Is A Movie Outreach?
I think the question about if showing a movie at church is outreach is a good question that needs an answer. It will probably be a mixed bag response from all of those reading this if as to whether or not showing a movie would be considered outreach. But I want to hear your thoughts on it. My thoughts are that showing a movie at church, or having a "movie night", always without exception is an outreach event. Even if the movie is a comedy, a cartoon, a religious theme, or even (dare I say it) a non-religious theme such as Underdog, or The Game Plan. However as church leaders from all over the country read this blog I want to hear your input after I give you my thoughts.
You see for several months now we have been having movie night at church. Well it is a little more than movie night, it is actually dinner and a movie. This past Sunday night we showed the movie Underdog and we served deluxe nachos with beef, cheese, olives, sour cream, jalapenos, tomatoes, onions, drinks, and dessert. When we first started we had around 30 folks show up. After the fifth time, which was this past Sunday, we had over 80 people there. We burned through 3 industrial size cans of cheese sauce, tons of chips, oodles of toppings, and 13lbs of ground beef. Why are these people coming? What keeps them coming back and inviting their friends? And are they hearing the gospel? Let me answer these three questions in order?
1. Why are these people coming?
I believe folks are coming because the are interested in the church, and for them coming to a dinner and movie night is a non-threatening way for them to check us out. We cancel our regular Sunday night service, start an hour and one half earlier, and all of it costs the people who come absolutely nothing. the church pays all the costs out of what is received in the offering during the Sunday morning services, and all told to feed 80 people dinner it costs us less than $150. So they come out for a FREE non=threatening check out of the church because their friends invite them.
2. What keeps them coming back and inviting their friends?
We do not show exclusively religious movies. We do show family entertainment that is appropriate viewing (I know someone is going to say Underdog is not appropriate but oh well), and we make it fun. When the people come in they see that our church isn't all stuffy and religious, but rather that we are authentic real people who love God and love each other. They feel welcomed and they feel like they can be themselves. Plus the fact that we do it for FREE says that it is not about money it is about loving people!
3. Do they hear the Gospel?
Not that night, and we don't intend to start! However later we do share it.
I believe in evangelism, I believe that we need to preach the gospel to all people everywhere. However this movie night is a non-threatening way where we cultivate the relationship with the people in order to share the gospel with them. They eventually hear the gospel at other parts of our churches outreach ministry. But we do not push the gospel that night. There is a class by Sonlife called Eternal CPR. It is about cultivating, planting, and reaping. We cultivate the relationship at events designed to soften the heart of the hearer towards the gospel. At other events we purposely plant the seeds of the gospel spelling out how a person becomes a Christian. If you are curious what we say go to www.xroadsfellowship.com and check out our Witness Resources page to find out. And sometimes we are there to reap a harvest.
If we keep in mind that sometimes we need to cultivate relationships with people then we can see how a non-religious movie without a presentation of the gospel can be outreach. Is this working?
YES YES YES
Our church is growing, last year we saw about 50 people saved through our outreaches. We are averaging over 100 in attendance this new year (albeit only two weeks into the year) and if we count all of the soldiers who are part of our church but are deployed to Iraq right now we have a church of around 140. That is pretty dog gone good considering we started the church not even five years ago with 11 people in a different city. So is a movie outreach? Let's hear your thoughts.
You see for several months now we have been having movie night at church. Well it is a little more than movie night, it is actually dinner and a movie. This past Sunday night we showed the movie Underdog and we served deluxe nachos with beef, cheese, olives, sour cream, jalapenos, tomatoes, onions, drinks, and dessert. When we first started we had around 30 folks show up. After the fifth time, which was this past Sunday, we had over 80 people there. We burned through 3 industrial size cans of cheese sauce, tons of chips, oodles of toppings, and 13lbs of ground beef. Why are these people coming? What keeps them coming back and inviting their friends? And are they hearing the gospel? Let me answer these three questions in order?
1. Why are these people coming?
I believe folks are coming because the are interested in the church, and for them coming to a dinner and movie night is a non-threatening way for them to check us out. We cancel our regular Sunday night service, start an hour and one half earlier, and all of it costs the people who come absolutely nothing. the church pays all the costs out of what is received in the offering during the Sunday morning services, and all told to feed 80 people dinner it costs us less than $150. So they come out for a FREE non=threatening check out of the church because their friends invite them.
