Purposeful Puppets

After helping Scripture Union (SU) with a two-day puppet workshop a year ago, I was energized by those we had trained but also frustrated by knowing SU’s once flourishing puppet ministry died several years ago. They still had puppets and a respectful stage but all were in storage. All of that is even sadder when you consider that the average age here in Uganda is 14—there are SO many children, yet almost no one is using puppets to share Christ with them. What might we do to encourage the restart of such a ministry.

To back up a bit, before coming to Africa, a generous puppet maker in the U.S. donated several beautiful moving mouth puppets and dozens of finger puppets. How could they be used while keeping VOICE as our primary ministry? While home this past Fall, I received a gift that was designated toward the potential puppet ministry. Little by little, I began to envision puppets being used by Africans to do ministry including promotinge Biblical values in both churches and schools.

Just before Christmas, I determined to take a first step and approached the SU High School Coordinator, who had co-organized the puppet workshop a year ago, to ask if he would be interested in trying to revive the puppet ministry. He immediately jumped for the chance and committed himself to select volunteers whom he felt had the talent and commitment to be part of a puppet team. Six showed up for our first meeting; we shared the Word and prayed together. They left with an assignment to write a puppet script, or compose a song for puppets, related to the CrossTalk tract or the values modules of Truth or Honesty. We have met together almost every Saturday morning since to pray, share, practice and do scripting. 

A couple of weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised to hear that those scripts and puppets would be put to use during a two week mission in Eastern Uganda which included several camps and conferences for children, youth, and adults. Late last week they returned to Kampala with glowing reports of using the puppets to introduce their camp topics and conference themes including CrossTalk and Honesty. What joy to hear some of their testimonies and feel their delight of using their new skill for God and seeing some children trust Christ as their Saviour and others recommit to follow and obey the Saviour. That’s what it’s all about! 

This past Saturday we made sock puppets so that they can now transfer some of their skill to help others also use this method to reach children. Pray with us that this new ministry will continue to grow and bring much glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.