Undivided Documentary Aims to Connect 300,000 Churches with 100,000 Schools

Nationwide Release February 3, 2015 Affirms the Message 'Every School and Student Matters'

Contact: Ben Laurro, Pure Publicity, 615-595-8466

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 29, 2015 /Standard Newswire/ -- UNDIVIDED, the documentary, aims to inspire thousands of church and school partnerships with the release through iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, VUDU, XBOX, and Playstation on Tuesday, February 3, 2015.

UNDIVIDED is the inspiring true story of how a faith-in-action church and a public high school forged an unlikely and against the odds friendship – initiating an incredible transformation for both the school and faith communities.

Their partnership exemplifies how when a church selflessly serves their community with sincerity and integrity it can change everything. This kind of sacrifice has the potential to become a source of hope that can change a generation.

Through intimate interviews with the principal, pastor, teachers, volunteers and students, this documentary reveals the story of SouthLake Church, as it begins serving Portland, Oregon's Roosevelt High School.

Once thriving, the failing Roosevelt High School suffered from the effects of being in a neighborhood riddled with poverty and gang violence. It faced closure until a unique partnership with a suburban church brought transformation among its students, the school and the volunteers serving it.

Featured are the teachers, the cornerstone of the school, who encourage students to persevere, and support staff who sacrifice their time through school food and clothing drives and in-school daycare facility. The high school football team is coached by a stern, yet loving father figure, former NFL quarterback Neil Lomax.

Audiences will experience the bond between students, teachers, and church leaders. Even more rewarding is the emotional resilience of students who struggle daily to beat the cultural odds that are against them in hopes of making a better life for themselves.

UNDIVIDED is produced by Jeff Martin and Dan Merchant, the team behind "Lord Save Us From Your Followers," and is the feature film directorial debut for Sam Martin (SAMM). The documentary was an official selection for the 2014 Justice Film Festival.

To highlight the relationship between school and church, the producers have created a campaign titled #EVERYSCHOOLMATTERS, hoping to unite 300,000 churches with 100,000 schools across the nation in long-term serving partnerships. Already, more than 16,000 individuals have joined the campaign online.

"For church/school partnerships to work, we have to eradicate the perception that they're only for well-resourced churches helping under-resourced schools," said Kristine Sommer, Program Director of BeUndivided. "The reality is that all schools have some need. #EVERYSCHOOLMATTERS is a campaign to end that perception and help activate churches to get involved with their local school."

It began as part of Luis Palau's Season of Service challenge to churches to make a difference in the community, and has now expanded with 500 local churches providing 26,000 volunteers around the country. The bridges built between vastly different communities serve as a prime example of the many ways that churches selflessly serving schools with sincerity and integrity can change a community.

"This is the story about unconditional love and how churches can not only be resources for schools and kids, but they help change a culture from 'have not' to 'can do,'" said Kip Jacob, pastor of SouthLake Church. "The message is about service and the magnificent things people can do when they share their gifts and trust God with the results."

The official trailer is available at www.undividedthemovie.com.

Film Details:

Presented by: Lightning Strikes Entertainment and Aspiration Media

Run time: 66 minutes

Release date: February 3, 2015

Available through: iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, VUDU, XBOX, and Playstation

Director: Sam Martin Executive Producer: Jeff Martin Writer/Producer: Dan Merchant