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September 2001 Table of Contents
Special Feature
Pew Survivor
By Chuck Neighbors
Can you imagine what a church worship service would look like if it was conducted like one of those reality-based TV shows? Imagine a show called Pew Survivor. The objective: To live in a perpetual marathon worship service. An endless rotation of prayers, hymns, offerings and sermons. After each sermon someone is voted out of the service by everyone else in the congregation. (In some instances this might actually be the reward!) The winner gets a free pass to heaven and everyone else goes to, well, you know...
Sounds absurd, doesn't it? However, shows like Survivor, Big Brother, Whose Line Is It Anyway? and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? are big hits with our culture today. I am not sure why these shows are so popular, but one thing seems to be clear: We like things unpredictable. There is one thing that these shows have in common: No script. (The idea of no script is terrifying as an actor!) They are all based on a concept of creating a conflict or situation and then waiting to see what will happen next. Perhaps it is because our own lives have become so mundane, so predictable, that we find this entertaining. Don't get me wrong, I am not necessarily knocking it. I enjoy some of these shows and am entertained with the rest of the country. From everything that I have read and heard, this form of entertainment will be around for awhile.
I have always been one to try to find creative ways to communicate and build bridges to our culture. One of the reasons that drama has grown in popularity in our churches today is that it connects with the culture. In a play we see real people reflecting the real life situations that we live each day. We identify with these characters and want to see how they deal with life issues. Drama used in a church setting is exceptionally good at raising those issues, and when coupled thematically with music and sermon can be powerful, effective, and yes, unpredictable.
There are many creative things that the church can do, through drama, to connect with this reality-based phase that the culture is going through. Certainly, using "slice-of-life" short dramas in worship is one way. Another is to design some outreach events that can be entertaining and cutting edge. In addition to working as a traveling drama artist, I also serve as Artist in Residence (I love that title!) at Salem Alliance Church in Salem, Oregon. We have been exploring some new areas of outreach and have seen some positive results.
One major outreach of this church is an event called An Evening in December. While the program contains some elements you would expect from a church Christmas production (choir music, drama and a message) it is far from the traditional church program. The dramas are what I call 'edgy.' They deal with nitty-gritty life issues and while the endings are positive, they are not predictable and all wrapped up in a nice tidy package with everyone living happily ever after. The show in 1999 dealt with a homeless, alcoholic bag lady and her struggle to find hope in a hopeless situation. Last year's program could have come from recent headlines, as Christians were pitted against atheists in a battle over the public display of a manger scene and the Christians were not the heroes in this story. Entertaining? You bet! Relevant? Absolutely. Reality-based? No question! The results speak for themselves. The show sold out both years, with publicity only going out to the members of the church.
In the summer, we offered an Evening of Improvisation (much like the TV show Whose Line Is It?) expecting a modest crowd of maybe 100 people to show up (we are a congregation of about 3000). We were wrong! There was standing room only, with over 300 people crowding in the room to see the show. When we announced the conclusion of the performance there were audible disappointed groans from the audience. While this event was not evangelical in nature--it was simply some good clean fun in a Christian environment--it did serve to provide an opportunity for the members of the church to invite their unchurched friends to an event that was non-threatening and opened the door for ministry on an individual basis. The program served to shatter the stereotypes that so many outside the church hold about church and the people who call themselves Christians.
The bottom line is this: While the Gospel doesn't change, how we communicate the Gospel constantly needs to be changing if we hope to reach the culture that we live in. If we want to see "Survivors in the pews," we need to do our best to be relevant to the world we live in. Jesus is reality-based. He, after all, became one of us--one of the players--to show us how to win in this game of life. Now that's a reality we can live with!
Chuck Neighbors is an actor, director, playwright and founder of Master s Image Productions. He tours the country performing his one-man shows and conducting drama workshops for churches. His published works include The What Would Jesus Do? Playbook and The Comfort Zone (Lillenas). When not on the road he serves as Artist in Residence for Salem Alliance Church, in Salem, Oregon, where he lives with his wife and three sons. For more information you can contact him at drama@mastersimage.com or visit his website at: http://www.mastersimage.com
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