Divine Faith Ministry International
Teens and Young Adults on a Journey for Jesus
Chances are if you talk with a group of teens and ask them the meaning of the term Walk It Out, most, if not all of them would tell you it’s last summer’s chart topping single by rapper DJ UNK. Others may just break into the “hott” dance moves. But for over 200 teens and young adults at Divine Faith Ministry International, Walk It Out doesn’t mean a duel on the dance floor. For these teens, Walk It Out means taking strides toward living a life for Christ and walking out their divine purpose.
“Generation Now”, as they’re formally known, is taking their message outside the church walls. Vonnie Battle, Teen and Young Adult Minster at Divine Faith Ministries, heard the cry of the youth and developed an alternative Christian television program geared towards providing youth with inspirational and wholesome entertainment.
“Stir It Up”
premiered in 2006, and since it’s inception has earned the prestige title of being one of the premier youth and young adult programs in the nation; capturing a covenant Gospel Choice Award nomination in 2007. More importantly, Stir-It Up has ignited a fire inside youth, encouraging them to stir up their spiritual gifts and talents to glorify God.
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Trina Lee, Marketing and Public Relations Director for Divine Faith Ministry to discuss the show, its’ popularity and why she feels it has been so successful.
SP: What can viewers expect to see when they tune into the “Stir It Up” broadcast?
TL: The format is similar to shows like BET and 106 & Park, except our show is Christian based. We have a live studio audience, a disc jockey on set and we show the top five Christian videos. In addition, we have Christian based artists who perform and Christian based videos we countdown for the week.
SP: Who have been some of your guests?
TL: Some of our quests have included, Mary-Mary, Micah Stampley, Canton Jones,
Kiera “KiKi” Sheared, and several local talents.
SP: When and where can viewers tune into the show?
TL: Produced at Divine Faith Ministry studios in Atlanta, the show is aired over WATC/TV57 each Saturday at 2 p.m.
SP: Is TV 57 the only station to broadcast the show?
TL: No. The show can also been seen every Saturday on WPHX/TV 44 in Birmingham, Alabama at 1:30P.M.
SP: How did the partnership between WATC/TV 57 and Divine Faith Ministry begin?
TL: My pastor, Donald E. Battle, has a show that airs on TV 57 and they heard about Stir It Up and gave us the platform by which to broadcast.
SP: How is the show funded?
TL: Currently, the show is funded totally by Divine Faith Ministry, however in the future we will be looking for organizations to sponsor the show. We’re also looking at possibly obtaining grants. We want to do more outreach ministry to serve youth in juvenile detention centers and foster homes.
SP: Are the teens and young adults who participate in “Stir It Up” show primarily from within the Divine Faith church family, or do they come from across the Metro Atlanta area?
TL: Right now it’s primarily teens from our ministry. However, its’ starting to catch on with other teen ministries in the area. We want to fellowship with other ministries because we don’t want this to be a Divine Faith Ministry thing. We want it to be an international thing, so everyone is welcomed to be a part of the studio audience.
SP: Are tickets required to attend, and if so, is there a fee associated with them?
TL: Tickets are free; however, there are studio capacity limitations. Interested groups or individuals should contact our office at 770-814-9992 extension 249 for ticket information. If someone wants to be a guest on the show, they should contact our guest relations department.
SP: Some may view this as a “Fad”, saying kids are joining the ministry because their friends have joined and not because they feel it’s their God given purpose. What are your thoughts?
TL: I promise you it’s not a fad; it’s a lifestyle that’s catching on like wildfire. Many kids join not realizing their purpose. But once their purpose or talents are identified, we tailor it to fit the Christian life style. The more we give them, the more they want.
SP: What’s next for Generation Now?
TL: We just established a live internet radio show which can be heard each morning from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday on www.officialstiritup.com. We are also looking to partner with Image magazine for teens who want an alternative to print magazines. Also, our record company should be up and running by the end of the year and we are looking to feature four new recording artists. And finally, we have another teen and young adult conference coming up on October 31st through November 3 entitled “Back Draft II”. So whatever their talents or interest, we try to cater to what they’re telling us they need.
SP: What advise would you give to other organizations who are considering starting a similar teen ministry or alternative Christian show? And why do you believe Stir It Up has been so successful?
TL: I think our formula for success has been the fact that we don’t judge our kids. When they come to the house of the Lord, they need to receive love, caring and understanding. The things teens are experiencing now, we didn’t experience when we were growing up. A lot of these young people have big people problems. Some of them are trying to escape a homosexual lifestyle; some are on drugs, or their parents maybe on drugs. We have to get out of the mind set that these are just kids and they don’t know anything. When we stop judging them and start listening to them, we are better suited to help them.
SP: Overall, what do you want teens reading this article to know about Stir It Up and the Generation Now ministry?
TL: Everything we do is not just for Divine Faith Ministry International youth. We would love for them to come to one of our services and be apart of what we are doing. We have two locations in the metro Atlanta area. Our North campus is located at 4725 Rivergreen Parkway Duluth, GA 30096 and our South campus is located at 9800 Tara Blvd. Jonesboro, GA 30238. We welcome everyone to come and be apart.
For more information on service times, location or upcoming events for Divine Faith Ministry International church, Generation Now or the Stir It Up broadcast, please visit their website at www.divinefaith.org. Or, you may call their corporate office at 770-814-9992.
