Christian Dramas as a Means for Outreach

Many churches struggle with find new and engaging ways to reach out into their communities in hopes of pulling more people into the pews. It's just a common fact nowadays that speeches and sermons don't have everything it takes to attract new believers. Some just think church is a way to waste time on Sunday morning when in reality it can be an uplifting experience each and every week. But with so many traditional churches in the world today many people are left wondering how can church become an interest again instead of just a routine?

One way to achieve this is to put on performances throughout the year that are both educational and entertaining. Now I know some people are probably thinking, "But our church does not have enough money in the budget to do any type of performance." My reply to that is it does not take a lot of money to have a play, only dedication, willing performers, a big imagination, and some planning on the side. A lot of performances that I have seen do not require much in terms of props. In fact one skit only needs a cardboard box with the word "sin" written on it, and the message tied in with that skit is tremendous!** All it takes is a little effort and a lot of creativity to get something started!

Before you start working on your ideas though, be sure to chat with some of the people on the church board such as your pastor, minister of music (for help with the music), youth director (for willing performers), as well as trustees and deacons. Some churches may have certain rules that they abide by and one things for sure, you don't want to go against them! The idea is to help the church grow, not for anyone to be shunned!

Once you have the "okay" to get started, look for people willing to help you get this thing off the ground. It always helps to have a couple minds behind such a big undertaking plus this is an easy way to get more creativity into the performance. Don't forget to utilize everyone's unique talents. Some people are more than happy to help set up, decorate, build props, work on the dialogue, etc. Make sure to start a rough draft of the play including all of the dialogue and actions and begin to let others read through it to check for mistakes as well as add some insight on possible changes to make things flow.

Another thing to consider is the length of the play and when it will be performed. Usually people tend to save bigger performance for the holidays (ie: Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving), but don't forget about the shorter skits for the rest of the year. Even though they are not quite as elaborate as a big performance, a short five minute skit can have a lasting impression on someone's life.

Now that you have the time laid out, start gathering the supplies needed. Don't forget that since this is a church performance many businesses offer tax exemptions for purchases for a church, but you may need to talk to someone on your church council to see what the guidelines are for tax exemptions. Most of the time, if the church is ultimately paying for the supplies, it will be tax exempt, but don't hold me to this! Just remember not to go overboard with props. A few items here and there to help people visualize what is being portrayed is great, but something that has a lot of special effects can be both an overload to the senses as well as a pain for the performers and crew. No one wants to get lost in what goes where and when! Just keep it simple!

The only thing left for you to do is fine tune the little things in the performance and possibly do a few rehearsals to make sure everyone knows what is going on. Communication between everyone involved is key to having a successful performance. And if you get stuck on what to do or what to use it's not a bad idea to visit your local Christian bookstore or even find out what the sermon will be for the day of the performance. There are plenty of resources out there available for you to use not to mention many websites and videos to get the creative juices flowing!

**For a video of the "sin" box skit, check out the supporting link for Godtube.com