production of JESUS in Branson, Omar was initially surprised by the wrap around stage and the creative way it allowed Old Testament characters on one side of the theatre to interact with New Testament characters on the other side. But for Omar it was the ministry that occurred at the end of the performance that was most impactful. “There were people up front after the show who you could come up to for prayer or salvation. So, it's not just a production; it is the Church.” A talented cast of actors With each show featuring an ensemble of close to 100 actors, Sight & Sound draws talent from all over the country, typically holding a casting call in Lancaster once a year. However, the company strives to create a faith-based culture of talent whose values resonate with the biblical themes of Sight & Sound. That process is easier since the establishment of Sight & Sound Conservatory, a two-year collegiate level program that combines classroom instruction in acting, singing and dancing with performance in Sight & Sound productions. In keeping with their mission, Sight & Sound Conservatory invests in the next generation of performing artists by mentoring them both on stage and as disciples of Christ. “We don’t have to go outside as much as we used to for auditioning, since many at the Conservatory are excited that they can use their gifts in a Kingdom setting, which unfortunately is not super common in theatre. So, that's a huge draw,” said Neff. “And since the shows run for a year at a time, we have a much higher retention rate than what would be common in our industry.” Sight & Sound’s staff represent hundreds of churches. “We’re a diverse body of Christ - not getting hung up on slight doctrinal differences - with Christ as the center coming together for the gospel and honoring His word in our lives. That's the commitment we ask of our people. And it also helps broaden the Church’s embrace of what we do,” said Neff. “Every year we have some switches where we may have some folks here go to Branson and vice versa, depending on what roles need to be filled. But we try to retain and give job security to as many of our cast members as possible.” Shifting through adversity When the Covid pandemic forced theatres to close in 2020, the Eshelman family began to seek God for what He had for them next. “After all these wild faithful stories that we have lived at Sight & Sound, with the fire recovery, going to Branson and then struggling with debt through the recession in 2008, it wasn't just Him reminding me, hey, I'm faithful. What He really drew my mind to was how He used those things to take us from where we were to where we were supposed to be next… So, I ran into Josh [Enck], our brother-in-law, chief story officer and president – the visionary guy – and we began to ask, ‘If people can't come to us, how do we get to them? How do we reach them in their homes?’ And that led to this crazy idea.” Having already filmed their production of JESUS, they had planned to release it in movie theaters over Easter weekend. But with theaters shut down, they approached some broadcast networks and TBN Trinity Broadcasting Network agreed to stream it all over the world through their app for Easter weekend. Although Sight & Sound received no revenue for that, their best estimates were that 3.5 million people around the world experienced the gospel through their production of JESUS in one weekend – an audience that it would take three years of sold-out performances to reach in their musical theatres. “It was a massive wakeup call,” said Neff. That year Sight & Sound TV was launched, giving viewers in over 175 countries access to all films of all their productions since 2005 as well as exclusive behind the scenes footage. “We recognize it's a different experience when you're in the house because you can't replicate fully the impact of sitting in the middle of a performance on film,” acknowledges Neff. But he pointed out that God’s timing is always right. “By the end of 2020, [because of COVID] we had experienced the biggest financial loss we’d ever had in a fiscal year but were able to minister to far more people in a calendar year than ever before. “Only God can do that,” said Neff. However, the move to streaming also accelerated the global awareness of Sight & Sound, setting the stage for the successful release of their first full length feature film released two years later. When “I Heard the Bells” opened in 2022, it did much better than expected, debuting at #2 in theaters across the nation. While staying true to their mission, Sight & Sound Films aims to explore a new genre of storytelling. Neff explained, “We are called to tell true, redemptive stories of God's work. These could be Bible stories, but we really felt a strong call to take films in more of a historical direction versus biblical direction – to tell true stories of people that had relationship with Christ.” Their first film, “I Heard the Bells” was about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, COVER STORY 26 JULY 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition Extended Family (from left to right): all grandchildren and great grandchildren until the grandaughter in the rainbow dress. Then it's Dwight and Kim Miller, Brenda Stoltzfus, Shirley and Glenn Eshelman, Matt and Amy Neff, more grandchildren and great grandchildren, until Kristen (in the red dress) and Joshua Enck.
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