Imagine hundreds of women united with one goal – to arise in God! Many lives were impacted during the weekend of Arise 2012 at World Revival Church. The testimonies speak for themselves…
“I came very guarded. I’m a single mom of 4 and I thought I could do it on my own. Pastor Kathy nailed me… He [God} broke me down and then he built me up. I’m a different person… I’m going to be okay!” Carey, Kansas
Arise 2012 Women’s Conference was a great weekend. One of my favorites, actually, as I watched Kathy flow in a new level of anointing and the prophetic – and brought other women along with her in this “arising.”
Sunday’s interactive service at World Revival Church topped the weekend as we connected globally to 8 churches. Women from several continents took their place in the prophetic, speaking into the lives of each represented congregation.
Holland, Finland, Canada, the U.S… how amazing to hear women from various cultures and backgrounds prophecy God’s heart for the nations. (And I’ve got to tell you - it was fun to coordinate the flow between the 8 churches represented!)
Many pastors have a bad interpretation of God’s plan for women in ministry. If you look a little closer at Paul’s writing and put them in context, you’ll see that God never intended to shut them down and turn them off.
The early church women were actively involved in ministry, with Paul giving instruction as to how to work within the parameters of their culture.
I’m challenging church leaders everywhere to search out the scriptures and start letting women take their place in ministry. I think we’ll have stronger churches and congregations if we can get a hold of this. For me – I’m already looking ahead with Kathy to Arise 2013 and the impact these women’s conferences can have on the church overall.
Yours for revival,
Steve Gray
P.S. Kathy’s little book, “HUA! – A Training Guide for Women,” is great for gaining more insight into God’s plan for women. If you want more in-depth discussion, check out my book, My Absurd Religion, where I’ve devoted a whole chapter to the topic!
http://stevegrayministries.com/pcart/books/hua-a-training-guide-for-wome...
http://stevegrayministries.com/pcart/books/my-absurd-religion/
My photo: On-screen shot as Finland pastor prophecies to the nations. (World Revival Church global interactive service)
What does it mean to be a Christian? I think revival helps us define what true Christianity really looks like. It’s not the “calmed down and cooled off” kind of living that’s found in many churches.
True Christianity is all about the supremacy of Jesus Christ in your life. Yes, God loves you, but this is not about you.
The message of the hour that will change the course of a church, a nation, a marriage – is that Jesus reigns supreme. He is the King.
If we live our lives in allegiance to him, we can change the world. God is asking for your life… he’s looking for the men and women that will willingly submit to his rulership.
The real problem with modern Christianity is that the people of God won’t let ANYONE rule over them. We’re so stuck in our individualism that we don’t understand kingdom living – and we nix our opportunity to be powerful world-changers in service to the King.
Align yourself with Jesus and just see what happens. You’ll realize you have never fully lived until you let his sovereignty reign over you.
Yours for revival,
Steve Gray
P.S. Hang on to your hats, folks, Kathy’s gearing up for Arise 2012. She’s one that has grasped the kingship of Jesus and is ready to run with his mandate for this weekend! http://arise2012worldrevivalchurch.eventbrite.com/
Put on your boots and get ready to march with Kathy Gray’s new book, HUA! – A Training Guide for Women. Available on Kindle, with the print edition to be released on January 26, 2012, Kathy’s “spiritual boot camp” book trains women for success in life and ministry.
With over 35 years in ministry, Kathy Gray has the wisdom, insight and anointing to equip others to live effective lives for Christ. Known worldwide as a “freedom fighter” for both men and women, her ministry touches thousands of lives.
HUA! – A Training Guide for Women presents the principles of successful Christian living in six “boot camp” lessons. Each lesson reveals a leadership quality important to becoming a strong woman in God. With personal stories and “inspection questions,” Kathy Gray exposes the spiritual enemies women face and takes them through the “drills” needed to become victorious soldiers of Christ.
Women worldwide will appreciate the forthright training Gray offers in her new book as she encourages women to “make your new battle cry a confident HUA! You’ve heard the word of the Lord, you understand his mandate and calling as a woman of God, and you acknowledge that with him and him alone, you can succeed in life.”
Get it on Kindle! Click here now!
Print edition available January 26th in our SGM Publishing bookstore. Click here to order!
There was “fire in the house” this weekend as Eric Nuzum Thomason joined Steve and Kathy Gray on Daystar TV. Long-time worship leader of the “Smithton Outpouring,” it was like a family reunion to have Eric at World Revival Church.
