How much would you be willing to give up to get your stolen dog back? Would it compare to the sacrifice God made when he sent his only son to the cross?
This is the question that a young Benji is confronted with in the 30-minute animated special “Easter Is,” which is airing at 7:30 p.m. Saturday on WDRB and 12:30 p.m. Sunday on WBKI 34.
“Easter Is” is one of two Easter specials that Ron Rieckers, president of the Lutheran Mission Federation, has helped make possible to air on Louisville TV stations this year.
The other is a live-action special entitled “3 Days,” as it revolves around events that may have transpired among Jesus’ disciples in the three days between his crucifixion and resurrection. “3 Days” airs at noon March 30 (Easter Sunday) on WHAS.
“We’re trying to bring specials like this back, because on Christmas there’s no religious programming anymore,” Rieckers said. “If you go back on YouTube and search Easter programs in the 1950s and 1960s, Hollywood produced a lot of religious programs and they were on TV. Now, nothing.”
Last year, Rieckers raised $9,000 through donations to get six Christmas programs on four Louisville television stations reaching people in nearly 40 counties in Indiana and Kentucky. It took $6,000 to get the programs on air, and another $3,000 to cover three minutes of commercial spots. The specials were all originally produced by The Lutheran Hour in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
“Every penny goes toward airing these programs,” Rieckers said. “We keep these funds separate from the Lutheran Mission Federation funds.”
Rieckers said he thought his biggest challenge in getting these specials on air would be raising enough money, but dealing with the technicalities of broadcasting unveiled itself as the greatest hurdle.
“It’s just pull-your-hair-out crazy, but I’m learning to deal with it,” Rieckers said. “The biggest thing is TV stations bumping my time. Even though I have rented a time slot, if Fox comes back and says, ‘Oh, you can’t have that time, we’re (WDRB) going to show a soccer game,’ we are bumped.”
The greatest hope with airing these programs is to reach “unchurched” children, Rieckers said. “Unchurched” refers to individuals who are Christian but not connected with a church.
Rieckers would like to air Christmas programs again later this year.
Donations may be mailed to Lutheran Mission Federation, Brandon Hunsley, JCBank Trust Department, P.O. Box 1001, Seymour, IN 47274. Note on the check that it’s for Christmas programming. That will cover the Easter programs too.
For information, email Rieckers at [email protected] or contact Hunsley at 812-524-4411 or [email protected].