The Message and The Messenger Part 3 By Howi Tiller
The world we live in is driven by unbridled floods of media that appeal directly to the senses of the flesh. The successful advertising agencies not only have a message, but they know that the right messenger is what sells the product of the message. That's why they have Tiger Woods as the spokesman for credit card advertising and Michael Jordan as the spokesman for athletic shoes. They are messengers. Secular media has a message that is designed to tickle one or more of our senses. The message is dramatized to appeal to fleshly appetites. It is constantly selling something to the human element…eyes, flesh or the pride of life. The worldly message appeals to the fleshly appetites and usually becomes a detriment to the human spirit or a waste of money. The message in Christian drama appeals to the human spirit and keeps the flesh honest about itself and in check. Since this is true, the church must acknowledge that we may have to adjust our approach to the evangelistic effort. We cannot and do not want to make changes to the message, but we can make adjustments to our methods that communicate that message. No question, the gospel message is our most important subject, but how we communicate that message can be equally as important…not more important, but at times our method can be just as significant. How will the audience hear unless we are wise in our communication of it? Information is communicated in an entirely different way than twenty years. People see the whole world in a flash via satellite. I believe the Lord wants us to search for new ways of communicating the gospel. I know that the preaching methods have changed down through the years. Today's method isn't anything
4.like the way Jesus ministered. So, let's be careful criticizing changes in preaching methods, remember ours isn't anything close to Jesus' method or template. Today's method will hopefully evolve again into what God wants to use. We need to be open to what God wants to develop into being a viable and intricate element of today's evangelism. This may be hard to believe, but I think that as you read this book, you will come to the same conclusion. He who wins souls is wise. God has given us an opportunity to win souls through drama. We need to use it wisely. When you think about the way Jesus communicated, it made sense. His message was relative and the application was modern. I think that you should do what God calls you to do. If He asks you to stand on a soapbox and preach loudly on the city-street corner, then that's what you need to do. The problem with that is that today's mind-set doesn't respond to that way of preaching very well. They did in the 1930's and 40's, but not today. Maybe there will come a time again that the world could be brought to their knees and cry for bibles and repent like they did in America a hundred years ago. Having said all that, I think we need to seriously look at the opportunities that drama might afford to us as an end-time tool. The words, drama or theater might have the conservative church reeling from bad past experiences. There are also main stream religions that have opened their doors to drama but may have also opened the door to more than a pure evangelistic drama ministry. I think many churches have accepted a mix of secular entertainment and a so-called drama ministry which usually ends up be nothing more than secular theater performed in the church or fellowship-hall. That's a far cry from what this book is talking about. I'm talking about drama that genuinely draws people to Christ and causes people to really think about their soul and where they are going to spend eternity. Does that mean every play is nothing but scripture? No. Plays can be about how to live life…raise teenagers in today's world…love, hate, life and death. When my wife and I minister through dinner drama, we perform pieces or sketches that I call, "Slices of Life". Each sketch has a relative message that transcends religious background and family upbringing. The sketches are about finances, raising kids, relationships and everyday life. It wouldn't matter if your audience were Baptist, Methodist or Pentecostal, most could relate to the "Slices of Life". That's what Jesus did. His message was no respecter of persons. His message was about life situations that His audience understood. There are times that you might want to do drama for just your church family and that's fine. It could be a time for doing short sketches that included inner circle jokes or roasts. That certainly has its place. However, never invite guests to your drama or dinner drama where any or all humor is what we call inner circle humor. In other words don't do comedy that only your church members would understand. It leaves the guest out of the circle and they feel uncomfortable. The guest will most likely not come back. So, choose material and humor that's relative and transcending.
