Why Matt and Sarah Hammitt Feel Uniquely Called to Share Gospel Through Their Reality TV Show
“You don’t have to be perfect to have a wonderful family. Imperfection is part of the reality of love.” That’s the message Matt and Sarah Hammitt want viewers to take away from their reality TV show, The Hammitts Band Together.
They shared this vision and the story of some of the hardships their family has faced on a bonus episode of Holy Mess podcast.
In the podcast interview, Matt, singer, songwriter, and former lead singer for Sanctus Real, shares about how his desire to spend more time with his family led to his decision to leave the band in 2016.
The recipient of three Dove awards and two Grammy nominations chose to move from being a man of good intentions to being a man of action toward his wife and four children.
In the interview, he states his belief that men need to be as intentional about planning their impact on their family as they are at planning their careers. Matt has chosen to live out the lyrics of his hit song, Lead Me.
The couple never imagined they would be featured in a reality TV show. Matt’s initial reaction was to decline but Sarah was open to the possibility that God was leading.
“We opened our hands and this has come, so we should pray about it. And we’re pretty authentic and vulnerable so maybe it’s part of our giftings to do it.”
Matt says they prayed about it and “caught a vision about how we could do something we thought was entertaining but also had real deep meaning infused in it.” Sarah is excited about the missional possibilities of spreading the gospel to viewers of reality TV where Christians are underrepresented.
The couple says their children enjoy the experience, especially because they are creating family time.
Part of the Hammitt’s family story involves their son Bowen’s medical challenges. In 2010, Bowen was diagnosed in utero with hypoplastic left heart syndrome which would normally mean a very shortened life expectancy but Bowen has defied those odds.
Matt says that many doctors encouraged them to terminate the pregnancy warning that “Bowen’s broken heart would break our family.” Instead, the couple believes that “Bowen’s broken heart made our family whole. Only God can do that.”
Their children are empathetic and they’re not put off by people with different abilities. Bowen feels blessed that because of his broken heart he’s able to share his story and help others.
In 2021, the family shared the reality of the hardship and pain through a documentary, Bowen’s Heart, filmed around Bowen’s third high-risk surgery and they continue to share now through The Hammitts Band Together.
Matt and Sarah advise other families facing hardships to recognize that trauma has an impact, be vigilant about watching for Satan to exploit the pain, hold onto God’s promises, and embrace the mystery because God is at work. Matt says no one wants suffering but Romans 5:4 says that the outcome of suffering is hope.
Watch Season 1 of The Hammitts Band Together on Liftable.tv.
