OTTAWA, Ill. /PRNewswire/ — What do the Bible, a parachute and a pair of handcuffs have in common? Escape Artist Anthony Martin…

Martin, a nationally-recognized escape artist turned evangelist, has announced plans to attempt a “Leap of Faith,” in Ottawa, Ill., July 13, at 2 p.m. Martin will be handcuffed by an area locksmith before donning [...]]]> OTTAWA, Ill. /PRNewswire/ — What do the Bible, a parachute and a pair of handcuffs have in common? Escape Artist Anthony Martin…

Martin, a nationally-recognized escape artist turned evangelist, has announced plans to attempt a “Leap of Faith,” in Ottawa, Ill., July 13, at 2 p.m. Martin will be handcuffed by an area locksmith before donning a parachute and leaping from an aircraft at 14,000 feet. He will have to free his hands in order to deploy the parachute and save his life. Martin, 44, an escape artist who has been featured four times in Ripley’s Believe It or Not, has reserved July 14 as a rain date should weather conditions prohibit the attempt.

The handcuffs for the escape attempt will be supplied by a Joliet locksmith and verified to be legitimate and unaltered before the leap. The escape is being made possible by the sponsorship of Skydive Chicago, which will both prepare Martin and film the attempt at its skydiving facility located at 3215 E 1969th Road in Ottawa, Ill.

The film of the stunt will be shown at Martin’s evangelistic outreaches.

Aerial escapes have been a signature stunt for Martin, who has escaped from a locked box thrown from an airplane as well as a similar handcuffed jump over the Snake River Canyon for the Discovery Channel.

Martin, a Christian since childhood, has been using his unusual talents to evangelize and promote his Christian beliefs for the past 12 years. Ambassador In Chains Ministries, founded by Martin, was launched in 1998 as a resource for local churches. Details of the ministry are available on his website at www.anthony-escapes.com. Martin said he uses his escapes as a metaphor for escaping eternal death through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

For the moment, Martin will be preoccupied with the prospect of temporal death while he plummets to the Earth at 180 miles per hour. Martin estimates his body position and altitude at the time of the jump should give him between 40 and 50 seconds to free himself if he is to survive.

For more information please visit these helpful websites: www.anthony-escapes.com or www.skydivechicago.com.

Grylls will be a featured presenter at the conference, October [...]]]> BANNOCKBURN, Ill. /PRNewswire/ — Bear Grylls, international star of the Discovery Channel program “Man vs. Wild,” is going behind bars. No, Grylls hasn’t been arrested. Instead, he will bring a message of hope to inmates when he heads to Florida for the 2009 National Alpha Conference.

Grylls will be a featured presenter at the conference, October 20-21, at Northland, A Church Distributed, in Metro Orlando. This gathering will bring together individuals from churches of all denominations across America who share the vision to reach their communities with the good news of Jesus Christ via the Alpha course.

Grylls will also speak at “Bear Grylls LIVE!,” a citywide crusade on October 21 at Northland Church on faith and adventure. The following morning, he will travel to Tomoka Correctional Institution in Daytona Beach to share his Christian testimony and encourage the inmates to explore the claims of Christ for themselves. Recording artist Benton Brown will also perform at this outreach event.

While Grylls has braved some of the world’s toughest terrains, including his famed climb of Mount Everest in 1998, his greatest adventure has been as a believer in Christ.

“I have learned over the years from numerous expeditions, close calls and hairy moments, that it takes a proud man to say that he never needs any help. And I have yet to meet an atheist in the Death Zone on Everest or in a lifeboat,” Grylls explains.

He adds, “Ultimately, you must decide for yourself whether you are going to include a spiritual dimension to your life. But for what it is worth, life becomes a lot wilder and a lot more fun if you do.”

In the weeks leading up to his visit, episodes of “Man vs. Wild” are being played in the prison chapel on DVD to help introduce inmates to Grylls who, in turn, will introduce them to Alpha, a 10-week course that explores the Christian faith and life’s most difficult questions.

More than 13 million people in 163 countries have attended an Alpha course, with more than 2 million people in the U.S. participating in churches, prisons, military bases, university campuses and other places.

According to Barna Research, more than half of all those who attend the course make decisions for Christ. Grylls cites Alpha’s pressure-free approach, where no question is out of bounds, as a key to its success.

“I have seen so many people find a personal relationship with God and a quiet strength in their lives after doing the course — myself included,” Grylls explains.

To learn more about Alpha, find an Alpha course near you, or for information on the 2009 National Alpha Conference, visit http://www.alphausa.org/.

To register for a free iPod touch, which will be given away to one attendee at “Bear Grylls LIVE!,” visit http://www.alphausa.org/bearlive. To register for an opportunity to get up on stage and personally ask Bear Grylls one question at the event, visit http://www.alphausa.org/askbear.

ORLANDO, Fla. /PRNewswire/ — In the last week, people throughout America have reported seeing signs. The signs are everywhere, and as a result, many are becoming curious about spirituality and wondering whether there’s more to life than this.

It’s all part of a national ad campaign supported by Alpha USA – using everything from [...]]]>

Bear Grylls

ORLANDO, Fla. /PRNewswire/ — In the last week, people throughout America have reported seeing signs. The signs are everywhere, and as a result, many are becoming curious about spirituality and wondering whether there’s more to life than this.

It’s all part of a national ad campaign supported by Alpha USA – using everything from bumper stickers and yard signs to billboards, buses and movie theaters. The ads ask, “Is There More to Life Than This?” and feature Bear Grylls, star of the Discovery Channel program “Man vs. Wild.”

People who respond to the ad are invited to a relaxed dinner at a church near them where they can learn more about Alpha, a 10-week course that explores the Christian faith and life’s most difficult questions … everything from “Why am I here?” to “Is God a delusion?”

More than 13 million people in 163 countries have attended an Alpha course, with more than 2 million people in the U.S. participating. A recent study showed that in New England alone, 28 percent of all new converts were reached through Alpha.

This year, local teams blanketed more than 30 metropolitan areas with ads – with more than 600 churches participating. The organization expects to double this effort next year and grow to 200 areas by 2012.

The national ad campaign and introductory dinners are helping churches, organizations and people of all denominations to engage non-believers with the Good News of Jesus Christ. The dinners attract people from many different backgrounds, including atheists, those revisiting their own faith, even  people from different religions.

“The yard signs, bumper stickers and posters have been generating all kinds of questions from people,” says Eddie Bogart, from Christ Church, Lake Forest, Ill. “It has given us a great opportunity to invite people we may not otherwise even converse with.”

According to Barna Research, more than half of all those who attend the course make decisions for Christ. Bear Grylls cites Alpha’s pressure-free approach, where no question is out of bounds, as a key to its success.

“I have seen so many people find a personal relationship with God and a quiet strength in their lives after doing the course – myself included,” Grylls explains. “Alpha is such a non-pressured and fun course, and it shows us how Christianity can be relevant and empowering to our lives.”

Grylls will be a featured presenter at The 2009 National Alpha Conference, October 20-21, at Northland, A Church Distributed in Longwood, Fla., which will bring together 3,000 individuals from churches across America. Grylls will speak both at the conference and during a citywide evangelistic crusade the evening of October 21.

A new, three-minute commercial starring Grylls was recently released to help promote the Alpha course and can be viewed at http://www.alphausapress.org.

To find an introductory dinner near you, or for information on The 2009 National Alpha Conference, visit http://www.alphausa.org or call 1-800-DO-ALPHA (362-5742).