A picture really is worth a thousand words. We are visual learners, naturally, and more so as the internet and the hundreds of cable TV channels multiply what we can view on a screen. Good communicators are always on the lookout for visuals that convey their message.
So let’s share video clips that can get us thinking and talking about serving together in the church.
How and where can you use these clips?
- Sermon illustrations
- Team devotions
- Small group discussion
- At a ministry training or affirmation event
- Staff meeting
- At a retreat
Be creative. Let us know how you used these and what other “pictures” or video you’ve used to help people serve Jesus.
Important note: See www.cvli.com for information on licensing to show copyrighted works.
Service with a Smile . . . and a Song and Dance!
What’s your picture of a servant? Many of us picture someone quietly going about their duties in the background, like the custodian emptying the trash or the restaurant staff clearing tables. Many Christians picture Jesus humbly washing His disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17).
The creative teams at Disney created an interesting picture of service in the song “Be Our Guest” from their movie “Beauty and the Beast.” The servants of an enchanted castle, after many long years with never a visitor, are thrilled when a guest arrives for dinner. They “only live to serve” and their service is joyful, exuberant, and unrestrained. It’s not just dinner, but music and dance with a cast of thousands! It’s definitely over the top!
“Service with a Smile” Service with a Smile, and a Song and Dance: Participant Handout
“Service with a Smile” Service with a Smile, and a Song and Dance: Leader Guide
The Lone Ranger Builds a Church
This clip is about a lone ranger, but not the Lone Ranger!
In the movie “Lilies of the Field” (1963), Sidney Poitier plays Homer Smith, an unemployed construction worker. When he happens upon some nuns in the American southwest, the Mother Superior sees him as an answer to her prayer for a chapel for their worship with the local people. Homer is eventually persuaded to build the chapel.
When the locals show up to help build their chapel, two problems come up that are common to all of us in the church. The solutions work for us, too.
“The Lone Ranger Builds a Church” Lone Ranger, Participant
“The Lone Ranger Builds a Church” Lone Ranger, Leader’s Guide