3rd Annual Christian Puppet Theater Festival

There was a competition in which teams were awarded based on best soundtrack, best storyline, creativity of sets and things like this. More important than the competition aspect was the desire to create and develop a network of puppet theaters as an effective means of evangelism within various platforms for children: kindergartens, schools, shelters, boarding schools, social and rehabilitation centers, medical institutions, etc. 

The experienced Moscow Central Church and the Good News Church in Voikovskaya, were the initiators of the Oparino Festival, and they paid special attention to invite those who would like to organize a puppet theater in their church to teaching them all the nuances of puppet art, from making props to directing. There were also many opportunities to improve the skills of existing theaters, whose participants could attend such master classes as: Screenwriting, Sewing dolls, Setting goals, and Ministry development strategy of the ministry, Production ideas for sets and costumes, How to unite a team, Technical performance support, Practicing innovative techniques, etc.

Also, the organizers considered it an extremely important goal to support, encourage the puppeteers, to inspire them for further work. Giving Biblical encouragement and insight through sermons was the goal of invited guests of honor, Mikhail Chekalin, the senior presbyter of the Moscow Association of ECB Churches, Nikolai Maslyakov, the deputy senior presbyter for the central region of Russia, and Sergei Tarasov, the pastor of the Transfiguration Church of Orel.

At the conclusion of the festival, the participants were asked to share their impressions and feedback in order to improve future festivals, but not a single word of criticism was heard. There were only the highest ratings for all aspects of the festival. Glory to our God for this wonderful time and blessed opportunity!

So what’s next? Next, we need greater support of our puppeteers from churches and more members to participate. Those that attended were charged and sent out to do the work of ministry and evangelize through puppet shows, so we kindly ask you, the reader, to pray for them and the opportunities that lie ahead of this next year.