I have completed negotiations with Mpower, and I feel they have been unfailingly fair. Yet, my heart doesn't feel finished. With the deal done, I now feel a great burden to pray for my partners.
My sense is that McEveety and all involved with the Passion have done a very great service to the body of Christ. We're all frail men (notably Gibson!), but God invested these people with a vision, and they carried it out against massive opposition from both the seen and unseen worlds. And now McEveety is carrying on with many new projects with the same aim. He is shouldering the Star Project with me. Goodness, am I motivated to pray for him and his people!
My hope and prayer is that the Star will become one of Mpower's central assets. A project that will bear fruit for many years in many forms, including ample funds for new projects.
If you have time, will you join with me in prayer?
"Lord, thank you for raising up men who will risk much for your purposes. Thank you for touching us and using us in your projects, to grow your kingdom. Thank you for people who are willing to risk social standing and much else to stand firmly and unambiguously for you! Father, invest Steve and his Mpower team with your wisdom. With your power. Fill them with the certainty that if they stay close to you, listen and obey, their lives will have massive impact for your kingdom. We pray that the Star Project will have stunning success in coming months and years, that many will be called into your kingdom as we all strive for excellence in your service. Help each of us to do these very things within our own spheres. We love you, Lord, and cry out to you for guidance, wisdom and power as we serve you! We pray in the name of Jesus, amen!"
PS: I want to make clear that Gibson has nothing to do with this deal. Mpower is McEveety's (and God's) completely separate team. Please remember Mower before the throne whenever you think of the Star Project.
Rick
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
So. You want RESULTS?
Meeting
The meeting at Mpower was just what we talked to God about. Everyone on the same page. Good face time. Good to be with McEveety again. He's a great guy to be with, even when he has a critical phone call coming in a few minutes. His team is all believers, which is quite a luxury in Hollywood. Two are preacher's kids! After meeting with McE, I returned for a further meeting with Mpower's lawyer on deal points, and we talk the same language. Fun trading experiences, and with luck, we'll get a chance to do more of it in the future.
Candy
When you're on a prayer team, you need to know *results*, so that you can praise Him. Well, the meetings were a wonderful affirmative answer to your prayers. But there's more. How about a contact from the Navigators? Their publishing arm, NavPress is printing a "buy" recommendation for the Star DVD in their magazine, Discipleship Journal. 100,000 subscribers! When, you might ask. Their recommendation will be published in the issue that coincides with the release date of the Mpower branded Star DVD in October! They knew nothing about the DVD release. Lord's doing?? DUH!!
Love pat
You want more? This morning I was praying earnestly about the Mpower meeting. I was out of cell range, but my phone received a voice message anyway. That's odd, so I paused my quiet time to get the message. It was the Southern Baptist Convention. Their North American Mission Board, Student Evangelism head called to compliment on the Star DVD. He asked that I call back. Wonder what that's about! To me, that before-dawn, out-of-range message was like the Lord saying "Everything is on track, Rick. I'm on it." Praise Him!
Join me?
"Father, focus us when we pray. First guide us to your mind as we speak to you. We tend to wander, Lord. Bring us about and to the point. Then lift our eyes to see what you do around us! Thank you for hearing our prayers about the Mpower meetings! Thank you for alerting your people at NavPress and the Southern Baptist Convention about the Star DVD! Thank you for your astonishing timing! We rejoice to be part of your team and relish seeing you work. Open our eyes! Let us see more, Lord, more! We pray in the name of Jesus, amen!"
Rick
The meeting at Mpower was just what we talked to God about. Everyone on the same page. Good face time. Good to be with McEveety again. He's a great guy to be with, even when he has a critical phone call coming in a few minutes. His team is all believers, which is quite a luxury in Hollywood. Two are preacher's kids! After meeting with McE, I returned for a further meeting with Mpower's lawyer on deal points, and we talk the same language. Fun trading experiences, and with luck, we'll get a chance to do more of it in the future.
Candy
When you're on a prayer team, you need to know *results*, so that you can praise Him. Well, the meetings were a wonderful affirmative answer to your prayers. But there's more. How about a contact from the Navigators? Their publishing arm, NavPress is printing a "buy" recommendation for the Star DVD in their magazine, Discipleship Journal. 100,000 subscribers! When, you might ask. Their recommendation will be published in the issue that coincides with the release date of the Mpower branded Star DVD in October! They knew nothing about the DVD release. Lord's doing?? DUH!!
