Vocation, prayer and life transitions: Russell Pulliam publicly interviewed Jeff Sparks Thursday, Oct. 24, discussing these three themes and many others.
Held in Taylor University’s Cornwall Auditorium, the interview centered around Sparks’ many endeavors, including the founding of the Heartland Film Festival.
The two men sat side-by-side in tall, wooden chairs, facing an audience of 40 students. Both wore button-up shirts, slacks and glasses. They bantered in informal tones, often eliciting a laugh from each other or the audience. Pulliam drove the conversation, with Sparks frequently interjecting to add detail, answer questions or tell a story.
Sparks and Pulliam discussed the multifaceted nature of Sparks’ life calling. From leading a children’s home to founding the Heartland Film Festival to revitalizing an Indianapolis neighborhood, Sparks has made an impact in numerous arenas.
However, each project he tackled involved two common themes: faith and community.
Though he graduated with a master of fine arts in directing and theatrical production, Sparks was led to serve as the executive director of the Indiana Children’s Christian Home for 10 years. Sparks said that working with children from difficult backgrounds gave him a burden for those living in a “culture of death.”
“Kids would come in (to the Christian Home), and we had a lot of juveniles from courts,” Sparks said. “And they would come in wearing death. They’d have death (tattoos). They’d listen to death. Culture was, for them, bringing them down, not lifting them up.”
Sparks said he felt the need to shape a life-giving culture that would carry the younger generation towards hope.
Prayer has been a significant part of Sparks’ life, Pulliam said. As he transitioned from one career path to another, Sparks spent several hours, even whole days, seeking God’s counsel through prayer.
Prayer, he said, was one of the most significant contributors to Sparks’ success.
“If I had to leave one thing with you, what could we learn from Jeff, I think it would be to be a prayer warrior,” Pulliam said. “Just be serious about your prayer life. Go to the Lord with this whole question of where do I go — how do I get there?”
Community has been another constant in Sparks’ journey. Each of his various endeavors involved building relationships. Sparks believes this God-given skill has been the key to success in his many careers.
While brainstorming with a group of eight people from various media, theater and film backgrounds, Sparks developed ideas to help change culture for the better.
One of these ideas was to start a film festival. Sparks wanted to support films that promoted the good, true and beautiful, making a positive impact on society.
This initial thought grew into what is now known as the Heartland Film Festival. The Heartland Film Festival is one of the biggest film festivals in the world, held in Indianapolis, Indiana.
It has been featured in the top 25 film festivals by Filmmaker Magazine two years in a row, Sparks said, drawing in many Hollywood stars every year.
After serving as president and CEO of Heartland for over 20 years, Sparks felt God steering him in a new direction. He was led to do community development work in Twin Aire, a working-class neighborhood on the southeast side of Indianapolis.
The key to his successes in this area was connecting with the people in the neighborhood, Sparks said. By talking with the residents, he was able to overcome any hostility and cultivate the community.
“God used him (in Twin Aire) because he built relationships with people,” Pulliam explained. “He built trust.”
Today, after much hard work, the neighborhood is thriving.
Reflecting on Sparks’ success in life, Pulliam encouraged students to remember that God has a sovereign plan for each person.
“Don’t be passive about that (plan),” Pulliam said. “Follow Jeff’s example. Be proactive in prayer, reading your Scriptures, having good accountability friendships with just one, two or three people.”
Anna Mitchell, a sophomore at Taylor, attended the interview. She enjoyed the conversational style of Pulliam and Sparks’ discussion and was touched by their humility and their genuine desire to build each other up. However, she also appreciated their willingness to acknowledge their God-given talents.
“People are like, ‘Humility is downplaying everything that I do and not letting anyone look at me,’” Mitchell said. “But God gave (Sparks) this gift (of building community). And it’s OK to own it (and) to rejoice in what you’re good at and how you can bring glory to God and further His Kingdom. And that’s what they were doing. It was kingdom work.”
