In other words, it’s exactly what you would expect from a Sight and Sound Theatre show.

The Branson location of the Sight and Sound Theatre is showing the original production of “Joseph”…the guy with the technicolor coat.  The story is true to the Biblical story of Joseph with a few things changed slightly to add to the dramatic tension of the work.  

Honestly, you’ll not mind the modifications.  The writers of the production were very careful to make sure the narrative of Joseph is not changed by the addition of dramatic elements.  The expanded scenes beyond what is in the actual scriptures (like a scene with a party at Potiphar’s house) actually enhance the understanding of the characters and the overall story.

In fact, I have to give Sight & Sound props for the way they not only didn’t downplay the portion of Joseph’s story involving Potiphar’s wife.  They addressed it in a way that showed the true nature of the temptation and allowed those in attendance to see the depths Joseph fell by standing true to God.

When you see the scope of the sets for that scene…and then realize that in real life it was significantly bigger and more lavish than what we were seeing…it really carries impact and forces you to wonder if you could resist in Joseph’s place.

And the actress who played Potiphar’s wife?  Let’s just say I hope she’s an incredible actress because if not…I wouldn’t want to do something to break her heart!  She makes Taylor Swift and her million-selling revenge songs seem like someone singing Kumbaya with their biggest enemy.  She scared me.

The production also includes a lot more of the “love story” between Joseph and his wife Asenath than you see in the Bible itself.  The addition was a welcome plus to the story in that it helped develop the depth of the Joseph character when his brothers came to Egypt.  It allowed a much easier path through the story in terms of seeing how Joseph struggles with the fact he could inflict vengeance on his brothers and yet chooses the true path of forgiveness and restoration.

There are a lot of musical elements to the story…and being honest I think I would have enjoyed the show better without them.  The narrative of the story was so strong and the actor’s performances so spot-on to their characters that the songs seemed to disrupt the flow of the show at times.  It’s not that the songs are bad…far from it…they just seem unnecessary at some points.  (Like the brothers singing at the start of the show.)

A large part of the show are the parts that never speak or bleat or bray or whatever sound a camel emits.  The sets were INCREDIBLE.  The look and emotional feel created by the set design amplified the story.  The tech crew working behind the scenes made it run like clockwork and they should get as much credit as the actors for this fine show.

Overall, it’s worth it.  Very worth it.

In addition to the show, my boys and I did the backstage tour.  Wow.  It enhances your appreciation for all the effort that goes into a production like Joseph.  Now, we were told during the backstage tour there were two photo ops because almost everything we would see was under copywrite and thus could not be photographed.

They told us we would have two places to take pictures.  The first was on the stage looking into the chairs of the audience.  Our tour guide never mentioned the second…so I took it upon myself to snap a picture behind the scenes.  What is below might be a completely illegally obtained piece of contraband photography.  I’m risking jail or a hefty lawsuit by posting it.  Still, I feel I have to post it.  A metaphorical spitting in the eye of the copyright law.

(And the backstage tour is worth it.  An interesting fact?  The backstage area where they build sets is the exact dimensions of Noah’s Ark according to the Bible text.)

And now, the potentially illegal photo:

This cast member did not look amused at my question “is your mama a llama?”

I obtained a copy of this book through the Multinomah Books blogging for books program where they send bloggers books on the condition we write a review and post it on our websites.  We don’t have to write glowing reviews.  We just have to write them.

So here we go.

I really liked Furtick’s first book, Sun Stand Still.  I posted my review of it last January and gushed all over it.  Although I’ve prayed those prayers and haven’t seen the kind of results that he wrote about in his book, I can still stay it’s a very solid book.

Then last year, there was a report that Furtick’s church, Elevation, gave very poor treatment to a special needs child and their parent.  I wrote about it on my other blog, Mustard Seed Year, and expressed my dismay about the situation as the father of a special needs child.  Now, you may think it’s odd for me to mention that in a book review.  It is.  At the end of this review you will see why I’m bringing it up in such detail.

When I saw Furtick’s new book in the Multinomah blogger program, I decided that I would put aside what I knew from last year and give Furtick a second chance.  After all, his first book was very solid.  So I requested and received a copy of Greater.

The main thrust of the book uses the story of the prophet Elisha to encourage you to look for ways to make your life greater.  (Elisha, the guy anointed to follow Elijah.)   Furtick shares stories from his life and those of people connected to his church about living a great-er life.

