Dear Friends of Hollywood Connect,

We want to take a moment in the midst of this holiday season to thank you for all the friendship, prayers, and support that you have so generously given Hollywood Connect! You have blessed Hollywood Connect so much, and it has become an effective and influential organization in the arts & entertainment community because of you!

With the end of the year quickly approaching, we wanted to reminisce and give thanks for the many blessings that God has given us. In many respects, 2008 was a year full of transitions for Hollywood Connect:

• We started off the year by becoming a part of the Hollywood Entertainment Alliance along with Hollywood Prayer Network and InterMission. HEA has been and continues to be a partnership that offers a tremendous amount of vision and prospects for Hollywood Connect in the days ahead.

• In June, Michele Wood, the director of Hollywood Connect from its inception, closed out her season with us in order to pursue other passions. Michele laid a wonderful foundation for Hollywood Connect for many years, and we were blessed to have her leadership.

• We’ve also enjoyed expanding the Hollywood Connect website, www.hollywoodconnect.com, with new features, articles, and technology as we keep up with the ever-growing needs of our community in the entertainment industry.

Even with all the challenges that come with change, we’ve found that it also presents so many opportunities to grow, to refine, and to improve what we do! And so we approach 2009 with great plans to make Hollywood Connect even more effective in bringing together a great community of artists and industry professionals, both those who are newly arrived and those who are veterans:

• With this new season, we’re pleased to announce that, starting in 2009, Hollywood Connect is going to be working in association with The Greenhouse under the executive direction of Shun Lee! The Greenhouse opened its doors in 2007 with the objective of maximizing the potential and productivity of creative artists through relationships, mentoring, group discussions, and artistic projects. In fact, the artists in The Greenhouse’s Production Program completed six films in 2008 alone! With their shared goals of creating an intentional community in which artists can grow in their creativity and actively apply their artistry, The Greenhouse and Hollywood Connect make for a perfect partnership. Read more about The Greenhouse at www.GreenhouseProductions.com!

• Over the years, we’ve had a large number of people attend our Orientation Sessions, which offer valuable opportunities to listen to and ask questions of artists and professionals who can provide a wealth of information about surviving and thriving in the arts & entertainment industry. In fact, these Orientation Sessions have become so popular, with many people asking for them and letting us know how effective they are, that we’re increasing the frequency of the Orientation Sessions in order to expand our impact in Hollywood!

• We are going to do a complete and extensive update of the Hollywood Connect website to include a new look and new features, content, and technology. This update will allow even more interaction and networking for those in our community – both online and in relationships. With the fresh look and content that we are planning, we know that people will look forward to visiting the site daily and that it will expand as a source of information for the arts & entertainment industry as a whole!

• In 2009, we also are planning to launch a brand new Mentoring Program that will match new artists with veteran industry professionals! Mentoring is a vital part of growth for individuals and for a community. In fact, studies have shown that communities that include mentoring see exponential growth in effectiveness. So we’re excited to make the Mentoring Program an important part of what Hollywood Connect has to offer the Christian community in Hollywood. Be watching for more information as this program takes off!

• Shun Lee is receiving more and more invitations to speak at churches, colleges, arts seminars, and missions conferences throughout Los Angeles and across the nation, spreading the vision of The Greenhouse and Hollywood Connect and how God is raising up artists to worship Him by their art and creativity and to effectively shape our culture. These speaking engagements are taking him to a variety of ministries including Act One: Writing for Hollywood and Executives for Hollywood, The Bridge, and Expression 58, as well as organizations in Minnesota, California, Ohio, Nebraska, Illinois, Utah, and Colorado.

• An important part of propelling Hollywood Connect into the next level of visibility and effectiveness will be getting the word out, so we will be planning a new marketing campaign targeted at churches, ministries, arts groups, and other entertainment-related groups to let them know what we have to offer and to invite them to get involved.

• We are also planning to host a number of other special events, programs, and speakers throughout the year to build this community of artists in a way that enriches them professionally, practically, and spiritually.

As you can see, even with all the challenges of the industry and the economy, God continues to give us great vision and plans for Hollywood Connect in the coming year, and we’re committed to seeing His people rise up, join together, and do great things in 2009. With that in mind, we wanted to extend an invitation to you to join in building that community of artists through your prayer and financial support.

We’ve broken down our ministry into all of the distinct areas in which we’re moving rapidly forward, placed dollar amounts by them to show you how much we want to raise for the coming year, and created a link below that you can click to find out how you can personally take ownership of any particular division of Hollywood Connect. You can give toward the ministry as a whole, or sponsor one of Hollywood Connect’s community-building events, support the effective Orientation Sessions, help launch our Mentoring Program, or help us make the website a significant place for networking and growth for all of Hollywood!

However you would like to help, we are so blessed and encouraged when you join our team as financial partners in this task of bringing together Christians in Hollywood. Take a look, pray about whether the Lord would like you to become involved financially, and regardless, please keep praying for Hollywood Connect and the artists of this industry. And please be sure to tell your friends and family to do the same!

If you have any questions or thoughts, please feel free to call or email us, or click the link below to partner with us financially.

We pray that you have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year full of God’s presence, His blessings, and His adventure for your lives! May God richly bless you in this season!

Shun Lee Fong
Elizabeth Chapman
The Hollywood Connect Staff

[T]he people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.
– Daniel 11:32b