Help Chris serve
The Roma in EuropeThis fall, a media team of four Ambassadors from The Good Story will travel to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzogovenia, and Niš, Serbia to continue their work amongst the Roma.
A note
From Chris
Two of my biggest passions are missions and storytelling. I love documentary. There are so many stories and testimonies of God’s goodness that are happening all over the world. Unfortunately many missionaries and organizations don’t have the time, money, or resources to share these stories with supporters. I’ve always wanted to be a part of creating and sharing these stories and this October I’m getting to do just that.
I will be traveling to Bosnia and Serbia with The Good Story and their partner, Roma Networks, to tell the story of the Roma people group and what God is doing in their midst. Our media team of four will travel to Sarajevo, Bosnia for the European Roma Conference. Roma Network’s vision is to network, connect, and research for the sake of sharing the gospel and seeing transformation in Roma communities throughout Europe. In addition to the conference we will also be visiting a Roma village outside of Nis, Serbia and experience first hand what God is doing through a pastor named Rama.
As team videographer I will contribute in two ways. First, I will be making a five minute documentary highlighting the story of Rama and his people. This video will be used to inspire people to get involved with what God is doing amongst the Roma people. It will show partnerships in action and trace back to the historic revivals that have happened in the Balkan area the last few decades. It will also show how these revivals helped train Pastor Rama and enabled him to plant his church. Second, I will be creating a conference highlight video of the European Roma Conference. This video will be used to help educate and inspire other Roma pastors and leaders to get connected to this network to help further strategize the gospel going deeper into Roma communities.
I am so excited to get to be a part of this trip and use my passion of movie making and story telling to help further the kingdom of heaven. I see the visual arts as a powerful tool for assisting us in the Great Commission. You could talk to a group of people in a church or on the street and reach a few hundred people, maybe even a few thousand. A video on the internet, however, can potentially reach hundreds of thousands or maybe even millions. I also believe it’s important missionaries are able to share their stories with the rest of the world. They can easily feel isolated in their work but my desire is to help bridge the gap in communication between these missionaries, the world, and their current or future supporters. My hope is these videos can help bring about future partnerships that can truly help accelerate what God is doing amongst the Roma people.
As excited as I am, I can’t do this on my own. I need your help to make this trip and this documentary happen. Each member of our team needs to raise their own support. As my family and friends, I’m asking you to prayerfully give whatever you can to make my inclusion possible. This is an amazing opportunity to help these incredible missionaries and for me to use my skills and strengths to make an impact. Every bit of your donation is tax deductible. Additional details about the trip and my team are provided on this page.
Please feel free to reach out to me with questions. Email me, text, FaceTime, call, ask me to grab coffee, come by for a chat – however you wish, I would love to talk to you about my trip. But whatever you’re led to do, please pray continuously that I’m given the means to go, equip, and encourage our brothers and sisters in Eastern Europe.
Get to know
The Organizations
What is The Good Story
The Good Story is a 501(c)3 nonprofit ministry that pairs Kingdom-minded professionals in the creative arts and technology with missionaries and small under-resourced ministries and missions agencies. Ambassadors help craft and tell their stories through various mediums with visual excellence and offer much needed communication training utilizing today’s technology.
Their European conferences is held every three years to allow networking and connecting, strengthening relationships and creating new ones. The main goal of the 2019 European Roma Conference will be to motivate and empower local churches to take action using the talents and gifts already existing in the Body of Christ and work in partnership with one another.
Chairperson – Roma Networks – Croatia
Nina Jankucic
“We partnered with The Good Story at our last European Roma Conference in 2016. Out of this partnership the short documentary, ‘We Are Here’ was created. This film has been an excellent tool to inform national churches about what God has and is doing among the Roma. In recent years, the Roma have become a sought after mission field. We hope this years conference theme, ‘Healthy Partnerships’ will allow The Good Story to make a compelling follow up film and create awareness on how to make healthy partnerships and in the process learn from one another while we serve the Kingdom together.
The Good Story and their ambassadors are a vital tool in this movement of the Gospel amongst the Roma. We are so grateful to work with these professionals again this year.”
Images of
The 2016 Conference
The Good story – Estonia team
Jason
Photographer
Chris
Videographer
Kelly
Photography/Production
Ryan
Photography/Video Assistant
What we’ll be doing
Team Responsibilities
One of our focuses at TGS is to provide small, under-resourced ministries with professional communication pieces for them to use for print and online. These items help to substantiate the impact of these grassroots ministries in what they do for the Kingdom. The following services provided will be utilized not only by Roma Networks, but all affiliated ministries and churches to help further the cause of the Christian Roma throughout Europe.
Photography
We will provide Roma Networks with full conference coverage. We will also provide professional portraits for the leaders and attendees for them to use for their various ministries.
Videography
We will create a conference highlight video for the attendees to use to further the cause of Roma Networks and to encourage others to join the next conference. This video also serves to validate the substance and impact of this conference which is a historic gathering of over 40 countries together for the purpose of unity and the gospel.
Additionally, we will be making a follow up video to the “We Are Here” documentary that focuses on this year’s conference theme of “partnership”. We aim to show the incredible effect healthy partnerships can have on Roma believers/churches and non- Roma churches and organizations. With decades of data about past movements of revival and church planting throughout the Balkans and Europe, there is proof that strong partnerships, equipping and training have been the catalyst to the gospel going further and churches staying healthier. We desire to bring to light these facts as well as make a case for future partnerships with the Roma.
Support Needs
Our team needs to raise their collective funds by June 1st in order to secure airline tickets and conference lodging for the European Roma Conference.
Trip Details
When: October 4-12, 2019
Total Needed: $2,400
Cost includes round trip airfare, rental car cost to/from Bosnia and Serbia, conference registration fees/lodging in Bosnia, lodging/meals while filming in Serbia.
Give
To Chris’ Trip
Chris Brands – Sarajevo 2019