A big plus is that Furtick doesn’t just blow smoke and present happy, bubbly thoughts about chasing your dream.  He actually addresses the hard times that come with putting your faith in God and then seeing dreams die.  Seeing what appears to be God not showing up in situations that seem custom made for His miraculous power.

Furtick addresses some of the most common struggles of believers and provides some practical advice and even some wild theories that while you could provide a counterpoint (and Furtick admits so) also make you seriously think about the possibilities.  (For example, the idea of God having a “trust fund” for our faith.)

The book had impressed me.  Then I hit a section talking about the people who can bring you down or stop you from going where God wants you to go.  I expected to see a chapter on it and it’s very valid to discuss the idea of people who just dump negativity into your life.

And then I hit page 161.  And my entire view of Pastor Furtick and the book changed.

He wrote that his church has had to deal with “negative media pieces” and “antagonistic, unscrupulous reporters.”  OK, that’s typical in today’s mostly liberal leaning media environment.  Then…Furtick alludes to the situation with Kelly Helms and her son who has cerebral palsy.

If you didn’t know the situation and just read the book, you would think that Pastor Furtick and Elevation Church were the victims of persecution by blood-thirsty media folks out to destroy churches.  He mentions that they gave “thousands of dollars” and “commissioned hundreds of hours of volunteer efforts” to a local special needs ministry.  He speaks of some of their best volunteers being disabled and that his own sister-in-law is disabled.

Furtick says he would “punch someone in the mouth to defend her.”

He ends the paragraph by writing: “Why would a reporter suggest that we would ever offer anything less than love, support, and compassion to those in a position of such vulnerability?”

I had not planned to bring up the incident with Kelly Helms, Elevation Church and what happened on Easter Sunday 2011.  And had I not read what I saw on page 161, I wouldn’t be writing this now.

Let me answer Pastor Furtick’s question.

Why would a reporter suggest it?

They spoke with Kelly Helms.  They heard what she had to say.  They read the e-mails that went between her and your church staff.  Based on what Kelly Helms had to present to a reporter, asking the question was a VERY reasonable response.

And I honestly have to wonder now.  If Furtick is seriously asking that question, did he EVER talk to Kelly Helms about the situation?  Did he see what she had or listen to what she had to say?  If he had done that, he couldn’t have asked the question he asked in his book.

And apparently, this father of an autistic child who took the time to investigate the comments by speaking to her directly before writing about it on his blog and as part of a piece on Ministry Matters encouraging churches to be ready to handle special needs children is nothing more than “antagonistic” and “unscrupulous”.  The father who reached out to Elevation to get a response to the questions raised by Kelly Helms but never received an answer.

I approached this as a journalist.  I received facts first hand from the person who claims they were offended.  I approached the church for comment and they wouldn’t even speak to me.

Yet Pastor Furtick seems to feel comfortable enough to label me as “unscrupulous” without ever speaking a word to me as I’m a reporter who wrote about the issue.  Is that really something Christ himself would do?  Is that really acting in a Biblical manner?

So knowing what I know reading this passage…either Pastor Furtick at best never met with Kelly Helms to hear her concerns and thus honestly didn’t know why someone would broadcast a story like the ones we’ve read and seen or at worst is deliberately trying to deceive the readers of his book by leaving the impression the story was without any foundation.  Seriously, if he would “punch someone in the mouth” to defend his sister-in-law, would he not at least meet with the woman who felt wronged by his church?

There’s no way to know short of an answer from Pastor Furtick.  However, knowing what I know I have to seriously question the other stories told in the book.  They may be entirely true and presented without any misleading spin.  However, knowing that the way the incident with Kelly Helms is being presented in the book creates a completely misleading impression, I can’t have confidence the rest of the book is without deceit.

I so did not want to write about the incident with Kelly Helms again and had Pastor Furtick not written the things that I read on page 161 I would not have brought it up.  It saddens me to have to mention anything about it.

Based on page 161 and the doubts it brings into play, I cannot recommend this book at the present time.  Hopefully, at some point, Pastor Furtick will address the apparent misleading nature of that paragraph and we can look at more of the totality of the book.

The show as you might expect from the title has a 1950s theme.  The overall backdrop seems to be like an homage to Grease with the high school, the big dance and the seemingly clueless principal.  For example, the male “gang” is the “Mustangs” instead of the “T-Birds”.  It provides a fun backdrop to the unfolding production.

As usual, the show has much of the signature wit that Ozarks Murder Mysteries are known to provide their audience.  The obligatory Airplane!, Michael Jackson and Killer Flea references are there.   They worked in the “wise old janitor” character that is a must in any teenager related film or play.   Their homage to Columbo in the “Sargent Schultz” character was hilarious.

