American Ramadan

Aired 2009-10. Presented by the Islamic Society of North America An introspective view of how Muslims in America cope with their religious and cultural traditions, while balancing the western way of life, “American Ramadan” is required viewing for anyone that is an observer of humanity. Filmed on location in Dallas and Los Angeles, we followed the lives of five American Muslim families during the Month of Ramadan complemented by commentary from scholars from the three Abrahamic faiths.

214-282-4325 www.americanramadan.com

Callings

Aired 2009-10. Presented by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops All around us we meet people who seem to be more centered, more grounded, and more fulfilled than others. Perhaps they have more purpose in their lives, or a greater certainty of purpose. What they do each day isn’t a job or a career, but a calling – a response to an invitation from outside themselves. And they believe that similar opportunities are offered to us all if we stop, listen, and discern what that small voice inside us says. Former Oakland and Kansas City Royal Mike Sweeney, a marine biologist, a government official and others shared how they responded to their calling.

Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph

Easter Mass from the University of Notre Dame

Aired 2009-10. Presented by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops With a trumpet blast and an “Alleluia!” Christ’s resurrection were proclaimed from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame.  Holy Cross fathers Richard Warner, director of campus ministry and Rev. Peter Rocco, shrine rector, co-celebrated the Easter Mass together with the fifty-member choir and congregation.  Students proclaimed the Easter readings and participated in the renewal of their baptismal rites. It is this joyful and youthful celebration that so clearly embodies Easter.  As Christ’s resurrection brings us spiritual rebirth so do these many faith-filled young men and women, and energized us with their embodiment of God’s light.

Long Road Back: Ex-offenders Struggle for Acceptance

Aired 2009-10. Presented by the National Council of Churches USA, produced by Mennonite Media With the highest incarceration rate in the world, the United States holds over two million souls in its prisons each year. More than half a million ex-offenders are released back into society annually. When released, many are given only $25.00 and a one way bus ticket. Often released with an addiction and no place to call home, these people struggle to find a way through the protective net society has cast around itself to ward off such people. In this program, we experienced their stories of struggle, and occasionally, victory.

Native Nations: Standing Together for Civil Rights

Aired 2008-09. Presented by the National Council of Churches USA, produced by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Native Nations, hosted by Peter Coyote, chronicled the American Indians’ struggle for civil rights, and the creation of the National Indian Lutheran Board to raise funds and awareness for that struggle.  From the controversy surrounding the 1862 trial when 38 Dakota Sioux were executed in the largest single-day mass hanging in United States history, to the confrontation of the 1960s when many Indian tribes joined together to speak out with a unified voice, Native Nations told the story of standing together for sovereignty, justice and civil rights.

Christmas at Cadillac Jack's

Aired 2008-09. Presented by the National Council of Churches USA; produced by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America Rose and Joe took an unexpected road trip in his ’56 Chevy looking for Rose’s long-lost daughter.  This production was a purely heartwarming holiday story of reconciliation and forgiveness.  Joseph Campanella, Ruta Lee and Patty Cabrera returned along with special guest stars Talia Shire, Mary McDonough and Joey McIntyre.  A stand-alone sequel to the award-winning All Is Bright! and Love’s Pure Light.

Connecting Threads

Aired 2008-09. Presented by the National Council of Churches USA; produced by the United Church of Christ We took a virtual trip around the world and experienced the sights, sounds, challenges and faith-filled hope that emerge everyday. Connecting Threads gave an overview of how threads of sharing and service connect when members of US churches (in this case the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ) work together with global partners. Words and music told their stories of faith in five regions: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, Southern Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Mission personnel and global partners from around the world discussed the role the church plays in health and wellness, leadership development, economic support, education, and issues related to access to natural resources.

Creativity: Touching the Divine

Aired 2008-09. Presented by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops "Creativity: Touching the Divine" brought together artists and non-artists who have experienced the joyful tandem of spirituality and creativity. Viewers were inspired to rethink the possibility for creativity in their own lives, regardless of their circumstances or abilities. "Being creative means to develop the skill to listen, to silence the ego, and to let creativity come from the soul rather than the self," comments Thomas Moore, author of the best-selling Care of the Soul. Joining him were glass harpist Jamey Turner, who always seeks the extraordinary in the ordinary; and the late Madeleine L'Engle, who penned the young adult classic, A Wrinkle in Time; and Urban Family Institute founder Kent Amos of Washington, D.C., who lives the African axiom, "It takes a whole village to raise a child."

Fresco

Aired 2008-09. Presented by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops A half-million-dollar gamble. That's what The University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis took when it commissioned Mark Balma to create a fresco – a painting on wet lime plaster – for the vaulted atrium ceiling of its downtown campus and graduate school.  The subject: the seven virtues as cited by the medieval philosopher Thomas Aquinas.  But how do you depict these ancient attributes in today's multi-cultural world?  Fresco was an enlightening and challenging journey – for both the artist and the viewer.

Joy Dawned Again

Aired 2008-09. Presented by the National Council of Churches USA, produced by United Church of Christ As a congregation gathered to celebrate Easter worship, they experienced the power of the resurrection in an unexpected way. Current reality intersected the ancient narrative in John’s Gospel as the personal stories of Peter, Mary Magdalene, and Thomas come alive against the backdrop of our contemporary world. Music, storytelling, and the arts embraced the viewer by offering a radical hospitality that proclaims—no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome at the empty tomb.

