When we hear God’s call, we listen.
That’s why when we heard God say “make a documentary,” we didn’t wait to respond. We simply took the first step, trusting that God would provide the direction and execution necessary.
Beyond River’s Edge started as a spark of an idea, born from a quick conversation in Ecuador. It tells the remarkable story of Global Outreach International missionaries Steve and Carol Thompson over their decades of faithful gospel service.
But how it started isn’t at all how it ended up.
A Story Worth Telling
Upon visiting Steve and Carol in October 2024, I quickly realized I was hearing something powerful. It was evident that God’s power was at work through their ministry efforts. Because the number of lives changed, rescued from the brink of death, and completely turned around couldn’t exist without His power.
I didn’t know what I was getting into. But I knew one thing:
“We have to tell these stories.”
John Darnell
Initially, we thought we would capture the Thompsons’ decades of ministry in one 90-minute documentary. I received Carol and Steve’s go-ahead to pursue a documentary project. But when I returned to the States, I began encountering difficulties.
The Pivot That Solved Everything
When we returned to the States, our team connected with a talented group of individuals at Distant Moon Film Company. Quickly, we hit a bump in the road. The traditional documentary format wasn’t working.
Our film partner posed a question:
“Do you want people to watch it?”
We had been forcing an idea instead of considering engagement. With this shift in perspective, we pivoted to a shorter, broadcast-length feature. Rather than releasing a film of lower quality and greater length, this narrower scope allowed us to tell the stories as they wanted to be told. Our goal: to create an immersive, fast-paced story that hooks the viewer.
We wanted this documentary to be something families would tune into on a Friday night. With this purpose at the heart of our project, we had finally found our direction.
The Timeline: From an Idea to a Reality
This pivot opened the door for us to translate our ideas from the drawing board to a fleshed-out reality. We didn’t know it at the time, but God was about to take this two-year project and turn it into something bigger than we ever could have imagined.
- Board Approval (April 2025): We had the idea. Now we needed the green-light. The Global Outreach International Board of Directors received our proposal and after some back-and-forth, ultimately approved the plan for a high-budget, short-length film. It was intended to be 7-10 minutes in length, but it was determined that the quality would make it more impactful than a longer film with the same budget. Beyond River’s Edge was becoming a reality.
- Production Challenges (October 2025): The film crew traveled to Ecuador during a period of great unrest that involved nationwide protests, creating significant risks for traveling between shoot locations. Thanks be to God, we were able to carry out filming to completion without danger.
- Project Expansion: The footage was so compelling that Distant Moon generously extended the final cut to 22 minutes, far exceeding the contracted 7-10 minutes at no extra cost.
- Future Distribution Opportunity: During post-production efforts, we received an exciting opportunity with Angel Studios, the name behind The Chosen and Sound of Freedom. Our film was submitted to their Guild process and received a 90/100 audience score, signifying a market appeal and laying the groundwork for an expanded series.
The Conversation That Became a Commission
Our film Beyond River’s Edge premiered on YouTube August 13th and has already received critical acclaim from audiences and studios alike.
We are excited to begin taking the next steps in this story’s arc.
Based on Beyond River’s Edge‘s success and high Angel Guild score, we officially received the green light on October 1st to produce an eight-episode series titled Every Nation with Angel Studios.
This is an exciting next step, but it’s not through our own efforts.
It is a result of the Lord’s abundant faithfulness—and His ability to commission ordinary people for extraordinary purposes.
What started as a conversation in the jungles of Ecuador has become a commissioned film series. Steve and Carol’s obedience to God’s call turned into hundreds of lives changed.
And your “yes” to God’s call can become another story worth telling.
John Darnell, CEO
John Darnell, CEOEvery Nation. This Generation.
See what God can do through faithful lives surrendered to His mission—and discover how you can be part of reaching every nation in this generation.
