Freebird

96 97
THANK YOU
When I finished the final chapter for Freebird I thought I was done. Maybe I
might write a few discussion questions for the back of the book that nobody
would ever really use, but I didn’t expect we’d create a curriculum. Then two
things happened.
First, I met with the creative team at Gateway Community Church about
teaching a Freebird series. From that meeting Stacy Brewer, Justin Girdler,
and Phillip Rogers caught a vision I didn’t yet have. They wanted to make a
mini-movie series with characters from the book. How could I refuse that?!
Their creative genius, along with input from Robb Overholt, Aaron Roughton,
and others gave birth to the short films embedded in this experience. Many
thanks to all of them, and to the much longer list of actors and technicians
who are listed in full in the credits section of the DVD.
Second, I was on a ski trip with my son not long before Christmas and had a
thought. I should call Brett Eastman and see if he has ideas for how to take
Freebird to the next level. Brett is a visionary who knows how to get things
done like very few people know how to get things done. His commitment and
energy, along with the assistance of his team at LifeTogether has been fantastic.
All that to say, many thanks to Brett Eastman, Joseph Myers, Allen White,
Hailey Henry, Joel Gabrielsen, Keith Holland, Lonnie Gilbert, Jennifer Johnson,
and any others of you at LifeTogether. You all have been a gift.
There is also an incredibly important team who is helping me manage The
Freebird Project. You would not be reading this if they were not deeply
engaged. Mark Vermilion, Adam Norsworthy, and Dowd McDonald, your work
is indispensible. I look forward to our reunion on the beach when it’s time to
plan phase two.
Finally, a special thanks to my wife, Deborah, who has enthusiastically supported
me in this adventure that has involved a great deal of time, energy,
and resources. Deborah is one of those rare individuals who fans the flame of
vision rather than telling you all the reasons why it won’t work. This project
would be nowhere without her unwavering support.