An Easter Celebration

Aired 2008-09. Produced by the Southern Baptist Broadcast Communications Group Easter is a celebration of hope and new beginnings. This program was an inspiring Easter service of hope from the 14,000-member First Baptist Church of Springdale, Arkansas. Held in the worship center located in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas, the service included music by a 200-member choir and orchestra conducted by Buster Pray, the Minister of Worship, followed by a message from the church’s Senior Pastor, Dr. Ronnie Floyd.

A Visit to a Mosque

Aired 2007-08. Presented by the Islamic Society of North America This program gave viewers an intimate look inside the life of an American Muslim community. With so much misunderstanding about Islam in the world today, this production introduced Islam to a broad American audience by allowing Muslims to tell the story of who they are and what they believe. Members of the Mosque, from the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati and beyond, taught viewers about Islamic beliefs and worship. The program discussed common misconceptions about Islam, such as issues dealing with gender and violence, as well as Islamic education, interaction with other faiths and Muslim life in America.

Christmas Special

Aired 2007-08. Presented by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops “The Perfect Light” focused on the journey of the magi, or three kings, as they follow the star to Bethlehem. This Christmas celebration, performed at St. Joseph Cathedral, South Dakota, featured the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Henry Charles Smith, along with tenors Scott Piper, Jeff Barnett and Matt Billion; concert pianist, Paul Sanchez; the Cathedral Choir, and actress, Vickie Fuller.  There were also special appearances from St. Joseph Cathedral School children and the O’Gorman Concert Choir.

Tapes of this program are not available.

Come to the Water

Aired 2007-08. Come to the Water Presented by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Atheists. Buddhists. Unchurched individuals. A fascinating group of adults came together to seek adult baptism into the Catholic Church. Come to the Water: The Adult Journey to Baptism followed both catechumens and candidates in the year-round process of adult education and initiation into the Catholic community, culminating with Baptism celebrated within the Easter Vigil. Filmed on location in the Pacific northwest and in the breath-taking interior of St. James Cathedral, Seattle, the program was a vibrant and moving experience of the adult spiritual journey.

Faith Works: Across the USA

Aired 2007-08. Faith Works: Across the USA Presented by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

For the millions of Roman Catholics living in the United States, there’s no “typical” day, but a tapestry of ways in which each member of the Church lives out their faith. Faith Works looked at “typical” days in the lives of several Catholics--a New Orleans restaurateur who served up vital job skills to inner city youth before Hurricane Katrina and who returned to "cook up" something better, and a mother who started a Children of Chernobyl chapter in Boston.   From coast to coast, these individuals provided a sense of the breadth, depth and diversity of Catholic ministry in our nation.

Never Far From God

Aired 2007-08. Presented by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops  

"Never Far from God" highlighted how separation from family and friends strengthens people's need for a special connection to the faith community. Lt. Karl Nielson was in an unusual place for a Benedictine monk.  A Navy reserve officer, he was assigned chaplain to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit during an eight month deployment. Sr. Adele Appleby is a tiny woman who looked out of place inside the walls of Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, California. But, despite her small stature, she was a big part of the loves of many women incarcerated there, bringing them hope and healing.

Strong Roots, Fragile Farms

Aired 2007-08. Strong Roots, Fragile Farms Presented by the National Council of Churches USA

Here in the United States, family farmers employ people, allow local businesses to thrive and are more ecologically friendly to the environment than large, industrial farms. Yet a growing crisis reveals farmers struggling to hold on to their farms, and farming families in a financial struggle to preserve a tradition for the next generation. Although the food situation in the U.S. is better than almost any other nation, family farms are dying. American farmers are not the only ones struggling to stay alive. Globalization of farming is a worldwide problem that impacts us all. This documentary shed light on the farm crisis through personal stories, profiling farm families in Iowa and North Carolina, the Philippines, Mexico and Africa. We followed the families as they planted crops, cultivated and harvested. They told their own stories and showed us how globalization affects their lives everyday.

Uganda: Ready to Forgive

Aired 2007-08. Uganda: Ready to Forgive Presented by National Council of Churches USA, produced by the Evangelical LutheranChurch in America

This was an African story of God's amazing grace. Through 20 years of war, the Acholi people of Northern Uganda endured rape, torture and child abduction. Thousands died, many were displaced in squalid camps. Others are still missing. Despite all of this, the Acholi are united in a belief that the only real solution is reconciliation and forgiveness. They are ready to forgive. Immaculée Ilibagiza, Rwandan genocide survivor and best-selling author, hosted the African story of grace.

Building on Faith: Making Poverty Housing History

Aired 2006-07. Presented by the National Council of Churches USA  

Providing a safe and secure home is a basic necessity for building a just and functional society. Today, nearly two billion people in the USA and throughout the world are without a home that provides adequate security, space and access to basic sanitary facilities.  This documentary highlighted groups like Habitat for Humanity and the “Let Justice Roll” alliance formed by the National Council of Churches and the Center for Community Change and profiled families who have obtained decent housing that is permanent and affordable.  The program followed the biblical perspective – God created a good world and desires all to enjoy its goodness.

Hunger No More: Faces Behind the Facts

Aired 2006-07. Presented by the National Council of Churches Tremendous progress has been made in addressing the crisis of world hunger in the last 25 years. The world community has the knowledge, technology and resources to end malnutrition. The faces of hunger can be reduced in number as faith groups work together in creative initiatives through local, regional and international programs. Hunger No More: Faces Behind the Facts included interviews with Senator Elizabeth Dole and former Senator George McGovern. The program highlighted community economic development; advocacy with state and federal governments to change systems that allow poor people to escape the cycle of poverty and hunger; and positive choices individuals have made to eradicate chronic hunger in our lifetime. The faces are more than facts when people work together to create a world where, as the disciple John envisioned, there is “hunger no more.”