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FILM MINISTRY
DRAMA EVANGELISM
Contents of good Christian drama
This is just about the hardest question to answer in the world of Christian drama. It is not make any easier by the fact that different religions and beliefs have different perspectives and approach to it.
Nevertheless, there are things that are true, regardless of the tongues, tribe or nations. Let me start by looking at the nature and purpose of drama. Drama is theatre. This is where most Christian drama ministries/group go wrong. Drama is not sermon. However, this does not mean it can not contain a message
. But it does affect the way the message is passed across to the audience. So what do I mean by “Drama is theatre”? Drama is dramatic; it portrays the human condition such that it identifies with what is going on. Let me also say that drama is all about the human condition, with it’s failure, triumphs, weakness, glories, tragic time and it’s hilarity.
This is why the Bible is so dramatic in nature that it reveals the human condition in all its starkness God is very dramatic: Consider the burning bush, the opening of the Red Sea, the Pillar of Fire, the Holy Spirit as a flame, the Crucifixion of Jesus. How much more, dramatic can one get? God is not a dramatist just for the sake of effect.
What he does is to get our attention, so as to prepare us for the message that follows in order to make the message more understood. Sometimes that message is very subtle (Like the word to Elijah in the quiet breath of wind). Sometime a panorama that fills the skies (as did the angel at the birth of Jesus), sometimes it’s very funny (as was the behavious of Balaam’s ass or in the parable of the log of wood in the eye), sometimes it calls for a great sacrifice (as with Hosea’s marriage to a woman he knew would go and prostitute herself).
Most of the messages were not particularly clear at that time (that is, many of Jesus parables) it was only after they were understood.
What can we apply to our drama from this?
1. Work on people’s emotions.
2. Explore the full breadth of the human condition.
3. Let your audience see the reality in what you are dramatizing, making use of costumes, make-ups and properties on stage or set.
4. Don’t try to resolve the issue every time; do not strive for neat endings.
5. Consider different ways of approaching the subject; don’t always go head on
. 6. You are not on stage or set to preach a sermon rather, you are there to minister through drama.
7. Don‘t forget to find out whether you are reaching out to the audience i.e. getting feedbacks. Listen with open ears when acting and don’t be afraid to let our preconception be challenged.
8. Note: The essence of drama is tension. It can be comic tension or dramatic tension. You could almost say that without tension, there is no drama, and sadly most Christian drama messages suffers from this. In other-words characters are wooden, the situation has little relevance to everyday life outside the church, the dialogue is filled with Christian jargons, there is no art, and no sense of real encounter. Because of this, Christians drama has ruined it’s reputation over the years.
Hence, it is not taken seriously by the circular world of theatre.
With this kind of shabby preparations in the Christian drama ministries, tangible growth which will have real impact on churches worldwide will be delayed. There’s a desperate need for trained individuals who have visions for what drama should be like in the church.
We need people who are willing to invest quality time and energy into producing powerful life transforming drama messages.
In addition to the above listed factors that makes a good Christian drama message, the following points are very essential.
9. A good drama message should be well-written. If you want to learn more about this, we have some good Christian drama tutorials and colleges around. Also there are helpful books in libraries written by well-known playwright which you can learn from. 10. A good drama message is well acted and well produced. If your church drama group or ministry lack skills in this area then go for training. Disciples institute of christian Drama will effectively help to bring out the potentials in you for God’s use. 11. A good drama message aims for excellence.
12. A good Christian drama message should not aim at entertainment but soul winning and revival of the body of Christ.
They were caught unawares by the unusual outstanding success of the film they all rejected when Mel Gibson was looking around for helpers and financial partners to share the burden with. Several film studios turned down his request, whenever they knew it was a Jesus film.
They wanted an action film; they did not want to risk their investment. When there was nowhere to turn to for sponsorship, he looked inward, put his fate in his own hands and dipped his hands into his own account to finance the film on his own. And that was against Hollywood’s normal rule.
To play safe, some investors must always finance a film, but Mel Gibson found none to join him to do a film for Jesus. Driven mad by this vision of doing something for Jesus during his career as a Hollywood Mega-star, he laid down his savings, 30 million U.S dollars to make the film. In Hollywood, 30 million U.S dollars was such a little money for the type of great movies he intended to make. First, because that amount was not even enough to pay most of the Hollywood super stars who could command much viewers if they were cast in the film. Therefore, the film would end-up being a low budget film without stars. Also, it would lack many pre-production and post-production elaborate funfair and publicity gimmicks peculiar to many big budget Hollywood films.
