Phil Vischer, Part 1: How Pastors Can Guide the Creatives in Their Churches
Aug 23, 2023
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Phil Vischer, Christian media expert, shares his journey from VeggieTales to "What's in the Bible," the challenges in Christian media, and the importance of diversity within the church.
Christian media faces challenges in finding funding models for small-scale filmmaking.
The success of Christian movies heavily depends on theatrical releases and marketing, which often can't be sustained.
Deep dives
Phil Visher's Journey: From VeggieTales to Holy Post Podcast
Phil Visher, co-creator of VeggieTales and host of the Holy Post Podcast, shares his journey from being an animator and filmmaker to creating faith-filled media. Growing up in a Christian missionary family, Visher felt compelled to make an impact for the kingdom through filmmaking. He pioneered computer-animated Christian videos with VeggieTales, which became a huge success. However, financial mismanagement led to bankruptcy and a shift in Visher's career focus. He transitioned to creating puppets and mixed-media projects, like the What's in the Bible series, to teach kids the intricacies of the Bible. Visher discusses the challenges of Christian media and the difficulty of finding funding models for small-scale Christian filmmaking.
The Current State of Christian Creativity and Communication
Phil Visher explores the current landscape of Christian creativity and communication. He draws parallels between the Christian music industry and filmmaking, emphasizing how music managed to mature and find success, while filmmaking struggles due to high costs and limited distribution avenues. Visher notes that unlike small-scale films, the success of movies heavily depends on theatrical releases and marketing, which Christian content often can't sustain. He discusses the rise of crowdfunding and the search for innovative funding models within the Christian media space. Visher also highlights the dominance of YouTube as a media discovery source for kids and the challenges in creating economically viable content for children within a Christian framework.
The Holy Post Podcast: Critiquing Evangelicalism and Engaging Young Christians
Phil Visher discusses the growth and impact of the Holy Post Podcast and its audience. Initially, the podcast targeted VeggieTales fans and focused on lighthearted conversations. However, after the 2016 presidential election, Visher and his co-hosts started discussing their concerns about evangelical support for Donald Trump. This led to audience growth and a diverse following of ex-evangelicals, pastors, ministry leaders, and young Christians questioning their faith. The podcast aims to provide a space where young evangelicals can find community and reassurance that they are not alone in their doubts and struggles. Visher explains the importance of critiquing evangelicalism from within and the challenges of navigating the evolving landscape of faith and culture.
Phil Visher's Vision for Christian Creatives and the Holy Post Podcast
Phil Visher shares his vision for Christian creatives and the future of the Holy Post Podcast. He encourages creatives within the church to embrace their passion for making art and understand that it may not always lead to financial stability. Visher emphasizes the need for a supportive community and a willingness to be bi-vocational or live a semi-nomadic lifestyle like many artists. He recognizes that finding economic opportunities in the Christian media space can be challenging due to limited funding models. Despite the obstacles, Visher remains hopeful and dedicated to producing content that engages, challenges, and encourages Christians to think critically and cultivate a deeper faith.
Phil Vischer joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to share his experience in Christian media and his thoughts on how pastors can advise the creatives in their congregations.
