Creators say ‘The Mysterious Note’ is useful for fundraising and to reach the community.
A movie produced by the North American Division stewardship department and One Mustard Seed seeks to teach parents and children what it means to be a good steward. The Mysterious Note is available for churches to use from October 22, 2018 to February 22, 2019, as part of an evangelistic or fundraising campaign.
The Mysterious Note is a movie about a family from Chicago that is caught up in a self-serving lifestyle. When the father brings his family on an overnight business trip to a small town in Michigan, a surprising turn of events unfolds. He clashes with a store owner who runs his business using biblical principles of stewardship. In the meantime, the man’s mischievous son, along with a couple of local kids, discovers a mysterious note that catapults them into a four-day adventure of mystery and self-discovery.
The idea for the movie was sparked in 2015 when John Matthews, director of NAD Stewardship Ministries, commissioned Richard Aguilera, director of One Mustard Seed, to help produce resources to teach young people about stewardship principles. Aguilera knew that one of the most effective ways of reaching young people is through video. However, he had to go on a spiritual journey that helped him to create the content.
“Like many, when I heard the word stewardship, I assumed the words ‘tithe and offerings’ were soon to follow,” said Aguilera, also known as the Mud Guy from Guide magazine. “I soon discovered how much bigger stewardship really is. I also discovered that, at its core, stewardship is about acknowledging God as Owner of everything we have, and that we have been placed as managers of these things.
“How we manage the important things can be divided into two basic choices. We can manage them ‘God’s way’ or ‘society’s way.’ The choice we make will have a profound impact on how we live our life,” Aguilera added.
Biblical stewardship principles are subtly weaved throughout the story. The movie will help both children and adults learn to trust God with everything that has been entrusted to them. The storytelling platform provides a fun and visual representation of what happens when one trusts and remains faithful to God, Aguilera said.
The movie also emphasizes the importance of contentment and how God will bless and reward those who are faithful to Him with all the important things in their life.
“I pray this tool will give glory to God and be a discussion starter that may help people see that trusting God with the important details of our lives will be a rewarding decision that we will never regret,” Aguilera said.
There is a license fee to show the movie, but the fee can be waived if the movie is screened in a non-religious venue for evangelism, such as a theater or auditorium.
