Synopsis
For the Life of the World: Letters to the Exiles
For the Life of the World is an entertaining film series that explores the deeper meaning of Salvation. Have you ever wondered, “What is my Salvation actually FOR?” Is it only about personal atonement,
about getting to heaven, or something that comes later? Is it just to have a “friend in Jesus?”.
Join Evan Koons and his friends – Stephen Grabill, Amy Sherman, Anthony Bradley, Makoto Fujimura, John M. Perkins, Tim Royer and Dwight Gibson – as they discover a “new perspective,” the BIGGER picture of what it means to be “in the world, not of it. ”This seven-part film series and companion Field Guide will help you, your friends, church or organization investigate God’s Economy of All Things – OIKONOMIA (a Greek word that has a lot to say about God’s plan for his creation, the world, and us.)
Explore how God’s purposes are woven into every area of our lives: family, work, art, charity,
education, government, recreation and all creation! The Bible calls us Strangers and Pilgrims, living in “the now and not yet” of God’s Kingdom Come on earth. We are also called to be salt
and light, to have a transforming presence among our neighbors. In seven 20-minute-ish episodes, you’ll learn how our lives lived on earth matter in God’s plan for the world.
Anyone familiar with the Christian faith – whether you’re Baptist or Catholic, Orthodox or Presbyterian, madly in love with your church or just about to walk out its doors – will find wonder and hope along this journey. Rediscover our passionate and imaginative callings as agents of God’s grace in every broken place. You’ll travel a vast terrain in each episode, so you might want to watch the series more than once. There’s much to discover and ponder anew!
For the Life of the World is an entertaining film series that explores the deeper meaning of Salvation. Have you ever wondered, “What is my Salvation actually FOR?” Is it only about personal atonement,
about getting to heaven, or something that comes later? Is it just to have a “friend in Jesus?”.
Join Evan Koons and his friends – Stephen Grabill, Amy Sherman, Anthony Bradley, Makoto Fujimura, John M. Perkins, Tim Royer and Dwight Gibson – as they discover a “new perspective,” the BIGGER picture of what it means to be “in the world, not of it. ”This seven-part film series and companion Field Guide will help you, your friends, church or organization investigate God’s Economy of All Things – OIKONOMIA (a Greek word that has a lot to say about God’s plan for his creation, the world, and us.)
Explore how God’s purposes are woven into every area of our lives: family, work, art, charity,
education, government, recreation and all creation! The Bible calls us Strangers and Pilgrims, living in “the now and not yet” of God’s Kingdom Come on earth. We are also called to be salt
and light, to have a transforming presence among our neighbors. In seven 20-minute-ish episodes, you’ll learn how our lives lived on earth matter in God’s plan for the world.
Anyone familiar with the Christian faith – whether you’re Baptist or Catholic, Orthodox or Presbyterian, madly in love with your church or just about to walk out its doors – will find wonder and hope along this journey. Rediscover our passionate and imaginative callings as agents of God’s grace in every broken place. You’ll travel a vast terrain in each episode, so you might want to watch the series more than once. There’s much to discover and ponder anew!
Cast
Evan Koons
Evan Koons is a writer, actor, and maker-of-gratuitous-things. Perhaps best known as the misguided prayer warrior from the Coffee with Jesus shorts, Evan has also worked opposite legend Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future series, Taxi) in the soon-to-be-released film The Adventures of Mickey Matson and the Pirate’s Code. As a writer, Evan wrote the acclaimed hospice documentary Except for Six, a film Ken Burns called “a heart-felt and important film.” He has also written a slew of creative projects for non-profits and brands such as T-mobile, Microsoft, and Amazon.com. Contrary to the film, Evan does not live in the magical land of the farmhouse. Instead, he lives in the magical land of Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his wife, two kids, and their dog, Penelope. To stay in touch with him and talk all things For the Life of the World, you can follow the twitter account @LettersToExiles and read Evan’s blog on LettersToTheExiles.com.
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Dr. Anthony Bradley
Anthony B. Bradley is an author, professor, lecturer, TV commentator, and cultural critic. Recognized as an authority on issues of race, political economy, welfare policy, religion, hip hop, youth culture, and human flourishing, Bradley has appeared on C-SPAN, NPR, CNN/Headline News, and Fox News, among other news outlets. His books include Black and Tired, Liberating Black Theology, and Aliens in the Promised Land. Bradley is associate professor of theology and ethics at The King’s College in New York City and research fellow at renowned think tank Acton Institute. Previously, Bradley was assistant professor of systematic theology and ethics at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, where he also directed the Francis A. Schaeffer Institute. His degrees include a B.S. in biological sciences from Clemson University, an M.Div. from Covenant Theological Seminary, an M.A. in ethics and society from Fordham University, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Westminster Theological Seminary.
Dr. Amy Sherman
Amy L. Sherman is a senior fellow at the Sagamore Institute for Policy Research, where she directs the Center on Faith in Communities. Sherman also serves as a senior fellow at the International Justice Mission’s IJM Institute, a leading Christian human rights agency engaged in the fight against human trafficking. She is the editorial director for FASTEN, a capacity-building project for faith-based organizations, and the founder and former executive director of Charlottesville Abundant Life Ministries, an Evangelical nonprofit assisting low-income, inner-city families. She has served on the advisory board of the Christian Community Development Association for several years. Dr. Sherman is the author of six books and over seventy-five published articles in periodicals such as Christianity Today, First Things, The Public Interest, Policy Review, Prism, The Christian Century, and Books & Culture. Her undergraduate degree is from Messiah College and her graduate degrees are from the University of Virginia. Sherman's life verse is Micah 6:8.