Eric’s first time leading worship was the historic night when revival first struck Pastor Steve and Kathy and the congregation in the tiny town of Smithton, Missouri. The revival had a world-wide impact with over 60 nations and ¼ million people visiting.
One thing I’ve learned in revival is that numbers don’t tell it all. “How many people do you have in your church?” is not the question we should be asking.
What we should be looking at is, “How much work of the Holy Spirit is going on?” How many lives are being touched and transformed by God’s amazing presence?
We need the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It’s what changes people’s lives!
I’m telling you, wherever God is -- things start happening. Lives start changing and a ripple effect happens as transformed people start letting the Holy Spirit do something powerful through their lives.
Numbers are great, but not if God’s left the building. We need a move of God to make us into the people we’re supposed to be.
Sounds like I’m beating a dead horse to make my point, but we’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of people get absolutely changed forever in revival. They go back to their churches and homes and transformation starts happening there, too.
When ordinary people step into the realm of God’s presence, it feels different, it looks different and life gets better.
Maybe instead of counting people we should count testimonies. Numbers are great, but to impact the world we’ve got to be transformed people. That’s what counts.
Yours for revival,
Steve Gray
Photo: A transformed life can touch the world!
“Arise and shine!” These were the words of J.D. King, Director of the World Revival Network of Ministries exhorting the World Revival Church congregation to carry revival in a greater way.
He encouraged a “power evangelism” that pushes back darkness and brings rescue to people around us. “People are looking for deliverance… and God’s light is in your hands,” he shared.
He added, “What is your response to the evil around you?”
Many from WRC are responding with outreach…
Revival is alive and well at World Revival Church… in fact, it’s exploding in God’s people! With Pastor Steve Gray’s direction, visitors and congregation alike are encouraged to move forward and never stagnate in God. Saturday’s service ignited an explosive propulsion into the new year.
What does the year 2012 have in store for you? What if you could start this year out with hope and excitement for a better future? Let your faith be stirred with these testimonies of new beginnings found through revival:
Mike and Dana moved to Kansas City from Montana just six months ago to be a part of revival. Mike shared, “We were being fed [through live stream], but something was missing. When we got here we could actually press in to worship, and we could run to the altar.”
I believe the year 2012 is going to be a year of increased influence for those willing to pay the cost for revival. I shared a message from 2 Corinthians this past Sunday at World Revival Church and want to share the reason why it’s important for us to increase…
I believe in 2011 we saw the end of an era. Dictators came down, governments were overturned. As we enter 2012, the players on the world scene are changing.
Think of it. In 2011 Greece, Italy, Ireland and Spain all changed hands. The governments in Egypt and Libya toppled and major players in these governments passed away.
But the new era has not yet begun. It’s like we’re in a gray area of transition and then – the world is going to be turned inside out. This may be for just a season, and it could be weeks or years away, but an event is coming where it will feel like up will be down, down will be up.
Why? Because the Christian leadership worldwide has taken Christianity to a point of “no recovery.” The church overall is overwhelmed with humanism and idolatry and God is not going to stand for it any longer.
The cataclysmic upcoming event will reform the leadership of the Kingdom of God.
Leading us back to the reason it is important for you to increase: You need to be in a position of influence when this happens.
The bible says that if we increase our faith and our activity in God, it will increase our influence. That’s what I want for you, and that’s what the world needs of you.
Make the changes in your life that you need to now so that when this “turning inside out” happens, people look to you for answers. Make 2012 a year to “be ready.”
Yours for revival,
Steve Gray
Are you ready for Christmas? Amidst the shopping and the busyness, take a little time to glean these secrets from the Christmas story…
The Magi from the East were not Jewish, yet they followed the star and bowed down to worship the King of the Jews. Somehow they knew he was worthy of their gifts and their worship.
The shepherds were considered lowly, yet the angels gave a glorious display for them. Sent from God to common people, they shared their good news with hopes the shepherds would respond.
The shepherds didn’t let them down. They were quick to search and find the baby King to worship him and spread the good news!
On the other hand, Herod and the religious leaders were clueless. God sent the wise men their way, but they let the opportunity – and the Messiah - slip through their fingertips.
They weren’t looking for the baby King, nor did they have plans to worship him. In fact, they were disturbed that someone else would claim the title king!