www.howitiller.com/dramas.htm
Friday, April 30, 2010
Drama, The Visual Language Part 2
Drama...To do it or not to do it...that is the question Part 2 By Howi Tiller
Nothing will ever replace Biblical preaching, praying and fasting in bringing revival to the church or new souls into the kingdom. This book wasn't written to encourage the church to substitute its evangelism with a drama or short sketch every Sunday morning. It was however, written to encourage the church to take a fresh look at drama as a viable contribution to the local church's outreach. Any ministry, whether it's the choir, Sunday School or a drama must stay under the umbrella of the leadership and authority of the church. So, before we go too far into this book, please let it be understood that it is not my desire to infer that drama is the answer to all the evangelistic questions. Again, however, drama is arguably a tool that the church can greatly use in the last days to preach the gospel. And if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. The question that should be asked is, "why aren't we already doing it?" This book will help to answer that question. I've been involved with drama for over twenty-five years and have seen the incredible opportunities that God has afforded to us when we used it wisely. I think there is a tendency to think that drama in the church is only making room for Hollywood. That possibility does have some merit, but if the driving force behind the drama ministry is about equipping the church and evangelizing the world then I think we must prayerfully investigate the viable possibilities. Sometimes, individuals can lose sight of the ministries' mission and lean towards a hollywood-ish expectation and approach. It's true that drama can be taken advantage of in the wrong way and one person's talent takes over the ministry and ruins the effectiveness that the drama ministry could have had. I address that when I teach drama conferences and instruct students to keep their motives pure and their talent under the umbrella of authority. The, "look at me", syndrome can ruin it for everyone involved in the drama ministry. In traveling to many churches over the years, I sometimes come across someone who doesn't want to be in drama if they can't be the, "star", or have a major role. I let them know right away, (in love) that this is not about them and to keep their priorities right. It's hard for some people to stay humble when they are getting all the attention. Hopefully, the pastor and drama director will recognize when things are getting out of sorts and will re-emphasize the correct priorities. With all that said, it is still worth while to create a healthy drama ministry that can be a genuine arm of evangelism in the local church. It takes time and effort to generate a solid foundation from which to build a launching pad for this vital end-time ministry. Some churches are experimenting with short sketches and song interpretations as a part of the Sunday morning service. Many are having great success and using the drama ministry wisely. An organized effort will help keep the ministry fresh and keep people from going through burnout. Many churches perform the large Easter or Christmas musicals and then don't have the energy to do drama any other time of the year. This is usually due to inexperience and taking on more responsibilities than they are qualified to do. I tend to lean toward what I call, "Less Is More", in my approach to the drama ministry as a whole. If you will adopt this theme, you will save yourself many headaches and heartaches. Don't purposely cut corners because you are too lazy to do the job right, but have a very good idea where to say, "I must have that prop", or "that prop makes the set too busy and it doesn't add to the overall effect. Let's save the money and use it in advertising". The
3.
pastor will be happy if you come under budget, too. Money or the lack of it seems to be the main problem in initiating a drama ministry. You may have to convince the pastor that the drama ministry is not excess baggage that the church will have to carry. Be patient, walk softly and carry a big script. When it's your turn, set a precedent and make the church cheer for more (in a manner of speaking). Remind yourself and your drama team that you are messengers of truth and that the drama ministry belongs to the church for its benefits. You can preach through a drama or sketch. Some of your visitors won't come to the traditional church service, but they will come to a play. In reality an anointed drama ministry can have the five-fold ministry in operation. A drama can teach, preach, help pastor, evangelize and be used in prophetic ministry. The Bible is the message, but the five-fold ministry is the method that God uses to encourage and equip the church. I know that the five-fold ministry operating in the drama ministry is very much dependent on those involved and their sensitivity to the Lord. It is there to happen, but you must know that it's there before it can take place. If your play is Biblical and truthful shouldn't any thing be possible? Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that the five fold ministry will be in operation during a dinner drama as you are performing a comedy sketch about marriage or finances, but more during an anointed monologue or song interpretation where the Holy Ghost is really working and moving. Again, it depends on the person involved and his or her calling. It's very important as to whom is involved in the drama ministry. The message is paramount, but so is the messenger at times.