Love pat
You want more? This morning I was praying earnestly about the Mpower meeting. I was out of cell range, but my phone received a voice message anyway. That's odd, so I paused my quiet time to get the message. It was the Southern Baptist Convention. Their North American Mission Board, Student Evangelism head called to compliment on the Star DVD. He asked that I call back. Wonder what that's about! To me, that before-dawn, out-of-range message was like the Lord saying "Everything is on track, Rick. I'm on it." Praise Him!
Join me?
"Father, focus us when we pray. First guide us to your mind as we speak to you. We tend to wander, Lord. Bring us about and to the point. Then lift our eyes to see what you do around us! Thank you for hearing our prayers about the Mpower meetings! Thank you for alerting your people at NavPress and the Southern Baptist Convention about the Star DVD! Thank you for your astonishing timing! We rejoice to be part of your team and relish seeing you work. Open our eyes! Let us see more, Lord, more! We pray in the name of Jesus, amen!"
Rick
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Dealing with Digital Deficits
As telephone and internet continue to shrink our world, many of us have become parts of organizations with many or even no locations. Especially this last one can be a challenge. The Star Project has a main office in Texas, but our film partner is in California, our director is in Colorado, our financial and prayer partners are worldwide. Locationless "virtual" organizations are a modern marvel, but getting together with coworkers in one place remains both a pleasure and an advantage. Many of you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Today, I'm in Los Angeles to meet with Mpower Pictures, the new home of the Star DVD. We're in the process of expanding distribution into conventional retail, hoping and plotting to catapult the Star into many thousands of new homes this Christmas. On Thursday, I'll sit with Steve McEveety and his crew at Mpower to pray and plan. Steve is Hollywood A-list. He has plenty on his desk. It will be a valuable pleasure to "hang" with his team for awhile, instead of swapping emails.
Everyone on this list knows the message of the Star Project. It's easy to hold the DVD in your hand. But you might be surprised how many issues present when carrying this message out into secular retail. "Out there", the message receives no special advantage except the most important one! I know I can count on your prayers and His mighty hand to carry us where a tiny project like this could never go! He's already done that. My goodness. Who ever thought we'd be picked to play in the big leagues? (Well, I guess many of us suspected, didn't we?)
Still, having this great partner doesn't mean the Star Project is accomplished. It's much more like being on a launch pad than at any sort of finish. YOU dear prayer partners remain SO necessary. SO central to the Project! On that issue, here's some *bad* news from this virtual organization.
We distribute this email update through injesus.com. Unfortunately, some Christian groups who also use injesus have been irresponsible. They have used the service to spam Christians with their various messages. All with good intentions, I am sure, but the result has been bad. Many organizations are suffering from it, not just injesus. Some internet service providers have now flagged traffic from injesus as spam and blacklisted it. To survive these missteps by the overzealous few, injesus has been forced to enforce new rules. These prevent us from even *inviting* people to opt-in to this list. What does this mean?
At least three things. First, you personally have become more important. This list can now only grow if people find us themselves and sign up. People do this daily, but the new restrictions may slow the growth of the list, and your prayers are even more important now. Second, I can no longer help when you change your email address. Ain't allowed. If you move your email account, you must click on the link at the top of this (or any other Star message) and change your own address or you'll be automatically dropped. No one can do it for you. Third, if you know interested people, you can suggest that they go to injesus and join the Star Project. This is now the *only* way our praying brothers and sisters can get on board!
If you have time, would you pray with me about these two big issues presented by the digital age? The in-person meeting tomorrow? The survival and expansion of this list?
"Dear Father, we thank you and praise you for assembling a team of some of your best-placed workers. We are amazed at what you have done over the years to advance your Star Project, and cannot wait to see what you will do next! We ask that this physical meeting will be profitable for you, even a delight to you. Unify our thinking with yours. Guide us into your intention and empower us to carry out your plan from before time. Add to our number, Lord. Overcome these digital speed bumps. Continue to add to our number. Fill us on this list -- fill us with your fire! Lord, do not allow the evil one to profit from these electronic impediments. And, Father, we also stand back and ask for the big thing: launch your Star Project into countless homes worldwide, all for your glory! Not for us, Lord. Do it for your kingdom! We ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, amen."