The Christmas story is not just a sweet little story of a baby in a manger. It’s a contest between two kings. It’s a contest of loyalty.
The contest continues today. Who are you going to worship? Who do you say is King? Christmas is a great time to remind ourselves of the Kingship of Jesus.
May you have a merry Christmas!
Steve Gray
Photo: Come let us adore him!
Ever since Kathy and I entered ministry, our goal all along has been to create a church God likes to attend. We’ve centered everything around him at World Revival Church so he’ll come down and be with us.
Life is too big to live without help from heaven, and if we can get God in our midst, then everybody has access to the help they need!
It’s the same way with our movies, Three Blind Saints - and the new one called “Something to Believe.” My goal? To produce movies God will attend. Something that will draw him near and connect the viewers to his presence.
It’s been quite an adventure producing a feature film. The premiere was an amazing night for Kathy and I to sit in the AMC theatre surrounded by friends and family, including Hollywood actors and film industry professionals that we now call our friends.
A big thanks to everyone who made that night possible: the hundreds who gave their time to the movie production, plus all those who turned out for the premiere. We couldn’t have done this without you, and Kathy and I are incredibly thankful!
Please keep praying for the success of “Three Blind Saints.” The possibilities are huge for the number of people this movie can touch! Keep “Something to Believe” in your prayers, too… we’re already moving into this next adventure!
Yours for revival,
Steve Gray
The holidays can be a stressful time for your finances, but many in revival are experiencing just the opposite! Let your faith be stirred with these financial testimonies:
• Timbrel, along with her husband Erik, started a cleaning business while still maintaining a part-time job. Timbrel began to feel the spirit nudging her to quit her part time job to focus on her new business.
There’s a revival of healing happening and it can happen to you! Healing Waters - When Heaven Touches Earth is a brand new music release from SGM Publishing that will stir faith and hope in your heart for miracles.
The concept of Healing Waters was developed to capture the anointing for healing that flows at World Revival Church led by Pastors Steve and Kathy Gray. With an introduction by Kathy Gray and prayers for healing by Steve Gray, Healing Waters lays a biblical foundation for God’s plan for healing all kinds of sickness and disease.
Also included on the CD are scriptural confessions of faith, made especially powerful as children chime in with their faith-filled voices. With original music performed by musicians from the worship team at World Revival Church of Kansas City, a healing anointing permeates this new album.
Thousands have been healed in the revival at World Revival Church, with testimonies of cancers disappearing, life-long illnesses being cured, and creative miracles astounding the doctors. SGM Publishing offers this new resource with hopes that many more will be healed while listening.
Click here to order or download your copy today!
http://stevegrayministries.com/pcart/music/healing-waters-when-heaven-to...
Not every local church is media savvy. But World Revival Church in Kansas City is broadcast live around the world every week on TV, interacting live with other churches online for services, producing an Emmy-Award winning TV show and helping make a feature film with Hollywood.
Because Steve Gray, senior pastor, feels the need to reach broader audiences with his message – he and the church have leveraged the media to do just that.
“I realized I was speaking to people who already had a certain mindset toward church and life,” Gray says. “After a while I was repeating myself and not breaking through to people who would never think of waking up on Sunday morning and coming to church. That had to change.”
That conclusion led Gray to seek out new ways to connect with people, such as live weekly church broadcasts around the world, innovative church services, an award-winning television program and a feature film. Each medium bears the stamp of its founder -- humorous and passionate, skeptical of organized religion and determined to know God without religious hurdles or hang-ups.
In just four years, audiences in and outside the Christian world have flocked to the new approach. Gray and his church have won several regional Emmy awards, worked closely with Hollywood producers and pioneered new formats on Christian television.
Not bad for a nondescript hillside congregation in south Kansas City.
The transformation began in 2007 when Gray and his wife Kathy launched The Steve & Kathy Show, a late-night style variety program featuring original music, guests and comedy sketches. In a short time, the show earned three regional Emmy awards, more than 67 Telly awards and a faithful audience.
“My attitudes toward religion are not much different from those in my audience,” Gray says. “I'm convinced that religion doesn't work, doesn't make people any better, doesn't get them closer to God. I feel a real bond with people who have been burned by religious systems but still want a relationship with God. The show and everything we do is about that — about being real and fun as opposed to putting on an act.”
