Me – Join The Church?® Theme: This drama is designed to be used as part of a church membership program. The storyline has a family discussing the need or necessity of becoming a member of the church. Cast: On - stage parts: Grandpa (could be Grandma) - senior Norma - Mother middle age Tony - son - late teens Monica - older daughter - mid-teens Jackie - younger daughter, 10 - 13 years old Phil - Tony's friend, same age as Tony Jeanette - Monica's friend, same age as Monica Off - stage parts: Narrator Dan Narrator Joyce Props: Drama takes place in a family living room. Living room design is typical of a middle income American family with several overstuffed chairs, couches and a TV. Lighting: Standard light is satisfactory. Costumes: Regular leisure clothing for all actors. Sound: Mikes for narrators, mikes as required for those on stage. (ensure that all mikes are hidden as much as possible) Staging: Drama takes place in a family living room. Living room design is typical of a middle income family with several overstuffed chairs, couches and a TV. Script As drama opens, Grandpa and Jackie are watching TV. Narrator Dan's voice is heard: Dan Thompson here along with Joyce Anderson with today's Community Calendar, a service of KBCF-TV Channel 12. It's spring, time to get out and enjoy! Here's just some of the activities available to you in the city. Green Pines Golf and Country Club have memberships available. Phone them at 567-2246 Me? Join the Church?© Page 1 ©Copyright 1994 DramaShare®
Me – Join The Church?® for details including membership costs. As you will remember, Joyce, Green Pines have been very active in assisting the Big Brothers and Big Sisters by hosting their annual Golf Classic. Always good to see these kids get an opportunity to try out their skills. This just wouldn't be possible without assistance from the good folks at Green Pines. Narrator Joyce's voice: Right Dan, and I've been informed that the Downtown Women's Professional Club also have openings for members. Membership fee just $48 per year, call 567-8880. The Downtown Women's Professional Club is affiliated with the National Women's Professional Guild who, as you know Dan, recently completed furnishing the waiting room at the Cancer Clinic. The Women's Club is certainly a most worthy group to support. Narrator Dan: A tip of the Channel 12 fedora to the Westside Club on the completion of the Burn Unit at City Hospital. In total the Westside Club raised over $180,000 through various projects. Good to see how this city supports these worthwhile causes. Now's the time for you to support the Westside Club by becoming a member. Remember that everyone is welcome to become a member of this fine group. Narrator Joyce: That's all the time we have for today folks. Till tomorrow I'm Joyce Anderson along with . . . . Narrator Dan:
Dan Thompson
Narrator Joyce: . . wishing you a pleasant day. Please join us at 6:30 for local news, sports and weather. Grandpa turns off TV with remote, picks up a book and starts to read. Jackie fidgets, looks around, bored. Jackie:
Where is everybody, Grandpa?
Grandpa:
Well I'm here, and I thought I was somebody! But everyone should be along shortly, Jackie. Oh here comes your brother. And his friend, Phil, is with him. Hi Tony! Had a good day at school?
Tony and Phil come in the room, Tony ruffles Jackie's hair, Tony sits down. Tony:
Hi Grandpa, hi Squirt!
Grandpa:
Please, Phil, sit down!
Tony:
When's Mom getting home? I'm starved!
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Me – Join The Church?® Grandpa:
Well it's almost 4:30 and she said she would be home from church about now. And here comes two more kids I should know! Hi Monica. See you've brought your friend along for a visit too. How are you Jeanette?
Jeanette:
Hi Mr. Rodgers, I'm fine. My Mom says to we missed seeing you in church on Sunday. Hope you are feeling better!
Grandpa:
That's very nice of her, thanks Jeanette.
Monica:
Where's Mom?
Jackie:
Grandpa said she's at church? (Thinks for a second) But what's Mom doing at church on Tuesday afternoon?
Grandpa:
Your Mother has decided to join the church. She's over at the church right now being interviewed for membership. She hopes to enroll in membership classes for next month. Then she'll be a member at Elm Street Community Church! Won't that be great?
Jackie:
Interview? Why does she need to have an interview to become a member? We've been going to church there since I was a kid.
Tony:
You're still a kid, Squirt! But, Grandpa, she's right! Why does Mom have to be interviewed?
Grandpa:
Before becoming a member you must first be interviewed and then you must enroll in membership classes.
Jackie:
Well that sounds silly to me, Grandpa. Green Pines Golf Club and the Downtown Professional Women's Club didn't say anything about being interviewed. And who else was it on TV? Oh yeh, the Westside Club. They didn't say anything about being interviewed either! And they didn't say that members had to go to classes.
Grandpa:
Well that's a little bit different, Jackie. Membership in church is only open to believers.
Monica:
You know that Mom is a Christian, Grandpa. And the pastor knows that too! So why the need for her to be interviewed?
