"Unbreakable Church" Documentary - May/June Update

Dear friends and family,

Abortion. Homosexuality. Transgenderism. Gun violence. Inflation. Corruption.

Many of us have been saddened to see the cultural, political, and economic divide growing across the US and other “progressive” nations. Though these challenges may seem shocking and new to us, they are all too familiar in many parts of the globe, across the pages of the Church’s history, and throughout the pages of Scripture. May we not be​​ slow to awaken to the reality that our Savior never promised us peace or prosperity on this earth, instead to be ready to be treated even as He was.

I am ever more convinced that America is one of the most difficult and perhaps most important ​​mission fields in modern day. May we rise to the challenge, ridding our lives and churches of that which hinders our unity, and pressing on to fulfill the Great Commission in our own backyards.

May we look with compassion at the growing immorality, instead of with contempt. May we reach out a hand in empathy to the broken, instead of looking on with scorn. May we remember Christ is He who has transformed us, He who unites us, and He who is forever our only hope.

Augustine
​(Pictured: ​​One of our more recent posts for Social Media​, find them at Facebook or Instagram)

 

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​​“Unbreakable Church” Documentary: It was late last year, as Genesis and I were returning from speaking at a chapel, that the Lord inspired us as to how we might better edify the churches across the country and the world.

Many of you know of my love and passion for the History of the Church, how it has inspired and encouraged me over the years. The problem is that many of us find the subject laborious or difficult to grasp. At the same time, we are all aware of just how important it is to understand what happened between Jesus and today. Even as Edmund Burke so wisely said: “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”

We asked ourselves: How can we bring this wonderful subject to life? What if we could make the subject ​​simple to grasp,​​ applicable to daily life, and ​​easy to use at a personal, church, and educational level?

A few months back we began laying the groundwork to produce a ​​documentary series which we’re calling ​​“Unbreakable Church”. The idea is to combine the stories of some of the greatest “heroes of the faith” with interviews of experts in the subject, all while being filmed professionally in the very places where many of these events took place.

Logo
(Pictured: ​​The official Logo​/Title​ for the Documentary Project)

While there is yet work to be done, we’re excited to finally be able to welcome you to the official website – ​www.​unbreakablechurch.com. There you will be able to see the ​​brand-new promotional video, read more on the project, and see how you might ​​partner with us in it.

After seeking the advice of many and asking the Lord’s direction, we’ve decided that once we can ​​cover half of the estimated amount needed, which we hope to keep as low as possible, we will begin to schedule the filming of Season 1 (​t​he production of Seasons 2 and 3 would depend on how well the first goes). If all goes to plan, we would be ready to film in places such as Israel, Turkey, and Italy as early as 2023.

We are also working to start a board to better back the project. I will serve as Producer, Screenwriter, and Director, helped closely by Genesis, and boosted by our Executive Producer, ​​Brian Kelley, a CMML Missionary serving in Southern Germany who has extensive filming and production experience.

Promo
​(Pictured: ​​Filming the promo video for "Unbreakable Church" at a beautiful Catholic Church in downtown Augusta, GA)

Other names you may well recognize who have already graciously agreed to be interviewed by us in the docu-series include Ian Burness (UK), Jerry Mattix (N. Cyprus), Dr. Mark Stevenson (Emmaus Bible College, USA), Beth Peltola (U.K.), and Marc Madrigal (Middle East). Ian Burness and Jerry Mattix have also offered to look over the script, to ensure its accuracy. We have yet to choose a ​​professional film crew, but Brian Kelley has several great contacts already in Europe that we will interview for the position as the time to film nears.


In future, we plan to send out the latest information via our official email address: [email protected]. All who already receive our ministry updates (if you’re reading this, that means you!) will automatically receive these. Of course, you can easily unsubscribe once you receive it, or you can add another email address via the website itself (or send me a note about it).

While there is a lot yet to be done, we trust in the Lord to provide and guide in this project, if it be His will.

Camp Hope
​​(Pictured: With some of the boys at Camp Hope)​​


​​Camp Season: In June, we had the privilege of speaking at two different camps, in addition to our regular speaking schedule, which included a weekend of meetings in ​​San Diego, CA in late May.

Our first stop in June was ​​Camp Hope, where we spoke to the homeschoolers group of some 50 eager and attentive adolescents. I spoke on “Heroes of the Faith”, walking through many inspirational figures from Church History, including Polycarp, Augustine, Martin Luther, William Tyndale, Gladys Aylward, etc.

From there we went to ​​Marshview Bible Camp, which was a very different group, composed of mainly low-income non-Christian youth. I spoke on some of the aforementioned “Heroes of the Faith”, but also mixed in the story of Esther and Samson, with a constant emphasis on a clear Gospel message. As always, Genesis was heavily involved, also giving a message to the young women, which I later heard was powerful and left several of them in tears.

Baptism

​​(Pictured: Baptizing Brooke at Marshview Bible Camp)​


Last year we had also spoken at this same camp, and we later heard that some had given their lives to Christ either during camp or shortly after it had ended. God is good! This year, two of those young ladies wanted me to ​​baptize them, which was a true honor and blessing. One of the young ladies, Emma, has a loving Christian family and nearly a dozen of them came out to see this momentous event. The other young lady, Brooke, is the only saved person in her family, one sadly fraught with drugs, violence, and seemingly always on the brink of financial ruin. We praise the Lord for the step that they both took, yet also pray for the Lord to strengthen and encourage them as they pursue Christ.

Marshview BC

​(Pictured: Genesis speaking to the young ladies at Marshview Bible Camp)​


​​Upcoming Events: Next week, Genesis and I will be flying to ​​​Albuquerque, NM to speak at a youth camp and then give a church conference, before heading to the ​​Seattle, WA area to speak at a Boys Camp and visit some churches in that area. All told, we will be away from home for just over three weeks, and we'd greatly appreciate your prayers.

By the way, because of an unexpected change of plans, we suddenly have three Sunday’s open in ​​October, but otherwise the year’s calendar is full. We have some ideas in mind, but if we might be of service at your chapel, please let us know right away. The same goes for 2023, as we have already begun scheduling some trips.

​​Prayer Requests:

  1. That the Lord might ​​guide and provide as we seek continue planning for the “Unbreakable Church” project

  2. For the Lord to strengthen and encourage ​​Emma and Brooke, who were baptized at camp this year

  3. That we might be a blessing and encouragement as we travel ​​West to visit churches and camps

  4. For the Lord’s ​​continued direction for Genesis and I for the future, thankful for all He has done thus far

 

Jerry

​(Pictured: Grateful to have my brother Jerry and his two daughters visit us from N. Cyprus)​


May the Lord bless and encourage you,

Christopher & Genesis Mattix