February 2009 Newsletter

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO YOU, and a Happy Academy Awards month. Let's pray for God's unconditional love to pour on all the people in Hollywood during February!

 

SUMMARY:

• We thank the Lord that HPN is getting new local chapters every month!
• We need help updating our database. Are you interested?
• Pray for the musicians who won and lost last week's Grammy Awards
• Would you like to be an HPN "I to I" Prayer Partner????
• The Academy Awards will be held this Sunday night, Feb. 22nd
• Pray for the people behind the scenes in American Idol
• Pray for the impact of "Slumdog Millionaire" in the USA and India
• Pray for Gloria Gaynor as she celebrates 30 years of "I Will Survive"
• Pray for Willie Ames who has recently gone through a devastating time
• Pray for Peter Robinson
• Praying for Hollywood
• Check out the new blog of our NYC Local Chapter of HPN
• Last week began "Berlinale", the 59th Berlin International Film Festival
• Please pray for the family of Sunny Bresin
• Let's pray for our industry friends at Mpower Pictures
• Pray for Kyle Sweet, she's in 4th stage of ovarian cancer
• Check out the upcoming events for Christians in Hollywood

PRAISES:

• HPN is growing as new local chapters are forming every month. We thank the Lord that He is spreading the vision to pray for entertainment professionals all over the world. Check out our growing list of local chapters at: www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org/local-chapters

• We have so many new people joining HPN to pray for Hollywood that we can't keep up!!! Praise God for His vision to be spreading into the hearts of Christians all over the world! If you love to update databases and would like to volunteer to help HPN get updated, please email Caren@hpnemail.org and volunteer! Next month we'll praise God for YOU!!

UPDATES:

• The 51st Grammy Awards were this past month. Please pray for the musicians who lost, who won and those who hope to win..... Some of this year's winners were: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Coldplay, Adele and Lil Wayne.

• HPN still needs more prayer partners. We have industry professionals waiting to be prayed for. If you are an intercessor or you have a heart motivated to pray for a Christian in Hollywood who is working in film, TV, music or new media, then please email Gloria@hpnemail.org and she'll send you information on being an "I to I" Prayer Partner. Or check it out online at: www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org/new/I-to-I

REQUESTS:

• The Academy Awards will be held this Sunday night, Feb. 22nd. This is the biggest night of the year for our industry and everyone involved on any level in film production in 2008 is emotionally involved; either disappointed that they didn't get nominated or nervous about the outcome of the awards. Let's pray for the Lord to gain entrance to their emotions and their thoughts so that they come closer to Him during this week. Check out the details the event at this link.
  

• "Slumdog Millionaire" is the anticipated winner of the '09 Oscars. It has already won the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture. Our Bollywood local chapter asks that we pray for the result of it, as it is the first mainstream exposure that many westerners have had to the Indian film industry. Pray that the movie would lead many people to prayer for India, and to acts of compassion and charitable giving. 

• Pray for the people behind the scenes, the judges and the contestants for this season's AMERICAN IDOL. It is the most popular show on television now and it would be great to have more of God's presence working miracles. We've highlighted some of the show's stars and contestants on our February HPN KIDS PRAYER CALENDAR. Click here to join us in praying more specifically for some of hte show's talent:  www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org/kids-prayer-calendar

• Pray for Gloria Gaynor as she celebrates 30 years of "I Will Survive" (1979-2009). Gloria loves the Lord and feels that after some tough circumstances in her life through the years, she has truly learned how to survive with Jesus. She's re-releasing her hit song so let's pray that it brings people to the Lord.

• Please pray for Willie Ames. He loves Jesus but he has recently gone through some devastating times that have led him to try to commit suicide. He is fighting back and needs the prayers of the Saints to give him strength. May the Lord use this experience to be glorified in and through Willie even more powerfully and to influence the lives of others.

• Please pray for a member of our community, Peter Robinson, who just had a heart attack last week. Peter is recovering well but let's ask the Lord to give hte family peace and for Peter to be back up and going as a prayer warrior, even stronger than before.

• Pray for our weekly Thursday night prayer gatherings held at the Hollywood Pres. Church Wiley Chapel from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. This is open to anyone in our entertainment community and we want to see a breakthrough in turn-out for these prayer times. If you are in LA, join us! For more details click here: www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org/content/prayer-hollywood

REQUESTS FROM HPN MEMBERS:

• The NYC Local Chapter of HPN has a new blog. If you would like to check out the Rhonda Ridley's wonderful HPN blog, just go to: hollywoodprayernetworknyc.blogspot.com. Feel free to share it with others and write on it yourself. We would LOVE to have our praying community connecting on-line.