To order anointed scripts go to www.howitiller.com
Nothing will ever replace Biblical preaching, praying and fasting in bringing revival to the church or new souls into the kingdom. This book wasn't written to encourage the church to substitute its evangelism with a drama or short sketch every Sunday morning. It was however, written to encourage the church to take a fresh look at drama as a viable contribution to the local church's outreach. Any ministry, whether it's the choir, Sunday School or a drama must stay under the umbrella of the leadership and authority of the church. So, before we go too far into this book, please let it be understood that it is not my desire to infer that drama is the answer to all the evangelistic questions. Again, however, drama is arguably a tool that the church can greatly use in the last days to preach the gospel. And if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. The question that should be asked is, "why aren't we already doing it?" This book will help to answer that question. I've been involved with drama for over twenty-five years and have seen the incredible opportunities that God has afforded to us when we used it wisely. I think there is a tendency to think that drama in the church is only making room for Hollywood. That possibility does have some merit, but if the driving force behind the drama ministry is about equipping the church and evangelizing the world then I think we must prayerfully investigate the viable possibilities. Sometimes, individuals can lose sight of the ministries' mission and lean towards a hollywood-ish expectation and approach. It's true that drama can be taken advantage of in the wrong way and one person's talent takes over the ministry and ruins the effectiveness that the drama ministry could have had. I address that when I teach drama conferences and instruct students to keep their motives pure and their talent under the umbrella of authority. The, "look at me", syndrome can ruin it for everyone involved in the drama ministry. In traveling to many churches over the years, I sometimes come across someone who doesn't want to be in drama if they can't be the, "star", or have a major role. I let them know right away, (in love) that this is not about them and to keep their priorities right. It's hard for some people to stay humble when they are getting all the attention. Hopefully, the pastor and drama director will recognize when things are getting out of sorts and will re-emphasize the correct priorities. With all that said, it is still worth while to create a healthy drama ministry that can be a genuine arm of evangelism in the local church. It takes time and effort to generate a solid foundation from which to build a launching pad for this vital end-time ministry. Some churches are experimenting with short sketches and song interpretations as a part of the Sunday morning service. Many are having great success and using the drama ministry wisely. An organized effort will help keep the ministry fresh and keep people from going through burnout. Many churches perform the large Easter or Christmas musicals and then don't have the energy to do drama any other time of the year. This is usually due to inexperience and taking on more responsibilities than they are qualified to do. I tend to lean toward what I call, "Less Is More", in my approach to the drama ministry as a whole. If you will adopt this theme, you will save yourself many headaches and heartaches. Don't purposely cut corners because you are too lazy to do the job right, but have a very good idea where to say, "I must have that prop", or "that prop makes the set too busy and it doesn't add to the overall effect. Let's save the money and use it in advertising". The
3.
pastor will be happy if you come under budget, too. Money or the lack of it seems to be the main problem in initiating a drama ministry. You may have to convince the pastor that the drama ministry is not excess baggage that the church will have to carry. Be patient, walk softly and carry a big script. When it's your turn, set a precedent and make the church cheer for more (in a manner of speaking). Remind yourself and your drama team that you are messengers of truth and that the drama ministry belongs to the church for its benefits. You can preach through a drama or sketch. Some of your visitors won't come to the traditional church service, but they will come to a play. In reality an anointed drama ministry can have the five-fold ministry in operation. A drama can teach, preach, help pastor, evangelize and be used in prophetic ministry. The Bible is the message, but the five-fold ministry is the method that God uses to encourage and equip the church. I know that the five-fold ministry operating in the drama ministry is very much dependent on those involved and their sensitivity to the Lord. It is there to happen, but you must know that it's there before it can take place. If your play is Biblical and truthful shouldn't any thing be possible? Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that the five fold ministry will be in operation during a dinner drama as you are performing a comedy sketch about marriage or finances, but more during an anointed monologue or song interpretation where the Holy Ghost is really working and moving. Again, it depends on the person involved and his or her calling. It's very important as to whom is involved in the drama ministry. The message is paramount, but so is the messenger at times.
