CLAREMORE, Okla.—Candace Cameron Bure is on a fake-snow-covered set shooting a church scene for her new holiday movie, “A Christmas…Present,” when it comes time for her character to feel the sudden presence of God. A tech guy stands on a ladder, waggling two plates of glass in front of a light to create a shimmering effect on her upturned face. The crew uses black electrical tape to outline the church’s stained-glass cross so it will pop on-screen. Ms. Bure works herself into tears for each take, asking the crew to play an emotional Christmas song again and again so she stays in the mood. Ms. Bure isn’t just selling a made-for-TV moment, but a Christian epiphany for the masses.

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