Short stuff

Members of Norway’s parliament recently invited Ted Baehr, founder of the Christian Film & Television Commission, to help them redeem the values of Hollywood. He stated that by encouraging industry leaders, the number of family-friendly movies released has increased from 6 in 1985 to 40 in recent years.

—Christian Film & Television Commission

Artists are invited to submit slides, photo prints or images illustrating the Beatitudes to the annual juried exhibition at the Mennonite Heritage Gallery. Submission deadline is Oct. 1. For more information contact Ray Dirks at 204-888-6781.

—Mennonite Heritage Gallery

Write! Canada, formerly known as God Uses Ink Christian Writers’ Conference, will be held June 17–19 in Guelph, Ont. Keynote speaker will be noted New Brunswick author Linda Hall. For more information phone 905-294-6482 or see The World Guild.

—The Word Guild

The Jesus film, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, has now been released on DVD and plans are underway to mail a copy to every home in the US.

—JESUS Video Project America

Approximately 165,000 people watched the Jesus film in St. Petersburg, Russia, in October in 100 sites throughout the city. Invitations had been delivered to virtually every mailbox in the city and 400 volunteers were trained to meet with inquirers.

—The Jesus Film Project Update

A US TV network is preparing a reality series that follows Amish teenagers having their first experience with modern conveniences and outside society. Amish young people are allowed to break free of the sect’s strict code of conduct. Called “rumspringa” or running around, it gives youth the opportunity to decide whether they want to be baptized as adults. The majority return to their faith. The show will be about culture shock, network executives say, not religion.

—Associated Press; Winnipeg Free Press