The North American Mission Board (NAMB) will launch the pilot of a new 30-minute TV program, “On Mission Xtra” (OMX), on Weds., Nov. 26, at 9:30 p.m. (EST) on the FamilyNet television network.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – The North American Mission Board (NAMB) will launch the pilot of a new 30-minute TV program, “On Mission Xtra” (OMX), on Weds., Nov. 26, at 9:30 p.m. (EST) on the FamilyNet television network.
Twelve more “OMX” episodes are currently in production by NAMB, and are scheduled to be delivered in January to FamilyNet.
Atlanta-based FamilyNet – operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week – is seen in more than 30 million TV households in more than 200 markets via cable systems and broadcasters in the United States.
According to NAMB, “On Mission Xtra” will be a dynamic blend of missionary features, studio interviews and profiles of people who are reaching North America with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“From adventures to heart-warming stories, On Mission Xtra will inspire you to look at your own mission field with a new perspective, and will challenge you to take part in God’s mission,” said Brandon Pickett, NAMB’s communications team leader and OMX executive producer.
Pickett added, “it will be exciting to see the stories in On Mission magazine come to life on the television screen.”
On Mission magazine – with a circulation of some 210,000 in both English and Spanish editions – is the long-time, four-color missions publication published quarterly by NAMB.
“We have the goal of continuing to tell the stories of those who are telling His story and we see this as another way to get those stories out there,” said Pickett. “When you combine On Mission magazine and the website, www.namb.net, with “On Mission Xtra,” you have some powerful tools to educate, inspire and prayerfully mobilize many more missionaries for the mission field.”
NAMB president Geoff Hammond calls the new television show “an opportunity to spotlight the huge mission field of North America.
“And although we need many more workers in this field, there are thousands of missionaries serving right now with amazing stories of what God is doing through Southern Baptists,” Hammond said. “I’m so glad people from coast to coast and beyond, will now not only read about these stories, but see them each and every week on their television screens through FamilyNet.”
Actress Erin Bethea, currently starring in the highly successful Christian film “Fireproof,” serves as a co-host of “On Mission Xtra.”
“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done before,” said the 26-year-old actress, a native Georgian who now makes her home in Orlando.
“I think the style of “OMX” reflects the message of the show, which is to get Christians to be relevant and think outside the box,” said Bethea. “The show is a little bit different than a lot of Christian TV programming. I think it’ll get people’s attention. It’s snappier, and it has a good balance of humor and the serious message we’re trying to put across. The show has a ton of variety with stories from people all over North America, musical acts and interviews with ministry leaders,” Bethea said.
For a FamilyNet TV schedule or to check on FamilyNet availability in your area, accesswww.familynet.com .
Based in Alpharetta, Ga., the North American Mission Board is the Southern Baptist Convention mission agency which, in cooperation with SBC state conventions and associations, assists SBC churches in reaching the United States, Canada and their territories with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The board oversees the work of more than 5,500 missionaries, supported through the Cooperative Program and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® for North American missions.