September 2009 Newsletter

Dear HPN members,

• Thank you to all of you who responded to our call to update us on your prayer partnerships. Gloria is frantically trying to respond to all of you and to get you back up and running. Based on your response, we are short on intercessors, and again, we put out the call to those of you (especially men, but also women) who would be willing to pray for one specific Christian in Hollywood as your "media tent-maker." For details: http://www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org/new/I-to-I or email Gloria at: Gloria@hpnemail.org.

• Praise God for His protection as the worst fires in LA County history stormed through our city. Many industry professionals were evacuated and yet the fire fighters were awesome and almost every home was spared.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for the Swayze family as they mourn the loss of Patrick Swayze (57) after he passed away on Sept. 14th from pancreatic cancer.  May the Lord touch this family and close friends with His supernatural comfort, peace and love during this time.  Patrick believed in God and so we ask that others around him now will experience God's presence.

• Pray for the people behind the new TV shows for this season, including the creators and writers of "Glee," "The Jay Leno Show," "Modern Family," and others. You can click on this link to learn how to pray for the full Fall Schedule. The bold titles are the new shows: http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=chartwide_pass&charttype=ev_fallprimetimesched2009

• Maura Tierney of ER fame, has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is dropping out of another series she is on, in order to deal with it. Let's keep Maura in our prayers.

• Pray for comedian Ricky Gervais: Ricky was the creator and star of the British "The Office" and has become a familiar face of late in the US. He is a proclaimed atheist, since the age of 8 when he got mixed messages from his family. Please pray that God will send someone into Ricky's life to lovingly point him to the unconditional love of God and that He will draw Ricky to His Son, Jesus Christ.

• IFP, the Independent Feature Project is holding their 31st annual Filmmaker Conference in New York City on Sept. 19 - 23. IFP is a growing organization of independent filmmakers who support, promote, train, and screen independent films, documentaries and filmmakers. They are becoming more prominent in these days of independent financing, distribution and promotion of films that aren't made for or picked up by the major Studios. Please pray for independent filmmakers as they try to make living creating films, raising money for their projects and seek distribution for their low budget and/or independent films.

• Please pray for Christian Sherrie Shepherd as she stars in her new show for Lifetime called "Sherrie." There is prayer on the set every day, so let's join them by lifting up the Christians there to love their co-workers and one another, and that they will all move a step closer to the Hope that will not disappoint them.

• Pray for the impact of and for the people involved in the film "Creation," that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. It is about the scientific and personal struggles of Charles Darwin, after the death of his precious 10-year-old daughter, Annie, and how that impacted his work and life. A review claims "Annie's death caused Charles to lose any remaining religious faith he had."

• It's "Pitching" season for our television writers and producers. Please pray that the people in the Christian community and others with quality ideas, get favor in their pitch meetings, that the networks will embrace the solid Christians who are selling show ideas, and that we can see the Lord place more believers in positions of influence in television.

• Many people are unemployed in Hollywood. May we ask the Lord to supply daily Manna for all of the professionals who are struggling to pay their rent or their mortgage and that He will open up work opportunities, for both non-believers and those who seek Him. May God get the glory for His work.

• May the Lord continue to build up and strengthen our Christian community so that we stand out as a group of people with talent, with integrity, and with a love for God, for one another, and for others. Pre-Christians will be more attracted to Jesus if they see that His people love each other!

• The 50 HPN Local Chapter Directors have a 24/1 prayer day on the first Friday of every month. Will you join them on the first Fridays of every month in fasting and prayer for the people, the projects and the issues impacting the spiritual climate of Hollywood? Thanks so much!

PRAYER FOR LOCAL CHAPTERS:

• Please keep praying for the Bollywood Prayer Network as they continue to create and produce more films than anywhere else in the world. They have pressure from the Muslim world and many Christians there are suffering for their faith.

• Pray for Eric Metaxas and the NYC arts group, "Socrates in the City." They are launching their new season with an event coming up on Sept. 30^th with 86-year-old theologian and philosopher Alice von Hildebrand, who will speak on "Man and Woman: A Divine Invention." For details, click on http://www.ericmetaxas.com/blog/socrates-in-the-city-on-sept-30th/.  Please pray that this encourages the Christians in the New York entertainment industry to build community, challenge and grow their faith, and make an eternal difference in their lives and work.

• We ask that you join in praying with our Atlanta, Georgia chapter for their friend and HPN member Crystal Smith, her husband and family, in the tragic loss of their precious 4 year old daughter in a car accident. They need our prayers for healing, provision and God's abiding love to carry them at this time. We believe the Comforter is with them and thank all of HPN for believing and praying with us for the family.

• Manop at HPN Thailand asks for prayer as he puts together "The Bangkok Call" on Sunday, November 1,2009. It's called Youth Harvest and they ask for prayer as they plan this strategic event at the Ratchamungkala National Stadium. For more details email manop@thytrade.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Join HPN and Christians in our community every Thursday night for prayer in Hollywood (at the Wiley Chapel of Hollywood Presbyterian Church) at 7pm - 8:00pm. It's a great time of encouraging worship, praise and prayer. Anyone is welcome! For more info email Caren Bream at Caren@hpnemail.org

• Friends and Christian leaders Joel and Michelle Pelsue are having their annual Arts & Entertainment Festival on October 2, 2009. Please pray that as they celebrate the work of Christian artists across the country that others will be inspired to create beautiful works.

• Check out the upcoming events of A&E Ministries, The Beacon, Hollywood Connect, 168, Actor's Co-Op and other vital ministries by clicking on: http://www.hollywoodconnect.com/connection-central

Thanks for praying with us.  Have a great month and keep spreading the word to pray for Hollywood as the world's most influential mission field.  And pass on this link to your friends, pastors and local Christian leaders:  www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org

TIP OF THE MONTH:

Get Organized - Don't Leave Too Much Up to Chance:  http://www.philcooke.com/task_managers

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

"It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it."  A.W. Tozer

VERSE OF THE MONTH:

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."  Ephesians 4:3