The Way Documentary - Interview + Giveaway!

Guys, there is something I am so excited to share with you today; a look at the Hebrew faith on the big screen! I can't wait for all of you to watch this and five of you will be able to win a copy of The Way for yourself as well.

Husband and wife team Luke and Kayte started this film with a simple premise: if Yeshua lived a perfect life then why do his followers today do almost everything differently than how he walked? They traveled to meet dozens of people who discuss what drew them from ordinary Christian faith to a Hebrew lifestyle of Shabbat observance, keeping the festivals of YHWH, and Scripturally clean eating. Check out the preview below. 

Not to spoil anything, but the film is even better than the trailer. It was so refreshing to  watch this, to see others who have been on a similar journey, to hear their stories of celebrating the Feasts. If you are someone who feels isolated or alone in your faith then please check out The Way! You'll feel like part of the tribe. :) 

That said, this isn't just a documentary for those in the Hebrew or Messianic movements. I think this would be a great introduction for anyone who is not familiar with this kind of lifestyle. Luke and Kayte did an excellent job of explaining through Scripture the thought process behind the seventh day Sabbath, etc. and even incorporated differing viewpoints as a way to address the 'what abouts' that many of us have dealt with. I would recommend this movie to anyone pursuing the faith, no matter where they are in that journey.

Luke and Kayte

Kayte was kind enough to spend some time sharing more of what went into The Way.

What caused you guys to create this documentary?

The Way started as a seed of an idea in Luke’s heart. He’s a journalist, so he’s super inquisitive and great at finding a story. A few years back, he got a call from his mom that she wouldn’t be celebrating Christmas that year. He thought that was crazy, so he set out to research so that he could set her straight with facts. Except he found that she was right about Christmas’ origins. That led him on a search through scripture and church history that revealed the ways that modern-Christianity has veered from the life of Yeshua and the apostles. In the course of all this, I joined him in this journey and we realized there were countless others around the world seeking to get back to a more biblical way of life. So The Way is the story of those people and the things they’ve discovered.

Why did you feel this was an important venture to undertake?

This awakening is spreading like wildfire right now. There are truths that God’s revealing from history and in His Word that we’d love to help share with the wider world. We think a lot of believers are searching for a deeper connection with God and a richer understanding of His Word, and we hope The Way will help people pursue those things.

How has the process of making this film changed or challenged your own faith?

Our faith has grown tremendously in this process. We’ve spent a year and a half hearing from probably 50 people about the most formative moments in their spiritual lives and the most awesome things they’ve learned from the Word. It’s been a sort of masterclass. Personally, I have such a deeper reverence and awe of God’s goodness, seeing the love and wisdom and justice in each and every instruction He’s given us. Instructions that used to seem archaic or arbitrary are such a joy now. Plus, I feel like I have so much more in common with Yeshua, living this way. :)

Who do you hope will watch The Way?

Anyone who’s curious about the discrepancies between the way Yeshua lived and the way that modern-day Christians live. Or anyone who’s made huge changes in the way they live and worship and are having a hard time communicating their reasons to their friends and family. 

What's something that's going to surprise viewers about this film?

They’re going to learn some crazy facts from some pretty surprising sources - things that made me wonder, “How in the world did I never learn this in 25 years of church, history classes and Bible study?!"

What was it like to work as a couple on a project like this?

It’s been awesome - this project has stretched through for 90% of our marriage! The doc has been the most rewarding and most challenge thing either of us have undertaken. We’ve gotten to work as a team, hear each other’s ideas, pray together constantly, cover each other’s shortcomings and get really good at tackling the insane new challenges that have popped up every day for the last year and a half. And during the early editing process, we’d turn watching the 50 hours of footage into date nights by cooking dinner together and picking an interview to watch through and take notes on while we ate!

How was your experience getting crowd funded through Kickstarter?

The Kickstarter experience blew us away. We knew there were pockets of people who’d be excited about seeing this story come to life, but we had no idea of the scope of the support we’d receive! We were nervous about our initial fundraising goal of around $12,000 - we wondered if we could make it - so by the end of the Kickstarter when the project had been 330% funded, we knew God was telling us that He’d supply everything we needed to make the best film possible - and not just financially, but also in terms of interview leads, prayer support and people with wisdom we needed.

The Kickstarter campaign was also how we met our incredible composer, Jake Hull, and many of the wonderful interview subjects you’ll see in the film. Lots of people reached out to us with their stories after hearing we were making the film. So even though we thought we were finished shooting interviews, we ended up doing lots of travel and shooting more interviews after the campaign - and some of those interviews became core to the story.

Is there a certain message or takeaway point you hope to impart to viewers?

We want people to finish watching the film and to think, “Wow, maybe there’s actually some timeless goodness still in the instructions God gave in the Old Testament. And maybe there’s a way that the whole Bible can work together as one story - with the patriarchs and the apostles and modern-day Christians all with core commonalities in their walk. And maybe I should take a second look at traditions I’d never thought to question before.” But most of all, we hope that (as Zac Bauer says) people “go home and read their Bibles."

What kind of responses have you gotten to this so far?

We’ve had lots and lots of people tell us that they cried! It blows us away. I think that there’s something powerful about seeing your story echoed back to you in a medium like this. It’s very human and affirming. We’ve also had believers who’ve gone to church their whole lives tell us that The Way answered questions from the Bible that they’ve wondered about for years. And lastly, lots of people have told us they’re excited to share The Way with friends and family, to start a conversation about what they’ve been learning in their walk with God.

How can we learn more about The Way? 

You can watch the trailer for The Way, clips from the film, read FAQs and of course, buy a physical or digital copy at The Way's website.

We’re also always on Facebook hanging out with everyone there and posting video clips from the film (or cut scenes) so come on over!

Thanks so much Kayte for taking time to talk with us! Doesn't she feel like a kindred spirit? I loved the 'real life' that went into this. Mom announced we aren't celebrating Christmas anymore - I can relate! And the creativity of incorporating the making of the documentary into date night. You'll hear more from Kayte when you watch The Way as she makes a couple of appearances! And a huge shout out to Kayte and Luke for providing five copies of the DVD to give away! Here's your chance to watch the documentary at no cost, or if you've seen it already win a copy to share with a friend. 

This giveaway is only open to readers in the US, sorry my international friends (you can still download a copy at the website) but I will have something special for you guys in a couple weeks. A huge shout out to Kayte for sharing their story and generously giving away five copies of the movie! Winner will be announced Sunday.

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