Good News — Pioneering Spiritainment™

Across Platforms

A few months ago I spoke at a media conference and mentioned that Good News was creating "spiritainment." Members of the audience rushed up to me afterwards to express concern that they had never heard of this genre and needed to know more about it. I encouraged them to relax; they had never heard the term before because I'd made it up the night before while reviewing my speaking notes!

But as time has gone on, we at Good News have embraced and fleshed out the concept of spiritainment. In essence it was borne out of my research showing that people's thoughts and behavior are more likely to be influenced by entertainment media (e.g., music, television, movies, video games, Internet content, novels) than by traditional informational vehicles (via lectures, sermons, newspapers, etc.). We have taken to heart Paul's message and example of his encounter with the Athenian influencers: as we attempt to serve God, we cannot wait for people to come to us and adapt our language and concerns but must enter their territory and propose our ideas in their language and context. (See his encounter at Mars Hill, described in Acts 17:16-34).

So, spiritainment is the notion of using the media to appealingly communicate biblical principles in an entertainment environment. Done properly, spiritainment offers an audience positive and provocative biblical content in ways that gently but powerfully challenge the prevailing cultural ethos. This approach is subtle in the delivery of its core message. It gains leverage in people's lives through the consistent and repeated presentation of those principles in a user-friendly environment.

Stated differently, Good News has embraced spiritainment as a means of delivering content that challenges the mind, captures the heart, refreshes the spirit, and pleases the Lord.

Theological Grounds

We believe this is an approach consistent with our biblical mandate. Undoubtedly, some people will hear of spiritainment and jump to the conclusion that it represents biblical compromise. To the contrary, we are convinced that spiritainment is consistent with God's expectation that we honor Him and bless people in His name.

Believers have been instructed to avoid being seduced by the erroneous philosophies of the world. (Col. 2:8). Rather than mimicking the behaviors and customs of the world, we are told to have our minds transformed by God's truths via new ways of thinking. (Rom. 12:2). One of the critical factors in our capacity to accomplish this is by presenting the message - whatever form it may take - with excellence, completed as a service and gift to God. (Col. 3:17, 23) Our responsibility is to change the world for God's glory, which requires that we be fully immersed in this world but not owned by it, in order to effectively replace its ways and values with those of the kingdom of God. (John 17:14-18)

The "High Five Strategy"

Others have labored in this genre in the past, producing memorable media that have demonstrated the power and the principles of spiritainment at work. Some of the greatest movies of all-time have been spiritainment gems: To Kill a Mockingbird and Chariots of Fire immediately come to mind. Novels by C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and others fit the bill. Music by U2 has gained worldwide popularity while raising spiritual questions and challenging prevailing assumptions. Good News is not breaking new ground by marrying biblical principles with entertainment formats. We are privileged to follow in the steps of our predecessors, to learn from their professionalism and experience, and to advance this means of furthering the kingdom of God.

What may differentiate our approach, however, is what might be called our "high five strategy." Yes, we will create resources that are wholesome, deliver positive values, are family friendly, and are based on our core faith principles. Certainly we will strive to produce media that foster authentic worship and relationship with God. Our hope is to affect the minds and hearts of young people, especially, for they are the ones most profoundly shaped by media during their formative years.

But the "high five strategy" gets to the heart of the content we disseminate.

First, it must be high quality. Excellence is the standard to satisfy when the Lord of Creation is your ultimate audience. And as we represent Him in and through these resources, our audience deserves the same standard of output.

Second, it must be high class. We cannot elevate people's minds and hearts to a higher plane of experience and desire by providing pedestrian material. We will respect the intelligence of the audience, their capacity to be stretched, and our responsibility to honor them.

Third, it must be high touch in nature. Good News is an integrated multi-media company, providing its content across multiple media (movies, television, music, books, magazines, Internet, mobile) and allowing people to interact with these media and those who are touched by the content.

Fourth, it must be high tech. We have partnered with world-class pioneers in technology to ensure that what we deliver will be at the forefront, rather than the tail end, of the media technology spectrum. People want to be in the game, not watching it pass them by, and there is no reason why God's people should not be leaders in all media and technology.

Finally, it must be high integrity. God expects us to be Holy, because He is holy and He has created us to be holy. (1 Peter 1:15-16) Whatever we create must have biblical integrity because it is created for the Holy One on the basis of His commands and exhortations. We are merely His servants, doing His work, for His purposes.

Spiritainment™ in the Future

As we continue to push forward in the development of media for public consumption, we are committed to doing more than just "filling the pipeline" with more products, gaining professional acclaim or public notoriety, or simply making money. Neither you nor I was created by God for such a mundane purpose. He gives us breath every morning in order to know, love and serve Him with all of our heart, mind, strength and soul. At Good News, we are devoted to honoring Him through the spiritainment resources He enables us to create. And we pray that as they see the light of day, they will honor Him and draw you closer to Him.

George Barna
Chairman, Good News Holdings