Committing his savings and financing the production of the movie alone on his own was a big risk, for if it failed and people refused to watch the film, he would go bankrupt and it would take a very long time to recover financially, besides the damaging effect of the production failure would have on his reputation as mega-star and a reputable director. So, everything was a risk.
However, Mel Gibson saw the film project more as ministering to souls than as business. Operating on a low budget, he kept stars away from the film and instead, by the help of God, went after unpopular faces. Apart from this, the Lord Jesus he was seeking to glorify raised for him dedicated and faithful crew-members that had skilful hands in Camera works, Lighting and Imaging, Make-up and Costuming, including set designing and special effects.
They were all experienced Hollywood crew, but with a heart to share Mel Gibson visions of making a Jesus film. The various strange experiences on the film location were what confirmed to both the cast and crew members that they were really making a glorious and uncommon movie for Jesus Christ. Jim Caviezel, the actor who played the role of Jesus suffered a lot of pain on set. In an interview with a newspaper, he said, the physical pains of the production forced him into a deeper place in God.
He said “The suffering is the glory” While hanging on the cross during the shooting of the film, he was struck by lighting, which left his hairs standing straight on him. He spent many days nearly naked on a cross in bonchilling weather, while everyone else dressed in thick clothes. While watching the film, during the torturing sequence, the arms of Jesus were spread and tied to the bar of the cross. Then I watched the cross tip over and the heavy wood fell on Jesus.
I squirmed in fright And eventually, I thought it must have been a visual effect, that the director would never have allowed that on set. It was later when I began to read about the movie that I got to discover that, that visual actually happened without any camouflaging effect. Mel Gibson, the director, actually allowed that 150 ibs heavy wood to fall on Jim Caviezel and his shoulder was broken while the camera kept rolling none-stop.
An assistant director was also hit by lighting during the filming. Then, Mel Gibson, the director and producer of the movie, who was a Hollywood Mega-star on his own right, and had played lead role in many blockbuster movies like: :The man without a face” (1993), “Brave heart” (1995), “Play back” (1999) for which he won two Oscar Awards, actually did not count himself fit to play any minor or lead role in this Jesus film. But, do you know the very significant role he played? If you watch the movie, you will discover that the hands that actually placed the nail on Jesus’ hand and hit it into the wood were taken on close-up, the face of the man was not shown. That’s it.
That was his only role in the movie. It was Mel Gibson’s hands that nailed Christ to the cross during the crucifixion scene. He decided to take that decision saying: “It was me who put him to the cross.
It was my sins that put him there”. Can you see that those people who made the film: “Passion of the Christ” knew what they were doing? They were not only acting with their head but also acting with their hearts. Their spirit was in what they were doing. They sacrificed a lot to bring the film out. I believe the Lord blocked off every financial support from Mel Gibson, so that he could rely on Him alone for the success of the movie. Secondly, if paramount Picture, Universal Studios, Twentieth Century Fox or any of those Hollywood film companies had taken over the production from Mel Gibson, it would not be what it is today.
They all turned him back; they never believed any commercial success could come out of the film made on Jesus Christ. So Mel Gibson was left-to seek for God’s help and work on the little money he had. If the big film, companies had accepted to had finance the film, they would have gone ahead to look for star-actors like Tom Hanks, Nicholas Cage or Brad Pitt. Whose pride of their mega-status would have watered down the anointing of the Lord on the movie.
All the cast were all uncommon faces and the film was one of the low-budget major movies in Hollywood, so, all the glory might be to the Lord. That’s a big lesson to us in Nigeria, as we prepare for a great evangelical revolution in the film ministry, you do not need to know any popular faces in an evangelical film to make it have a strong impact in the lives of people.
What you need is the vision, the dedication and the presence of God in the production. Once you intend to make a Christian film that would glorify the Lord, then you had better hand it over to God and allow Him to give you both the message and the messengers. He would anoint whoever He has chosen.
REACTIONS On Ash Wednesday, 25th February, 2004, the day the film was publicly released, it was shown all across the United State, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. And in both U.S. and Canada, it was shown on about 4,700 screens and in over 3,000 theatres with these halls being crowded with anxious audience. Churches were mobilizing themselves to go and watch the movie
. They were buying tickets enbloc for their congregations and were even buying tickets for non-church goers, using that as an opportunity to win more souls for Christ. There were instances of people buying booklets of tickets to give to interested people inviting them to come and watch the movie. There was the story of a man who, after watching the movie, rushed to the police station to confess the crime he had denied about ten years earlier. He had reported that his girl friend committed suicide. The police had visited the scene of the crime, and after a long investigation had been satisfied that he couldn’t have murdered the lady.