And the cast’s interaction with the audience is in full effect which is a must for this kind of show.

A key piece to this production is that last year’s big headlining performer, Helena Lee, is only performing in one role versus playing two different parts.  The focus on one role allows her to really dig into the part in a way that she really couldn’t do in other productions.   Given that her role of Torch Meadows is one of the two key roles in the production, it’s good that she has the chance to really focus on it.

And while it’s clear Helena is still the driving force behind the show, the ensemble behind her is much stronger.  In fact, there were two performances that really stood out…and I would dare say it?  One of their performances eclipsed that of established “star” Helena.

The breakout performer?  The young man who played “Seymour Fredrickson”: Quenton Ellis (pictured right singing to an audience member).  This young man showed a surprising depth of comedic range that you don’t find often in someone so young.  (He’s still just a high school aged kid.)

I found myself multiple times actively thinking about the way he would pause just enough to bring comedic effect to having his suspenders snap or to gasp out one extra breath before hitting his inhaler.  Sure, you can teach that kind of timing to folks but the kid seemed to have it naturally.  He may not have this kind of game every night but when I saw him he outperformed the “star” of the show.  (And talent seems to run in the family as Quenton’s sister Kia Ellis did a great job as Spark Meadows, Torch’s little sister.)

The other surprise performance came from a complete newcomer to acting in dinner theater…Rachael Bright as Audrey Baldwin (pictured right).  She apparently was discovered by Helena and show producer Fred Athay at a restaurant where she was a waitress!  (Yes, someone can actually be discovered waiting tables.)

She had a surprising grace in the way she danced and moved on stage, especially considering that she’s making her debut in a theater production in Branson.  She has a great voice as well.  She could be around for a while.

That’s not to say the rest of the cast was bad at all…it’s just that the performances I mentioned jumped out at me.

The death scene, however, was one of the highlights of the show.  I don’t want to spoil that by revealing details.  And the killer?  Well…I’ll say just go with your gut.

Now, there was one real issue with the show that bothered me.  Sound was a bit of a problem at points.  When the characters were on the back of the stage speaking directly to each other it could be a little hard to hear them in the cavernous theater.

When you include the good meal that comes with the show, it’s well worth the value.  The improvement in the production over previous shows is noticeable and a good omen for future productions.  It’s also a fairly PG show so it could be safe even for younger kids although it does include the “murder” and a reference to off-stage activity between two characters.

And just be prepared…you could be pulled into the show when you least expect it to dance with the cast.  You might want to stretch your hamstrings if you’re seated in the front tables!

If you’re not familiar with the name of the show, former American Idol finalists are in Branson performing what amounts to “mini-concerts” of songs.  Each Idol is in the opening and closing of the show and they each have a small set of individual songs.

Instead of a typical overview review, I’m going to take each segment piece by piece.

The show begins with the only “headline” performer to not have been on American Idol: Pete Peterkin.

Pete came from one of the other 1,487 reality TV talent shows, America’s Got Talent.  His big schtick was an impersonation of President Obama.  As you can imagine, that impression wasn’t a big hit in Branson but Pete did a good job with it.  (Some folks really need to lighten up a bit…it’s a comedy routine!)

Pete whipped out a range of other impressions that went over better with the audience like Chuck Berry including playing guitar like Chuck.  Pete had better chops that I expected from an impressionist.  Someone clearly went the extra mile prepping for that one.

And as for the impression many of us expected?

He nailed it.

Well, he moonwalked it.

Considering he had a bit of a disadvantage coming in because he wasn’t an “American Idol” Peterkin represented himself very well.  There were times he seemed a little nervous on stage when he was bantering with the audience but overall a solid job.

Then the Idols roared out.

It made sense to use P!nk’s “Get The Party Started” in the beginning of the show.  It certainly had a party feel once the Idols took over and you could feel a celebration level intensity to the performance.

That’s not to say the individual performances didn’t have energy…but there was something different about the five of them on stage together that elevated the group.

The first of the individual Idols was Alexis Grace.  She started out what I think inadvertently was the “soul half” of the show.  She and the Idol who followed, Scott Savol, oozed soul out of every pore.

Alexis shared with the audience at the start of the show her love for theater and that she had just finished playing the role of Roxie Hart in a production of “Chicago”.   She wanted to bring Roxie’s attitude to other songs…and BOY did she do exactly that with a rendition of “Fever” that could melt paint off the walls.

