{"id":9498,"date":"2001-12-05T12:37:34","date_gmt":"2001-12-05T17:37:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/?p=9498"},"modified":"2011-07-12T12:38:21","modified_gmt":"2011-07-12T17:38:21","slug":"1872","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2001\/12\/05\/1872\/","title":{"rendered":"Church Uses Play to Reach the Unchurched"},"content":{"rendered":"

PLEASANT HILL, CA (December 5, 2001)\u00a0 – Noted Christian author C.S. Lewis has intrigued children for years with his best-selling book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.<\/em> A California Covenant church has used the book’s message to win many for Christ during the past dozen years.<\/p>\n

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe<\/em> has been a production that has served as an evangelism tool for Hope Center since 1989 and (after a two-year absence) will bless both kids and adults alike for two weekends in December. The church will host nine performances over two weekends, including several performances for area schools.<\/p>\n
On December 7, the cast will perform at 9 a.m. and noon for local schools. Hope Center’s first public performance will be at 7 p.m. December 8. About four dozen people (including 30 cast members) are part of the theatrical version of Lewis’ book. Karen Pattitucci directs the play. Husband Tom is the musical director.<\/p>\n
The story line centers around four children who encounter an evil witch and a gentle lion named Aslan in a series of adventures. The book is known in Christian and secular circles, making it a good tool to bring unchurched people to church for a Christmas play, its sponsors suggest.<\/p>\n
“We picked it because it was based on something the children in the public schools were required to read,” said Tom Pattitucci. “We knew we had an avenue with the kids because they were reading it. One of the things we’ve noticed is that it has given us a higher profile in the community. We’ve gotten calls from the community every year asking if we we’re doing it. And now we’ve had people donating blocks of tickets for school kids who couldn’t normally come. This year, it’s an even bigger outreach than before.”<\/p>\n
Both Pattituccis have served as staff members for Hope Center Covenant during its nearly 24-year history. The cast members come from a variety of vocations. Aslan (the God figure) is played by Tom Calbeck, an insurance executive. The witch is played by Nansie Benton, who owns a beauty salon. Brian Marquez, Erik Carlsrud, Becky Marquez and Debi Farrugia play the parts of children Edmund, Peter, Lucy and Susan, respectively.<\/p>\n
What makes The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe<\/em> a hit with kids and adults?<\/p>\n
“You’ve got this story with a conflict between good and evil and kids understand that,” said Tom Pattitucci, a member of the church since it was founded in 1978. “And another thing that intrigues them is that it’s like a Broadway, although it’s on a smaller scale. A lot of kids have never seen live drama, so having characters walk right by them (during a show) is a new experience and many find that interesting.”<\/p>\n
Hope Center Covenant Church is located in a spot previously owned by a movie theater. The average worship attendance at the church (two services) is close to 600, with many visitors integrated into the congregation through creative worship and a more informal dress code than some traditional churches.<\/p>\n
The church has drawn many unchurched children with a day camp led by children’s ministries director Kathryn Valdez and several part-time staff. A Harvest Carnival is another activity drawing children in a friendly manner.<\/p>\n
“The setting makes it comfortable for non-Christians to enter the church, said Pattitucci. “We make it a friendly atmosphere and I think the environment lends itself toward it. People come here and feel like they can be themselves – they bring their questions, their concerns and their problems – and that continues to be a blessing. That’s the thing that’s really exciting to me.”<\/p>\n
Other public performances are set for December 9 at 3 p.m., December 15 at 7 p.m. and December 16 at 3 and 7 p.m. The cast will perform twice for local schools on December 13. Tickets can be purchased for $4 prior to the performance and for $5 at the door.<\/p>\n
For more information, call the church at 925-685-4673.<\/div>\n
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Copyright \u00a9 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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PLEASANT HILL, CA (December 5, 2001)\u00a0 – Noted Christian author C.S. Lewis has intrigued children for years with his best-selling book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. A California Covenant church has used the book’s message to win many for Christ during the past dozen years. Report This Post<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":116,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nChurch Uses Play to Reach the Unchurched - Covenant Newswire Archives<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2001\/12\/05\/1872\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Church Uses Play to Reach the Unchurched - Covenant Newswire Archives\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"PLEASANT HILL, CA (December 5, 2001)\u00a0 – Noted Christian author C.S. 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