• Last week began "Berlinale", the 59th Berlin International Film Festival. HPN Germany will be a part of the "Berlinale Prayer Breakfast - Faith in Film" for film professionals and other Festival attendees. Each morning at the German Film and Television Academy at Potsdamer Platz they offer food and fellowship, to interact and pray for this branch of the arts. Each day a special guest will be interviewed by their moderator Dr. Markus Spieker, TV journalist at the Berlin ARD Studio. The theme of "Berlinale Prayer Breakfast", is Psalm 36:9 - "For with YOU is the fountain of life, and in YOUR light we see light." Let's pray for Dieter and Mary Boy and our Berlin HPN Local Chapter as they minister at "Berlinale".

• Please pray for the family of Sunny Bresin (age 29), a former LA Film Studies Center student who died unexpectedly of a sudden heart attack last week. May the Lord put His arms around Sunny's parents, other family members and friends.

• Let's pray for our industry friends at Mpower Pictures. Their next film, "Snowmen" begins shooting in Utah in two weeks and already a crew member nearly severed his finger, the director's little boy took a nasty fall and fractured his skull (he'll be OK) and they have potential weather problems. "Please pray for a covering of safety on the set and during the shoot, that God would assemble the cast that He desires in a way that will bring Him glory and most importantly, that we would continue to remember who is ultimately in control. It's not in our hands but in His; staying in that place is where we'll find peace and less stress. Thanks." Joanna R., Prod. Exec.

• Please keep Kyle Sweet in your prayers. She is in the serious, 4th stage of ovarian cancer. Kyle is the beautiful mother of 2 children and wonderful wife of Michael Sweet, singer for Stryper and newest member of the band Boston.

• This Thursday, February 19th there is an OSCARS PRAYER WALK around the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. We want to lift up the Sunday Oscars, the city, the building, the participants and the viewers to the Lord. Join us! We're meeting at the Hollywood Prayer Network offices (1763 N. Gower St., Hollywood, CA 90028) at 7:00 p.m. and walking to the theatre or meet us outside of the Kodak theatre at 7:30 p.m.!
   
• The 168 Film Festival is now underway. Over 50 film teams have chosen their verses and are almost done writing their scripts. This week they start their 168 hours of production and editing to create a 10 minute film based on a Bible verse. Will you pray for the film teams, that they will produce quality films with biblical content and can be great works of art. For more info. about the 168 Hr. Film Festival click on: www.168project.com
  
  
• The Annual Biola Media Conference is coming up on April 25th, 2009 at the CBS Center Studio Lot in Studio City. It highlights the best of the best Christian professionals in the commercial entertainment world. Check it out at: www.biolamedia.com
  

• 'God in the Movies' is coming up on Sat. Feb. 21st in Rock Harbor, CA. Sponsored by The Grove Center for the Arts & Media it brings together the Creative Edge Artist Network Community in Orange County to discuss: Spiritual Themes; Redemptive Themes; The story of God working through human history. They'll be asking - What do "The Ten Commandments", "Bruce Almighty", "The Shawshank Redemption", "Misery", "Finding Nemo", "The Mission" and "Les Miserable" all have in common? Check it out at: www.thegrovecenter.org/

• Don't miss the City of the Angels Film Festival coming up at the Directors Guild, Feb. 27th - March 1st. They will screen and discuss "The Best Films You've Never Heard Of! They have a wonderful schedule of films, panels, insider discussions, etc. planned. Check it out at: www.cityofangelsfilmfest.org

• "The Stand" Seminar is coming up on Sat. Feb. 28th at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach. It's led by Michael Lindstrom and Justin Fatica; known for his HBO Hip Hop documentary "Hard as Nails". They are powerful Christian artists who teach adults how to effectively and clearly communicate with those in business, friends, family and associates. Justin is also performing Hip Hop outreach concerts while in Southern California. Check out "The Stand" at: www.justinfatica.net/

• Act One is offering their first lecture series, "What's The Big Idea: The Art of Cinematic Storytelling", taught by international lecturer and Hollywood veteran Bobette Buster. Sign up for the six all day sessions (March 21st - April 5th) by March 1st, to get a discount, at: www.actoneprogram.com

That's it for February. Lots to pray for. Lots of great things ahead!

Warmly,
Karen, Caren and Gloria

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TIP OF THE MONTH: Are you praying or gossiping? Let these three ladies tell you how it's done: www.evangelize.com/

In honor of the Oscars - - -

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:
"I coulda been a contender."
Marlon Brando in "On the Waterfront" (1954)

VERSE OF THE MONTH:
"For God has plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11