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