She dedicated a rendition of the Jackson 5 classic “I Want You Back” to her mother which I thought was a nice move on her part.  It didn’t seem the cheesy “dedicated to mom” style tributes I’ve seen in other shows.

By the time she roared into “Proud Mary” (and I do mean roared) Alexis had the crowd energized with her performance.  She may be small in stature but she packs a punch.

Once Alexis was done came the man that Peterkin said in his introduction has been called “the white velvet teddy bear” (a reference to season 2 winner Ruben Studdard who is called the “velvet teddy bear”.)

Scott Savol came onto the stage as smooth and velvety as you would expect of someone carrying that brand.

When he started into “Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I Got)” you could almost feel yourself sucked backward 40 years.  I half expected the Four Tops to come twirling out on the stage.

Another thing I really appreciated is the way Scott referred to his personal faith.  So many times I’ve seen shows in Branson where the performers play up their Christian faith because in this area is usually resonates and generates reaction.  I could tell with Scott he didn’t care if people applauded it or not.  It’s who he is.  I like that.

I have to share what the man sitting next to me said as Scott belted out a knee-buckling version of “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”: “He was born the wrong color.”  You should have seen the sincerity in this guy’s face.

I won’t pass judgment on the comment but I’ll say this…if you didn’t feel a stirring in your soul from Scott’s performance, then you were likely dead.

The only criticism I would have is that I would cut the background vocalist’s last line in “Against All Odds”…it would be much more effective if Scott’s voice was the last one.

That’s when we hit intermission…a serious powerful dose of soul.   (The cool part of intermission was getting to meet Diana DeGarmo’s mom…what a seriously cool lady!  I was blessed to meet her.)

The second half launched with Siobhan Magnus and songs from her debut CD “Moonbaby”.  While the crowd was appreciative of Siobhan’s powerful vocals, those around me were a little passive over music they didn’t recognize…more looking on inquisitively as if they weren’t sure what to think about it.  (I thought the songs were great.)

And her look…it’s like Stevie Nicks and Ziggy Stardust had a baby.  (To me, that’s a very good thing.)

Like Alexis Grace, Magnus brings a huge voice in a very small package.  When she sang her original song “Pure Inspiration” it almost knocked you back in your seat.   And any singer who can do a cover of Led Zeppelin and make it sound as appealing as Siobhan did deserves major kudos.

My only real criticism (more like a concern) is that she seemed a little tentative with the audience.  She spent most of her performance with a good buffer between her and the people watching the show.  I’m sure it wasn’t stage fright but I felt a slight disconnect.

That didn’t happen with the next performer.

Actually, this performer provided direct contact at times.

Ace Young stormed the stage with his version of U2′s “Vertigo” and from the moment he yelled “Uno” there was no question who owned the stage.  He brought a stage presence that was the equivalent of a four year old blocking their toys from their little sister.  It almost screamed “MINE!”

Ace’s range as a vocalist is obvious.  The switch from the drive of “Vertigo” to the tender, mid-tempo “Father Figure” was seamless.  Ace clearly was in a comfort zone and it shone through his performance and his interaction with the crowd (which was the best of all the Idols.)

Yes, he was really as close as in the photo to the right.  He was singing his original song “I Want To Fall In Love Again” which he said that he had written but hadn’t found the right artist yet to give them the song.  I think he’s the right artist…that song was better than 98% of the dreck on pop radio right now.

Then…it was time for the woman who will soon be known as “Ace’s better half” to hit the stage.  Diana DeGarmo flew onto the stage and the two brought a version of Journey’s “Any Way You Want It” that shows why Glee is a joke.

The newly-engaged duo…who ironically didn’t meet through American Idol…belted out a tune from the Broadway show where they took their talent to a new level…”Hair.”  (And Ace certainly has the mane for the song.)  The song was solid but it also gave Diana the best line of the night…

In the show, the performers go, shall we say, without apparel in that show.

Diana quipped after the song…”This will embarass my mama but I got a preview of the goods!” (Referring to her future hubby Ace.)

As for Diana’s solo songs…the girl has power.

Aretha Franklin herself would have stood up to applaud at Diana’s rendition of “Think” and “Respect.”  All I can really say about it is that if Diana has this kind of attitude while performing, I don’t want to be Ace if he forgets to take out the trash one night.

Ace returned for a very tender duet, “Us Against The World”.   I know this will sound weird…but the way these two interacted with each other I wanted to see them take on Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s “Time’s A Wastin’”.  Alas, that was not to be.

