Director's Recommendations

Paul Munger who directed me in Princess Cut has some great film recommendations...

Post by Paul Gregory Munger.

You can see all my film recommendations at RichDrama.com/Recommendations.


Soon taking applications for the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp and Engage Rio. 

Resigned from MasterWorks

It is with a very heavy heart that I announce that Joyce and I have resigned from The MasterWorks Festival.

I’ve been a part of the Festival every year since theatre was introduced in 1999, and I’ve directed the theatre program for a full decade, so this was a terribly hard decision, but we make it with absolute clarity, knowing that it is the call of the Lord.

After being a part of 17 film projects we feel it’s time to produce a few of our own. If you're interested in taking part be sure to sign up for our emailings: www.RichDrama.com/Updates .

Jeremiah and Hannah McFarland,
students of the Rocky Mt. Christian
Filmmakers Camp, on set with me.

I’m not called away from teaching, and I’ll be directing the acting component of the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp in Norwood Colorado in the early summer. I teach alongside Zack Lawrence, who used the camp to film the feature-length In His Steps two years ago. I taught and served as acting coach there last summer, and the timing was such that we made an audition for an upcoming feature film a part of the training. Two of our students were cast, along with Joyce and myself, in Mayflower II, shot near Calgary, Alberta.

Soon taking applications for the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp.

Genuine Love

Joyce preaches on Romans 12:9-21. Opening by Pastor Jim Warren. Pastor Randy Solomon prays and thanks the congregation for praying for his family through the death of his sister-in-law.



This service is available for download free on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.

If you've been blessed by the ministry of Westchester Chapel we'd be blessed by any contribution, which could help us continue our work for the Lord.

Other Options


Grooveshark is a third party source. If you listen on their website you will encounter advertisements, none of which are vetted or endorsed by Westchester Chapel. We encourage you to click Settings, then Preferences, then check the box for "Only show me family-friendly themes." If there are still ads that you find offensive we encourage you to click the "Report Ad" link below the ad. Photo courtesy of NicolettiPhoto.com.

Soon taking applications for the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp.

Safety Mode is blocking some of my videos

It was brought to my attention that YouTube is blocking some of my videos when users are in Safety Mode. I assure you I haven't started uploading offensive content! It seems to be an issue for a lot of family-friendly YouTube channels including Lego films for children, fishing and frolicking dogs. I've asked them to fix the issue, and when I get a chance I'll upload the videos to other sources. In the mean time if you choose to take your YouTube account off of Safety Mode to watch, I assure you that the videos will not scandalize you or your family. But don't forget to put it back on Safety Mode when you're done. :-)

Soon taking applications for the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp.

Gifts of Grace

Pastor Joyce Swingle preaches on Romans 12: 3-8.

Jammie's daughter ministering to the
children of South Sudan.

Jammie Stark shares about her family's work in South Sudan. To find out more and give to their ministry visit Birthing-Hope.org. She was prayed over by various pastors and congregants.



This service is available for download free on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.

If you've been blessed by the ministry of Westchester Chapel we'd be blessed by any contribution, which could help us continue our work for the Lord.

Photo courtesy of NicolettiPhoto.com.

Soon taking applications for the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp and Engage Rio.

Faculty devotion at MasterWorks

Here's this summer's faculty devotion at MasterWorks, followed by links to things I mentioned.

It's divided into a sections, which should play one after the next. On some browsers you may need to hit the forward button to get the next one started. I'm posting it this way so you can see the videos I showed in a better quality and to honor their copyrights. I tried to cut the Peter Hitchins interview at 7:42, but that doesn't seem to work on any of my browsers. The rest of it's great stuff, too, but when my talk resumes it's linked to what he said about the arts opening people to the reality of God.



Here are the links to things I mentioned:
The Acts
www.WhoistheFish.com
Dr. Alma Villegas (scroll down)
Performing during the Sochi Olympics
Christians in Theatre Arts (CITA)
Eric Metaxas
Enacted Prayer

Soon taking applications for the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp.

Love Covers All

It was fun seeing my name in the trailers if only as a donor. So glad I contributed to Love Covers All! It's a beautiful film written and directed by Kyle Prohaska, who worked on post production for Christmas Grace.

It's about a young man trying to get home... in many ways: Most pressing is his desire to be there at the birth of his child, but he's stranded... with an athiest... who helps him get a jump start with his own faith. It's simple, beautiful and moving.

Kudos to my friends Jason Burkey, Rusty Martin (what a hooligan you were, Rusty!), Rusty Martin, Sr. with cameos from friends in the crew: Rebekah Cook, Ashley and Ethan Ledden!

Available for digital download and DVD on October 7.

Into the Spotlight

This Sunday I'll be performing in the Newmark Theatre in downtown Portland, Oregon, as a part of the Twin Rocks Friends Camp event "Into the Spotlight."

I served as a camp counselor at Twin Rocks in 1988, and I'll be performing excerpts from my one-man play Big Fish Little Worm: Gideon and Jonah, both of which I wrote about three years after my summer staff stint.

I'll also be talking about how formative my time there was for me and the campers in my care.

If you're in the Portland area I hope you can join us!

The Song

The Song is inspired by the Song of Solomon but soon turns to Ecclesiastes. Scripture from both of Solomon's Books serves as a narrative as this modern telling of Solomon's life. That narrative is beautiful at times, poignant at others.

Jed King is a musician trying to find his own voice and passion which will help him escape the shadow of his father, David. Yes that makes him David King, and Jedediah is the name Nathan the prophet gave to Solomon and means "Beloved of the Lord," but the on-the-nose nature of the names is about as hokey as this one gets. The writing, cinematography and acting are all top notch. It's my hope the obvious names point many back to the Source.

Though the theme of adultery is prevalent, it is told with intelligence, discretion and creativity.

Jed, played by Alan Powell, falls for Rose (Song of Solomon 2:1), played by Ali Faulkner, but before he asks her out he gets permission from her father... in his den... surrounded by animals he's shot. Jed is courageous enough to start his relationship with Rose off on the right foot...

But the answer to his prayer for wisdom, empowering him to surpass his father's fame and influence, sets him up for long trips away from his new family. When he is paired with pop diva Shelby Bale, played by Caitlin Nicol-Thomas, he is led "to know madness and folly."

Joyce and I thought the way the film expertly showed the progressively lowering boundaries was a clarion call to keep boundaries around real life marriages strong and secure.

Powell is a member of the Christian band Anthem Lights. His scenes with Faulkner as his wife and Nicol-Thomas, who leads him into Ecclesiastes, are filled with chemistry. So much so, that if someone hadn't told me to watch for it I might have missed the fact that he honors his wife, Brycie, by never kissing either of his co-stars on the mouth.

Christians should know:
* Some violence and blood
* Substance abuse depicted
* Theme of adultery

Check out Kids-in-Mind.com to make a fully informed choice for your children.



And here's our friend, Torry Martin's marketing approach...