It has always amazed me how much you can accomplish when you work with a team. For the first dozen years that I was in church ministry, huge Christmas, Easter and Canada Day productions were a large part of my responsibilities.
I remember the large team at Christian Life Assembly that it took to help organize and pull off those productions. I used to write the scripts, compile the songs and orchestrations and start music rehearsals. Faith Bateman would get a team together and audition the actors and start acting rehearsals.
Ron Low would start building sets and gather a team of people to do the all the building and backstage work. Glen Beitel would work on special effects and organizing the live animals. Paulette Hawkings would work on costume design and get a team of seamstresses who made the costumes. Ann Zauner would organize the team of make-up artists.
There was also Bob Long and his sound team and another team for the lighting crew. And I can’t forget the head usher and his team and the group that worked on advertising. There were lots of people involved, lots of leaders and a lot of teamwork.
Writers, orchestrators, musicians, soloists, choir, children’s choir, actors, make-up team, costumes, lighting, sound, set builders, special effects people, flying team, prayer team, advertising, ushers, clean-up crew, art, graphics and the list goes on. When the church works together as a team, when everyone uses their gifts and talents, it is amazing what can be accomplished!
I am thankful for those days! It took a lot of planning and hard work, but it was great to see the church full night after night. It was awesome to see people respond to the Good News of Jesus when the pastor, Brent Cantelon, gave the invitation at the end. It was fun to see the camaraderie and friendships that grew as that large team of people of very talented people worked together for one common purpose. One of the highlights of that period was to see 370 people water baptized in one year. God was using a team to add to His church daily.
Comments from Facebook:
Faith Bateman – (Director) They were wonderful days albeit super busy. Our team’s families were all involved, our kids played together and ate together and many grew up on thee stage and learned the art of servant hood working backstage. We also must not forget the dedicated prayer warriors who would roam the auditorium while we rehearsed and worked on sets and were in the prayer room during performances. I will always be grateful to have been part of it for almost 15 years.
Brent Sheppard – (actor, playing Jesus and other parts) The Acrobatic Jesus was the best. Made the News. Remember the choir below singing, arms raised in worship, then they saw Jesus rotate out and over them, eyes wide as he was about to do a dive or a flip, the choirs arms went from worship to “catch him”! Jesus did a full rotation, came around perfectly and smiling because he was “truly still alive” and up in heaven was Ron Low waiting to pull me in, big grin on his face, think to this day Ron put that harness on wrong! Great fun!
Lisa Kramer – (cast and choir member) Such a big part of my growing up! Soooo many hours spent at the church and us kids loved every minute of it! GREAT memories!
Sylvia Butler – Those were awesome times of ministry! The message is the same, but the way it’s presented can change and you’re right about the prayer Faith. Even after all the hours of preparation, done so willingly, we all needed God’s anointing to touch hearts to hear the message. I well remember my tears being very real over the Easter weekend productions, as I felt the part. Our children grew up being involved along with us. Precious times indeed, ‘cos I was fortunate to talk with folks afterwards that were changed by what they saw and heard. That’s why we all gave so much of our time!
Question: What positive outcomes have you seen from working with a Christian team?
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