Thank you, team!
Rick
Today, I'm in Los Angeles to meet with Mpower Pictures, the new home of the Star DVD. We're in the process of expanding distribution into conventional retail, hoping and plotting to catapult the Star into many thousands of new homes this Christmas. On Thursday, I'll sit with Steve McEveety and his crew at Mpower to pray and plan. Steve is Hollywood A-list. He has plenty on his desk. It will be a valuable pleasure to "hang" with his team for awhile, instead of swapping emails.
Everyone on this list knows the message of the Star Project. It's easy to hold the DVD in your hand. But you might be surprised how many issues present when carrying this message out into secular retail. "Out there", the message receives no special advantage except the most important one! I know I can count on your prayers and His mighty hand to carry us where a tiny project like this could never go! He's already done that. My goodness. Who ever thought we'd be picked to play in the big leagues? (Well, I guess many of us suspected, didn't we?)
Still, having this great partner doesn't mean the Star Project is accomplished. It's much more like being on a launch pad than at any sort of finish. YOU dear prayer partners remain SO necessary. SO central to the Project! On that issue, here's some *bad* news from this virtual organization.
We distribute this email update through injesus.com. Unfortunately, some Christian groups who also use injesus have been irresponsible. They have used the service to spam Christians with their various messages. All with good intentions, I am sure, but the result has been bad. Many organizations are suffering from it, not just injesus. Some internet service providers have now flagged traffic from injesus as spam and blacklisted it. To survive these missteps by the overzealous few, injesus has been forced to enforce new rules. These prevent us from even *inviting* people to opt-in to this list. What does this mean?
At least three things. First, you personally have become more important. This list can now only grow if people find us themselves and sign up. People do this daily, but the new restrictions may slow the growth of the list, and your prayers are even more important now. Second, I can no longer help when you change your email address. Ain't allowed. If you move your email account, you must click on the link at the top of this (or any other Star message) and change your own address or you'll be automatically dropped. No one can do it for you. Third, if you know interested people, you can suggest that they go to injesus and join the Star Project. This is now the *only* way our praying brothers and sisters can get on board!
If you have time, would you pray with me about these two big issues presented by the digital age? The in-person meeting tomorrow? The survival and expansion of this list?
"Dear Father, we thank you and praise you for assembling a team of some of your best-placed workers. We are amazed at what you have done over the years to advance your Star Project, and cannot wait to see what you will do next! We ask that this physical meeting will be profitable for you, even a delight to you. Unify our thinking with yours. Guide us into your intention and empower us to carry out your plan from before time. Add to our number, Lord. Overcome these digital speed bumps. Continue to add to our number. Fill us on this list -- fill us with your fire! Lord, do not allow the evil one to profit from these electronic impediments. And, Father, we also stand back and ask for the big thing: launch your Star Project into countless homes worldwide, all for your glory! Not for us, Lord. Do it for your kingdom! We ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, amen."
Thank you, team!
Rick
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Leaping While Praying. Is it OK?
Is it polite to dance while one prays? What about if you can't *help* it?!
Good people, this is a day many of us have prayed for. Prayed for years. We can be forgiven for dancing, I think. I learned today that the Star DVD has been picked up by WalMart, Target, Best Buy, Circuit City, Amazon and other big-time retailers for this Christmas season! I am beside myself with joy and wonder. The Lord's hand is with us, my praying friends!
This is a critical time for the DVD, because, in truth, these retailers do not know what they have. Mpower Pictures will be working to help them understand, so that the DVD will get the chance it needs. But, as you would expect from me by now, I BELIEVE OUR PRAYERS ARE THE KEY. I believe the Lord will respond to OUR PRAYERS to carry the DVD out into the world. I have seen it too many times to believe anything else. I KNOW He hears us. And so, I will lead us in prayer in a moment. But first, here is something PHYSICAL you can do.
The DVD will not be available for sales until October 23, but you can order it now. Many major retailers already have it available on the web for preorder. And great news: the price is now *very*affordable*. Our distributor selected a suggested retail price of $15, which means that the discount chains will offer it for even less.
