Lights…camera…action…

Well, not exactly, but the latest craze at my church, Askewville Assembly of God, is a video announcement of our weekly happenings. These announcements come in the form of straight-forward sitting behind a desk reading to the all-out theatrical.

In the past, the announcements were read in the same way they had been for the past 60 years. The Rev. R.O. Denton Jr., our pastor, or his Associate Pastor, the Rev. Webb Hoggard, would stand before the congregation and grab the bulletin and read to us what is typed out already.

That’s all a thing of the past now and I for one couldn’t be happier about it. We’ve had puppets tell us what is going on in the coming weeks as well as people who “broke into” Rev. Hoggard’s office and read the announcements as if they were some big secret they were letting out of the bag.

Two of my favorites so far have been two of our male youth dressing up in hats and announcing about an upcoming tea party that was organized by the ladies of the church. They were funny to say the least.

My actual favorite of the announcements, however, I missed when it happened at our church. I had to go and find it on youtube.com and I laughed so hard when I watched it, I had to show it to a co-worker.

To set it up, we were preparing for revival with the Rev. Joel Pledge, our pastor’s seminary roommate who was spending three days in Askewville. Coming in to lead worship over that time was the One Way Band, which is the younger version of the McGregor’s. Unrelated, but during the same time, the children of our church were on the way to Marianna, Florida for the regional Junior Bible Quiz competition.

As the announcements played, my friend Travis Jackson burst into Rev. Hoggard’s office proclaiming, “Oh, my goodness, did you know Joel Osteen is coming next week?”

While Rev. Hoggard is busy trying to correct Travis that it is indeed Rev. Joel Pledge who is coming to Askewville, my buddy is already on to the music which he believes will be led by the Maranatha Singers.

For the next few minutes, Rev. Hoggard tries his best to explain that it is indeed Joel Pledge and the One Way Band will be in revival at the church and that the JBQ team is headed to Marianna, Florida.

The entire thing was a hoot and anyone who knows Travis and Webb know they shouldn’t have expected anything less.

The reason it was great, however, is that when they were done everyone in the congregation knew who was coming to revival and what time the services started. While they may not have paid complete attention while someone read, it was the excitement and indeed the silliness that made the announcement work.

While it’s easy to do the same old things the same old ways, it can be fun and educational to sometimes step outside the box.

Thadd White is Staff Writer and Sports Editor of the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald and Gates County Index. He can be reached via email at thadd.white@r-cenws.com or by telephone at 332-7211.