The tone of The Steve & Kathy Show — which includes much humor, a sideways look at religion and real hope that things could be better — led naturally to the idea of making a movie with the same sensibilities. Volunteers from the church had already built a professional-quality TV studio in the back of the church sanctuary. How hard could it be to produce a professional-quality film?
The answer: hard, but nowhere near as impossible as people told them it would be.
“It worked out beautifully,” says Brad Wilson, producer of Three Blind Saints, the feature film written by Gray. The movie will premiere in December. Wilson previously worked with Robert Duvall for 11 years on films such as Days of Thunder and Lonesome Dove. “Of the more than 30 films I’ve been involved with, I think this was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.”
The reasons, he says, were the energy and enthusiasm of the volunteers from the church and the fresh story they were filming. While it takes place in a church, the storyline and characters are nothing like the stock situations and characters found in typical faith-based films.
“The script reminded me of Bruce Almighty meets O Brother Where Art Thou?” says actor Richard Speight, Jr., who plays a lead role in Three Blind Saints and previously appeared in HBO's Band of Brothers, films such as Independence Day and Thank You for Smoking, network dramas such as The Agency, Jerichoand Supernatural, and the current Pepsi Max national ad campaign. “I thought it was a lot of fun. My character is snarky, funny and has an edge to him, but goes through a transition in the film and comes to grips with realities in his own life — all within the framework of comedy. It is a fun journey that has some significance and meaning.”
Gray hired Speight and other recognizable actors such as Barry Corbin (The Closer, Northern Exposure, No Country for Old Men) and Stelio Savante (Ugly Betty, A Beautiful Mind), and spent money on an experienced crew, including Emmy-nominated sound designer Dean Andre, bringing them to Kansas City to work alongside 200 volunteers from World Revival Church. The Hollywood crew admits to being surprised at how well the arrangement worked.
“It was really neat because everybody had such a positive energy about the project,” Speight says.
Three Blind Saints is premiering in Kansas City this December at a time when World Revival Church is also gaining a greater profile in the Christian world. Since 2008, the church’s Friday night services, which draw hundreds of people for energetic, passionate worship and prayer, have been broadcast live on the Daystar Network, the second-largest Christian television network. Unlike most Christian programming, these services are aired live — meaning viewers see a church as it really is, not pre-packaged and carefully produced.
And people around the world are responding. Since airing, thousands of people call in each week for prayer and other requests.

"People respond to the authenticity they see," Gray says. “It's live so you don’t get to come back and say, ‘I wish I hadn’t said that.’ It’s all unrehearsed.”
The show, which broadcasts for 90 minutes from the church sanctuary in Kansas City, attracts reaches a potential audience of 500 million viewers in more than 200 nations who tune in to witness an unfiltered, real-time move of God.
“What makes this broadcast different is the excitement and energy of the people, not just the leaders,” Gray says. “Many visitors come here because they want to experience what they saw on TV.”
Building on that momentum, the church is now pioneering an effort to link churches by two-way video feeds for regular services that unite congregations in Europe, Canada and the U.S.
The idea is to “to turn passive viewers into active participants," Gray says. "People are participating together in a service even though they are thousands of miles apart."
The effort brings the energy and resources of World Revival Church to congregations that are smaller or more remote. It also connects those congregations to a larger vision of what is happening in churches around the world.
“We try to be forerunners, and this is another example of that,” says Gray. “We move into areas where churches don’t traditionally go. I'm happy to say we are reaching new audiences we wouldn't have reached if we had done things the traditional way.”
To learn more, and for media access, please contact Elizabeth McKinley Tuttle at elizabeth@wrckc.com or 816-410-1368.
Most churches are content to provide Sunday school classes, Bible studies and weekend services.
Not many hire Hollywood actors and producers to make a feature-length film aimed at a non-churchgoing audience.
World Revival Church in Kansas City did just that with Three Blind Saints, a family-friendly romantic comedy film that premieres in December 2011.
“I wanted to take attitudes I have developed toward church, life and God and share them with other people to help them,” says Steve Gray, the pastor of the church, and writer, executive producer and composer of the soundtrack for the film. “If I did it just through churches, many people would never hear the message. I needed a different way to speak to them.”
That way was a film that portrays the good and the ugly of typical church life in a humorous and ultimately hopeful and entertaining way.
