Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.
Community Health Evangelism (CHE) addresses the root causes of poverty, disease, and spiritual darkness by training local leaders to share the gospel and mobilize community action.
Vital biblical faith is nurtured during every step. CHE integrates the physical and spiritual, revealing the practical power of Christ. CHE is a proven, practical, and multipliable strategy for ministry.
There are differences between small villages and large urban spaces, however, the same CHE principles taught in this seminar can be applied to affect local change within our city. Neighborhood Transformation occurs when neighbors get to know each other, and dream together about ways to improve the place they live in. The local church can be involved as a good neighbor. If you have wondered about how your church can be more engaged in the neighborhood where it is located, please join us. This Vision Seminar will address how your church can affect its neighborhood by engaging with the community and leveraging local resources to enable the community to achieve its own goals.
These sessions are highly interactive and designed for people wanting a brief but thorough introduction to CHE. After completion of this Vision Seminar, participants will have the knowledge and tools to introduce CHE to other individuals, church groups, or organizations. Individuals who want to learn how they can implement CHE in the field are encouraged to enroll in the Training of Trainers (TOT1) course.
Mrs. Rose Henness, Mr. Norm Baker, Dr. Luther Smith, and Ms Ana Sharp during the talkback
It is always an honor for Calvary’s Theatre Department to host interdisciplinary collaboration with our faculty around the themes of our productions. This year’s fall production, All My Sons, by 20th century American playwright Arthur Miller, is incredibly rich in content and even wealthier in its themes. Chapel on Wednesday, October 3, provided students and faculty with the opportunity of diving in! Following a scene from the play performed during theChapel, Calvary faculty, including Mrs. Rose Henness (Director of Institutional Effectiveness), Mr. Norm Baker (Bible and Theology), and Dr. Luther Smith (Biblical Counseling), joined senior Ana Sharp (dramaturg), director Bobbie Jeffrey, and the cast of CU Theatre’s All My Sons for a talk back.
Vincent Matteson as Chris Keller, Jon Van Pelt as Jim Bayliss, and Mallory Pihl as Ann Deever in a scene from “All My Sons”
Discussion was filled with the following highlights:
Dr. Smith, Mrs. Henness, and Mr. Baker all recommended students attend the play. The literature was new to all of them and had them turning its pages at a rapid rate!
Mrs. Henness spoke about the dysfunction of family secrets and how destructive they are.
Dr. Smith mentioned that theatre is often a vehicle for truth that reaches people other methods cannot.
Bobbie Jeffrey, Theatre Arts Department Chair, spoke to the tragic elements in All My Sons and why studying tragedy as a literary genre is important
Ana Sharp not only shared information about WWII survivors’ battle on the homefront with what is now known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but connected it to the U.S. Government’s decision to hide its effects rom the public.
Levi Bennett as Frank Lubey and Mallory Pihl as Ann Deever
Students tweeted in questions which were moderated by John Oglesby, our chapel spokesperson. One of the favorite interactions of the talkback had to do with a section of dialogue from the play referring to drunkenness. A question was asked about the Christian stance on this subject. Dr. Smith immediately raised his hand for the mic: “Alcohol good; drunkenness bad,” to which Mr. Baker added, “Ditto.”
Vincent Matteson and Corey Ruehling as Joe Keller
The discussion was animated and lively, and was an example of what academic theatre does best. Join us this weekend to get even more! Optional talkbacks with select faculty, director, cast, and crew will be held after every performance, and it would be our honor to have you join us. Tickets are now on sale: https://www.calvary.edu/theatre-box-office/
It’s a crazy idea, right? Exegesis and hermeneutics in theatre? Well, yes! The same principles apply and are almost as rich in the study of theatre and production of plays as they are in the study of the Bible and the story of our lives! Our fall production, All My Sons, by Arthur Miller, has been rich in something known as dramaturgy. What better way to share with you the principles of dramaturgy than to introduce you to Ana Sharp, our own exegetical and hermeneutical dramaturg.
Here are Ana’s responses to my interview questions:
How do the terms exegesis and hermeneutics apply to theatre?
