October 2024

Dear Carol,

Warm Greetings from Kansas City:

A couple months ago I received an email from a dear man in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

"I felt led to pray for you this morning,” he wrote in his opening line.

Although he did not go into further detail, I was grateful God had put us on his heart. And the gratitude only grew when I learned about his multi-year assignment to call local churches in the area to pray for revival.

As he closed his short letter, his tone once again turned personal.

“Things have been quiet from Sentinel of late. Are you well?”

His question reminded me that I really needed to let our friends know what has been going on these last few months — both at the ministry and with me personally.

To start with the Sentinel Group, I think it is fair to say more construction has been going on of late than at any time since the release of our first Transformations video nearly 25 years ago. This will doubtless come as a surprise to many of our friends since, with the exception of some high-profile activity on The Gates of Whiteclay, much of this work has been out of public view.

However, before I pull back the curtain on these developments, let me first take a moment to provide an update on the question that seems foremost on people’s minds today:

What is going on with the film project?

Well, there is some good news on this front. The reason you haven’t heard more about

The Gates of Whiteclay these past few months is because the documentary has essentially been completed!

If you haven’t seen the latest film trailer, I would urge you to do so. It is excellent. The link below should take you right to it.

It is significant that the first Native tribe to be exposed to The Gates of Whiteclay, the Chickahominy, were also among the first treaty partners with European colonists (the agreement was signed with the English Jamestown settlement in 1614). Nearly the entire tribal leadership attended the mid-May preview at their meeting house in Charles City County, Virginia. It was also the best attended event we have held to date among dozens of advance screenings.

A few nights later, Chief Anne Richardson, the influential leader of the Rappahannock Tribe, attended a separate showing in Richmond, Virginia. At the evening’s conclusion, the chief, visibly moved by what she had seen, extended her hand to bless the project and call forth divine favor and boldness.

With prayers like these, I am confident next year’s premiere tours will kindle plenty of conversation about God’s ability to intervene in the most hopeless of situations. This is desirable not only from the perspective of the attendees themselves — life-changing revelation can pave the way for Kingdom service and even salvation —but also because when heartstrings are touched, vocal chords start making music. And word of mouth is just what a newly released story needs to live another day.

This is why premieres are so valuable, and media distribution in general is so difficult. Without a good launch, a message will struggle to reach the widest possible audience. But if a splendid opening is all we have, our message is likely to face the same limited outcome. The parable of the Sower comes to mind here — specifically verses 5 and 6 of Matthew 13. Here, the seeds that fell in shallow soil sprang up instantly. But then, since they had no depth, they quickly withered away. Great weddings don’t guarantee great marriages. Attaining success is a journey, not an event.

What I am trying to say is that, even if our premieres are as successful as we hope they will be, we are looking at a ceiling of perhaps 250,000 viewers. And attendance could very well be lower. If they don’t generate word of mouth, or we don’t have a good follow-on strategy in place, this will be the end of the line.

The reality is that most people who view a new film —or any other media for that matter— will not do so at a premiere. If they consume it at all, it will be on a mobile device or propped up in front of their home TV with remote control in hand.

How do we reach them?

For reasons I will get into below, it is the pursuit of answers to this central question that has driven much of the increased activity at the Sentinel Group in 2024.

To a large extent this busyness is a consequence of multiple creative projects maturing at a time when content delivery strategies are in major transition. Physical media such as Blu-ray and the venerable DVD are on their way out, and with them, the familiar companies such as Blockbuster and Redbox that made them available to the public.

It is not just the physical media itself that is changing; it is also the devices we use to view and listen to our content of choice. In 2019, Korean electronics giant Samsung stopped building Blu-ray players, and the vast majority of personal computers no longer come equipped with optical drives. As a consequence, big box stores like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have either sharply curtailed the availability of physical media or are discontinuing their sale altogether.

A clear reason for this sea change is the rapid rise of streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, and Amazon’s Prime Video. These and other digital wellsprings have altered the way we access and consume news, entertainment, and education by pipelining vast amounts of menu-driven programming directly to our high-definition TVs and smart phones. The selection is virtually endless.

For a quarter century the Sentinel Group managed to skirt the growing pains of this brave new world by releasing our stories of God’s transforming handiwork direct to consumers on DVD. By late 2022, however, it had become increasingly obvious we were on a technological downslope and would either need to adapt or lose the ability to connect with our audience.

Although many communicators, including Christian ones, are embracing this transition, adjusting to the world of digital streaming is considerably easier for consumers than it is for content producers. Whereas the former need only pony up a monthly subscription fee to unlock their programming of choice, producers must locate a partner to host their content, create digital apps, organize topical channels, integrate with various platforms, and figure out how to pay for it all.

It's not cheap.

Indeed, for us the proposition was entirely out of reach. We had neither the funds nor the expertise to move forward.

But this is where the story gets exciting.

One of our board members, motivated to find a solution, was on the phone with an acquaintance at an award-winning Silicon Valley company to see if there was any way they might be able to help us. The conversation was polite and enthusiastic, but the firm’s standard pricing structure proved daunting.

