apply them either in their business to their customer or their client,
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  or they're able to apply those principles so that their business can be doing related ministry work.
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  So there is a hand in hand to work together.
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  And so having, whether it's Hope, which is what we call an institutional organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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  to having, I'm just looking around, I'm trying to just pick one of the ministries, ACM here across the way from us,
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  who does audio media ministry, having them where they're what we call a supporting ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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  Hope is a part of the organized church.
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  ACM, the media ministry there, is a specific lay ministry.
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  Those folks aren't paid by the church.
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  They are doing what they can with the time that God has given them and the talent that God has given them outside of the paid work.
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  And so ASI brings all of these dynamics, all this diversity in life and work and ministry together, just a fascinating way.
• 17:34
  Oh, it's amazing to watch the two come together because I really think that they both need each other.
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  You know, we've had discussions both on the church side as well as on the independent business side.
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  What if you work without the other? What does that look like? It's not as effective.
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  I don't think it works. I think it's broken.
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  I completely think it's broken.
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  So we talked about that. We said, OK, let's say, for example, you had just a for-profit production company.
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  And you said, well, I want to do things that are going to have the church's support.
• 18:16
  And they're going to be, you know, like we're creating films, right?
• 18:21
  Let's say we did this last film that we're doing now without the church's support.
• 18:27
  We would struggle. We would struggle because we need Adventists to engage with this, to share it.
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  If we did that without the church, we wouldn't have NAD leaders telling conference and union presidents and youth, young adult leaders and pastors, you've got to hear about this.
• 18:47
  You've got to know about this. We wouldn't have that kind of support.
• 18:50
  We wouldn't have even had the funding in the first place to get it off the ground because those conversations are usually, well, yes, I'm an investor, but who else is investing?
• 18:58
  Right. Because I don't want to take all the risk. Well, who else? And no one's first to the table. And then that's where a lot of ideas die.
• 19:04
  They don't they don't get that funding. Now you flip the model. You say, OK, OK, let's just say we're just church and we're not working with with a separate production company.
• 19:15
  Well, what happens? Well, you typically hire a bunch of full time employees.
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  If they are churched enough to pass all the HR requirements, you pray that they have some skills to be able to use for that.
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  And then, you know, when you have a lot of the same people doing the same things day after day, it starts to look the same.
• 19:35
  And then as a result, the other piece of that is the institution for good for good reasons has a lot of checks and balances.
• 19:43
  There's committees that make sure people aren't, you know, embezzling funds or things like that.
• 19:48
  And those are healthy, but they also slow the production process down.
• 19:53
  And so you can't accomplish things with the speed that you need.
• 19:57
  And that's where that that blending again, I go back to that quote, religion, business, one in the same.
• 20:04
  Now you have impactful mission.
• 20:08
  We could talk for a couple more hours about this subject alone. Yes, we could bring in a few more people and have a roundtable, couldn't we?
• 20:14
  Oh, my goodness. It's been incredible. I mean, when you start bringing the two together and I won't.
• 20:19
  I know we're limited for time, so I won't go too much into this.
• 20:21
  But just for example, what we did with this film and I know we're not there yet.
• 20:26
  So I'm giving a sneak peek. But one of the things that we did was because we worked with a separate it's called a limited party, which is essentially it was the Australian version of a of an LLC here in the U.S.
• 20:39
  Because we worked with them, they were able to tap into film tax incentives and we were able to get a 40 percent tax incentive on the money that we were going to be spending.
• 20:49
  So all of a sudden, your budget just increased almost half. Yeah.
• 20:54
  Yeah. And that right there to me is the parable of the talents right there in action.
• 21:00
  And that's something that if you were just working exclusively as a 501 C3 nonprofit church, you could never tap into that.
• 21:07
  Right. Wow. We will talk more about that in our next segment.
• 21:12
  We hope you've been encouraged and blessed by listening to the program today.
• 21:16
  We have more to come, but we need to take a break. So remember, you can give it mission sunlight dot org.
• 21:20
  You can share this program with anyone right now. Thank you for doing both or either.
• 21:25
  We'll be back with more mission sunlight chat.
• 21:44
  Try to get some sleep, you two. Oh, father, I can possibly see. Tell us a story. Oh, yes. Please tell us a story, father.
• 21:52
  Very well. What shall it be tonight? How you fell in love with mother. No, an adventure with a battle.
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  You know, a tale that has both. You do? Oh, yes. A story of courage and hope, war and true love.
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  Friends. His word. No, you heard him. Consider me someone who's fallen off the path.
• 22:43
  Is the story and father.
• 23:03
  That is a sneak peek of the new film, The Hopeful. My guest, Kevin Christensen, is the director of Hope Studios, producer of The Hopeful.
• 23:14
  Kevin, this is exciting. Can you tell us some more about it? Oh, we are so incredibly excited.
• 23:21
  You know, we've done a few private test screenings for non-Avenis, non-Christian audiences.
• 23:28
  And what happens is incredible. They stick around afterward. They ask us questions.
• 23:35
  We did a private screening for Capitol Records. And afterward, people were talking.
• 23:43
  We had both presidents show up from Capitol Christian Music there in Nashville.
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  And the next day, one of the presidents ran into the director.
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  And he said, hey, I went on a deep dive last night that that Ellen character and these these these Adventists and like.
