Shevin McCullough ’03 is not Mister Rogers.
He wears T-shirts, not cardigans. Around his neck is a giant golden crucifix, not a tie. And he sings upbeat hip-hop instead of gentle melodies. But, thanks to a lot of God’s graces and a little inspiration from Mister Rogers, Shevin is now the star of Studio 3:16— a new, innovative Christian children’s show.
An Encounter
As a father, Rob Reynolds ’04 was concerned about the television shows marketed to kids today as entertainment. Yet, he wasn’t a media expert. He was a successful real estate entrepreneur.
Then, in early 2018, Rob went on a retreat where he had a powerful encounter with the Lord. Afterward, Rob felt convicted to evangelize through Christian media. He just didn’t know what that would look like.
“This was never in any five-year plan,” Rob says. “It’s out of my comfort zone to leave what’s going well to do something different. But if you give the Lord some prayer and silence, he will act abundantly.”
One day, Rob’s daughters were watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. His wife suddenly said, “Shevin could do this.”
Rob and Shevin had known each other for years and even worked together in Florida. So, Rob knew there was absolutely no resemblance between his energetic friend and the mild-mannered Mister Rogers. Until his wife pointed out: Kids love Shevin. He’s musically talented. And he’s on fire for Christ.
The idea had sparked. But it really grew after Shevin had his own encounter later that summer.
“I think we get tapped on our shoulder at times in our lives. It’s one of those moments: Do you ignore the call and act like the line’s busy, or do you respond?” Shevin says. He hadn’t worked in media or been in front of a camera before but, he adds, “as much doubt and fear as I had, I would go back to this encounter and feel like I made the right decision.”
Entertaining and Evangelizing
Rob and Shevin launched Cross Boss Media in September 2018. Cross Boss Media’s mission is to provide children a genuinely entertaining, secure place to encounter Christ in a way that inspires action.
Studio 3:16 is the company’s premier show, geared toward 7–12 year olds. The first episode released on September 8, 2021—the Nativity of Mary.
In Studio 3:16, Shevin stars as a high-spirited yet misguided Christian recording artist. Each episode focuses on a Sunday Gospel passage that Shevin struggles to understand until, through friends and adventures, he discovers the passage’s true meaning. It ends with Shevin performing an original song to explain what he learned.
“It’s incredibly fulfilling and humbling,” Shevin says of his new role. “I genuinely love what I do. It’s hard work, but how are you going to grow if you’re always comfortable?”
The team consults biblical scholars—including Franciscan theology professor Dr. John Bergsma—to remain faithful to Church teaching. Adults aren’t the only ones in on the writing process. A writers’ guild of pre-teens and teens reviews the scripts to ensure they’re relevant, funny, and kid-approved.
“I want to be a saint, and I want to draw as many people to Jesus as possible,” Rob says. “My goal for this show is to awaken young hearts through entertainment, storytelling, music, and Scripture.”
Studio 3:16 currently has 17 episodes, with more planned. It operates on a pay-it-forward model. That means families can watch episodes for free online and donate so others can also enjoy the show.
“Parents should not be worried about what their kids are watching,” Shevin says. “If you want your kids to watch edifying content that’s going to glorify God and be entertaining, check out Studio 3:16.”
