Movie Nights

I just thought I'd throw together a few thoughts for using movie nights in your home as a form of ministry.

Jo and I have been opening our house on Wednesday nights to some of the guys an gals from Sunderland CU, where we have been watching movies and then spending some time just chatting about the film.  At the start I was trying my hardest to get the gospel tediously included in each and every discussion as I saw the idea as a way to evangelise.  Indeed it is a way to evangelise but I was forgetting one of my own personal convictions on how to evangelise and that was by building up personal relationships.

Movie nights are a great way to get to know the students that come along, it s a great way to have fellowship with them and love them by sharing our lives with them.  Ultimately we want to be able to get them to bring their non Christian friends along so that we can discuss the worldviews portrayed in the movies.

I've been amazed at my lack of movie knowledge.  I don't know half of the movies that people are suggesting so I'm able to spend time "researching" movies which is a great form of "work".  I didn't realise that most movies present some sort of worldview - some are very clear like "Blood Diamond" where the agenda is to make people think twice about buying blood diamonds whilst the themes that come from "Chicken Run" are slightly less overt - freedom, role of men and women, seeking to save others rather than just yourself, etc - who would have thought Chicken Run would have been usable?

By in large this is a really easy way to love students and get to know them so that ultimately you may be able to share the real TRUTH with them.

Why not have a go yourself and try a movie night with friends.  Ted Turnau has a great website and easy how to do a Movie Night kit which can be found at http://www.turnau.cz/node/2