The Midwest chapter of The Hollywood Prayer Network—a national organization created in 2001 as a strategic prayer network for the Hollywood entertainment industry—is seeking Christians in the Twin Cities to pray for Christians and non-believers in the TV and movie business, both in the Upper Midwest and on the West Coast.

The goal of the ministry is to reach three specific groups of people: 1) Christians living outside of Hollywood who want to know how God is moving and working in Hollywood or who know He’s moving there and want to be a part of what He’s doing through prayer. 2) Christian media professionals living and working in the industry who need prayer support from the Christian community and the church. 3) And media professionals in Hollywood who don’t yet know the love and life-saving Gospel of Jesus Christ and who may only find Him through prayer.

Heidi Swander, director of the Minnesota chapter, said, “When Christians think of Hollywood, our first reaction may be to cringe as we consider many of the baser movies and TV shows we’ve seen produced there in the last score of years. I know that has often been my reaction.”

But back in November, an article Swander read provided her with a new perspective. The article was written by an award-winning Christian producer, director, cameraman and writer who has worked in the news and entertainment business for over 30 years. He considered himself a missionary to Hollywood.

“The minute I read it, it made perfect sense,” Swander said. “Until that moment I hadn’t once stopped to think that Jesus came to die for an individual named George Clooney—or fill in the blank with the name of your favorite star. From my perspective, it’s a revolutionary way of thinking.”

Swander was even more excited when she learned that a ministry existed that addressed this need, and that there are already more than 5,000 committed Christian professionals working as tent-making missionaries for Jesus in Hollywood.

“They were looking for a director for Minneapolis-St. Paul and I knew immediately that I’d found a ministry where I could serve God,” Swander said.


But why would the Midwest care about Hollywood?
Just as Washington is the seat of global power, so Hollywood is the seat of global influence. And the Midwest overall, with its reputation for conservative values, should care about that seat of influence because it’s having a lasting effect on generations to come, Swander explained.

Another reason is because Hollywood is filled with souls for whom Jesus died, a fact Swander is passionate about.

“Christians complain about the fare coming out of Hollywood. They boycott, write letters of frustration asking why a writer or director or producer doesn’t get out a Bible and read it and stop creating filth, and are aghast when their venom is returned in kind,” she said. “What we don’t consider is that they are blinded. Scripture says the god of this world has blinded their eyes, and until they meet the Savior they just won’t get it. So, the way to change Hollywood is to reach the individual people of the entertainment industry with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Finally, Swander is discovering that there is a large body of Christian media and entertainment professionals in the Twin Cities.

“They’re beginning to come out of the woodwork, and they’re all hungry to have people pray for their ministries,” she said. “This will expand our chapter’s vision beyond Hollywood and right into our own backyard, where Christians are using a variety of entertainment vehicles to reach the lost for Christ.”


ACTION POINT:
For more information on the Twin Cities chapter of The Hollywood Prayer Network, e-mail Swander at chefheidi@usfamily.net. You may also log-on to the Twin Cities Chapter of the HPN at www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org/chapters/minnesota.php.