Last week, the church I serve as pastor offered its fifth annual Summer Theater Workshop.  For ten days, children and youth worked with adult and youth leaders to master the challenges of singing, acting, dancing, and working together.  All this culminated in performances of a musical play this past weekend.  This year’s show was Willie Wonka, Jr. – a very fun musical play with a message about honesty and integrity.  The real message, however, was communicated each day as participants and leaders worked together.  The message was that each person is loved by God and valued by the community of faith..

Theater can be a very effective tool for ministry in churches.  For years, churches with which I’ve worked have had active drama programs.  Invariably, people of all ages who have participated have said that these are some of their most powerful and meaningful experiences in the church.  This is in part because of the messages of many of the shows.  Well-written scripts can open up ethical and spiritual issues with which people wrestle.  It is also because of the experience of working together and performing together.

The goal of theater ministry in church is to provide a high-quality presentation and a supportive/growth-producing process of preparation within the context of a loving and supportive Christian community.  One of the results is that people will grow.  Another is that people will come into the church, or at least into the building – people who might not have come in for a worship service.  The opportunity is there for the church to connect with these people.

Regarding the high quality presentation, this means we need to tell the story well and make the music as beautiful/powerful as we can.  At the same time, we need to find ways for everyone who wants to be involved to be involved.  This doesn’t mean everyone gets to do the part they want all the time.  That reality leads to the second part of the goal.

The second part of the goal of theater as ministry is to have the process of preparation (auditions, rehearsals, etc.) to be as supportive of the people involved as possible and to help them grow.  Sometimes growth can be a painful process!  I’ve certainly experienced painful growth through theater ministry on many occasions.  The key, however, is that we go through this process in the context of a community of faith that supports us, nurtures us, and holds us accountable.  My experience is that, although it rarely works perfectly, this can be a profound experience of Spirit-filled community.

The nature of theater and performance is such that people onstage often are very vulnerable.  When you open yourself up – maybe to sing when you haven’t sung much in public, or to express a deep emotion that hits close to home – you reveal yourself.  You do this in trust that those working with you will still accept you.  The challenge for church theater ministry is to accept each person and love them in Jesus’ name.  It’s an exciting part of an overall ministry that helps people follow Jesus in their lives.

Thanks for continuing to bless me on the journey.

--Jack Price