Kidology - Transcript: Jesus Camp - Kidology Forum Q & A Series

Title:	Transcript: Jesus Camp - Kidology Forum Q & A Series
Author/Source:	Kidology Forum Q & A Series
Topic:	Q & A Transcript
Summary:	Transcript of Kidology Forum Q & A Series event with Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, directors of Jesus Camp (September 18-22, 2006)
During the week of September 18-22, the Kidology Forum Q&A Series welcomed filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, directors of Jesus Camp. This periodic opportunity allows Kidology members to ask questions and hear from established communicators, trainers, and educators in the realm of children's ministry. Jesus Camp is a documentary film which embraces the idea that a revival in America is in process, with significant leadership roles being assumed by children. The film follows 3 kids (Levi, Rachael, and Tory) to the "Kids on Fire" summer camp in Devil's Lake, North Dakota, run by Pastor Becky Fisher. According to the distributor, the movie "follows these children at camp as they hone their 'prophetic gifts' and are schooled in how to 'take back America for Christ'." The filmmakers claim that this is a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future. Additional supporting materials regarding this film can also be found on Kidology, as provided by the film's distributor, Magnolia Pictures. You'll find trailers, video, audio, photos, a film synopsis, director's statement, bios on both the filmmakers and the cast, and other reference material being distributed to various media outlets. What follows is a transcript of that Q&A event. Kidologist: I am fascinated by this movie -- and am always curious to watch how people respond to things they've not seen, just as with the Passion of the Christ, which most Christians embraced, and many secular critics, many of whom have yet to see it, attacked with straw-man arguments. This may be a reverse, where Christians have the opportunity to too quickly criticize something they have not seen. I personally am glad to see non-Christians (I'm assuming!) take a close and serious look at something Christian and report what they perceive from it. Having not seen the film, my initial concerns are more that our members and Christians in general will treat these two ladies who have created this film with the same love and grace that Jesus would have regardless of anything in the movie that we may not personally like. The spiritual life is a journey, and we must commend these women for being open to including a look at Christianity as a part of their personal journeys. Certainly, we hope their journey would lead them to faith in Jesus as their personal Savior, but even if not, they are open to exploring something out of their normal realm of life (and politics) and we ought to be willing to do the same, which is why we enthusiastically welcome them to this discussion on our site. They are our guests and we hope they will learn even more about us and our faith just as we certainly will learn and benefit from their perspectives both in the film, and in this conversation. I'll start with my first question, just to get things going: How did you discover this church and camp, and what about it inspired you to do a film about it? Is it your impression from your experience that this church denomination and camp are typical of evangelicals? Or do you see them as a fridge of the conservative political landscape? I am a Christian and have been a children's pastor for over fifteen years and have been a Christian camp speaker for the past ten years at multiple camps... yet, I do not relate to everything seen in the trailer and probably won't with all that is in the film, and yet I am excited to see children so passionate and excited about their faith. I am concerned when we MAY place emotion over substance, but that is a fear, not an accusation about the church that was portrayed. I'm just curious if other Christian camps were looked at or compared, or if the lens only focuses on this one camp, and if it was chosen for being 'fringe' or because it was considered to be 'typical' of Christian kids camps. Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady: We were inspired to make a film that explored children and faith. In our last film, The Boys of Baraka, one of the main characters was an aspiring preacher, and his devotion and relationship with his church was a beautiful and intriguing element to his personality. We set out to find a story that would focus on kids and belief and stumbled upon Pastor Becky's ministry. We were fascinated with her mission, and after meeting her thought she would make a fabulous documentary film character. Once we met the kids and parents that followed her ministry and went to her camps and conferences we were confident that we had the right people to tell a compelling story. We understand from the people in our film, as well as conversations with other evangelicals, that the camp and its constituents are not "typical" of all evangelicals. The evangelical family is a large umbrella group, and not a monolith by any means. We never intended to present the camp and Becky's ministry as the "norm" and we made a point to mention in the film that she is Pentecostal. However, we are very hesitant to use the word "fringe" to describe the people in our film, because Charismatic and Pentecostals make up 27 percent of evangelicals, and absolutely self-identify as part of the evangelical family. CuriousGeorge: Here's my first bunch of questions: Tell us about the kids (especially the three featured children). How did your impressions/understanding of them grow and deepen over time, and how would you consider these kids both as a whole separately and in comparison to the typical American child? (As if that comparison is possible, but