Leadership Journal

Several hundred of us are eavesdropping on a heated discussion.

Once again a husband and wife are using strong words to describe the broken-down state of their marriage. As the anger subsides, they find themselves asking, "Is it enough to stay together just for the kids?"

We feel their pain. We sense their dilemma. Their question isn't simply theoretical, it's personal. We know it's a question countless couples have asked. Maybe we've asked it ourselves.

This scene from the movie Mrs. Doubtfire led our congregation into a biblical presentation of the proper "glue" for a lasting marriage. It's one reason we use video regularly in our church.

We use video in five primary ways.

Education. Recently our congregation made the transition from a smaller multi-purpose room to a larger auditorium. To prepare people for this adjustment, a change-management expert in our congregation prepared a video illustrating the three stages of transition.

The first stage, grieving the loss of the way things are, was recorded at a funeral home. The second stage, the "neutral zone," where you feel you're going in circles, was taped at a race track. The final stage, the blossoming of the future, was taped at a botanical garden.

The variety of settings strengthened his presentation and equipped us, not only for the changes precipitated by our new facility, but also for transitions we face in life.

Transformation. Video testimonials from people whose lives have been changed by the power of Christ or through a particular ministry can prompt others to new steps of faith. We film these life stories in people's homes or other comfortable settings. Using video allows us to manage the content and length of their presentation and to include the story in all of our weekend services.

Information. When building our new auditorium, our youth pastor would present, via video, humorous on-site updates of the construction progress. This kept people informed of activity within the hardhats-only work area. Also, the humor eased the tension often present during building programs.

Introduction. We often introduce a time of worship through a professionally produced worship video. We also can use video to unveil the theme of a service. For instance, a service on "creativity in ministry" began with scenes from Sister Act. An Advent series, "What the Bible Says about Angels," included a recent tv news clip featuring individuals who claimed to have been "touched by an angel." A sermon on "Integrity or Hypocrisy?" followed a scene from the movie Leap of Faith.

Illustration. Concepts from a message can be illustrated with a clip from a movie or television news program. But those we've created ourselves make the most lasting impact.

Several years ago, I shared a message on "The Tentacles of Temptation," which included a scene taped at a local restaurant. In the video, I entered fully intending to order a fat-free salad but fell victim to a large piece of carrot cake. I still have people stop ...