Is it an issue we are afraid to talk about from the stage?
Our discomfort in talking about abortion, either privately or from the platform, has caused many churches to avoid the topic entirely. We can have the tendency to go silent on the issue. Did you know that 1 in 4 women in the United States will have an abortion in her lifetime? Women of every race, background, religious or political party have abortions. That means our congregations are filled with women who have had an abortion. Some have told their story, others have not.
There are tools available to receive training for how to handle this issue in our church. Testimonies and stories are, in my opinion, one of the most effective ways to address the issue.
The new movie Unplanned has given us an incredible tool to open the door for conversation.
I’m going to be real brutally honest on this one – there are some faith based films I’ve promoted through our ministry at Twelve:Thirty Media that I thought we’re decent at best or even pretty cheesy. I’ve done this because it is important to show Hollywood there is an audience for faith based content. So the more we support films with a Christian worldview or faith element, even if the production value isn’t up to par, the acting isn’t up to par or other reasons, I still support them because I want more movies with uplifting and Christian values to be made.
Simply put: if we support movies we want to see more of, more money comes in to up our game on the next one.
And it has worked. In the last few years, the quality of faith films have increased tremendously, we’ve hired big name actors and crew to make our films better. With the success of War Room, God’s Not Dead, I Can Only Imagine and others, I know for a fact that there are a slate of movies, shows and other projects on there way to you over the next few years (stay tuned for more info).
And Unplanned is an example of other success story.
Interview with Ashley Bratcher who stars in the film:
We started promoting this film months ago and the movie is finally in theaters.
I had the honor of watching a screening of this movie at the National Religious Broadcaster’s Convention last week with the cast and crew of the movie. The producers of the movie, along with Abby Johnson, which the film is based on, and several actresses from the movie including our Twelve:Thirty blog contributor and friend Ashley Bratcher, who stars in the movie.
This movie is gritty, it’s real, it’s painful to watch in some scenes.
You’re not going to believe me when I say that there was a baby in the back of the room during this screening making baby noises. It was unreal to hear the sounds of a baby in real life as we watched the lives of babies being taken on screen.
This movie is a powerful tool for the pro-life movement. As the owner and founder of our ministry, I personally, and our team stands firmly in support of this film.
Interview with Abby Johnson:
Over the last week, I have actually been traveling the same path with Ashley and her assistant and have been hearing some incredible stories of how Twitter, Facebook, news outlets and others have mysteriously dropped the movie from their platforms. There is an effort to silence the voices of the pro-life movement.
Abby’s story is powerful. This movie is a must-see.
Interview with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell who is a financial backer of the film and makes a cameo appearance in the movie:
Carl Barnhill has served on staff at some of the largest churches and organizations in the country. He served as Media Director at Precept Ministries International, directing the television and radio program Precepts for Life with Kay Arthur, broadcasted to over 98 million homes around the world. He served as Video Production Director at Pinelake Church in Brandon, MS. He most recently served as Video Coordinator for Newspring Church in South Carolina. He currently serves as Creative Director and Owner of[twelve:thirty]media, serving churches and ministries all over the world through motion graphics content and church media coaching.