just generally how would you say?) Also, what was your relationship like with the kids while filming? Do you still keep in touch with them? Keeping in mind I have yet to watch the film for myself, how authentic do you think these kids' faith was? Was what you were seeing at this camp real to you, or something else perhaps - due to temporary emotionalism, outer influence, parental upbringing, cultural surroundings, etc.? To add dimension to this question: In your experiences, how real of a faith or moral sense or any other strong personal propriety for that matter do you think children are capable of having - and keeping throughout the rest of their lives? Finally, would you consider these kids' lives better, or richer if you will, for having such an active emphasis placed on faith by those around them? And here's a lighter question: What draws you to making documentaries? Why do you choose this medium to work in? Also, could you tell us a little bit about your process of going about making a documentary? Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady: While parental upbringing is hard to separate from any child, and any situation, we purposely chose children that we felt were genuine in their worship and relationship with God. We feel their faith is extremely authentic, and audiences have felt this and commented on it extensively, and we believe this makes it a more provocative and meaningful piece of work. There were of course some kids we felt were maybe "faking it," either for our cameras or for peer acceptance, but they were rare and we didn't feel they were relevant to the story we were personally curious in exploring so we excluded them from the final cut of the movie. We believe children are capable of a profound sense of morals, and a strong sense of right and wrong. In fact often their instincts are more sharp then adults. As far as people keeping this moral compass strong and focused throughout their life, we believe that depends on both a combination of nature and nurture that is a completely individualistic experience for each and every one of us. The children that we focused on in Jesus Camp have a deep sense of security and confidence that they emanated. They were also kind and polite, and caring for others and we do believe that the emphasis on their faith is an enormous component to their deep seated focus and warm character. That said, we do believe that there are other children in the world, that perhaps are not getting the same spiritual emphasis that these children are receiving, that also are kind, polite and caring for others -- so it is not a mutually exclusive concept that only kids that have such deep spiritual belief will turn out ok. eriepastor7638: Good Morning Heidi and Rachel, First, thanks for tackling such a sensitive topic. I'm looking forward to viewing this. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait for DVD not living near a "select theater." Here's my questions... What do you think the dangers (if any) of training our children (whether they be evangelicals or unchurched) in the "Culture War Metaphor?" In your travels have you bumped into alternate models of the church-- and their children-- relating to culture. Do you see what Kerry termed as "Two America's" being a permanent feature of our society? Again, thanks for creating Jesus Camp. My highest hope for your documentary is that it creates a vehicle for Evangelicals and their societal counterparts to have a dialogue about wisdom of passing this conflict on to another generation. Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady: War terminology, even when its metaphorical (like being engaged in a "spiritual war") can be tricky and kids need to understand what this all means. The bottom line is that I think we should be careful to not teach our children that they are superior to anyone else. That's when the trouble began. I hope that the state of "two Americas" will not continue. There is such a sense of polarization in our society right now. No one is talking to one another it seems, people spend a lot of time shouting and pointing the finger. We were reminded while making this film that you cannot judge people for their beliefs, and no one can just be categorized in a simple black or white fashion. People are nuanced and just because someone does not share the same political beliefs as you does not mean we cannot learn from on another. ErinMascot: Hello Ladies! I've heard reviews, both good and bad, from media outlets. Can I simply ask: What was your goal in creating this documentary? And remember, this is for posterity, so be honest..... (sorry, Princess Bride quote) Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady: We were inspired by a child named Devon who appeared in our last film, The Boys of Baraka. Devon, a Baptist, was a 12 year-old child preacher from Baltimore city who had incredible talent and devotion. We had never met a child like him before and so decided to embark on a film about children of faith. We wanted to understand better how a child processes religion and faith and how a child's form of worship differed (or did not differ) from that of an adult. We began to research children's ministries and heard about Becky Fischer from a few pastors. Once we found her ministry and met her and met the kids she was teaching we knew we had found our story. SpencerClick: First off let me say, I am excited about what is seen in the trailer. I've had the opportunity to sit in on several sessions with Lou Engle and I am excited about what he is bringing in ministry and what his vision is for our country... I loved the shots of the kids... especially Levi talking about being the key generation to seeing Jesus come back -- that's exactly what I want my kids to believe. My question is one to deal with audience response. I don't know how you folks have gathered information after screenings. But what has been the response from audiences? Specifically Secular vs. Chrisitan and Charismatic vs. Non-Charismatic? Thanks - I look forward to seeing the movie. Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady: Audiences have reacted in many different ways. Last week in Springfield, Colorado Springs, and Kansas City we attended worth of mouth screenings with both secular and Christians in the audience. Becky Fischer from the camp also came. Most people said the film was fascinating and different than they expected, I think some religious people feel nervous that the film may depict Christians in a negative way, and once they see the film they realize that is not the case. Non-Charismatics are quick to point out the differences in some theological aspects of Pentecostals and Charismatics and like to make it clear that mainline evangelicals do not express themselves in the same way. We are aware of that and think its clear in the film that the people we feature are Pentecostals and Charismatics. jklinker3747: I just wanted to thank you for creating a movie that will bring so many people into a conversation about not only their relationship with God but their children's relationship with God. My favorite movies are ones which make me rethink my beliefs or actions and see it from another persons point of view. My favorite recent move is Crash. I was wondering if either of you two had children and if making this movie changed or altered any of your hopes and dreams for them? Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady: Neither of us have children but we both hope to have them one day, when we are not too busy shooting developing and editing new documentaries! It is an all consuming job. I think filming children reminds us of what kind of raw potential and enthusiasm a young person has and how powerfully they can express themselves. They are superior subjects to adults in many ways as they are so candid and not so self conscious as we adults. Pastor Becca: Heidi and Rachel, I am curious of the responses you have gotten so far from friends family, colleges, etc.? What are people saying about the film that have seen it? I guess what I really want to know is how controversial has this film been so far if at all. What's the buzz? My other question for you is how has doing this film changed your personal view of Jesus Christ? I noticed that the film is not showing in several states, such as Washington or Idaho. I don't know if you have any control over that or not. It may be up to the individual theaters. But I must say I am curious why a movie about Christian kids is not being shown in states that would be more likely to except the film. Please don't take offense to that, it is just that I am so curious of how this film will be received and I know that where it goes will make all the difference. Thanks for taking the time to listen and answer our questions. I must say it is difficult to discuss without having seen the movie. I look forward to seeing it. Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady: People who have not seen the film are much more critical of it than those who have seen it, which is always the case I think. People who have seen it feel that its a very arresting and engaging piece that gives real insight into children of faith and offers a real inside look at a very intense Charismatic community that we profile in the film. Not everyone agrees with the intense education these kids get at Becky's camp but I think it's of interest to all and provokes interesting discussions. mmartin: Since this is film is not being released in my area (Roanoke, VA) will it have a wide release in rental or will it need to be purchased from a distributer? Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady: Documentaries are usually independent productions not backed from the get-go by major studios so they receive what's called a "limited release." In this case it's not such a tiny release and is opening in about 40 cities to start with. If you go to www.jesuscampthemovie.com you can have a look if it is opening in a theater anywhere near you. The film is already playing in parts of Missouri, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Tennessee and is opening in many more states on Sept. 29 and Oct. 6. The DVD is likely to come out in the spring... kidzpastortc: While I think the idea of a documentary taking an in-depth look into the area of Children's Ministry if fine, I have some concerns about this picture. Let me preface my questions with this – Many Christians do believe there is a so called "culture war." Some – mainly Christians & conservatives – feel America needs to hold on to the traditional value system that has made us such a great nation; for example the definition of marriage and the issue of abortion. In that light, it is understandable that evangelical Christians would take steps to educate the future generation on what they believe is the truth of such matters; the other viewpoint does the same (hence the debate over what to teach in public schools). Also, many Christians do feel we are in a battle. However, the battle we fight isn't a physical one; it's a spiritual one, and a moral one. It isn't fought with bombs and guns – it is fought with prayer and fasting. That is why you hear speech that talks about Christians "preparing for war – getting ready to fight – battling against hell – etc." The war we prepare to fight is a spiritual one, not a physical one. The way we prepare to fight is through fasting, prayer, preaching, teaching and devotion to Christ; not with guns, bombs, or any kind of violence. The impression I received from watching the trailer is that Jesus Camp doesn't make that distinction. It seemed to almost portray