Lancaster youths make feature-length movie

LANCASTER, California--The youth group of the Desert Oasis Community Church (a WCG congregation) in conjunction with 7D Studios and Associates, a start-up production company (made up of the same young people), have completed a Christian feature-length movie titled My Best Friend.

The 55-minute movie, based on a short story written by Cody Urban, is a modern-day parable about the sacrificial love of a Christian for a nonbeliever. The key scripture is John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

In the movie the President of the United States (played by Ken Mitchell, youth and associate pastor) feels called by God to bring the gospel message to a non-believing Secret Service agent (Cody Urban) as­signed to protect him.

As their father-son relationship develops, the President becomes increasingly concerned over foreign, sinister factions attempting to bring the United States into war. The President is determined to have peace and lays his political future on the line to follow a Christian path.

At the same time, enemies in the White House have betrayed their loyalties, placing both men in mortal danger. Special effects, drama and intrigue bring this movie to an exciting and dramatic conclusion as the forces of evil battle the forces of good.

Urban said: "The main purpose and drive behind this movie was and is evangelism. We wanted to do something for God to bring others to him. To shine his light into the dark places and touch the hearts of many, planting seeds wherever the movie is shown.

"We showed the film at the 2004 SEP in Big Bear, California, and the theme of the movie, 'Jesus as our best friend,' carried throughout the remainder of the session. Not only was it a blessing to be permitted to show the movie at SEP, but many of our friends from SEP took it back to their churches, taking the movie nationwide.

"It is our hope that eventually thousands of churches will use this movie as an outreach tool or as an instrument of motivation, inspiration and evangelism in their communities."

Although the setting for the movie is Washington, D.C., it was filmed completely in the Antelope Valley and directed by Urban and Matt Waltz. It was edited by Paul and Nikki Pieper of Community Life Fellowship in Altadena, California, through their production company Pied Productions.

Other actors include Pastor Eric Shaw, Bill, Gabriele and Susie Day, Heather Mitchell, Lewis Parish and many more. Nearly every member of the Desert Oasis Youth Group handled everything from makeup to lighting, sound and camera, set building, costume selection and transportation.

"This was a huge effort," Mitchell said. "These teenagers, with virtually no adult supervision, spent more than a year of their lives and every cent they had to produce this movie. When their money ran out, they had fund-raisers to keep production going. Hundreds of man-hours were spent, sometimes working late into the night, sometimes all night long and weekends too. In addition they still had jobs to go to, chores at home and homework to do. It truly was a labor of love."

The movie debut was to a packed house at the Desert Oasis Community Church in Lancaster. Mitchell recalled: "I was so moved at seeing the completed project, knowing everything that went into it, and all the wonderful people who contributed, that I could hardly finish the service.

"We ended the service by singing 'God Will Make a Way' with tears pouring down our faces. I encourage everyone to find your own way of sharing the gospel."

If you would like to support the young people of The Desert Oasis Community Church and 7D Studios and Associates as they desire to produce movies that honor God, you can purchase your own copy of My Best Friend by completing the order form on page 24. All proceeds will go toward production of their next movie.

This article can also be found at http://www.wcg.org/wn/04novdec/update.htm