I honestly think these two are great for each other.  You could see them feeding off one another and elevating their performances.

The highlight of my night?  Ace and Diana tearing into Ozzy’s “Crazy Train.”

(Side note:  I thought for a moment I saw the drummer reading sheet music for Crazy Train.  This would require violently taking away this guy’s “drummer man card” because no drummer should need sheet music for Crazy Train.  Fortunately, it appeared he was just getting into the high-hat part.)

The band deserves serious props for the song.  The lead guitar player did as good a job on the song as anyone not named “Randy Rhoads.”  (For those who don’t know, he was the guitarist on the original song.)

The wrap up of the show had a cover of the only song most Americans would know from the band Dream Academy…”Life in a Northern Town.”   The quintet was pitch-perfect.

They ended the show with a high voltage version of John Cougar Mellencamp’s “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” (and a bit of “Born To Be Wild” as they left the stage.)

All in all…this is worth your time.  This is worth your money.  This is what Branson needs to have in town.

And before I end the review…I have to give props to the background band and vocalists.  The band was very tight and very solid.  The bass player switching from upright to electric was a nice move.  I didn’t once find myself rolling my eyes and saying “really?” to an arrangement.

And the background vocalists?  Right on the money.  Sheila Davis, Jerry Pollock and Heather Petersen really amplify the show.

This group is the 2nd of the three groups performing in Branson this summer.

The third group has a bar set for them that I seriously wonder if they’re going to be able to reach.

I tell you that so you understand my next statement isn’t easily written.

Clockwork Angels is Rush’s best album since their breakthrough 1980 masterpiece Moving Pictures.

It’s that good.

Anyone who’s known me for any length of time knows I’m a hard core Rush fan.  Yet every album always seemed to have at least one track that seemed weaker than average for the band.  Yes, I set the bar high but the band sets a high bar themselves.   I would listen to the album and when the song was done have a feeling of “eh, it’s ok.”

That didn’t happen with Clockwork Angels.

I think the song flow and connection came from Neil Peart’s desire to tell a story through the album.  (He’s co-written a book called Clockwork Angels.)  That linear motion through the album provides a focus that can sometimes fade when it’s an album of unconnected songs.  Lyrically, Peart provides us with a higher level of thought than on Snakes & Arrows and Vapor Trails.

Musically, there is a serious return to the feel of earlier Rush work.  A lot of this can be attributed to producer Nick Raskulinecz.  A die-hard Rush fan, he knew the way the band’s hard core fans expected Geddy, Alex and Neil to push themselves but keep a familiar sound.  Raskulinecz could be the band’s new Terry Brown…a producer who can bring the band to a new level.  Raskulinecz’s insistence the band do what they wanted to do and not focus on making each song 3 1/2 minutes led to a fusion of classic Rush tracks of the 70s with the best musicianship to date.

Yet the album has many strong hooks like you’d find in a three and a half minute single.  ”Headlong Flight”, “Wish Them Well”…those songs would fit into any album oriented rock station’s playlist.

There’s also a feeling to the record that seemed missing on all the work since the band’s hiatus in the 90s…a joy to the music.  There seems to be almost a peace you can feel running through the band’s work.  This record is the heart of Geddy, Alex and Neil coming out in ways we haven’t heard in decades.

And while I don’t want to see them call it quits any time soon…if Clockwork Angels is going to be their swan song…I don’t think they could go out any better.  If there’s a 21st studio album coming from these guys, they set the bar impossibly high.

I snapped pictures throughout my surprisingly tough 7 mile hike.  I can’t imagine walking this battlefield with people shooting at me like the soldiers who fought and died there.

With the pictures below, you can right click and open them in a new window to see the photo at twice the size.

The biggest change in the Circle B Cowboy show this year is the new venue.  They’ve moved to Branson Central next to the Acrobats of China theatre.  The venue is much more suited for the show, bigger, more open…and it leaves you with the feeling of being at an old fashioned barn dance when you’re listening to the Riders of the Circle B do their thing.

The “classic lineup” was there tonight as I define the classic lineup…Kemp, Michael and Christiana Horn, Earl Vaughan and Louis Darby.   Each of them were on the mark as if they all had been playing together without a break.  (Hopefully Louis will be around for a while.)

Christiana, as usual, ran away with the show.  It takes someone incredibly intelligent to play the ditz the way she does in the show without breaking character.

The musicianship remains as solid as ever and there’s something about Louis Darby in the mix that seems to elevate the performers.

