I receive a email from The Sentinel Group. I support and would like encourage everyone to support them. If you have not seen their transformation video series, please get them and watch them with your friends and family. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Friends In early August I had the privilege of meeting with Kansas Governor Sam Brownback at his picturesque mansion on the west side of Topeka. The purpose of the gathering was to provide a status report on the Journey to Transformation process underway in various communities throughout his state, and to introduce him to Lonnie Riley, a revival catalyst from Lynch, Kentucky. After listening to Lonnie’s description of the remarkable spiritual and economic rebound in Lynch — a formerly derelict mining community in the hills of Appalachia — the governor expressed his sense that these “proof of concept” stories are absolutely crucial if people are to take spiritual solutions seriously. Speaking with extraordinary candor and humility, the governor went on to acknowledge the severe limitations of government to solve the pressing problems of the day. In many cases, he remarked, money intended to help a situation instead poisons it. Instead of liberating people, it puts them into bondage and misplaced dependency. Amplifying this observation, Lonnie recounted a recent occasion when he was asked to testify about the Lynch transformation before a government panel in Washington, DC. Duly impressed by the turnaround, the officials instinctively asked: “So how can we help you?” As politely as he could, Lonnie informed the committee he had not come to Washington to seek financial aid. Indeed, he said, decades of government handouts in Appalachia had only deepened the region’s misery and dysfunction. On the other hand, the stunning transformation in Lynch was a direct consequence of the community’s shifting its dependency over to God. “So the real question, gentlemen, is how can we help you?” In Isaiah chapter 62, God tells his people: “…you will be called ‘Sought After.’” This name acknowledges both His own feelings, and that those who walk in partnership with the Most High are inherently interesting – and valuable. It was this special aura that caused Pharaoh to say of Joseph: “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” [Genesis 41:38] Similarly, King Nebuchadnezzar: “…found none equal to Daniel” and “made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.” [Daniel 1:19, 2:48] God’s ways simply work. What is needed are documented accounts of authentic societal transformation. Human interest stories, while inspirational, generally lack the broad impact community change agents are looking for. “Give me transformational ‘proof of concept’ stories,” Governor Brownback told us, “and I’ll get them into the hands of other governors.” Finding authentic accounts is not the problem. There are literally scores of stories on our radar, including a few we have filmed but not yet edited. What we lack is sufficient resources to get these out to the public in a timely fashion. In February I sent out a letter detailing our plans to produce several new documentaries. I mentioned remarkable accounts in Fiji (Nateleira), and Brazil (Algodão de Jandaíra), as well as the transformation of a large Texas prison known as the Wynne Unit. More recently, we have added Lonnie Riley’s story in Lynch, Kentucky to the lineup. While some progress has been achieved since February, much remains to be done. If we are to deliver all these projects within the target release window (set from December 2013 to the fall of 2014), we need real help in the following categories: Travel Funds for Field Work: $21,000 This bare-minimum budget will transport and sustain three-person teams in Northern Brazil, Southeastern Kentucky, and Huntsville, Texas. New Video Cameras & Microphones: $22,500 Sentinel’s cameras are more than four years old and have been used heavily. It is time to replace them with newer technology. We need two HD cameras, mics, and a tripod. Updated Computers & Software: $20,500 Two power computers and a laptop are needed to replace aging editing equipment. We also need to upgrade our editing software and purchase several effects plug-ins. Most of these funds are needed urgently, so any help you can provide in the next few weeks will be incredibly helpful. Finally, I’m happy to report A Force for Change was just released nationwide in Brazil — and we are presently in discussions with partners in Chennai, India to translate and distribute our documentaries into five major language groups across the subcontinent. Thanks for your partnership! The Sentinel Group Online Store Please visit our NEW Online Store. We are also happy to announce that very soon products will be available to DOWNLOAD. Discovery Weekend For information about upcoming Discovery Weekends please go here: follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2013 The Sentinel Group, All rights reserved. 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Posted on: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 23:31:06 +0000
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