February 2011 Newsletter Dear HPN pray-ers, Happy Valentines Day! Happy Grammy’s and Happy Oscars! February is a big month in Hollywood because it’s Awards season for the film industry and it

[Hollywood Prayer Network]

  February 2011 Newsletter

Dear HPN pray-ers,

 

 

Happy Valentines Day!   Happy Grammy’s and Happy Oscars! February is a big month in Hollywood because it’s Awards season for the film industry and it’s Pilot season for the TV industry. We would especially love your prayers for the people who are creating projects, who are in front of the camera, behind the camera, in distribution, production, development and marketing. Everyone is impacted by the decisions made this month and so asking God to be a part of them is crucial to our culture and our community.

SUMMARY:

• Praise God for our National Prayer Committee gathering last month

• Encouraging Windrider Forum updates from the Sundance Film Festival

• Pray for TV Pilot Season, Jan. through April, 2011

• Pray for winners and losers of the 53^rd Grammy’s Awards Ceremony

• Let’s pray for Justin Bieber, whose team has asked us to pray for him

• Pray for the Sunday, February 27^th, 83^rd Academy Awards celebration

• HPN is having a Kodak Theatre Prayer Walk on Thurs., Feb. 24^th

• Mastermedia Intl. is launching the National Day of Prayer for the Media

• Pray through the Christianity Today list of the 10 most redeeming films of 2010

•  HPN wants to encourage you to pray for creative people who you may know

• Pray for the people in Hollywood who are struggling with cancer

• Let’s pray for Zach and Naomi Baliva

• Meldean and Loida Llanes, our HPN Local Chapter Directors in the Philippines

• HPN’s friend and member Sandra Lord hosts a Hollywood Networking Breakfast

• Every Wed. from 12:00 - 1:00pm you can join an industry prayer group

PRAISES:

• HPN had one of its most exciting weeks last month and we thank you for praying for us as we hosted the National Prayer Committee in Hollywood. Seventy-five of the most wonderful and passionate prayer leaders spent a week in our mission field, going on prayer walks, meeting professionals, ministry leaders and local pastors. They experienced the incredible things God is doing in Hollywood and left with a new understanding of how they can be praying for the entertainment professionals and our industry. We thank every one of them for coming and giving us the chance to show them Jesus’ love here in Hollywood. We praise God that they have a new heart for Christian artists, non-believing cultural influencers and decision-makers. Their prayer partnership with us is eternally significant!

UPDATES:

 

• Many Christians attended last month's Sundance Film Festival, one of the most important annual American Independent Film Festivals. Our friend Craig Detweiler, a professor at Pepperdine, brought his annual large group of Christian film students and Fuller Seminary students to Sundance, Utah, where they attended film screenings and then invited some of the filmmakers to come and talk at their Windrider Forum. Here is Craig's response to the experience: "In the seven years we’ve been bringing students to the Sundance Film Festival, 2011 stands out as the most spiritual and spirited slate of films so far. Filmmakers’ interests in ultimate questions continues to grow. They are eager to talk to the Windrider Forum about the spiritual search that drives their artistic process.” To find out more about the Sundance films and the filmmakers’ journey with faith, click HERE. 

 

 

WHAT’S GOING ON IN HOLLYWOOD THIS SEASON:

 

• It’s Pilot Season in the television industry. From January through April, the TV producers who have been given the green light from a network to produce one episode of their new TV series, start casting and shooting the show. They hope the network that gave them money for this one episode will like it enough to give them an order of 13 or even 22 more episodes to be produced for the upcoming new Fall TV Season. This is the season where producers, directors, composers, editors, actors and crew, all try to get connected with a pilot so that if it gets picked up for series then they will have a show to work on for the rest of the year. Pilots are often a fleeting hope because many more are produced than ever get on the air, and thousands of people are trying to secure very few jobs. Let’s pray for these TV pros as they try to get hired on to a pilot that will be a winner. It’s a frenzied time with pressure and dashed hopes and dreams for so many. May the Lord touch the hearts of those struggling for a “break” or even just a job, so that they experience His hope, peace and joy, regardless of their circumstances. Click HERE to find out more about Pilot Season: 

 

• This past Sunday was The 53^rd Annual Grammy’s Awards Ceremony (http://www.grammy.com/) Please pray for both the winners and the losers, for both of them need the Lord to help them with their emotions, their career, their relationships and their self-worth after the awards were announced. Many of the losers went home feeling that they have no value. The winners suddenly realized they are superstars and it starts to influence their vision of themselves. Only God can give us our true identity and our true value and we can only be completely fulfilled in Him. Pray for these artists to trust in God for their lives and for the talents that He’s given them.

 

• Let’s pray especially for Justin Bieber, who is the hottest young artist in the world right now. HPN has been asked by Justin’s team to start a global prayer effort for Justin and his single mom Pattie Mallette. Justin is 16 years old and has become a global phenomena, not yet understanding that celebrity can be more of a curse than a blessing. His mom asked that we pray for both of them, to keep their eyes on Jesus, to make wise decisions and not be swept into the dangerous mindset that fame and celebrity suck people into. We have set up a facebook page where you can post your prayers for them.  Let's be a part of praying Justin into a continued safe place with the Lord, no matter how much the industry pulls on him! Would you join us in covering this young man, who is currently the most popular star in the world and his mom, who

is trying to handle his life, career, schooling and spiritual training? Click HERE and post your prayer - then ask your friends to do the same.

