Christian Puppetry

[pjspuppets]

Gabriel,

If you are going to be offended by a discussion of Christian ministry, maybe you should just avoid a thread that is clearly labeled "Christian Puppetry" -- do you have a better place for this discussion?

Pat

 

[puppetsmith]

Hey Gabe...

If it makes you feel any better, the only scripture quoted or referred to is from Ecclesiastes, penned by King Solomon (now there's a nice Jewish name) "the congregator".

 

[CensoredAlso]

I'm sure no one was trying to be offensive in their discussion.

 

[wes]

I am Jewish, and this thread is slightly offputting to me.

I can understand discussing the puppetry factor, but quoting the bible and Jesus refferences... I think those should be PMed or discussed elswhere.

I have compleet and total respect for all of you (which I hope I get back in return!), bu in my opinion, this is not the place...

sorry if this offends anybody.

Sorry this thread offends you or is off putting we don't mean to be. We are not putting any ones Faith down we are just stating how we feel on this certain subject.

I don't know, I understand why quality is important of course. But the most important thing should be the message and the fact that you bother at all.

yes this is true but lets say you have a friend who is to preach or give a speach on Jesus Christ or Mose and the burning bush or what ever, he gets up and mumbles trips over his words um's about a thousand times, how is any one going to get anything from his speach, But if he study and practiced his material and what he was going to say he can get up and give a mind blowing speach that is clear and everyone can understand.

CHeck here: 2 Timothy 2:15

I believe and this is just what i think, not Gospel, But you should want to have a great message and great puppetry to go along with it, if you chose to do sloppy puppetry with a great message the only people that you are hurting are the people watching and listening.

 

[sleepylagoon]

I believe a message can be hindered by a bad perforfance be it puppetry, dance, acting, etc., however the strength of any ministry is the passion for it. Remembering that Jesus often taught and delivered His message of hope through stories in the streets withoutout any fanfare but the people who came to see Him. The priests an scholars of that day were often frustrated and angered at His lack of "professionalism" yet people responded to His passion for truth. He was truly a teacher to teachers.
I would say we seem to have a commission to challenge the idea that Christian Puppetry is at its best, second rate. Those of us who can, need to seek out and get the available information to others who are laboring together in this ministry. It is surprising to find out how many church groups are unaware of the valuable information available to them.(and here I thought everyone was on the net). I truly appreciate Phantom and his calling to reach out to the ministers who are puppeteers. It has been in my heart for sometime now to minister to ministers and help those that wish to elevate their craft. I have yet to formulate a plan that can most effectively do so but I am confirmed in knowing others are concerned as well. As I have seen we are in a position to impress others with skill and bring a message of hope and love.

 

[CensoredAlso]

yes this is true but lets say you have a friend who is to preach or give a speach on Jesus Christ or Mose and the burning bush or what ever, he gets up and mumbles trips over his words um's about a thousand times, how is any one going to get anything from his speach, But if he study and practiced his material and what he was going to say he can get up and give a mind blowing speach that is clear and everyone can understand.

That's a good point. If something is important to you, you should do a good job. I guess what I meant was that it doesn't have to be completely polished and "professional" to still be good. Like someone said before, a school choir isn't always on "professional" level, but their effort is still appreciated.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

I always agonize over discussing this subject, because on the one hand I don't want to attack someone's grandmother or a group of teenagers doing puppetry in a church basement for Sunday school, but on the other hand I would really like to see the artistic standards of the medium raised.

Some people suggest that Christian puppetry can't be good because of the subject matter, but I think that's ridiculous. Some of the greatest works of art in the western world (think the Sistine Chapel, or The Last Supper) are religiously themed. I've written this before, but I think the real culprit is a focus on ministry over artistry (which is to be expected) and the limited number of puppeteers/builders who do Christian puppetry professionally.

 

[puppetsmith]

Here's some universal truths -

Bad puppetry is bad puppetry.
A lousy script is a lousy script.
A generic character is a generic character.
Good puppetry is good puppetry.
A great script is a great script.
A well-designed character is a well-designed character.

If you want to teach others Bible truths, teach them Bible truths. If you want to put on a great puppet show, then put on a great puppet show. Each desire has its requirements to be truly great. Meet the requirements and do it!

 

[dkmontgomery]

My Thoughts

I believe that anything we do for God should be done with excellence and to the best of our ability. When it comes to puppetry, it should be done with this in mind. My wife and I have been involved in ministry for 17+years and have probably seen some of the worst and the best puppetry utilized in churches. We currently utilize a diverse range of puppetry in our ministry to families and kids all over the country. There are plenty of great resources out there to assist churches in organizing and implementing an effective puppet ministry and it does take some time. And yes, I agree with those that say it is a calling. Not just anybody can throw on a puppet and think that they are going to be effective. I really dislike it when we see a kid's church service where there was no practice and they just threw on puppets and played some music as they attempted to lip synch with the puppets. This gives Christian puppetry a bad name. Christian puppetry should be the best puppetry out there if you ask me and individuals should strive to make it the best if they are involved in it. Many thanks to places like One Way Street, ect.. that strive to teach good puppetry skills.

 

[dkmontgomery]

yes!

Here's some universal truths -

Bad puppetry is bad puppetry.
A lousy script is a lousy script.
A generic character is a generic character.
Good puppetry is good puppetry.
A great script is a great script.
A well-designed character is a well-designed character.

If you want to teach others Bible truths, teach them Bible truths. If you want to put on a great puppet show, then put on a great puppet show. Each desire has its requirements to be truly great. Meet the requirements and do it!

Well put!