In theatre, as in the Christian walk, we are faced with the task of making choices based on a text we may not fully understand. Dramaturgy, like theology, is a field built around a premise of high respect for a text and its author. Dramaturgs and other theatre artists strive for an accurate exegesis (interpretation of the text), and with every play we need to choose the right hermeneutic (strategic approach).
All My Sons requires a historical-literal hermeneutic much like we would use for the gospels. The more we know about the historical events, culture, and world surrounding the events of the story, the better we understand what the author wanted to communicate and, by extension, the better we can communicate the author’s intent to the audience.
How does good dramaturgy help cast, crew, and director of a production?
The historical setting, moral themes, and story structure combine to form what we call “the world of the play.” Every design choice, every directing choice, and every acting choice is informed by the world of the play. All My Sons takes place in a world where honesty matters, and every choice has far-reaching consequences, beginning with one’s closest relationships and extending to people one has never met. It also takes place at a specific time (August of 1946) in a specific place (Ohio, USA), and in a neighborhood of a certain income level.
Dramaturgy is digging into every detail the playwright gives us in order to firmly establish the world of the play in the minds of the artists creating it onstage. Good dramaturgy contributes toward solid acting choices, informed directing decisions, and a unified storytelling effort on the part of the design team.
Why is excellent dramaturgy particularly important to this year’s fall production, All My Sons?
Arthur Miller, playwright
First and foremost, this play deals with a war that really happened, and pain that millions felt. Arthur Miller wrote with compassion and sensitivity to the humans wounded physically or emotionally by World War II. They were his first audience. We have the honor of telling this story in the 21st century, and the least we can do to honor the sacrifices of that generation is to put the world they lived in on stage as accurately and respectfully as possible.
The P-40 Warhawk, a WWII plane at the nexus of the conflict of “All My Sons”
All My Sons is a story that was very pointedly written for its time. Its message is timeless and forever relevant, but its setting requires some translation. The show was set in the “present day” when it first opened in 1947. Its first audiences would have needed no introduction to the social and political climate of the time—they were living it! 71 years later, however, the events and sentiments surrounding the story of the play are more obscure to us. Themes of integrity and honesty will always resonate, but what are Post Toasties? Who are the Gumps? Dramaturgy for this show is heavily focused on helping the cast and crew understand the world of 1946, so they can deliver every nuance of the story to the audience.
Could you share with us All My Sons dramaturgical connection to Greek tragedies?
Absolutely! Without revealing too many spoilers, All My Sons conforms to the structure of antique tragedies such as Oedipus Rex or Antigone. A tragic hero with a fatal flaw makes a single huge mistake and eventually has to face the consequences of that choice and do their best to right it and bring their world back into balance. All My Sons even conforms to Aristotle’s “three unities” of time, place, and action. The events of the play take place within a 24-hour period (unity of time) in one location (unity of place), and everything that happens on stage feeds into the eventual crisis and climax of the play (unity of action).
What’s your favorite dramaturgical tidbit from researching All My Sons?
Aside from absolutely geeking out over the classical tragedy parallels mentioned above, I’ve immensely enjoyed reading the old comic strip “The Gumps” which is mentioned in the show. The style of humor is fun to compare to modern meme culture. The more things change, the more they stay the same!
Join us for an exegetical, hermeneutical, incredibly moving experience! Tickets are on sale now!
From right to left: Mallory Pihl, Christy Stone, Elijah LePage, Corey Ruehling, Vincent Matteson, Jon Van Pelt, Rebekkah McIntosh, Callie Weeks, Levi Bennett, and Zeb Johnson
While you were finishing your Labor Day picnic, the dedicated cast of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons began an intense rehearsal process. With just five and a half weeks to mount a full production, the process is demanding. Actors will be off book by September 24; however, eight-year-old Elijah LePage in the role of Bert already has his down!