evangelicals as training suicide bombers or other types of militant extremists to fight a physical war of ideologies. It seems to equate us with Islamic extremists who want to spread their message with force if necessary. At first I thought I might be reading too much into it, but then I read various reviews and news reports from agencies such as ABC. One film critic stated, "Cut to the flickering images of children writhing in a spiritual trance on a chapel floor while being hectored about the glory of dying for Christ, and one knows exactly where the first Christian suicide bombers will come from." My questions are these: 1. Do you see a distinction between the "war" Christian's fight – which is a spiritual one – and the war that terrorist's fight – which is a physical one? 2. In the documentary, do you make that distinction? Do you show that Christians fight with prayer and fasting, not with bombs and guns? 3. In your opinion, does the documentary appeal to the idea of Christian extremism? Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady: We were very careful to leave in comments from both the children and the adults that clarified and gave context to the point that the subjects of our film were indeed engaged in what they feel is a spiritual war, and not "one of the flesh." For example, one of the kids says in the movie "I feel like we are being prepared for battle. Not in the way you would for a war in the physical -- it's very exciting, it's very cool." We have been getting the question at Q and A's a lot, "Do you think that these kids are capable of violence?" and we have been giving a strident "NO!" to this question. The kids are incredibly kind, caring and sweet. The come across in the film as likeable, well mannered and eloquent. I think when an audience has the opportunity to spend some time with the children over the course of the film; perhaps some misunderstandings of the physical vs. spiritual war will be dispelled. TheJourney: I must confess, that in first seeing the trailer of this movie, I was a tad uneasy. Human nature kicked in and anything that could possible stretch or burst my bubble needed to be avoided. Yet that is how we grow. So, my question stems from this: Did you experience any "Ah-Ha" moments while filming and has this encounter forced you to examine your own personal beliefs any? On the flip side: where there any "oh-my!" moments you went through as well? I look forward to seeing the film here in Austin. Blessings. Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady: There were definitely some "a-ha" moments as well as "oh-my" ones! Heidi and I (she is Catholic and I am Jewish) had limited exposure to the theology and worship style of the people in the movie. When we first saw very small children being "slain in the spirit" and speaking in tongues we were initially quite taken away and thought it was a bit surprising. But, it is one of those things that we quickly got used to and when we started to learn more about the Pentecostal experience and were given some context to these actions it didn't surprise or shock anymore. Heidi and I are by no means against any spiritual expression and I was just one of those things we had to get used to, and I believe our audience will become comfortable quiet quickly as well. As far as an "Aha!" moment, Heidi and I both felt a deep sense of the "cultural divide" when we were flying back and forth from our homes in New York to different parts of the Midwest to film our subjects. What emerged for both of us was a sense that we had been living in a bubble ourselves -- that the notion that so-called East-Coasters were so sophisticated and "knowledgeable" was a false one in that we were actually quite ignorant to what a majority of our fellow Americans were passionate about. It was a huge growing experience for both of us and I'm grateful for the opportunity to grow myself from the experience. PasJSA: Concerning Becky's long, active ministry with children... what did you learn about the long term outcomes? See any teenagers or young adults who had experienced this training? Were these young adults still at war with the culture? If so, what were they doing about it? You may answer these questions in the movie...I haven't seen it yet, but I plan to. Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady: The kids that we focused on in the film were 10 years old and 12, so we also are extremely curious to see what will happen when these children come of age. Unfortunately we didn't get the opportunity to spend time with alums from Becky's ministry (or ministries like hers) so we feel that this is actually the million dollar question: Does it stick? Does an intense spiritual training permanently change a youngster and if so, in what way? We do not answer this question in the movie (but have already discussed doing a Jesus Camp II to explore it!) but I think we do leave the viewer wanting to know more in a provocative and positive way -- we don't answer all the questions for sure but I hope we help raise new ones that our audience hasn't ever asked. That's all we can hope for as filmmakers. Thanks for all your questions. Moderator: That wraps up our Kidology Forum Q&A Series with Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. Thanks for all your great questions and comments. And thanks again to Heidi and Rachel for spending some time with us. View original forum topic
This transcript of the Kidology Forum Q&A Series with Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady is copyright © 2006 by Kidology, Inc. This transcript has been modified as to remove: some extraneous information, breaks in some answers, information that would invade privacy, and internal forum information. Please do not retransmit without permission.

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