In Touch-Behind the Scene of Family Policy Perspectives

In Touch

Behind the Scene of Family Policy Perspectives

Family North Carolina Magazine—Nov/Dec 2006

By Traci Griggs

Sure. It might seem glamorous. The life of a non-profit video producer. The adulation, the perks, the budget. It is glamorous, if you define that as hauling your own equipment, setting up your own lights, shooting the video, writing the script, and editing the video. Let’s add in the marketing, which I’m finding is actually the hardest part of the job.

When NCFPC President Bill Brooks hired me to produce a 12-part DVD series on family policy issues, I jumped at the chance. The series was designed to fill a need in churches, home schools and private schools—the need to educate Christians on issues that we hear about on the news every day—but with a Biblical perspective.

NCFPC has never claimed to have all the right answers. Our goal has never been to produce cookie cutter Christians, but to give them some Biblical truths that they may have never considered and some facts that they might never hear on the news. In the Study Guide that accompanies the video, there are a lot of resources listed for people who want to study on their own.

If my opening paragraph made it sound like this project was a solo effort, it was not. Alysse ElHage was invaluable in her wisdom about whom to interview. The entire NCFPC staff lent their expertise—I’ve learned there is quite a lot of that in the NCFPC offices. We had many interns who worked tirelessly on transcribing and other thankless jobs. And of course, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary students Amber Lehman and Doug Carter who crafted the Study Guide booklet.

As this enormous project came together, it was very interesting to watch some divine intervention occur just when it was needed most. At times, it seemed as if great interviews were practically dropping out of the sky.

The best example of that was with the Dr. Phillip Johnson interview. We added the Intelligent Design segment toward the end of the production process. We had no interviews and it appeared that the closest leading experts were in California and Washington state—not exactly trips within our budget. Then the call came that Dr. Johnson, the man many credit as being the founder of the Intelligent Design Theory, would be coming to Raleigh. A few phone calls later, we had our interview scheduled. This was particularly amazing since Dr. Johnson has had several strokes and is not traveling as extensively as he once was.

Another example of these puzzle pieces “falling from the sky” was when I attended the Exodus International Conference which just happened to be within driving distance in Asheville, NC. Jere Royall, on staff here at NCFPC, handed me a paper on homosexual theology. It was rather long, so I gave it a quick look and promised to read it while I was at the conference. It ended up in the backseat of my car. At breakfast the next morning, we were joined by a friendly family of three and we did the usual polite chat. Just before we said our goodbyes, I asked, ‘What was your name again?.” It was Joe Dallas, the author of the incredible article that Jere had handed me as I was walking out the door. Another great interview in the can.

Of course there were other adventures: hauling all of our gear on the metro and taxi in the rain with a pregnant production assistant to meet Maggie Gallagher in a hotel outside of Washington, D.C.; driving to Richmond, Virginia to meet half-way (incredibly, he offered) gambling expert Dr. John Kindt from the University of Illinois; and finding so many nationally-recognized experts in our own backyard—Dr. John Thorp, UNC Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Dr. Joseph Zanga, former President of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Dr. Dan Heimbach, formerly with the elder Bush administration and expert on sexuality; and lottery expert Dr. Phil Cook, a Duke University Professor of Public Policy.

Overall, it was a great adventure, but all for naught if people don’t see it and glean from it the succinct and enlightening information contained therein. So far, the reaction to the series has been a blessing. It’s been called refreshing, unlike anything else out there, greatly needed. For more information on the series, go to our web site at www.ncfamily.org and click on Family Policy Perspectives. We’re practically giving it away at a suggested donation of $23.

Traci Griggs is director of communications for the NCFPC.