A new addition to the show is the trick roping and tricks of Andy Rotz.  Rotz is a Guinness Book of World Records record holder in trick roping and is a very pleasant and solid addition to the Circle B Show.  It provides an element of depth to the show and the roping and shooting is a great way to provide a break in the music for the audience.

It’s worth the time.  It’s worth the cost.  It’s worth the smile you’ll have on your face from start to finish!

The first thing he wanted to do was play football.  So…we went over to Missouri State where he and Eli had a good brotherly battle.  E, of course, couldn’t let Dale win and beat him by one point. 

After that, we progressed to something originally planned for today…a trip to Branson.  Dale said he wanted to see the Circle B Cowboy Show for his birthday because they would sing to him.

We planned to spend some time at a Family Fun Center in Branson playing laser tag and black light mini golf.  A photo of the golf is below.

Now…Eli proved once again he’s one sneaky, intelligent, devious individual.  He said he didn’t want to play laser tag and threw a fit when I put the vest on him.  He stood just outside the area where you put on your vest and said he wasn’t playing.

So everyone started playing and just left him alone.

And everyone kept getting hit when they ran through the front of the game area.

Eli was just standing there pretending he wasn’t playing while he shot everyone in the back who ran past him.

In the end, Eli finished second out of the six people playing because everyone caught on to his plan with about a minute to go and started avoiding him.  Otherwise, he was about to win.  He barely missed winning.

Then, it was on to the Circle B Cowboy Show at their new location in Branson to celebrate Dale’s birthday.

Dale was so happy with his cowboy tin cup and that they pointed him out for his birthday.

The new theatre for their show really fits them a lot better.  They added a guy who has a Guinness World Record for trick roping and he’s fantastic.  But a review is for another time…tonight was all about Dale.

On the way home, he asked to stop at a frozen custard stand to get a cone.  So we did.

We were a few blocks from home when Dale said:

“Daddy?  Today was better than all the Legos you could have bought me for my birthday.”

Yeah, I almost cried.

Happy birthday, Dale. 

They had three places where they had to stop the taping and re-set because of a camera glitch.

So out of that two hours, how long do you think Jim spent pitching the food products and talking about giving to the ministry?

Around twenty minutes.

I was stunned.

When I see his show on TV, it seems like a large part of it revolves around the food buckets and giving to the ministry to keep it going.  It was just a minor part of today’s taping of the program.  In fact, there wasn’t any real “hard sell” where he had the audience tasting the food or breaking something out to cook it.  The Master’s Media students were really the focus of the show.

After the show, Jim thanked the audience as I took the opportunity to duck out.  I went back to the cafe, ordered a bacon cheeseburger and started to type these blog entries.  That’s when students started to trickle into the cafe.

They sat together.  They ate together.  They laughed together.

It was real, honest fellowship while they had no idea someone was sitting nearby watching how they interacted.  They were pleased with the show and their efforts.  Some chatted about things they would be doing that afternoon.  All of them were just as joyful as before the taping of the show had started out.

And that’s when I really allowed what I saw today to sink in.

It wasn’t about Jim Bakker although you can’t deny he’s a big part of what goes on at the Morningside complex.

It was about these kids.

Regardless of what you think about Jim Bakker or his ministry or even the Master’s Media program, these kids believe in it.  They believe they’re making an impact for Christ and the Kingdom of God and they’re willing to give up large parts of their life to make it happen.  I can’t say if the program is valid or not.  I can’t say if on another day they might not be this tight knit a group.

All I know is today, I saw a fired up group of youths who want to impact the world for Jesus.

And it made me wonder the times that we as adults have taken steps to shut down the ministry ideas that our youth want to do for the things we think that they should be doing because “that’s how it’s always been done.”  What would happen if we listened to them, designed things that would work to their strengths and allowed them to reach their peers in ways that you and I could never do it?

How could they change the world?

Why would we want to get in the way of them changing it?

We need to be supportive of the next generation who knows ways to reach their peers that someone who’s been in ministry for 50 years would never think of doing to bring them Jesus.  It might be the way they’re doing it with GenerationNOW, it might not be the way.  There’s no way to know until we let them try.

If you were expecting some scathing expose of Jim Bakker and lots of dirty little secrets, I’m sorry to disappoint you.  During the time I was observing the situation, I didn’t see anything that would validate the critics of Bakker.  Now, I concede that it was only a short amount of observational time and a small sample size of the students I talked to before and after the show.  I will never say this is definitive on Bakker’s spiritual state or the integrity of the ministry.

I can just say today, I saw fired up youth for Christ.  And that is an encouraging thing.