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Are You Going to Narnia?
For North American moviegoers, the December 9 theatrical release of C.S. Lewis’ much-loved The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, is an early Christmas gift from Disney Studios. But perhaps The Chronicles of Narnia are more than just a good read or fodder for a family movie. For churches across the continent, the feature-length movie is an opportunity to reach out to the communities around them. Long considered classic fiction for all ages, Christians know that within the absorbing plot and the intricate cast of characters in the seven-part literary series is a message of eternal value. An outspoken apologist for the Christian faith, Lewis wove themes of redemption, self-sacrificial love, and grace into his books.
It’s not surprising, then, that churches are capitalizing on the possibilities for evangelistic outreach created by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. That includes a number of BIC congregations, as representatives from the following churches reported.
- “The youth leader is showing movie clips and presenting discussion topics before the teens of the church see the movie together in mid-December. Some of the material he is using is from Teen Mania, by Ron Luce.” - Fairview Avenue BIC in Waynesboro, PA,
- “We are devoting all of December and two Sundays in January to the Narnia theme. The Christmas Eve topic is "Always Winter and Never Christmas" and we’ll be showing a clip from the BBC version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, with the auditorium set up in a movie theater theme. The service will be a combination of Pastor John's talk, a skit and music. We ordered postcards and business-size cards from www.outreach.com to mail and give to attendees to use to invite others. We are also using Narnia-themed bulletins, also ordered from www.outreach.com for each Sunday. We're really excited about this whole series.” – The Bridge Church, Hummelstown, PA
Click here to read the entire schedule of service themes.
- “We are hosting a special screening on Saturday, December 10. We've coordinated with the theater management for a private showing of the movie and are inviting our extended church family, international students, Christian groups on a nearby college campus, and friends and co-workers. Besides enjoying a good movie, we're hoping that the themes ignite conversations related to faith, Christ, and what C.S Lewis was communicating. – Crest Community BIC, Riverside, CA
- “I’m doing an advent sermon series that is based on Narnia themes. It is entitled "Capturing the Wonder of Christmas." – Pastor Mark Thornton, Cedar Heights BIC, Mill Hall, PA
- “We’re hosting a special showing of the film at a local theater.” – Mountain Ridge Regional Church, Dillsburg, PA
- “We’re doing a two-part series called "God at the Movies: Narnia." We started it on Sunday, November 27. We had an expert who had written a book on the life of C.S. Lewis here to give it some historical depth. People seemed to respond well.” –The Meeting House, Ontario
- “We are planning a special screening of the movie at a local theater on December 11. Our youth group can buy as many tickets as they want for one dollar and we are encouraging them to invite friends who are not Christians. At the movie, we will have door prizes and drawings for Christian CDs, and afterward we are having a party at the church. We have rented two buses to transport youth back to the church so that they might have the opportunity to hear the truth. We plan to have food and some sharing time. Our youth band will play and then the pastor will share on the movie and how it relates to us. We trust the Lord will bring young people into a relationship with Jesus. Our tickets for the movie have a place for young people to fill out their address phone and if they attend youth group. If they do not, then we will follow up with an invitation to our youth events.” –Five Forks BIC, Waynesboro, PA
For more ideas on how your church can use The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as an outreach opportunity, go to www.narniaresources.com.
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