 

To hear some of Pattie’s thoughts on why it’s important to be praying for Justin, go to our website at: http://hollywoodprayernetwork.org/content/prayer-justin-bieber

• Sunday, February 27^th marks the 83^rd Academy Awards, which is held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, just next store to Mann’s Chinese Theatre and across the Street from Disney’s El Capitan Theatre, in the Hollywood and Highland complex. It’s the biggest night of the year for the Film industry and millions of dollars are spent on promotion of the films, the stars, and the clothes they wear. And though it’s the most glamorous night of the year, it’s also the most empty night for most of the people who attend. They all believe that their career depends on who wins. Those who lose leave crushed, while many who finally win the award of a lifetime, go home and wonder, “Is this all there is?” The actors, directors, writers, and producers often define their identity on whether they get this award. Our job is to pray that they can find their identity in Jesus, who is the author and finisher of their lives and their faith. Please join us in praying for all of the people involved in this year’s films and ask the Lord to reveal Himself to them, to allow them to personally experience His love, joy, peace and hope! Only then will they ever find total fulfillment. We can be a part of that transformation. For all of the nominees and Oscar details, click HERE. 

 

How you can make a difference!

• HPN is joining with Christina Lee Storm and having a Kodak Theatre Prayer Walk on Thurs., Feb. 24^th at 7:30 pm around the whole Oscar’s venue, inviting the Lord to reveal Himself to all who show up that Sunday, the 27^th. We pray for all the people involved and their hearts, asking the Lord to reach out to them. We also pray for the Christians who are there to be salt and light, even the security, limo drivers and the other support staff. We would love to have you join us, either remotely, or at the venue. If you live in town and want to pray walk with us, just email [e-mail] for specifics.

• Mastermedia Intl. is launching a challenge to Christians all over the world to pray for the entertainment industry on Oscar Sunday – as the National Day of Prayer for the Media. HPN is supporting them in encouraging Christians to take that day and pray for the media/entertainment industry, the professionals involved in the world’s most influential mission field and for those who are seeking Truth in their lives.  Already pastors and priests are having commissioning services and masses for artists who are in their church on that Sunday morning, as they take time to pray for the power and influence of the media. They challenge their members to be wise and discerning audience members, etc. MMI would like to know how you, your Sunday school class, or church participated in prayer on “Oscar Sunday.” Send an email to [e-mail] and let them know how you joined in the chorus of prayer on February 27th!

• Christianity Today has a list of the 10 most redeeming films of 2010. Click HERE to read what they are.   They can be a good start in how you can pray with us in the coming weeks.

 

•  HPN wants to encourage you to pray for creative people who you may know personally, or have a heart for. Let's ask the Lord to protect them, guide them, give them wisdom and to have them fall in love with Him. If you want to know how to pray more specifically for people whom other HPN members have told us they’re praying for, click HERE or let us know who you’re praying for and we’ll add them to our Incognito Team prayer list. Email [e-mail].

 

• Please pray for so many of our industry members who are struggling with cancer. From Steve Jobs to Aretha Franklin to so many unknown wonderful creative artists who are making the world a better place through their talents. May the Lord turn their struggle with cancer into good by leading them into a beautiful relationship with Him in their healing process.

 

REQUESTS FROM HPN MEMBERS:

 

• Let’s pray for Zach and Naomi Baliva: “Things here are going well and God has really been teaching us a lot and also moving in our finances. I'm happy to share that our budget went from 50% full to 82% between November and now. We're trusting him to get us fully funded and hope to leave for Rome in April or May. Looking forward to official getting the Rome chapter of HPN off the ground.”

 

• Meldean and Loida Llanes, our HPN Local Chapter Directors in the Philippines ask us to pray for them as they meet with a well-known Christian artist there to start an HPN monthly fellowship with their local media and film industry professionals. Please also pray for the success of their upcoming October Community and Marketplace Transformation Conference. Meldean and Loida are faithful servants of God in their country. You can contact them at [e-mail]

 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

 

• HPN’s friend and member Sandra Lord hosts a Hollywood Networking Breakfast on the last Thurs. of every month. Sandra has been faithfully connecting industry professionals through her breakfasts for over 16 years.   Join them on Feb. 24th at: http://www.changingimagesinamerica.org/hnindex.htm

 

• Every Wednesday from 12:00noon to 1:00pm you can join in an industry prayer group in the Wylie Chapel at Hollywood Presbyterian Church. For more info on that prayer time and for other events happening in the Christian community in Hollywood, click HERE.

 

Thanks for praying with us. May you find great delight in the Lord this month as you pray for us in the entertainment industry!

 

Warmly,

Karen and Caren

 

  

TIP OF THE MONTH:

The Actors Uncertainty: How To Handle Questionable Content. Read a Christian actor, Chuck Hayes’ account of the struggle to work on projects that may be morally compromising:  http://www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org/content/actors-uncertainty-questionable-content

 

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

Believe me; the living artist needs an advocate. ~Howardena Pindell

 

VERSE OF THE MONTH: 

“Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them.” Proverbs 4:5