The play is set in post-WWII 1947 middle America and won two Tony awards, one for Best Author (Arthur Miller) and another for Best Director (Elia Kazan). It was Miller’s first success. The action centers around the Keller’s backyard as a terrible secret is slowly unraveled through the course of the action. The Keller family is composed of Junior Corey Ruehling as Joe Keller, patriarch of the Keller family; senior Christy Stone, plays his wife, Kate; and their son Chris is played by junior Vincent Matteson. Elijah Page as the friendly neighborhood kid Bert is joined by Chris’ girlfriend Ann Deever (Junior Mallory Pihl), Ann’s brother George (Junior Zeb Johnson), neighbors Jim and Sue Bayliss (Jon Van Pelt and Callie Weeks) and Lydia and Frank Lubey (Rebekkah McIntosh and Levi Bennett).
Tickets are now on sale, and they’re easy to get! See details below…
Join Calvary University in India May 19-June 1, 2019!
Calvary University has a long standing tradition of hosting and training students from India. Only a few short years ago one of those students lead several summer ministry teams to his home country. Now another one of our students is opening the door for a more long-term relationship between Calvary and India.
India is home to 1.4 billion people, only 2.2% of which have a knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Most believers live in the densely packed urban areas leaving many villages with little to no witness of who Jesus is. Local pastors work hard to reach these surrounding villages. However, they face a mountainous task in reaching everyone. Of 2,554 people groups, 2,290 (89.7%) remain unreached with the gospel (Joshua Project) Many of these groups still do not have the Word of God in their own languages.
India is a location rich with history and deeply entrenched in the History of Missions as many of the early pioneers of the Modern Missions Movement, folks like William Carey, Adoniram Judson and others set out to reach this richly diverse area with the gospel. However, India remains a place of great need, especially in the poorer village areas. Hinduism is the dominant religion and recently the government has become increasingly hostile to Christian activities.
Next Summer the Burnham Center for Global Engagement is offering a two week mission trip to India. Faculty, staff, students and friends are welcome to join us for two weeks of ministry. We will be focusing on supporting the work of indigenous pastors through training and children’s activities. We will also be working on a project to complete construction on a local church. This project will require $3000.00 for the material costs.
For more information about joining us in India or helping with the construction project contact Joshua Paxton, Director of the Burnham Center for Global Engagement.
Ministry Studies Department Hosting a trip to the Holy Land, June 9–22, 2019
Every pastor and Bible teacher should see first-hand the land of the Bible. It will help their teaching and preaching come alive! The Ministry Studies Department Chair, Dr. Mike Dodds, is encouraging Ministry Studies students, Bible/Theology students, and anyone interested in encouraging their relationship with Christ to join this tour this coming summer.
The tour will leave Kansas City on June 9, land in Jordan to see Petra and sites around the Dead Sea. Then the majority of the days involve a detailed exposure to the significant OT and NT sites in Israel. Calvary students may take an elective course for academic credit for the trip, and all interested individuals will benefit for this 14-day experience.
The tour price of $4,475 includes estimated round trip airfare from Kansas City including air taxes, 12 nights lodging at 4-Star hotels, expert biblical tour guides in Jordan & Israel, baggage handling, sightseeing, breakfast and dinner daily at the hotels, 1 lunch, border taxes, and Jordan visa. Additional costs beyond the above price include 11 lunches, tips to guides, drivers, and hotel staff (approximately $148), travel insurance (approximately $100), and passport ($145).
A completed reservation form and a $300 deposit are due by January 9, 2019. Final payment will be due April 9, 2019. Space is limited, so interested students and individuals should contact Dr. Mike Dodds at (816) 322-5152 (ext 1348).
India is home to 1.4 billion people, only 2.2% of which have a knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Most believers live in the densely packed urban areas leaving many villages with little to no witness of who Jesus is. Local pastors work hard to reach these surrounding villages. However, they face a mountainous task in reaching everyone. Of 2,554 people groups, 2,290 (89.7%) remain unreached with the gospel (
Next Summer the Burnham Center for Global Engagement is offering a two week mission trip to India. Faculty, staff, students and friends are welcome to join us for two weeks of ministry. We will be focusing on supporting the work of indigenous pastors through training and children’s activities. We will also be working on a project to complete construction on a local church. This project will require $3000.00 for the material costs.