Dr. John Perkins
John Perkins and his family have been ministering among the poor for the last thirty-nine years. In 1960, Perkins left a “successful” life in California and moved back to Mendenhall, Mississippi, to begin ministry. Founding Mendenhall Ministries, the Perkins family helped start a day-care center, a youth program, a church, an adult education program, a cooperative fair, a thrift store, a housing-repair ministry, and a health center. Perkins founded Voice of Calvary Ministries, a Christian community development ministry in Jackson, which planted a church, a health center, a leadership development program, a thrift store, a low-income housing development, and a training center. In northwest Pasadena, Perkins founded Harambee Christian Family Center, ministering to a neighborhood that had one of the highest daytime crime rates in California. Currently, Perkins serves as the co-founder and chairman of the Christian Community Development Association. The CCDA has over 600 organizational members and 3,000 individual members in over one-hundred cities.
Dr. Stephen Grabill
Stephen Grabill is an adjunct professor of Systematic Theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. Previously, he served in various capacities at the Acton Institute where he lead the effort to create For the Life of the World. Stephen has worked for Zondervan Publishers as a theological reviewer, is the co-editor of Zondervan’s NIV Stewardship Study Bible, and serves on the board of the Stewardship Council. The author or editor of eight books from fields as diverse as social ethics, economic history, and theology, Stephen completed a PhD at Calvin Theological Seminary.
Dwight Gibson
Dwight Gibson is chief exploration officer for The Exploration Group. A veteran international, organizational, and philanthropic strategist, his professional alliances and personal relationships span the globe while his proven exploration methodology delivers on discovery. Prior to launching The Exploration Group in 2008, Gibson served as senior vice president for Geneva Global, one of the world’s leading philanthropy performance advisors. He has served as the North American director and international secretariat of the World Evangelical Alliance and in executive leadership of the Slavic Gospel Association. Gibson holds an M.A. in broadcasting and philanthropy from Wheaton College Graduate School, an undergraduate degree in communication studies from Indiana Wesleyan University, as well as executive development and management technique certificates from the Johnson School at Cornell University and from the Owens School at Vanderbilt University. Dwight is an advisory board member of the Billy Graham Center in Wheaton, Illinois; a board chair emeritus of ChinaSource in Fullerton, California, and Hong Kong; and a Sustainable Employment Marketing Committee member, Dow Chemical Michigan Regional Planning Commission, Saginaw, Michigan.
Makoto Fujimura
Makoto Fujimura is a world-renowned artist, writer, and speaker. His work is exhibited in galleries worldwide. A presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts from 2003 to 2009, Fujimura served as an international advocate for the arts, speaking with decision makers and advising governmental policies on the arts. Fujimura has lectured at numerous conferences, universities, and museums, including the Aspen Institute, Yale and Princeton Universities, Sato Museum, and the Phoenix Art Museum. He founded the International Arts Movement, a non-profit that hosts "Encounter" conferences with prominent cultural catalysts. Fujimura’s book, Refractions: A Journey of Faith, Art and Culture, is a collection of essays on culture, art, and humanity from people of various backgrounds. For the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, Crossway Publishing commissioned and published The Four Holy Gospels, featuring Fujimura’s illuminations of sacred texts. His most recent major mid-career project, Golden Sea, encompasses a film, exhibition, and monograph.
Timothy Royer
Timothy Royer is a leader in the study of the autonomic nervous system and has worked to change the treatment paradigm for those with brain-related neurological, physiological, and behavioral issues. Royer founded Neurocore and has led clinical and program development for this eight-clinic operation as well as the Neurocommunity Program. His work has been featured on ESPN and in major publications, including USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, and Jim Robbins’s breakthrough book, A Symphony in the Brain. Previously, Royer was the division chief of pediatric psychology at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He collaborated with teams of neuropsychologists, neurologists, and behavioral pediatricians to address the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral needs of children. Royer also served as director of inpatient psychological testing services at Pine Rest, a comprehensive behavioral health center. Royer holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University and an M.A. in community counseling from Georgia State University.
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Curriculum
Take your adult small group and children’s classes deeper into the themes of For the Life of the World through our FREE 7 and 14 week curriculum! We even have message outlines for pastors as part of the 7 and 14 week adult small group curriculum. Simply click the buttons to download them now!
Blog
Martin Scorsese’s 'Silence': Christianity’s Crucible in Japan
By Ken Marotte In the coming weeks, a film speculated by many to be Martin Scorsese’s most personal and poignant project to date will release throughout the United States. Silence, based on a 1966 novel of the same name by Japanese Catholic novelist Shusaku Endo, follows two Portuguese Jesuit priests…
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Bonus Material
Contact us
Need a little help figuring out how to engage with For the life of the World? We are glad you asked. Whether you're a home group leader, a church or organization leader, or just plain you, we would love to help! Use the email bellow to connect with the right person.
And in case you were wondering...
For the Life of the World was executive produced by the Acton Institute. The mission of the Acton Institute is to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles. Acton is committed to cultivating powerful media for individuals and groups seeking to impact local communities as well as global neighbors with God's abundant gifts.
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