Theater Ministry

One of the most distinctive ministries of our church is the theater ministry. These performances are our gift to those who find themselves worn down by the increasingly frantic and commercialized version of the season peddled by the culture at large and in need of a reminder of what Christmas is truly all about.

“One of the great joys of these endeavors,” says Pastor Jeff, “is taking a large, diverse group of willing participants from a wide range of ages – many with little or no previous experience acting – conjuring roles for them to play in a story line full of grace, and then watching as they delight in the experience of creating something beautiful together beyond what they imagined possible as an offering to God and to our audiences.”

Many of the cast members return enthusiastically year after year. Over the years more than a hundred people have performed roles in the productions. Actors range in age from four to senior citizens. Beyond the countless hours of rehearsals, the productions involve a great deal of behind the scenes work choreographing dances, creating elaborate sound tracks and video projections, building sets and props, setting lights, sewing costumes, positioning microphones.

In addition to the eight Christmas plays of recent years, the theater ministry has produced several other productions highlighting Holy week, Easter and Pentecost, as well as three original musicals by Laurie and Joe Zelman and two original small cast dramas by Pastor Jeff.