Providing an Oasis in the Desert
The frenetic pace, high-pressure deadlines, maniacal competition, insecurity, and sometimes unreasonable demands placed on professionals in “the industry” can take a toll on one’s soul. Facing an environment that is typically very mainstream and sometimes hostile to traditional faith–whether Jewish, Catholic, or Protestant–media pros report sensing their life of faith “drying up” as in a vast and unforgiving desert. Also, the common comment is, “The people in my church don’t understand my business, and the people in my business don’t understand my faith.”
Sensing this need to provide spiritual refreshment, Mastermedia International held its first Summit of Christian Media Professionals in 1999. The invitation-only event is directed to the top ten percent in the organization’s nearly 4000-person data base of Christian media professionals. The influence of these people often prevents them from attending open events because of the pressure they receive to assist those aspiring to enter or “get a break” in the business. With no press in attendance, the Summit is a safe environment for a highly placed person of faith.
Approximately every other year, the Summit is held in lovely venues like Mohonk Mountain Resort in New York state, Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara, California, or Lake Arrowhead Resort in California. More than ninety percent of Summit attendees describe the weekend as “a life-changing event.”
Challenging themes such as “Seize the Future,” “For Such a Time as This,” and “Thy Kingdom Come” provide a spiritual boost, as well as practical sessions about integrating faith into one’s professional life as a Christian believer in the sometimes-hostile world of media.