2. What keeps them coming back and inviting their friends?
We do not show exclusively religious movies. We do show family entertainment that is appropriate viewing (I know someone is going to say Underdog is not appropriate but oh well), and we make it fun. When the people come in they see that our church isn't all stuffy and religious, but rather that we are authentic real people who love God and love each other. They feel welcomed and they feel like they can be themselves. Plus the fact that we do it for FREE says that it is not about money it is about loving people!
3. Do they hear the Gospel?
Not that night, and we don't intend to start! However later we do share it.
I believe in evangelism, I believe that we need to preach the gospel to all people everywhere. However this movie night is a non-threatening way where we cultivate the relationship with the people in order to share the gospel with them. They eventually hear the gospel at other parts of our churches outreach ministry. But we do not push the gospel that night. There is a class by Sonlife called Eternal CPR. It is about cultivating, planting, and reaping. We cultivate the relationship at events designed to soften the heart of the hearer towards the gospel. At other events we purposely plant the seeds of the gospel spelling out how a person becomes a Christian. If you are curious what we say go to www.xroadsfellowship.com and check out our Witness Resources page to find out. And sometimes we are there to reap a harvest.
If we keep in mind that sometimes we need to cultivate relationships with people then we can see how a non-religious movie without a presentation of the gospel can be outreach. Is this working?
YES YES YES
Our church is growing, last year we saw about 50 people saved through our outreaches. We are averaging over 100 in attendance this new year (albeit only two weeks into the year) and if we count all of the soldiers who are part of our church but are deployed to Iraq right now we have a church of around 140. That is pretty dog gone good considering we started the church not even five years ago with 11 people in a different city. So is a movie outreach? Let's hear your thoughts.
posted by Pastor Jerry at
9:59 AM
9 Comments:
I believe that a movie night could be good. It would draw people that might not normally come to church. It apparently is working for your church since you had a great increase over just a few weeks. Perhaps you could include a "gift" bag that is handed out at the end of the movie as they leave. In this bag would be information about your church, a gospel tract, and other odds-and-ends. That way, they do get the gospel just in case eternity comes calling.
Keep up the good work Brother!
By
Keith, at 11:15 AM
I think it's a great outreach tool! It also shows the community that your church is about servanthood. What better way to serve than to provide a safe place to enjoy a family movie, along with a delicious meal to boot? Keep up the good work!
By
Julie, at 1:19 PM
If you haven't already, you may want to publish it in the Leaf Chronicle so people know it exists.
By
Unknown, at 2:17 PM
Advertising it might be a good idea, but I have found that word of mouth advertising seems to always work the best. When friends invite friends it seems they come. Have to give advertising some thought. We have done some newspaper advertising in the past with little to zero response so I am not really sold on spending money and time advertising especially for the results....or lack of results that you seem to get. Then again maybe our adds just stunk...hehe
By
Pastor Jerry, at 3:18 PM
Oh, I really like the idea of a gift bag with gospel tracts, etc in it.
Becky
By
Anonymous, at 3:41 PM
I dunno, Jerry
Sounds pretty seeker sensitive to me.....
I don't know if it is really outreach, because that is what you and I do outside the church. This might just be a movie night that you can invite your friends to that has nothing to do with church where you can cultivate an interest by making a new friend or two!
God bless in your efforts, I know that you are out evangelizing so this does not scare me. If it was your only mode of outreach, I'd be calling you Rick Relevant.
By
pastorboy, at 8:31 AM
Maybe if you have bingo and a keg you could draw even more people?
At what point do we try to stop being like the world and be separate from the world? I am not saying that it is a bad thing but what I think is wrong is that you "cancelled" the preaching of God's word and filled it with the world. That is wrong.
How about doing it on Friday night along with the word being taught. If you are more concerned about numbers than pleasing our Lord and Savior then something is not quite right.
Like someone else said it is seeker sensitive we don't need to "trick" people to get them to come to church God draws all that need to be there.
By
Wes, at 1:36 PM
I think it is a great idea!I am all about showing people Jesus love in a non threating way!
By
Anonymous, at 8:59 AM
I personally do not think that it is bad to have a movie night. I also went to a SOnlife conference and the instructor made the point of telling us that they cancelled the Sunday night service so people could spend more time with each other. I think that this is what you are trying to achive in the movie night. While new people may not hear a full blown Gospel message thwy are seeing that Christians are in fact real people. I do not think that you are worried about the numbers as one person blogged but that you are more worried about people knowing Christ. I am sure that your people are hearing the Word of God.
By
Garold, at 9:41 AM
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