Grandpa:
The church isn't just a club, like the ones they talked about on TV. Membership is open only to those who have made a commitment to Jesus Christ.
Phil:
You mean that I wouldn't be welcome at your church if I wasn't a Christian? How do you expect me to become a Christian if you don't let me come to your church?
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Me – Join The Church?® Grandpa:
Oh, no! I didn't say that non-Christians are not welcome in the church, of course they are! But there is a difference between being welcomed to attend and being accepted as a member.
Jackie:
That sounds like discrino . . . .discrimat . . .you know what I mean, it isn't fair!
Tony:
The word is discrimination, Jackie. And I think that she's right Grandpa. Why would the church not welcome an unsaved person as a member? Surely there would be a better chance of that person seeing where they were going wrong and, as a result, accepting Jesus Christ as their Saviour.
Grandpa:
Unfortunately kids, it just doesn't work that way. Unsaved people feel that if they are good enough to be church members they are good enough. As a result we end up with the church being really no different than the world around it. Then when people with needs look to the church they really see no difference.
Jeanette:
What is the benefit of being a member of the church? What really is the church after all?
Grandpa:
Well you have to remember that the church is not a building, made of mortar, steel or wood.
Jackie:
But our church is made of that stuff.
Tony:
I know what Grandpa means. The church is made up of people, not bricks or stones. We call the place where we meet the church. But really that's not really what "church" means.
Grandpa:
That's right, Tony. I like the definition, "The church is a body of believers meeting in one place, united to Christ as the Head and to one another as members by the work of the Holy Spirit".
Phil:
Well then, if we are the church, when we become members of the church don't we really become "members of each other"?
Jackie:
"Members of each other"? That sounds weird!
Jeanette:
I can see what Phil means, Jackie. We are kind of bound together by our common allegiance to Jesus Christ.
Grandpa:
Exactly right, Jeanette! I heard the church described as being not an organization but an organism. The church, as an organism, is formed by bonds of a common life. It is a result of a life within. It is a necessary condition of existence. An organization, on the other hand, is imposed from outside and is artificial. It is formed by persons who have common plans and purposes. If, at any time these
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Me – Join The Church?® plans and purposes change, the organization is no more. But the church shall stand as long as Jesus Christ is Lord. Monica:
Grandpa, when I was reading my Bible last night I read in Acts where they said they landed at Caesarea and they "greeted the church". I thought it was really weird that they would go in front of a building and yell, "Hello"! But now I understand.
Phil:
Mr. Rodgers, sometimes it seems to me as if the church does quite a lot of the same stuff as the other organizations in the community. For instance, my Dad is the President of the Westside Club. When they were canvassing for money for the Burn Unit the church helped out. And our church has a Community Garden project which helps people in the community. And we have a pantry and a clothes closet for people who need some things. So really, aren't all of us really doing the same thing?
Grandpa:
Well, Phil, we have to remember that the church has a much higher calling than just to do good things. Your Dad's club did a great job on the Burn Unit project, and we all ought to support these causes. But the church is greater than any cause or work that it sees fit to do.
Mom (Norma) comes in the room, says: Hi guys! Sorry I'm late. Dinner will be a couple of minutes late. I stayed to talk to the Pastor about baptism and we spent some time in prayer together. Jackie:
Baptism! Is somebody getting baptized?
Norma:
Yes, sweetheart. Mommy's being baptized! Isn't that exciting!
Monica:
Mom, you're old! I mean, you're old for being baptized! I mean people my age are being baptized! But my mother? Please mother, say that you will not be baptized in public! I mean, I'm sure that they would let you go all by your self, you know, with none of my friends, er, I mean, with no one else around! You know, nice and private!
Norma:
I'm sorry Monica, but I asked to be baptized in the regular service. It is important to me that all my friends are aware of the commitment which I am making.
Tony:
Did you have to be baptized in order to become a member, Mom?
Norma:
Well, Tony, it was my decision. I told the Pastor that I had never been baptized and that I wanted to do so.
Jackie:
Weren't you baptized when you were a little kid, Mom?
Norma:
Oh yes, I was dedicated as a child, the same as all of you were. But baby dedication is different. That is something that the parents and the congregation do for the child. Then when the person makes a personal commitment to Jesus Christ they decide on
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Me – Join The Church?® baptism. Oh, and by the way Tony, your friend Terry is being baptized in the same service. Tony:
I didn't know that Terry was being baptized. I have been thinking about talking to the Pastor about baptism. You don't suppose Mom, like Mother and son?
Norma:
If that is God's will, I of course would be very proud. Now, then, what about supper, all of you must be famished. Phil, Jeanette, phone your folks to ask if you can stay for supper.
All actors file out.
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