“I wanted to say things about church that relate to both sides of the fence, those who think church is great and those who think it’s not," Gray says. "I thought if we could laugh at these things together, maybe we could build a bridge. Seeing the weaknesses and crazy things in the church lets the rest of the world know I get what they’re saying. I also wanted the church world to see there’s a good reason for not giving up on this.”
After circulating his script among professional writers he knew, Gray and more than 200 volunteers from his church put together a plan to do what many said was impossible: make a feature film locally.
Their first big decision was to hire recognizable actors, a seasoned Hollywood producer and experienced crew so the quality would be top-notch. Starring in the film are Richard Speight, Jr., who previously appeared in HBO's Band of Brothers, films such as Independence Day and Thank You for Smoking, network dramas such as The Agency, Jericho and Supernatural, and the current Pepsi Max national ad campaign; Stelio Savante from Ugly Betty and A Beautiful Mind ; and Barry Corbin who has appeared in The Closer, Northern Exposure and No Country for Old Men. Gray also hired a professional crew, including Emmy-nominated sound designer Dean Andre.
“As an independent producer, I could have easily stuck with unknowns and made the budget low,” Gray says. “But we chose to hire Screen Actors Guild actors and other professionals so people would take the film seriously. I was kind of petrified that this might turn out to be a joke or low quality.”
His other upgrade: humor. Even as the number of films made by Christians increases, few stray from the drama genre and well-worn plots. Gray’s idea was to create a story that went for laughs more than lessons, while still offering hope.
Three Blind Saints was shot on location in Kansas City and crewed by a blended team of Hollywood pro's and local novices and volunteers.
It wasn't immediately clear that the two groups would get along.
“You could feel the suspicion in the air” as the intense 18-day shooting schedule began, Gray says. “We were all standing together in a meeting deciding who does what.”
But as work began, the suspicions melted away. Brad Wilson, who produced films for Robert Duvall’s film company for 11 years, was part of Lonesome Dove, Days of Thunder and Falling Down, and is now a producer with Moonglow Films, says Three Blind Saints was one of the best experiences he’s ever had making a film.
“Talk about all hands on deck,” Wilson says. “They have a great group of support there. The thing that surprised me most was their endless energy and enthusiasm. After 18 hours, I’d be dragging and they’d still be ready to go.”
Actor Speight admits to being “completely thrown off at first” by the idea of working with church volunteers to make a major film.
“I still am stunned they were able to pull it off,” he says. “To get volunteers to work that hard for that many hours — it was awesome. Everybody had such a positive energy about the project, which made for a really pleasant set to be on. I believe that will play on screen. You’ve got to love being there, and everybody loved being there. I’m glad they chose me to be part of this because I really enjoyed the process.”
Three Blind Saints tells the story of three troublemakers who find themselves doing community service in a local church — and getting caught up in romance, local scandal and clashing purposes.
The result is “a family-friendly romantic comedy that reminds me of Bruce Almighty meets O Brother Where art Thou?” says actor Speight. “The lead guys go on this journey of discovery within the context of comedy. It’s not heavy-handed. There is a message there if you want to get it, but it’s also a great film to pop on the DVD player or go to theater to see. You can sit back, relax and not worry about anything being offensive.”
Producer Wilson says it has always bothered him that most faith-based movies suffer from inferior quality. Not this one.
“All the way through it was important to Steve that the quality was maintained and it didn’t look like a regular faith-based movie,” Wilson says. “We wanted it to hold up with mainstream movies in its quality, script and acting.”
They accomplished that, and as the film goes through final edits Wilson is “thrilled” with how it’s coming together. “It’s looking better than I’d even anticipated,” he says. “I’ve done a lot of faith-based films, and the most effective ones are like this where someone can go into a theater and not know what kind of movie it is. They’ll be entertained and have fun, and there’s a great message woven in there and not hitting them over the head. These films are a great ministry because it’s not preaching to the choir. It reaches people who don’t get the message on a regular basis.”
The original plan was to go directly to DVD and distribute it through Netflix. Now ambitions have broadened to a limited theatrical release in early 2012 and a December premiere at Kansas City’s AMC Mainstreet Theater in the Power & Light District.
“It was exciting to be part of such a thing, being around the actors, realizing this was really happening,” says first-time director John Eschenbaum, who also is the church’s media director. “This is a pioneering movie. It’s great quality, shot well, good editing and sound, and it appeals to everyone. There was such a sense of accomplishment when we sat back and said, ‘Look what we did that was much bigger than us. We had no right even being part of making a movie. But we did it.’”