• 24:00
  And I was saying, hold on a second. You mean to tell me probably one of the most most busy people in the Christian and quite frankly, one of the most powerful people in the Christian music.
• 24:12
  Yeah. In the world took his free time to look us up and do some research.
• 24:17
  And that's that's what's so exciting about this film. So we've we've pitched it as you know, it's it's a true story of a group of people in the mid eighteen hundreds who thought that the world was coming to an end.
• 24:29
  And spoiler alert, as it is based on a true story, the world does not end. But we're still here.
• 24:35
  We are still here. But they had a choice for that to either be the end chapter of their journey or the beginning chapter of their journey.
• 24:44
  And it and what it has turned out to be is an incredible 90 minute feature film that will be coming to cinemas in early twenty twenty four.
• 24:55
  So let me put this spin on it. The hopeful. Yes. Became the hopeful. Yes.
• 25:04
  And that did. All right. So people have just watched this sneak peek. We've shown them how again, how can someone find out more?
• 25:16
  What can they do to look online? Because that's where everybody's going to go. I want to know more about this. What's what's the link?
• 25:22
  Absolutely. If you go to the hopeful movie dot com, the hopeful movie dot com, the hopeful movie dot com.
• 25:31
  You can sign up there. You can get updates. We will be updating that website as things change.
• 25:38
  So when tickets are available, then people will be able to follow along there.
• 25:42
  And if people want to see what we're doing on the larger scale, that was going to be my next question.
• 25:47
  I'm jumping the gun. That's OK. My next question is how do they find out more about the whole gamut of things?
• 25:52
  Yes. Hope Studios is doing. Go ahead. So you can visit Hope Studios dot org.
• 25:56
  Yeah. And you can and you can follow along with what we're doing there. That's H.O.P.E.S.T.U.D.I.O.S. dot O.R.G. Hope Studios dot org. Yes.
• 26:07
  Very good. Thank you. Kevin, we're going to wrap up here in a moment.
• 26:11
  But would you maybe just look at the camera here and share with those watching someone may be just needing hope.
• 26:21
  Not to be coy with it, but they may be struggling with something. Can you share a word of encouragement to our listener or viewer today?
• 26:28
  Absolutely. If I've learned anything throughout this process of creating the hopeful, it's been a lesson in O ye of little faith.
• 26:43
  Because when we started with this film and I quite frankly can't really take credit for this because so many things have happened with it that we did not anticipate and we could not have planned for.
• 26:58
  And I was reminded, oh, you have little faith at the beginning. I didn't quite I didn't quite see it.
• 27:06
  And then all of a sudden, doors started opening. Things started coming together. We started getting some of the best of the best in the industry wanting to work on this project.
• 27:17
  We would go to edit in a small room that it was it was all that we could afford. And then we would find out that, oh, the big movie pushed.
• 27:26
  Do you guys want to move into the large space instead? We're only going to charge you for the for the small one.
• 27:32
  Oh, you have little faith. So if I can give anyone some encouragement out there, it's don't be the me of faith.
• 27:43
  Have big faith. We're told faith, even as small as a mustard seed, can do great things.
• 27:48
  So have that faith. Set the vision. Pray for it. Follow it.
• 27:54
  Trust the Lord, because you're going to learn real quick. Whatever faith you thought was big, still was small.
• 28:03
  Wow. Thank you. I'm encouraged. Good. And just hearing the story and the journey, I know a little bit more the back story of the hopeful.
• 28:14
  I'm excited for people to see this. I'm excited to see it myself. Excellent. When that opportunity comes, which is coming soon.
• 28:22
  Yes, it's coming soon right here at ASI. We're going to do a private screening on on Friday, which is which is a good way to say you need to be here at ASI.
• 28:32
  Good things happen. Yes, you need to be here. All right. Well, thank you, Kevin. Thanks so much for joining us. Thanks so much for having me.
• 28:41
  Our program today has not been in our usual studio. As I mentioned at the beginning of our program, we have been here in the great convention hall,
• 28:49
  the exhibit hall of ASI here in Kansas City. And we have been blessed to have Kevin Christensen as our guest.
• 28:56
  Jordan Wagner, as our director of production, has been engineering today. Jordan, thank you so much for all that you've done to keep our program moving.
• 29:04
  This is today's program from the Media Missionaries of Network 7 Media Center. And I'm Christopher Beeson.
• 29:12
  We want to invite you again to share our show with your friends via text, email on your social media platforms.
• 29:19
  We also thank you for your gifts and your prayers, especially, Kevin. We all need these, especially your prayers.
• 29:26
  That's all today from our studios here, our roving studios. Before we close, let's have a word of prayer.
• 29:32
  Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for this time together with you.
• 29:35
  We thank you for the opportunity to hear more about what's happening with Hope Channel, to hear the value and the distinct benefit of coming
• 29:45
  and being a part of the ASI community, the network of ASI ministries and businesses.
• 29:50
  Lord, I pray that as our viewers and listeners have watched and listened and learned, that they would be blessed, they would be encouraged on their journey with you.
• 29:58
  Thank you for being with us in this conversation, in this Mission Sunlight Chat. We are grateful for your presence in your spirit.
• 30:05
  In Jesus' name, Amen.
• 30:07
  Amen.
• 30:08
  Thank you for joining us. This is Mission Sunlight Chat.
• 30:38
  Thank you.