Worship Arts July August September 2022

drama, having some allies may help convince him or her to give it a try. If you have a skeptic, start simply so s/he doesn’t get overwhelmed. If your pastor is supportive but not very good in the planning ahead department, be strategic with your timing. Advent/ Christmas and Lent/Easter provide consistent themes from year to year. Dramatic readings don’t require as much preparation time and are a good option. If you can get scriptures even a couple of weeks in advance you can work with them. And if your pastor is supportive and plans ahead – well, be sure to thank God every day! Continue the conversation B e sure to continue the conversation with your church’s pastoral and volunteer staff. Are they supportive of a drama ministry? How do they see a drama ministry fitting into the overall life of the church? Will you perform regularly in worship? At certain times of the year? At special events outside of worship? Dream together. Pay special attention to communications with those leading other arts ministries in the congregation. Drama, music, and dance often have similar needs for space, time, and personnel. You have enough to do without handling “turf wars.” Your common goal is to help people express their faith through the arts. Find ways to work together. Start simply If your church has no experience with drama, make sure you choose material that you can do well. You’ll get a much better response with a simple script done well than something more ambitious that isn’t polished. Dramatic readings of scripture are just barely dipping a toe into drama, but they can be a good way to begin. (And they will vastly improve the attention given to the Sunday scripture reading.) Choose material that will work well in your physical surroundings and with your level of technical ability. Invite people to participate in a short-term dramatic project People are usually reluctant to sign on for a never ending activity, especially if they are trying something new. But they are often very willing to try something for a short period of time. Pick a season of the year when drama can enhance the ministry of your church and ask people to get involved. Lent and Advent are great times to incorporate short dramas into worship. Keep the invitation open to everyone, but also be sure to have

conversations with those you believe have interest and talent. A personal touch always helps. If you do short-term projects several times, you’ll discover who has deep interest, ability, and commitment. Discover your resources You may have folks in your congregation with some excellent training in theatre. Ideally, they will be active in your drama ministry. But be aware that if they are working in professional theatre or very active in community theatre, they may not be able to participate on a regular basis. If that’s the case, cultivate them as resource persons. They can still consult and give guidance. Check in with your local high schools and community colleges. Their drama teachers may be able to consult with you. Invite them to watch a rehearsal or performance and offer a kindly critique. Don’t overlook the printed page. There are some good “how to” books on church drama ministries. Secular theatre books can also be a great help. Visit a used bookstore in a college town and you’ll find some good material at a decent price. Have fun! Round up those folks who have an interest and go to the theatre together. Viewing a good production together can teach you a lot. (So can viewing a bad production!) Make a field trip to a church that has a drama ministry you admire. You’ll gather ideas and build a sense of team at the same time. Remember that this is about ministry as much as drama. The point isn’t simply to incorporate drama into the life of the church, it’s to help people grow in their faith through using the creative gifts that God has given them. Push for excellence, certainly, but always within a supportive community that encourages people to try new things. Beginning a drama ministry is usually a process, not an event. All those agricultural parables of Jesus fit this situation well. Prepare the soil, plant some seeds, cultivate and nurture them, and the fields will become ripe for harvest – a harvest of creativity, enhanced worship, and spiritual growth. Reprinted from WorshipArts November-December 2019 Fellowship member PAMELA

ABBEY is an actress, pastor, singer and writer who lives in Concord, CA. Her drama resources are available at umfellowship.org/resources/ collections/acting-in-faith

__________________________________________________________________________________________________ July-August-September 2022 • WorshipArts • umfellowship.org 9