Then, during a follow-up video call, something interesting happened. A third gentleman joined the conversation, and inquired whether the Sentinel Group under discussion was the same organization that produced the Transformations videos. Upon being informed that this was indeed the case, he proceeded to tell a surprising story.

As a native Austrian, he had watched the inaugural Transformations video in the early 2000’s and it had rocked his world. It was the first time he had witnessed God’s transforming power at a community level and he couldn’t get his mind off it. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, he pulled out the DVD and shared the stories with other European business entrepreneurs.

But there was something else. It turned out this intriguing and inquisitive gentleman was none other than the company’s founder and CEO! Addressing our board member, he let it be known that he wanted to help the ministry get its transformational message out to the public whatever it took. Cost would not be an impediment.

With that, the Sentinel Group’s transition to digital streaming was suddenly within reach! What we in our weakness could not achieve, God brought right to our doorstep.

Our celebration, however, was tempered by the realization that, even If we have access to the right partners and technology, these assets must also be paired with life-giving content if our efforts are to yield lasting impact.

This understanding has led us to ask ourselves two fundamental questions:

What experiences and revelations has God entrusted to us that have a proven capacity to change lives and communities?

How can we harness he power of new technology to amplify our storytelling and inspire God's servants around the world to prepare the way of the Lord?



Some of the answers were apparent even before we asked them, while others were discovered on our knees. Still others emerged during the course of late-afternoon walks or on long drives.

By early spring, we had a good sense of what God had purposed for us and promptly got to work. Having been given the means, it was time to package the message.

Now, seven months down the road, the results of this labor are coming to rapid fruition. So rapid, in fact, you should begin to witness these emerging developments before the end of this week!



One of the best places to encounter these new resources is our revamped website. It is here that you will be able to download the new Sentinel Group app and begin pipelining transformational content directly into your living room.

It is here that you can interact with a robust landing site devoted to The Gates of Whiteclay — a place where you can watch the official trailer, get details on upcoming premieres, read the story background, explore a photo gallery, listen to testimonies and interviews, and engage with opportunities to make a difference.

As if the new website, streaming app, and inter-active film resources were not enough, I have one more thing to tell you about. And it is big. In fact, it may be the most exciting news to come out of the Sentinel Group in over a decade.

After many months of hard work, the ministry is on the verge of debuting a new online video channel!

We are calling it The Moving Cloud.

Devoted to all aspects of transforming revival, the channel will offer more than 120 episodes per year and feature a mix of frontline field reports, transformational teaching, fascinating stories and interviews — and even a revival book club!

The main headliner of the content lineup, however, is sure to be “Story Sundays,” weekly 30- to 45-minute episodes that will deliver stirring revival accounts from around the world — as told by the participants themselves.

Upon sharing this news with a small group of ministry friends and colleagues I have met two primary reactions. The initial response has been genuine, eye-widening excitement — typically accompanied by the word “Wow!” Then, after a few minutes of animated conversation, comes the inevitable second reaction: “Can you really do this? Where are you going to find all those stories?



Well, let me pass on what I shared with them.

Over the past 26 years we have recorded hundreds of hours of captivating testimonies that have never been seen or heard. Some of this is original content that we have not had the resources to edit, while other footage consists of widely-requested updates to previously-released stories (places like the Fiji Islands; Cali, Colombia; and Lynch, Kentucky).

We have also amassed an enormous amount of unused story material from the dozen or so documentaries we have produced since 1999. People who have been blessed by these films are often shocked to learn that what they have seen represents less than 20 percent of the content we actually filmed!

Sometimes content inclusion is constrained by runtime considerations. On other occasions we may get into a story and discover it is actually two! This was the case with The Gates of Whiteclay. While the first story gets made and leaves viewers greatly inspired, the second might get hung up on budgetary or time challenges. (The cost of making one of our full-length documentaries ranges anywhere from $250,000 to $500,000 and can take upwards of eight years to produce.)

For years, it has pained me deeply to realize this treasure was sitting on shelves unseen. I knew what glories were on those magnetic tapes and drives, but I didn’t know how to get them out to the public. The demonstrable fruit from our full-length documentaries, while welcome, also provoked questions about whether the five- to eight-year gaps between their release was the best stewardship.

Now The Moving Cloud changes everything! I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled I am to finally reveal this wonderful collection of stories, interviews, and teaching to those who are hungry for — or even curious about — transforming revival. And to think we will be delivering this amazing content on a weekly basis is… well, it’s a balm to my heart.

While our media team will continue to film and proclaim God’s transforming handiwork into the foreseeable future, we already have enough content to fuel Story Sundays for a good three years. So we are definitely good to go.

At this point our expectation is that the channel will go live sometime in December or January. From there, new episodes will appear weekly every Sunday and Wednesday. Sundays are reserved for first-person stories, while Wednesdays will feature a combination of interviews and teaching. We are still working out the details of the Revival Book Club, but it looks like those gatherings will take place on Fridays.