However, after watching this heavy movie, he couldn’t live any longer without facing the penalty of his own sin, he went to confess to the police.
The police were amazed and asked to know why he suddenly came to confess after about ten years of the crime. He told them, he had watched the movie, :The Passion of the Christ” and did not want to go to hell. Can you see the awful impact of an evangelical dramatization?
Can you see how powerful this weapon is in the hand of God?
Having gone through this article visit or call DISCIPLES Drama & film Ministries today for powerful and uplifting drama messages of revival and reconciliation for your church programmes and activities.
As you take this bold step of faith, there shall be a rewarding and positive impact in your church and ministry.
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people (unbelievers and believers) but also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” II Cor. 9:12 (Niv)
PARTNER
Yes! I want to help spread God’s word across the nation by supporting Disciples Drama And Film Ministries Int’l. Please Print Clearly
Name………………………………………………
. Title:………………………
Address:………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………….. Postal address:……………………………………………………………………………
Tel: (Home) ……………… (Work) ……………. (Mobile)…………………….
E-mail:……………………………………………………………………………… I want to support the ministry today’s only N………………………………..
I want to support the ministry weekly only N……………………………….
. I want to support the ministry monthly only N……………………………….
. I want to support the ministry quarterly only N……………………………….
. I want to support the ministry annually only N………………………………..
I would like to pay by cash Cheque Bank Draft Direct Deposit Slip In favour of :
DISCIPLES EVANGELICAL DRAMA GROUP
Postage Stamps (Postal Order Not Accepted) Send this form with your donation to
THE PRESIDENT DISCIPLES DRAMA AND FILMS MINISTRIES INT’L
P. O. Box 9939 IKEJA100001 Lagos State, Nigeria. TEL :234-1-8919614, 234-1-7415217 E:MAIL :disciplesdramafilm@yahoo.com or dificop@yahoo.co.uk thank you
Contents of good Christian drama
This is just about the hardest question to answer in the world of Christian drama. It is not make any easier by the fact that different religions and beliefs have different perspectives and approach to it.
Nevertheless, there are things that are true, regardless of the tongues, tribe or nations. Let me start by looking at the nature and purpose of drama. Drama is theatre. This is where most Christian drama ministries/group go wrong. Drama is not sermon. However, this does not mean it can not contain a message
. But it does affect the way the message is passed across to the audience. So what do I mean by “Drama is theatre”? Drama is dramatic; it portrays the human condition such that it identifies with what is going on. Let me also say that drama is all about the human condition, with it’s failure, triumphs, weakness, glories, tragic time and it’s hilarity.
This is why the Bible is so dramatic in nature that it reveals the human condition in all its starkness God is very dramatic: Consider the burning bush, the opening of the Red Sea, the Pillar of Fire, the Holy Spirit as a flame, the Crucifixion of Jesus. How much more, dramatic can one get? God is not a dramatist just for the sake of effect.
What he does is to get our attention, so as to prepare us for the message that follows in order to make the message more understood. Sometimes that message is very subtle (Like the word to Elijah in the quiet breath of wind). Sometime a panorama that fills the skies (as did the angel at the birth of Jesus), sometimes it’s very funny (as was the behavious of Balaam’s ass or in the parable of the log of wood in the eye), sometimes it calls for a great sacrifice (as with Hosea’s marriage to a woman he knew would go and prostitute herself).
Most of the messages were not particularly clear at that time (that is, many of Jesus parables) it was only after they were understood.
What can we apply to our drama from this?
1. Work on people’s emotions.
2. Explore the full breadth of the human condition.
3. Let your audience see the reality in what you are dramatizing, making use of costumes, make-ups and properties on stage or set.
4. Don’t try to resolve the issue every time; do not strive for neat endings.
5. Consider different ways of approaching the subject; don’t always go head on
. 6. You are not on stage or set to preach a sermon rather, you are there to minister through drama.
7. Don‘t forget to find out whether you are reaching out to the audience i.e. getting feedbacks. Listen with open ears when acting and don’t be afraid to let our preconception be challenged.
