This may be the best event ever! Plan a come-and-go, all-day film festival at your church, featuring amazing mission films produced by our International Mission Board.
Diana DavisTeens will love the music videos and adventure scenes. Everyone will giggle at the “Eloise” video clips and cry with the disaster ministry films. The “Mr. Christopher” series will thrill kids and adults alike. And viewers will learn about the 5,144 international missionaries supported by your church through Southern Baptists’ Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions.
The filmfest lasts 12 hours, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. There’s no sermon. No invitation. No cost. Just back-to-back high-quality films to inspire and inform about world missions. Viewers come and go at their leisure. Some stop by for just one film; others stay for hours.
Here’s the plan. Rent a huge screen and set up chairs in a big dark room at your church. Recruit volunteer technicians, hosts and hostesses to work three-hour shifts.
The filmfest entryway could be a balloon archway or a gigantic world, with greeters in costumes from foreign countries and “Voices of the Faithful” music CD playing.
Display missions information, church brochures, and containers for ballots and Lottie Moon mission offerings. And provide popcorn and soft drinks, of course!
Each hour, a spokesperson welcomes viewers, invites them to vote for their favorite films, and announces upcoming film titles. Viewers may contribute to the Lottie Moon missions offering as they leave. If IMB missionaries are furloughing nearby, invite them to stop by to introduce a film or to chat with viewers outside the screening area.
On Sunday before the event, distribute a schedule of show times and titles. People of all ages may come anytime, of course, but the schedule will indicate target audiences for some hours. For example, kids’ videos may be grouped for family viewing times, and pizza may be provided for teens at late-night viewings.
The IMB media division has put together a DVD just for this idea. It contains six hours of video, so each film segment may be played twice during the festival. The cost is minimal, and a sample ballot and program is included. Call 1-800-999-3113 to order filmfest DVDs.
Begin planning today to emphasize international missions with a filmfest. As your church looks “to the ends of the earth,” they’ll laugh. They’ll cry. They’ll learn. And the whole church will be talking about missions!