Righteous Insanity

Five Questions with Chuck Neighbors

I've met Chuck Neighbors a few times on the road at drama conferences. He's a genuinely good guy, and a great teacher as well as actor. I can vouch for the actor influences he mentions below. I've sent a few of these questionnaires out to some other drama folk, and I plan to share their words with you down the road we well. 

Chuck's got a great touring ministry, video ministry, and blog, all of which you can check out at http://www.mastersimage.com

1) SNL or Monty Python? 

SNL... but the old days... not so much the current crop

2) Do you have a favorite sketch you've seen?

I hate "favorite" questions  (just ask my wife) My brain freezes when asked 

3) Is there an actor who has influenced you the most?

One part Art Carney and one part Anthony Hopkins. Art for his humor and ease. Hopkins for the way he total is absorbed in the characters... even when he is in a not-so-good film.

4) Do you have a disaster story from your performing days you'd like to share?

Yes, you can find it here:http://www.mastersimage.com/2010/11/15/those-unrehearsed-moments/

5) Any advice for someone who wants to do Christian drama/comedy as a living?

I hope you like peanut butter and living under a bridge. Seriously don't do it unless you are called to it but if you are go for it full on!

Keeping God First for the Artist

The challenge for Christian artists is not to get caught up in what the experts, gurus, or market for your particular art say you should and should not be doing. If you are committed to Christ (truly committed, I should say), the end purpose of your life is not to make money or even make art, but to glorify God. God can be lifted up through art, yes, but the primary way in which God is glorified is when we pour our lives into the people we encounter - encounters made possible by the art and work we do. It is relationships, one on one connections, that matter most. That's how Christ won people over, remember?

 

That's not to say we should not study, practice, and improve on our art. There are too many well-meaning Christians neglect to hone their skills and give Christian art a bad name. But we should keep a proper persoective on what our end goal is. It's not a movie deal. It's not a major exhibition. It's not a recording contract. It's letting the Holy Spirit reach through us to people who desperately need us.

 

Sacrifice everything else - even your own career. But never sacrifice your devotion to Christ.

Skits for the topic student ministers dread

For every age, there are topics that no one wants to talk about but every responsible pastor has to. For grown ups it's usually money. For teenagers, it's sex. It's not an easy subject, but it's more important than ever to teach proper attitudes and a godly worldview on matters like sex, dating and relationships than ever before. Nothing breaks the ice on a tough topic like a good drama, and when it comes to sex and dating, Righteous Insanity has you covered.

 

Our new True Love Waits skit package is a special collection for high school and middle school audiences with skits addressing sexual temptation, lust, purity of heart, dating, teen pregnancy, and making wise choices on who you date. It's a one stop drama package filled with funny (and tragic) thought-provoking scenes to get kids thinking and talking.

 

The True Love Waits package is available as an instant download. Go to the Righteous Insanity web store to pick up your copy and other great student ministry resources today.

Christian Horror on the Web

I've found a few new friends and blogs online that I thought I would pass along. These sites are recommended for those of you who are fans of Clive the Zombie and Fluffy; those of you who call yourselves fans of Christian horror; and those of you who are Christian horror fans in denial.**

Christian Horror blog - http://christianhorror.apostate.com/

Maurice Broadus, the Sinister Minister – http://mauricebroaddus.com/

**If you are a fan of Frank Peretti or Ted Dekker, you are a fan of Christian horror. No, they are not writers of supernatural thrillers. They are mose definitely artisans of the horror genre. "Supernatural thrillers" is Christian-speak for horror just the same as "interpretive movement" is Christian-speak for dance. Embrace it. Accept it. By all means enjoy it. These sites and these writers will give you all the reason in the world to call yourself a Christian AND a horror fan.