Buyers who work at the chains have taken the first step. They've chosen to stock the title. But now they are making the tough decision of how many discs to order for Christmas. So, here's what you can do. If you have ever thought about giving the Star DVD for Christmas, make this the year you do it! If you've thought about buying multiple copies for friends, family, your church or club, now the pricing allows you to go for it!
Please consider preordering the DVD from one or more of the links below. If you're able, place your orders RIGHT NOW, because the chains are deciding RIGHT NOW how many to order. They're all within a few cents of each other on price, so that may not be critical. But imagine how the Lord could use a surge of preorders! It will tell these organizations that the Star DVD is different. Perhaps they will even recognize the hand of God at work!
Here are some links:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Star-Bethlehem/dp/B000UAE7IQ/ref=sr_1_11/104-2569233-5777543?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1189776868&sr=8-11
Walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=6537126
Best Buy:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=15840501&st=bethlehem&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1683533
Circuit City:
http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Movies/Movie.aspx?v_id=V+++409410&search=BETHLEHEM&sec=All%20Movies&prodid=GENT80676DVD
Barnes and Noble:
http://video.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?z=y&EAN=796019806763&itm=1
If you have time, please join me in dance, I mean prayer:
"Lord, we dance! Lord, we rejoice! We have been here talking to you about this project for so many months and years. We have seen you continue to act. We have thrilled to be part of what you are doing. And now you're moving the Star into mainstream retail! Lord, do it in a way that shows your power. Move the DVD in a way that is simply astonishing. Do it so that everyone can see that it is YOUR project. Father, use this DVD to make your name great among the people of the world! Always for you glory, Lord! Go, Father, Go! We ask these things in the name of our precious savior, amen!
Rick
Good people, this is a day many of us have prayed for. Prayed for years. We can be forgiven for dancing, I think. I learned today that the Star DVD has been picked up by WalMart, Target, Best Buy, Circuit City, Amazon and other big-time retailers for this Christmas season! I am beside myself with joy and wonder. The Lord's hand is with us, my praying friends!
This is a critical time for the DVD, because, in truth, these retailers do not know what they have. Mpower Pictures will be working to help them understand, so that the DVD will get the chance it needs. But, as you would expect from me by now, I BELIEVE OUR PRAYERS ARE THE KEY. I believe the Lord will respond to OUR PRAYERS to carry the DVD out into the world. I have seen it too many times to believe anything else. I KNOW He hears us. And so, I will lead us in prayer in a moment. But first, here is something PHYSICAL you can do.
The DVD will not be available for sales until October 23, but you can order it now. Many major retailers already have it available on the web for preorder. And great news: the price is now *very*affordable*. Our distributor selected a suggested retail price of $15, which means that the discount chains will offer it for even less.
Buyers who work at the chains have taken the first step. They've chosen to stock the title. But now they are making the tough decision of how many discs to order for Christmas. So, here's what you can do. If you have ever thought about giving the Star DVD for Christmas, make this the year you do it! If you've thought about buying multiple copies for friends, family, your church or club, now the pricing allows you to go for it!
Please consider preordering the DVD from one or more of the links below. If you're able, place your orders RIGHT NOW, because the chains are deciding RIGHT NOW how many to order. They're all within a few cents of each other on price, so that may not be critical. But imagine how the Lord could use a surge of preorders! It will tell these organizations that the Star DVD is different. Perhaps they will even recognize the hand of God at work!
Here are some links:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Star-Bethlehem/dp/B000UAE7IQ/ref=sr_1_11/104-2569233-5777543?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1189776868&sr=8-11
Walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=6537126
Best Buy:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=15840501&st=bethlehem&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1683533
Circuit City:
http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Movies/Movie.aspx?v_id=V+++409410&search=BETHLEHEM&sec=All%20Movies&prodid=GENT80676DVD
Barnes and Noble:
http://video.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?z=y&EAN=796019806763&itm=1
If you have time, please join me in dance, I mean prayer:
"Lord, we dance! Lord, we rejoice! We have been here talking to you about this project for so many months and years. We have seen you continue to act. We have thrilled to be part of what you are doing. And now you're moving the Star into mainstream retail! Lord, do it in a way that shows your power. Move the DVD in a way that is simply astonishing. Do it so that everyone can see that it is YOUR project. Father, use this DVD to make your name great among the people of the world! Always for you glory, Lord! Go, Father, Go! We ask these things in the name of our precious savior, amen!
Rick
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