Mr. Mathis grew up in the Church of God in Christ. Presently he and his wife has started their own church The Lord of The Harvest Ministries International, in Austin.

Ujima:
How did you come up with the idea of a gospel challenge?

Gary:
I do gospel plays. So two years ago, I was asked by my church to find a way to interact with the young folks in the church. I decided I would I would develop a game. It would not only be entertainment but a tool or ministry for education. The premise of the game was to help our young people understand that through the word of God, that we have a responsibility to feed the hungry, and visit the sick because it is what we should be doing.

Ujima:
What will the contestants do?

Gary:
There are eleven categories ranging from singing, preaching, the New Testament, cartoons and more. The teams consist of three people. An example would be the category is a singing challenge. The question would be how would you get a non-church goer to church with the song “The eye on the Sparrow.” They will then huddle and decide how they will carry out the challenge. They will have the option to re-arrange the song to fit they situation, sing it, perform it, or someone act like a sparrow while the others sing. However they think they could get this person to church is what they have to do in the context of the challenge.

Ujima:
That does sound like fun. The auditions are coming up. How has the response been for teams?

Gary:
It has been pretty good. Getting people to sign up has been the hardest. We tried to make it easy for people but they can go to our website right now to sign up. We will be doing a big promotional push next week. The sign up is open to everyone.

Ujima: When and where will the auditions take place?

Gary:
The auditions will take place on Saturday, April 25th at 1801 Old Settler’s Blvd which is the Williamson County Jester Annex. We are asking people to arrive at 12 noon. Please visit http://www.takethegospelchallenge.com for more information. Contestants can register at the website as well.

Ujima:
Why did you choose Austin and Round Rock for auditions?

Gary:
I chose Austin because it is a growing place where there is a underground mainstream here. I want to push this area especially if the show goes national. It will have the Austin name on it.

Ujima:
When will the show actually be on and how will people see it?

Gary:
The show will be internet based. The goal is for it to be released January 2016. The community will be able to see it.

Ujima:
What else does the community need to know?

Gary:
I’m looking for sponsors. So if there is a business or individual interested they can contact me. The challenge will be used to introduce Christ to a dying world. It is an evangelical tool to get non-church goers attention. It will also help people realize the responsibility we have to help people. Our ministry is to help others.

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Posted by Damita Miller-Shanklin
damita@ujimamagazine.com