I was a child of the '60s. Although I wasn't raised in the church, I had friends who had to sneak out of the house to watch The Sound of Music in the theater. When I was 16, the prohibition of sex, language, and violence in Hollywood was lifted. I remember how I sat in shock watching The Graduate, crumbling my G-rated world forever. Times have changed. It has taken an entire generation of Christians to accept and even embrace the modern film industry. Most of us have realized that, for better or worse, the film industry is here to stay. Out of this attitude, a new idea is emerging: Instead of spending all our time railing against something we cannot change, why don't we use film to communicate the truth of God's Word to a hurting world? Talk to Your Church LeadershipAlthough Christians today are generally far more receptive to movies than they were 50 years ago, questions remain about the validity of film in the church, and rightly so. Individuals view the matter quite differently, from those who watch only G-rated films to those who watch almost anything. The last thing you want to do is create a battle over this in your church. The place to start is with your church leadership. If you are considering showing films in your church, you will want to make sure it fits in with the culture and goals of your congregation. If you are an inner-city church full of 20-somethings, you will probably have an easier time promoting this idea than if you are a rural church full of mostly retired people. Carefully think through why showing films would be a good idea and back it up with Scripture. The church leadership will need to see that you want to use film to engage the church in a spiritual discussion and not just as a gimmick to be edgy and contemporary. If your church leadership is not behind the idea, it's better to let the idea go. Work Out the DetailsYou need permission to show movies, even short clips, in your church. The licensing system works a lot like the CCLI (Christian CopyrightLicensing International) license many churches purchase to print orproject song lyrics. CCLI has partnered with Motion PictureLicensing Corporation (MPLC) to offer a service especially for churches. Church Video Licensing International (CVLI) offers an "umbrella license" for an annual fee. You can show authorized titles from MPLC's long list of big studios (including Sony, Warner Brothers, and Disney) and from a growing list of Christian movie producers. This license covers film showing as long as no admission fee is charged and the title is not advertised to the general public. See below for contact information. Finally, you will need to choose which movies to show.ChristianBibleStudies.com offers discussion guides on many popular movies and connects those movies to biblical issues like relationships, families, redemption, and overcoming difficulties. The purpose of these guides is to help people "think Christianly" about what they see in the movies, the most powerful media of our time. By guiding meaningful discussions about the spiritual themes portrayed in movies, your church can broaden understanding and faith while combating the cultural messages that contradict Scripture. Movie licensing information:Licensing fees are based on church size and can be granted over the phone.
CVLI (Church Video Licensing International)
MPLC (Motion Picture Licensing Corporation) JoHannah Reardon is the managing editor for ChristianBibleStudies.com.    A Leader's Guide to PrayerOne of the most important parts of a leader's life is prayer. Use the materials in this download to help you develop a deeper prayer life.  Secrets of Recruiting and Keeping VolunteersDiscover useful approaches for one of a church leader's hardest tasks—finding and keeping volunteers. Unconditional Commitment in the Small Church Don’t underestimate what God can do with seemingly insignificant tools. Leadership Is Influence: Nothing More, Nothing Less How to overcome the common myths of leadership.
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