Birth of a Big Dream - It Starts With Christmas

Christopher and Ragna Gornold-Smith

The Bible Stories Video Project idea was born after two seminars on different sides of the world where people needed visually rich biblical content. They needed more than just a preacher or someone reading the Bible on the screen.

In the early 1990s, Christopher Gornold-Smith a missionary, media trainer, and video producer had the same revelation and reached out looking for programs. It was a different time in media and there was no access. The pieces that did exist were expensive and were out of reach of an average pastor wanting to put a video on the air.

Christopher told us of a discouraging day where he was expressing his frustration to God.

“Then I heard Him speak. It was quiet but shockingly clear in my mind, ‘Why don’t you make the stories yourself?’ I thought of all sorts of reasons why this wouldn’t work: finances, locations, sets, costumes, music, actors… God said, ‘If you won’t light a candle, then don’t curse the darkness.’ Ouch! But even if we tried and got something done, it would be so little. It seems God enjoys aphorisms, ‘Half a loaf is better than no bread. Isn’t it? Just allow me to lead. At least we can start.’”

The first step was a program called International Christmas and Christopher and Ragna Gornold-Smith joined with IMM. They brought costumes and scripts to create this unique program mixing international music, a host, and scenes of the Christmas story. Initially, this program went into former Soviet bloc countries shortly after the fall of communism. International Christmas appeared first on Slovak TV in primetime, on Christmas Eve, and it was a huge hit. The following year we created another program. It was the Christmas story from Matthew’s Gospel.

In the years to come, 30 Bible stories would be re-enacted in a format narrated by a single host. This would make it accessible for smaller markets and local venues all over the world. These basic Bible stories are still in demand today. Each year, we translate and produce these programs into more and more languages.

God’s Word for Today:

"‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”

Pray with us:

  • Pray for those viewing the Bible Stories Video Project today. Pray their hearts will be penetrated by the truth of the gospel.

  • Pray for IMM to have open doors and connect with the right people and resources for upcoming projects and translations.

  • Pray for God to open your eyes to His way even when it looks different than what you can imagine.

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