Gray says the experience changed him.
“I’d say it’s done something to me,” he says. “To watch the movie, laugh and realize our message is more universal than maybe we’ve given it credit for. If we and other churches can make films that are God-positive and reach beyond our own borders, people are going to be entertained no matter what.”
As Speight promises, with Three Blind Saints “audiences will be getting a heck of a fun ride. It’s a super-entertaining film. I guarantee you’ll have a great time.”
To learn more, and for media access, please contact Elizabeth McKinley Tuttle at elizabeth@wrckc.com or 816-410-1368.
It's one thing to watch church online the way you watch a cute animal video on YouTube.
It's another to be fully engaged via live, two-way video feed. That's the vision of World Revival Church’s interactive services that unite congregations around the world in simultaneous worship.
"I thought it would be great if we could have church services where we talk back and forth, worship together and pray for each other, connecting churches worldwide," says Steve Gray, pastor of World Revival Church in Kansas City.
The interactive services are led by World Revival Church and involve a loose affiliation of partner churches that span the globe, including Finland, Holland, Canada and the United States. Camera feeds and high-speed Internet connections allow each church to see the others, even sharing responsibility for parts of the service such as praying for the offering or preaching or leading worship.
The result is more unity across denominational and cultural lines, and more energy and a feeling of encouragement as local church members connect to the efforts of churches worldwide.
Pastor Brent Rudoski of Faith Alive Family Church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, says his life and ministry have been positively influenced by World Revival Church, and that he's excited about participating in interactive services.
"How awesome is it to interact with different churches all over the world?" he says. "It’s great for them to see us and us to see them and produce a lot of unity and strength with everyone pushing toward the same goal."
His wife Barbara believes it is building excitement in their community.
"People are interested in technology, so to tell someone, 'We’re gathering with churches from across the world live — do you want to come and see?' The excitement of participating in this and connecting with churches of different denominations around the world will draw people in," she says. She hopes curious people will see "the bigger picture of what God is doing" around the world."
Pastor Bryan Riportella directs the online church ministry of World Revival Church and knows the pitfalls of online ministry — and the benefits of interactive services.
"If you’re watching a computer screen or TV, there’s a sense of being disconnected," he says. "You don’t have to feel responsible. But when it’s live and Pastor Steve or one of the other pastors is talking to you, things really pop. The pastors in our network are very excited about the opportunity to do this interactive church."
David Woodworth, technical director at WRC, remembers his reaction when he first learned of the idea.
"I was like, 'Are you serious?'” he says. "It seemed like both a daunting task and an awesome and groundbreaking idea. The more I looked at it and put it together, the more excited I became."
Churches in Europe gather on Sunday evening while those in North America gather on Sunday morning.
"Who would have thought you could be part of something global without leaving your home church?" Gray says. "It's exciting to be a part of."
To learn more, and for media access, please contact Elizabeth McKinley Tuttle at elizabeth@wrckc.com or 816-410-1368.
If you think Christian television is staid, polished and boring, you clearly haven’t seen The Steve & Kathy Show.
"We did not want to have a talking heads show where Kathy and I come on and talk about religion," says Steve Gray, host of the show and senior pastor of World Revival Church in Kansas City. "It has been an adventure to try something different — a show by Christians that could actually entertain a wide audience no matter their faith background."
When Gray decided to broaden his audience with a homegrown television talk show, he and his wife Kathy followed their own sensibilities and created a talk show with a late-night vibe, including lots of comedy, music, interesting guests and frank talk about spirituality.
Within three years the show had earned three regional Emmy awards and more than 67 Telly awards, given to the best local and regional programs.
More important, the show drew a favorable audience with its humor and insurgent approach to organized religion.
"We’re saying what a lot of people are thinking on both sides of the fence. That’s worth doing," Gray says. "I don’t want to be fake to get longevity. If I have to have a special religious voice or clothes to get this message across, that's lose-lose for everybody."
Brad Wilson, a film producer, was a two-time guest on the show.
"It was just a terrific experience," he says. "It was very professional and well done. I was impressed with it. When I was with Robert Duvall [as producer with Duvall's film company] we did all the big shows like Letterman and Leno. One thing that struck me about The Steve & Kathy Show was it was every bit as professional as those shows but with a more upbeat, positive feeling."