While a goodly amount of content will be free to all comers, there will also be options to access even larger collections of video and audio resources.

You don’t need to worry about remembering all the details just now. Around Thanksgiving you will receive another email that explains everything about The Moving Cloud channel and the Sentinel Group’s membership program (especially the benefits!).

Before I close this update, I want to touch on one more development that has affected the release date for The Gates of Whiteclay and contributed to the unusual “silence” our Dallas-based friend asked about earlier.

In the spring of 2022, my doctor began noticing some abnormal indicators in my routine bloodwork and referred me to a specialist to have it checked out. This, in turn, led to more blood tests and two MRIs. The first came back clean. The second one didn’t.

Last September the specialist performed a biopsy that confirmed what he (and I) had suspected: I had cancer.

In the months that have followed I have spent far more time than I would like being poked, sedated, and scanned. I have also consulted with five specialists — in Kansas City, Dallas, and at Houston Methodist. All are agreed that the cancer’s architecture and progress call for immediate treatment.

This story involves far more than I can share here, but I wanted you to know this has been going on behind the scenes. Most of all, I want you to know that I have been utterly free of anxiety, and am daily buoyed by the prayers of God’s people.

If God is going to heal me, and this is our prayer, the time seems ripe.

Others disagree. I’ve already had one doctor, a self-proclaimed man of faith, tell me, “God doesn’t work that way.” But rather than feeling discouraged, I felt a little smile break out. “Let me tell you what I do for a living,” I replied.

As one 25-year critical care nurse put it: “I have seen God’s miracles time and again. So I can honestly say, ‘I don’t care what the doctors declare. God always, always, ALWAYS has the last word.’” And that, friends, is why He is called The Great Physician.

Of course, our Heavenly Father is not only Jehovah-Rapha, “the God who heals or makes whole,” He is also Jehovah-Shammah, “the God who is there,” and Jehovah-Jireh, “the God who provides.”

It is this trinity of divine appellations that gives definition and substance to the three stages of transforming revival we have witnessed in communities around the world: the invitation phase where we summon God’s presence, the visitation phase where He comes in power to make us whole, and the transformation phase where He provides wisdom to maintain and extend this blessed condition.

He is there (Presence), He makes whole (Power), and He provides (Provision) — what a package!

As the Sentinel Group prepares to enter this new season of expanded service I would invite you to ask the Lord how you might partner with us as an extension of Jehovah-Jireh’s hand of provision.

We have been praying into two primary areas of need.

The first concerns the wrap-up and nationwide release of The Gates of Whiteclay. Although the film itself is now at an advanced stage of completion, there are still a few loose ends. Foremost among these are licensing costs associated with music, historical photos, and select news footage. We really need to have these agreements resolved before the end of this year.

Organizing national premiere tours and special showings across Native America also involves notable expenses. As I noted earlier in this update, we have been greatly encouraged by the early enthusiasm surrounding these outreach initiatives — so encouraged, in fact, we are now considering extending them by an additional 4 to 6 weeks. This is a very large undertaking that calls for a dedicated coordinator to handle complex scheduling and manage host recruitment and support. Funding is also needed for travel between cities and reservations, and to cover DVD production and printing costs.

As you consider this need, bear in mind that the Sentinel Group is providing The Gates of Whiteclay story free of charge to Native American tribal areas. We do so out of a conviction that it is time to sow back into this community that has had so much taken from them.

If you feel led to help with these needs, your gift will be matched out of a $25,000 contribution already set aside by a generous donor.

A second area of need facing the ministry at this time relates to costs associated with developing The Moving Cloud. As you might expect, this is a very heavy lift — but one that is matched by equally high reward.

In addition to new equipment requirements, design and interface work, and online hosting costs (significantly reduced, but not eliminated), the greatest need is people. With hundreds of hours’ worth of unprocessed testimonies and interviews in our laps, the pressure to bring on at least one extra video editor is acute. So, too, is the need for a producer who can manage programming lineups and coordinate the filming of new content.

So here we are. Ready for a new journey into service and health. How gracious is our God to allow us to be a part of something so grand!

Each one of us at The Sentinel Group, from the board on down, is keenly aware we have entered an unprecedented and pivotal season. The implications are enormous — not only for the world at large, but also for our own organization.

We still have much to do, but after 35 years of proclaiming the transforming power of God, we have a growing sense that our most impactful days are ahead. I would love to have you journey with us.

Warmly,

George Otis, Jr.

P.S. A few months ago I had the privilege of contributing to a major article on revival that will appear next month in Christian History magazine. Please pray this will have an impact in the midst of all the election drama.

I will also be teaching an introductory seminar on the principles of transforming revival next month in Manchester, New Hampshire. We call it a Discovery Weekend. If you would like to attend, give us a call at (800) 668-5657 and we’ll provide you with the dates and costs.

Donate online by credit card or PayPal. If you wish to designate your gift toward a project, please choose either The Moving Cloud Video Streaming or The Gates of Whiteclay.

Alternately, you can mail donations by check to the address below: