Drama Ministry

Using Scripts in Other Settings

When you see a title like that, some of you immediately think, "What other settings?" Other than worship is the answer. We assume that most of you are on board with the idea of mixing drama with worship. In fact, it's no secret that we believe the most influential place for drama is in a church. That's the whole point of this publication. It’s not just doing drama at church — people have been doing that for years. It’s elevating drama to a premium spot in the arena of church events; giving it prime-time billing.

Nevertheless, we would be amiss if we failed to remind you it’s not the only place drama can contribute. Once you've gone to all the work to get a script ready, why not use it more than once? Here are some places to make it happen.

1) Sunday School Classes

Classroom teachers, whether in public school or Sunday school, are always looking for creative ways to introduce new material and new concepts. Drama is a great way to shake up the mix. If you can match the topic of the day for the class, great. But don’t worry too much about that. Its value to the class remains, regardless of a perfect topic match. In fact, most teachers would be happy to make your topic the topic of the day. That's one less thing they have to do that week.

Don't limit yourself to just adult or youth classes. Depending on the script, many of them would work for older children as well. My third grader looks forward to seeing all the dramas we do - and amazingly, she gets the point as well.

2) Retreats

This has been the entry point for drama in more than one church. Retreats also have the advantage of a new setting. People often respond better and have more openness when they are out of their typical surroundings. They might be more likely to discuss and interact with a drama in the comfortable and friendly setting of a retreat.

3) Special Events

Most churches have a Mother/Daughter Tea or a Valentine's Banquet of some sort. These events are begging for something other than a speaker at a squealing microphone. Add a five-minute drama on marriage or parenting - one that gets them chuckling -- and you've made the $4 admission a bargain.

4) Holiday Concerts

At Christmas and/or Easter, many churches offer a special concert or outreach event, Although drama at these is often biblical pageantry (not our preference or specialty), try mixing it up with some contemporary sketches.

Whether or not you prepare and rehearse new dramas for these kinds of events or simply reschedule a drama that already worked in worship, consider all the places drama can help. If you find a creative way we missed here, email us and we'll pass it along to others. Having said that, let’s remember that the revolutionary impact of drama is its performance during Sunday morning worship. Don’t let other events dissuade or distract you from that primary contribution to the future of the church. But if you have the time and the people, drama can find its way into virtually every corner of the church.

Posted in: Performing

No responses yet.

You must be logged in to comment.

In Partnership With: Discover Worship

Newsletter

Stay up to date on the latest news, songs, and special offers by signing up for the newsletter!