One of the most remarkable aspects of the show is that it is shot and produced entirely on location in the back of the church's own sanctuary. Volunteers built a professional TV studio complete with lighting rigs and a homemade camera boom.
"When the Grays said, 'Let’s do a TV show,' we’d never done one, but we said surely we can figure that out," says John Eschenbaum, director of the show and the church's media director. "So we built it from the ground up."
They brought in a media consultant to help them learn the basics, like how to run a camera. They learned that one of the light technicians who had done Wal-Mart ads lived in Kansas City. He came and drew a lighting grid that the church used to hang its lights.
"Hollywood people love how our set looks," Gray says.
Show tapings fit into the regular church schedule. After Sunday morning services, the crew orders in pizza and 100 people set up the TV studio. Monday night is rehearsal and on Tuesdays they shoot the programs — with volunteers at each camera and every other position.
The result has been one of the most successful Christian shows ever created at a church and syndicated in the mainstream media.
"There is a pioneering spirit about it," Gray says. "Most gratifying is that the show continues to reach people who are uninterested in church. It has been part of our effort to take this message of hope and freedom from religion to people who need to hear it. The success of the show I think demonstrates that people are responding to that message."
To learn more, and for media access, please contact Elizabeth McKinley Tuttle at elizabeth@wrckc.com or 816-410-1368.
Everyone knows that televised church services are recorded, edited and aired weeks after they occur.
Except for one.
Eschewing the kind of manufactured product that characterizes typical Christian television, World Revival Church in Kansas City has been broadcasting live services every Friday night for nearly three years — drawing viewers worldwide on the Daystar Network.
“The unique thing is that it’s live,” says Pastor Steve Gray. “You don’t get to come back and say, ‘I wish I hadn’t said that.’ It’s all unrehearsed. Viewers are responding to that.”
The weekly services feature the church’s characteristic high-energy, passionate worship and prayer, which continue to draw visitors from around the world.
The show, which broadcasts for 90 minutes from World Revival Church's hillside property in Kansas City, airs to a potential audience of 500 million viewers who tune in to witness an unfiltered, unproduced move of God.
And people respond. Thousands have called in since the services started airing in December 2008.
“I’m not surprised it’s so popular because people are hunting for the ‘real,’” says Isaac Hernandez, 25-year Christian television veteran with TBN and now Parables.tv. “People want something they can tell is really happening, not just someone telling them about it. I think people are responding to the fact that they can sense the presence of God through the television.”
The broadcast contains familiar elements of a church service: singing and worship, a greeting from pastors Steve and Kathy Gray who often joke and banter with each other. Then come testimonies from people in attendance and those who have written in, followed by a time of preaching and a call to salvation, when people rush forward for prayer.
What surprises many viewers is the urgency with which people respond to the message.
“Most have never seen hundreds of people run forward to get prayer at the end of a service,” Gray says. “What makes this broadcast different is the excitement and energy of the people, not just the leaders. People come here because they want to experience what they saw on TV.”
With worldwide exposure has come recognition even for people in the pews.
“People have told church members, ‘I know you. I see you on TV every week,’” Gray says. “Our church is not focused on the leaders but on everyone experiencing a move of God together. When people visit our church, they feel like they already know us.”
As with many things at World Revival Church, volunteers are the heart of the broadcast. Church members with full-time jobs come after work to run cameras, lead worship and more.
"I call it volunteers touching the world," Gray says.
The show has inspired some churches in far-off places to watch the broadcasts together. Barbara and Brent Rudoski, pastors in Saskatchewan, Canada, call the broadcasts “absolutely fabulous, phenomenal.”
“You hear testimonies from people all over the world. The songs are fresh and new. The preaching is so good. You can call in and they pray for certain things right there, live. It’s exciting to watch it,” Barbara says. “Not only that but they also address real-world issues. When a tornado hit the U.S. recently, they prayed for those people. That’s what you want to hear — someone calling out for you in the situation you're in now.”
The broadcast airs on Daystar on Fridays at 7 p.m. Central Standard Time.
“They’re not really doing a TV show, they’re having a revival service and letting the viewer come in and watch it,” Hernandez says. “They are letting the viewer see what God is doing within a service. I’ve been telling everyone about it.”
To learn more, and for media access, please contact Elizabeth McKinley Tuttle at elizabeth@wrckc.com or 816-410-1368.
People visit World Revival Church from literally all around the world, many times at great expense. For them, it’s an investment in their communities and in their futures.