Movies to Minister

Movie time is a cultural norm, nowadays. It has become a time to bring everyone together to be entertained, as one big happy family (even if it is not). Because of this, I have chosen to make movie time an integral part of my routine with the children. This has become a special time and is a highly anticipated event that the children look forward to. It’s an opportunity I use to bring a message out of the movie narrative so that the children get a very clear biblical perspective to the secular framed film. As a parent at home I can ensure that secular perspectives are identified and that our children hear the truth of the Lord despite what message the movie is giving them. However, the children at the orphanage don’t have the luxury of positive adult supervision and so watching a movie becomes an exercise for them.     Psalm 29:2 declares, “Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due His name; worship Yahweh in the splendor of His holiness.”   This past week, I brought forward the truth of God’s love for the children, the uniqueness and significance of their creation, and why Christians worship God with singing using the movie “Sing.” I wanted to show the children that their lives are a type of worship. So, I chose to use the movie Sing to explain how the characters wanted to be heard, wanted to use the song that was in their hearts, and wanted the audience to be moved. I thought about how the Christian wants this as well for the Lord. We want Him to hear us, to be pleased with the song in our hearts, and to glorify Him regardless of who else is near. In a highly non-Christian world, there are a few important things I have found to take into consideration when using movies to minister to youth in a different culture: Focusing on Biblical truth Secular culture is very astute on targeting youth at their most vulnerable and least developed desires. Producers and studios encourage children through colorful stories to pursue certain feelings and behaviors without providing the moral consequences. I use the films not only as a gateway to connect with children, but also, in order to expose the false ideas that counter what the Lord instructs and reveals in His Holy word. Finding appropriate movies I specifically exclude films regardless of age ratings if they contain content such as:

• Films that exalt inappropriate behavior
• Sexually suggestive themes
• Foul language
• Films that glorify nihilistic lifestyles.

These boundaries are set in order to protect children so that God’s message doesn’t get drowned by the content. The Christian Worldview This one can be tricky at times, but I try to choose a film so that children can clearly see the Christian worldview I am trying to teach vs the message that the movie producers are showing. When the movie has a clear message then it can be used much easier than one that has a convoluted concept. Take advantage of interruption One of the things I must personally consider, is that the children have to take a  break for dinner during our allotted movie time. This means I have to decide what to do with the pause during  the dinner. The break allows me to pray for the children’s hearts and acceptance of the message for them. There are advantages to this break as well, because,when all the children return it allows me to refocus and inject the word of God before the movie continues so that they don’t lose the focus of this event. Use native language Planning this event includes choosing to play the original language movie (English) with Romanian subtitles or the Romanian dubbed (Romanian Voices replace original voices) version. Using the English version of the  movie requires a lot of cultural translation and it can cause some distractions, frustration, and agitation as children get tired of all that talking. Although, it is difficult to find appropriate movies that are dubbed into Romanian, always use this option if it is available to you. This is important because I want the biblical message to be attached to child whose spirit is in a calm and accepting state. The single most important outcome that I am hoping for, is that the children will learn to use God goggles when they view things in the world. That the questions and concepts we discuss will follow them into adulthood so that they will be equipped to see truth and respond biblically in an ever changing dark world. So if you have worked with kids or work with them now, what other things do you consider when showing films?   If you enjoyed hearing about what we do out here in Romania, please consider subscribing to our updates. You can do this by filling out the form here.