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I love movies, and couldn't wait to plan a "Movie Night" when my staff worker, Aaron Hopkins, suggested it. We wanted to combine the movie with a discussion afterward as an outreach of Real Life, our campus's Greek InterVarsity ministry. It wouldn't have to be religious in nature (although if it developed that way, great!). It was a non-threatening and fun way for me to get involved in a ministry.

When I asked for help from our chapter to organize the event, Steve volunteered. He is a Kappa Sig so this opened up an obvious location in his fraternity house to hold our movie night. We showed Field of Dreams because it contains many religious and life truths. Some are blatant and some are more subtle. The advertising was intended to be mostly word-of-mouth so that people would be encouraged to bring their friends. We also hoped that passersby in Kappa Sig would be tempted to slack off a little and join us in their lounge for a movie break. At some point just about everybody in the house noticed our presence and inquired about the group, helping themselves to the goodies we provided.

After the movie, we held a low key, optional discussion. We ended up talking about issues of faith and obstacles associated with listening to God. No one was pressured into talking about Christianity; it just flowed naturally. Even days and weeks later, guys from the house recognized me as the "movie lady" and initiated conversations about who I was, or about God or the Bible.

This was a small start but a good one. We're excited about planning the next event. Some of the movies we've considered showing are The Shawshank Redemption, Contact and Jerry Maguire. Each of these could lead to a fruitful discussion.