Drama has been used for centuries to entertain, provoke thought, introduce new ideas, and convey messages. Drama can be especially effective as a ministry tool. Sketches, human videos, and illustrated sermons bring life and energy to a church service. Drama attracts people’s attention and opens their eyes to the reality of God’s Word. However, using drama effectively doesn’t mean throwing something together at the last minute. It takes planning and organization. Someone has to come up with the scripts, organize the practices, direct the actors, and gather the props. For that person, church drama can be a scary thing. Since you are reading this book, you have most likely been chosen to be that person.

As the drama leader you assume the responsibility of putting together a ministry team and making sure it functions effectively. Maybe you have a Master’s degree in theater. Perhaps you’ve studied dramatic arts under an Oscar winner. However, if you’re like most church drama leaders, your drama experience consists of being a turnip in your second-grade school play. And that’s okay. Leading a church drama group isn’t about knowing all there is to know about drama (we’re living proof of that); it’s about being willing to let God use you in an exciting and creative ministry.

When we first got involved in a church drama, we thought we knew a lot about drama and how it could be used as a ministry. We thought our experiences from traveling on college drama teams, being involved in college and church stage productions, and taking a few drama classes had prepared us to turn a group of drama-illiterate actors into drama ministry dynamos. We couldn’t have been more wrong. While our experiences and classes had laid a good foundation for leading a drama ministry, we were totally unprepared for the task before us. We made mistakes—a lot of mistakes—but with each mistake we learned a valuable lesson. That’s why we’ve written this book. We hope that through sharing the knowledge we’ve gained through our mistakes, successes, and experiences, we can save you from having to learn things the hard way—like we did.

You’ll find that drama ministry is full of highs and lows. At times you will feel overwhelmed. You will have times when nothing will seem to go right. We know exactly where you’re coming from.

We’ve experienced the agony of watching an actor flounder on stage when he couldn’t remember his lines. We’ve watched helplessly as props flew across the stage, of their own accord, much to the surprise (and horror) of the actors. We’ve left drama practice with splitting headaches, wondering how anything could be accomplished in such chaos. We’ve endured the tirades of angry parents who felt that we weren’t giving their child enough speaking parts, lead roles, etc. We’ve rushed actors to the emergency room and had to explain broken bones and various other injuries to the pastor of the church.

In all our years of being in drama ministry, we’ve learned this motto: if anything can go wrong, it will. But before you start to panic, we’ve also experienced the good side of church drama (yes, there is a good side)—the things that make all the pain and suffering worthwhile.

We’ve watched with delight as an awkward fourteen-year-old girl performed a human video about God’s love in front of a group of homeless people. We’ve experienced the pride that comes from seeing a group of inexperienced actors nail the moves to a human video for the first time. We’ve known the joy that comes from seeing a person ask Jesus into his heart after our group ministered with a skit. We’ve stood amazed as the actors in our group—a bunch of spiritual misfits who didn’t know how to share their faith—grew into prayer warriors, leading their friends and families to Christ. We’ve known the blessing of watching the actors in our group go on to become full-time ministers of God’s Word, whether by pastoring a church, selling insurance, or being a schoolteacher. Above all we’ve known the satisfaction of doing God’s work and knowing that God is pleased with it.

Knowing that God has changed lives through the drama ministries we have been a part of has made the hard times much more bearable. When it comes to the bottom line, church drama isn’t about talent, flawless performances, or the applause of the crowd. Church drama is about reaching the lost for Christ. By writing this book we hope to prepare you for some (not all) of the things that may happen, to guide you through a drama practice, and to help you instill the vision of reaching the lost to the people on your team. Most of all we hope to inspire you to trust God and let Him guide you. The most important thing we have learned in our years of experience is that God uses our weaknesses to reveal His great strength.

So dive in to the wonderful world of drama ministry. You’ll be surprised to find that with God as your guide, it’s not that scary after all.

God bless!
Nancy Backues, Kerry Beaman, and Wendy Briggs

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