8. Note: The essence of drama is tension. It can be comic tension or dramatic tension. You could almost say that without tension, there is no drama, and sadly most Christian drama messages suffers from this. In other-words characters are wooden, the situation has little relevance to everyday life outside the church, the dialogue is filled with Christian jargons, there is no art, and no sense of real encounter. Because of this, Christians drama has ruined it’s reputation over the years.
Hence, it is not taken seriously by the circular world of theatre.
With this kind of shabby preparations in the Christian drama ministries, tangible growth which will have real impact on churches worldwide will be delayed. There’s a desperate need for trained individuals who have visions for what drama should be like in the church.
We need people who are willing to invest quality time and energy into producing powerful life transforming drama messages.
In addition to the above listed factors that makes a good Christian drama message, the following points are very essential.
9. A good drama message should be well-written. If you want to learn more about this, we have some good Christian drama tutorials and colleges around. Also there are helpful books in libraries written by well-known playwright which you can learn from. 10. A good drama message is well acted and well produced. If your church drama group or ministry lack skills in this area then go for training. Disciples institute of christian Drama will effectively help to bring out the potentials in you for God’s use. 11. A good drama message aims for excellence.
12. A good Christian drama message should not aim at entertainment but soul winning and revival of the body of Christ.
JESUS film EVANGELISM
Millions of people all over the world have not yet gotten over the reverberating effect of Mel Gibson’s PASSION OF THE CHRIST a controversial film that has achieved and unbelievable feat in the Hollywood. Stakeholders at Hollywood have never seen anything like that before.They were caught unawares by the unusual outstanding success of the film they all rejected when Mel Gibson was looking around for helpers and financial partners to share the burden with. Several film studios turned down his request, whenever they knew it was a Jesus film.
They wanted an action film; they did not want to risk their investment. When there was nowhere to turn to for sponsorship, he looked inward, put his fate in his own hands and dipped his hands into his own account to finance the film on his own. And that was against Hollywood’s normal rule.
To play safe, some investors must always finance a film, but Mel Gibson found none to join him to do a film for Jesus. Driven mad by this vision of doing something for Jesus during his career as a Hollywood Mega-star, he laid down his savings, 30 million U.S dollars to make the film. In Hollywood, 30 million U.S dollars was such a little money for the type of great movies he intended to make. First, because that amount was not even enough to pay most of the Hollywood super stars who could command much viewers if they were cast in the film. Therefore, the film would end-up being a low budget film without stars. Also, it would lack many pre-production and post-production elaborate funfair and publicity gimmicks peculiar to many big budget Hollywood films.
Committing his savings and financing the production of the movie alone on his own was a big risk, for if it failed and people refused to watch the film, he would go bankrupt and it would take a very long time to recover financially, besides the damaging effect of the production failure would have on his reputation as mega-star and a reputable director. So, everything was a risk.
However, Mel Gibson saw the film project more as ministering to souls than as business. Operating on a low budget, he kept stars away from the film and instead, by the help of God, went after unpopular faces. Apart from this, the Lord Jesus he was seeking to glorify raised for him dedicated and faithful crew-members that had skilful hands in Camera works, Lighting and Imaging, Make-up and Costuming, including set designing and special effects.
They were all experienced Hollywood crew, but with a heart to share Mel Gibson visions of making a Jesus film. The various strange experiences on the film location were what confirmed to both the cast and crew members that they were really making a glorious and uncommon movie for Jesus Christ. Jim Caviezel, the actor who played the role of Jesus suffered a lot of pain on set. In an interview with a newspaper, he said, the physical pains of the production forced him into a deeper place in God.
He said “The suffering is the glory” While hanging on the cross during the shooting of the film, he was struck by lighting, which left his hairs standing straight on him. He spent many days nearly naked on a cross in bonchilling weather, while everyone else dressed in thick clothes. While watching the film, during the torturing sequence, the arms of Jesus were spread and tied to the bar of the cross. Then I watched the cross tip over and the heavy wood fell on Jesus.
I squirmed in fright And eventually, I thought it must have been a visual effect, that the director would never have allowed that on set. It was later when I began to read about the movie that I got to discover that, that visual actually happened without any camouflaging effect. Mel Gibson, the director, actually allowed that 150 ibs heavy wood to fall on Jim Caviezel and his shoulder was broken while the camera kept rolling none-stop.
An assistant director was also hit by lighting during the filming. Then, Mel Gibson, the director and producer of the movie, who was a Hollywood Mega-star on his own right, and had played lead role in many blockbuster movies like: :The man without a face” (1993), “Brave heart” (1995), “Play back” (1999) for which he won two Oscar Awards, actually did not count himself fit to play any minor or lead role in this Jesus film. But, do you know the very significant role he played? If you watch the movie, you will discover that the hands that actually placed the nail on Jesus’ hand and hit it into the wood were taken on close-up, the face of the man was not shown. That’s it.
That was his only role in the movie. It was Mel Gibson’s hands that nailed Christ to the cross during the crucifixion scene. He decided to take that decision saying: “It was me who put him to the cross.
It was my sins that put him there”. Can you see that those people who made the film: “Passion of the Christ” knew what they were doing? They were not only acting with their head but also acting with their hearts. Their spirit was in what they were doing. They sacrificed a lot to bring the film out. I believe the Lord blocked off every financial support from Mel Gibson, so that he could rely on Him alone for the success of the movie. Secondly, if paramount Picture, Universal Studios, Twentieth Century Fox or any of those Hollywood film companies had taken over the production from Mel Gibson, it would not be what it is today.
They all turned him back; they never believed any commercial success could come out of the film made on Jesus Christ. So Mel Gibson was left-to seek for God’s help and work on the little money he had. If the big film, companies had accepted to had finance the film, they would have gone ahead to look for star-actors like Tom Hanks, Nicholas Cage or Brad Pitt. Whose pride of their mega-status would have watered down the anointing of the Lord on the movie.
All the cast were all uncommon faces and the film was one of the low-budget major movies in Hollywood, so, all the glory might be to the Lord. That’s a big lesson to us in Nigeria, as we prepare for a great evangelical revolution in the film ministry, you do not need to know any popular faces in an evangelical film to make it have a strong impact in the lives of people.
What you need is the vision, the dedication and the presence of God in the production. Once you intend to make a Christian film that would glorify the Lord, then you had better hand it over to God and allow Him to give you both the message and the messengers. He would anoint whoever He has chosen.
REACTIONS On Ash Wednesday, 25th February, 2004, the day the film was publicly released, it was shown all across the United State, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. And in both U.S. and Canada, it was shown on about 4,700 screens and in over 3,000 theatres with these halls being crowded with anxious audience. Churches were mobilizing themselves to go and watch the movie
. They were buying tickets enbloc for their congregations and were even buying tickets for non-church goers, using that as an opportunity to win more souls for Christ. There were instances of people buying booklets of tickets to give to interested people inviting them to come and watch the movie. There was the story of a man who, after watching the movie, rushed to the police station to confess the crime he had denied about ten years earlier. He had reported that his girl friend committed suicide. The police had visited the scene of the crime, and after a long investigation had been satisfied that he couldn’t have murdered the lady.
However, after watching this heavy movie, he couldn’t live any longer without facing the penalty of his own sin, he went to confess to the police.
The police were amazed and asked to know why he suddenly came to confess after about ten years of the crime. He told them, he had watched the movie, :The Passion of the Christ” and did not want to go to hell. Can you see the awful impact of an evangelical dramatization?
Can you see how powerful this weapon is in the hand of God?
Having gone through this article visit or call DISCIPLES Drama & film Ministries today for powerful and uplifting drama messages of revival and reconciliation for your church programmes and activities.
As you take this bold step of faith, there shall be a rewarding and positive impact in your church and ministry.
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people (unbelievers and believers) but also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” II Cor. 9:12 (Niv)
PARTNER
Yes! I want to help spread God’s word across the nation by supporting Disciples Drama And Film Ministries Int’l. Please Print Clearly
Name………………………………………………
. Title:………………………
Address:………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………….. Postal address:……………………………………………………………………………
Tel: (Home) ……………… (Work) ……………. (Mobile)…………………….
E-mail:……………………………………………………………………………… I want to support the ministry today’s only N………………………………..
I want to support the ministry weekly only N……………………………….
. I want to support the ministry monthly only N……………………………….
. I want to support the ministry quarterly only N……………………………….
. I want to support the ministry annually only N………………………………..
I would like to pay by cash Cheque Bank Draft Direct Deposit Slip In favour of :
DISCIPLES EVANGELICAL DRAMA GROUP
Postage Stamps (Postal Order Not Accepted) Send this form with your donation to
THE PRESIDENT DISCIPLES DRAMA AND FILMS MINISTRIES INT’L
P. O. Box 9939 IKEJA100001 Lagos State, Nigeria. TEL :234-1-8919614, 234-1-7415217 E:MAIL :disciplesdramafilm@yahoo.com or dificop@yahoo.co.uk thank you
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