"Never pity missionaries; envy them. They are where the real action is—where life and death, sin and grace, Heaven and Hell converge." (Robert C. Shannon, Christian Standard, January 1983)

Sounds like the ingredients for a really good story, doesnít it? Almost every culture known to man has some kind of oral history tradition and with it all the elements of a good story. They are told and retold; handed down from generation to generation. Even Moses encouraged the use of oral history among the Israelites exiting Egypt so that they would not forget the lengths God is willing to go to for those whom He loves. All a part of HIS story.

History comes from life experiences. Real challenges. Real people. Real grace. This is why the Heroes of the Faith series is being developed by Missions Alive. The more "real" our missionaries are to us the greater our level of involvement, enthusiasm, and concern for them on a personal level. Also, greater will be our understanding of the challenges of their chosen mission field. By researching the life stories of notable individuals and developing them into short video productions or full-length features, Missions Alive will bring "alive" the missionaries of the Church of Christ/Christian Churches for the average church member.

Using current technology to record the valuable contributions of our missionaries helps meet two more important reasons for having the Heroes of the Faith program: to give honor to whom honor is due and encouragement to the next generation of missionaries to follow in their footsteps. Heroes of the Faith will supplement KidzCan and its research will be incorporated into the A Live Visual series. Small group bible studies, Sunday School classes of various age groups, VBS programs, childrenís program and family or personal devotion times are just some of opportunities to allow missions to become more real, more ìaliveî with the use of the Heroes of the Faith programs.