To order anointed scripts go to www.howitiller.com
Drama, The Visual Language Part 1
Drama, The Visual Language Part 1 By Howi Tiller
The last twenty years for the church have been years of great change. The message has not and cannot change. However, there seems to be an awakening and openness in respect to changes in the method by which we communicate the message. As an evangelist/dramatist who travels extensively across the United States, I am witnessing an evolution in evangelistic efforts and our approach to winning souls. The prevailing question is asked, "how do we win this generation"? Pastors and church leaders are concerned that the church of today isn't reaching today's mind-set. In our efforts to find the missing ingredient we most often miss the simple method that Jesus gave to us by example. Jesus taught by painting a story with words. Not just stories, but stories or parables that were relative to his generation and specifically to whom he was speaking to at that given moment. He didn't have a pulpit, a choir, or notes, (this is not to say that we shouldn't have them) and yet he delivered the essence of Heaven to everyday common folk on earth. Maybe we should look at how Jesus really ministered. He was being dramatic when he knelt in the sand and wrote a message in the sand with His finger. He was being dramatic when He told the story of the, "Rich man and Lazarus", and when he described the law of the sewer when He said, "A man went out to sew seed. Some fell on rocky soil and some on fertile soil"... and so on. His stories appealed to the emotion and yet His words were also able to touch the intellect of mankind. It didn't matter if he was talking about finances, agriculture, marriage, birth or death, Jesus' stories were relative and timely. Jesus told the story, "A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and on his way he fell among thieves. He was beaten, robbed and left for dead". What is the significance of the story? The person He was telling the story to was a lawyer. Jesus knew the lawyer would understand the story of a crime. Jesus' communication was relative, timely and interesting. What He had to say was heavenly with human application. I think it would be wise if we took a closer look at the dramatic way in which Christ addressed life's issues through truth and principles. If we were to measure Christ's method of communicating with what we think today's standard is, Christ would be a failure. He didn't have a pulpit, a choir or a program. There isn't anything wrong with those items, but maybe we need to re-think the evangelism process. Christ spoke in parables, wrote in the sand, prayed in a garden, preached and then had a picnic out on the hillside. Dramatic, to say the least. Not that what He did was just drama, it wasn't…it was reality. My point is that we need to look closer at Christ's template and adjust accordingly.Drama truly is the visual language or method that can cause the audience to travel down the road of truth with you. We cannot match the passion that Christ exemplified on the cross. He is the only one that can do that. We can however, have great passion for souls and ministry. As you read this book, pray that the Lord will anoint you with a passion to reach souls, not just how to do drama better. A passion for souls will carry over into having a passion for drama as a ministry. Souls, truth and ministry are the driving forces behind every great end-time evangelistic effort.
BRING A PENCIL TO REHEARSAL www.howitiller.com
The last twenty years for the church have been years of great change. The message has not and cannot change. However, there seems to be an awakening and openness in respect to changes in the method by which we communicate the message. As an evangelist/dramatist who travels extensively across the United States, I am witnessing an evolution in evangelistic efforts and our approach to winning souls. The prevailing question is asked, "how do we win this generation"? Pastors and church leaders are concerned that the church of today isn't reaching today's mind-set. In our efforts to find the missing ingredient we most often miss the simple method that Jesus gave to us by example. Jesus taught by painting a story with words. Not just stories, but stories or parables that were relative to his generation and specifically to whom he was speaking to at that given moment. He didn't have a pulpit, a choir, or notes, (this is not to say that we shouldn't have them) and yet he delivered the essence of Heaven to everyday common folk on earth. Maybe we should look at how Jesus really ministered. He was being dramatic when he knelt in the sand and wrote a message in the sand with His finger. He was being dramatic when He told the story of the, "Rich man and Lazarus", and when he described the law of the sewer when He said, "A man went out to sew seed. Some fell on rocky soil and some on fertile soil"... and so on. His stories appealed to the emotion and yet His words were also able to touch the intellect of mankind. It didn't matter if he was talking about finances, agriculture, marriage, birth or death, Jesus' stories were relative and timely. Jesus told the story, "A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and on his way he fell among thieves. He was beaten, robbed and left for dead". What is the significance of the story? The person He was telling the story to was a lawyer. Jesus knew the lawyer would understand the story of a crime. Jesus' communication was relative, timely and interesting. What He had to say was heavenly with human application. I think it would be wise if we took a closer look at the dramatic way in which Christ addressed life's issues through truth and principles. If we were to measure Christ's method of communicating with what we think today's standard is, Christ would be a failure. He didn't have a pulpit, a choir or a program. There isn't anything wrong with those items, but maybe we need to re-think the evangelism process. Christ spoke in parables, wrote in the sand, prayed in a garden, preached and then had a picnic out on the hillside. Dramatic, to say the least. Not that what He did was just drama, it wasn't…it was reality. My point is that we need to look closer at Christ's template and adjust accordingly.Drama truly is the visual language or method that can cause the audience to travel down the road of truth with you. We cannot match the passion that Christ exemplified on the cross. He is the only one that can do that. We can however, have great passion for souls and ministry. As you read this book, pray that the Lord will anoint you with a passion to reach souls, not just how to do drama better. A passion for souls will carry over into having a passion for drama as a ministry. Souls, truth and ministry are the driving forces behind every great end-time evangelistic effort.
BRING A PENCIL TO REHEARSAL www.howitiller.com
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