Forefront 360

Nate and Rich give a preview of what's happening at Forefront Festival '22: Making New. Join us in Rochester, NY on Feb 19 for a vibrant festival of faith and art. Learn More / Get Tickets

Nate talks to singer/songwriter Timothy Leaven about songwriting, sourdough, sadness, and more.  Help crowdfund Tim's next album at kickstartleaven.com . Come see Tim (and many other incredible artists) at Forefront Festival 2022 .

The 2021 Christmas Variety Show hosted by Forefront Festival and  Why God Why , recorded in front of a live studio audience, is back for a second & final act. In this Act: Music from Victoria Moore's jazz combo A non-fiction story from Kyle Navratil Music from Timothy Leaven Plus, conversations with the artists about why Christmas still gives us hope.

Forefront Festival joins Why God Why for a special Christmas Variety Show, recorded in front of a live studio audience. In this Act: Music from The Noble Kind Music from Cottage Street Band Poetry from Ryan Diaz Music from Victoria Moore's jazz combo A short story from Cody Schweickert Plus, conversations with the artists about why Christmas still gives us hope.

Rich and Nate interview Eva Ting. Eva is the Director of Events and Programming at W83 Ministry Center , the home of Redeemer West Side Church that also serves as a community and cultural center on the Upper West Side of New York City. Her interests lie in cultivating spaces for community engagement and designing art experiences and events that invite the public to participate in thoughtful conver...

Rich and Cody interview poet Ryan Diaz . Ryan Diaz is a writer, poet, and theologian from Queens, NY. He holds a BA in History from St. Johns University and is completing a MA in Biblical Studies. His writing has appeared in publications like Transcendentals, Dappled Things, Ekstasis, and Premier Christianity. His first poetry book, For Those Wandering Along the Way, debuted in 2021. Ryan’s poetic...

Forefront Chairman Rich Christman talks to Mike McDonald from BibleProject about the use of animation to help people understand Scripture. Mike McDonald works on cultivating awareness and creating strategic relationships with churches, organizations and other non-profits that are looking to use BibleProject Videos in their context. He also leads their Global Focus team which is working on localizi...

In this special episode, Forefront director Nate Mancini talks to professor, author and speaker Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson . This episode was recorded with a live studio audience at the Imagination Redeemed conference in Colorado Springs. In the first half we discuss which of today’s authors give Jessica hope for the future of fiction literature, how artists should read books differently from other...

Rich talks to composer Zac Tiessen about his surprising start in the music world, his inspiration, and his latest project Streams in the Wasteland.   Zac Tiessen is an international award-winning musician, composer and audio engineer based near Toronto, Canada. His innovative techniques and cinematic progressive music have been featured numerous times in the media and press (Guitar World Magazine,...

In this lively episode, Cody, Rich and Nate explicate the Gospel themes (whether intentionally present or not) in Star Wars, Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings — and debate which tale best evokes the beauty of the Great Story.

Rich and Dan talk to Adam Bannister, the founder of the band Songs for Revival and a full time missionary with Inca Link. He is currently serving in Honduras to raise worship leaders and assist youth programs until August 2021. Afterwards, he will be moving to the mountains of Guatemala to serve as a worship leader. Songs for Revival was born in January 2020 during a trip to Guatemala. Adam was un...

Forefront chairman Rich Christman talks to artist Josh Tiessen. Born in 1995 in Moscow, Russia, Josh Tiessen is an international award-winning artist based near Toronto, Ontario, Canada, He was listed as one of the world’s top ten prodigy artists (Huffington Post) and recognized as the only known male art prodigy in North America (Dr. J. Ruthsatz, international child prodigy expert). His hyperreal...

At a recent Forefront virtual event, we screened the short film "Identity" featuring internationally known tap dance artist Andrew Nemr. The film joins Andrew as he navigates being the only son of immigrants, a trusted keeper of the oral tradition of tap dance, and a follower of Jesus Christ. Through many challenges we see Andrew as he literally dances his way through questions about family, ethni...

Forefront Podcast Director Cody Schweickert talks to Peter Englert, the Adult Ministries Director at Browncroft Community Church. Peter co-hosts the Why God Why Podcast, which explores the questions that matter most in people lives — often the questions people do not feel safe to ask in church.  In this episode, Cody and Peter discuss what it means to look at the Bible as literature instead of as...

Rich, Nate, Zack and Dan discuss what they've been creating recently. Subscribe to Forefront 360 in your favorite podcast app so you don't miss future episodes, and be sure to join the conversation on Instagram !

Forefront board member Zack Osinski talks to percussionist Josh Graham about music, church, racial reconciliation, and the joys and challenges of life as a musician.

The Christmans and the Mancinis review "A Week Away," Netflix's new musical set at a Christian camp.

Rich Christman interviews painter Misato Pang . Born and raised in Hong Kong to Japanese and Chinese parents, Misato migrated to the United States during late adolescence. Up until recently, she lived in New York City and relocated to St. Louis in the past year. Misato's works overlap personal narrative and cultural events, some of which allude to current social phenomenon and political discourse...

Cody and Rich review Justin Bieber's new (explicitly Christian) EP " Freedom ."

Rich, Cody, and special guest Aaron Lowin discuss whether video games count as "art."

“You can walk on water if you are painting it.”  Forefront leaders Nate Mancini and Rich Christman had the opportunity to speak with renowned artist Makoto Fujimura about the intersection of art and faith. In this far-reaching conversation, they talk about Mako’s routines & practices, his slow process of creation, how artists can bring God’s abundance to a world of scarcity, and ultimately, how Ch...

In this new arts review episode: Nate reads a passage from East of Eden by John Steinbeck Zack discusses music by Brenna MacCrimmon and Selim Sesler Rich reviews "Shore" by Fleet Foxes  

Cody, Rich and Nate review Pixar's latest film, "Soul." What were the best moments? Was the film overstuffed? What does it try to "say" about the spiritual realm, and do those ideas align with a Christian worldview? And finally, what are the top 5 Pixar films of all time?

Zack talks to Victoria Moore about all things music therapy — what it is, why it works, and how it integrates with her faith and life experience.

The Forefront team gathers to review Christopher Nolan's new film "Tenet" as well as reflect on Nolan's entire filmography.  0:00 - introduction 3:15 - thoughts on the theatrical experience 14:23 - spoiler review of Tenet 44:42 - Nolan's filmography