Leigh Nash, Jennifer Knapp set to star in 'Safe for the Whole Family' documentary

Safe for the Whole Family: How to Make a Christian Superstar investigates the real demands placed on Christian musicians.

In the forthcoming film, director Jason Ikeler delves into the evolution of contemporary Christian music in Nashville and "the personal cost paid by many of the artists at the center of it," according to a press release.

Making his debut as a director, Ikeler gathered firsthand stories from singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp, Michael Passons from Avalon, and Nikki Leonti.

“CCM wasn't just a genre – it was an industry built largely out of Nashville,” Ikeler mentions in a press release. "The film looks at what happens when faith, fame, and commerce become inseparable, and what it costs the people inside that system"

Safe for the Whole Family's storyline

The Safe for the Whole Family website mentions that Leonti, at 44, transitioned from being a Christian pop star to exploring other musical styles, and was dropped by her record label when she became pregnant at 17.

Additionally, Passons, now 60, was removed from Avalon when news surfaced about his sexual orientation, and Knapp exited the contemporary Christian music scene "when she refused to push a conservative agenda."

The press release states that the documentary will uncover the stories of artists who "stepped outside of the industry's strict moral expectations."

The documentary will further include interviews with other noteworthy contemporary Christian musicians such as Leigh Nash from Sixpence None the Richer, Matt Thiessen from Relient K, Crystal Lewis, Derek Webb from Caedmon's Call, Nate Cole from Plus One, Chanel Haynes from Trin-i-Tee 5:7, and Semler.

"Nearly three decades after the Christian music industry reshaped Nashville and evangelical pop culture alike, the artists once expected to stay silent are finally telling their stories in full," the statement concludes.

Jason Ikeler's motivation behind the film

In an Instagram post from August 2025, Ikeler conveyed his motivation for creating this documentary.

"Growing up, I was obsessed with the artists in this film, mainly because Christian music was ALL I was allowed to listen to," the post read. "As a gay kid who never fit the evangelical mold, I knew how hard it was to exist in that world... I couldn't imagine what it was like to do it under a spotlight."

"I really wanted to tell the artists' stories honestly, without pointing fingers. I'm grateful they trusted me to do that," he concluded.

The film's release date is yet to be announced.