The Ministry Room
By Melissa Mann
Our room consists of seven different areas, all of which are different names that Christ is referred as in the scriptures. The first area is “Master Teacher”. In this area, we had a podium/lectern set up with a table runner across it and a set of “Hebrew scrolls” that we created. Behind the podium, we used the foam brick wall. On each edge of the brick wall we had a column with ivy wrapped around them. The master teacher sign was posted up on the front of the podium, and the scripture poster we used was
placed on the foam brick wall right behind the podium. There was a light across the room on the floor that shone on the podium.
The second area was “The Living Stone”. This area was made up of a big “rock”. The rock was made up of bean bag chairs and a bag of leaves. Over the top of the bags was brown butcher paper that had specking sprayed on it. We crumbled the paper up a little bit and stapled the two pieces together. In the seams or crevices we placed moss and a little bit of ivy. On the rock, we also had the poster that said “The Living Stone” set up on it. To the left side of the rock there was the picture of the Sermon on the Mount (from the hallway). There was a rock shining up onto the rock and we also used a huge fern behind the Sermon on the Mount picture and its
easel in order to give an outdoor effect. At the base of the rock there was a basket that had a loaf of bread in it and also a plastic bag of fish.
The next area was “The Fisher of Men”. The boat was constructed by the Missionaries and Jill Brady. The boat was in the corner and the sail on top was made from an off-white curtain. There was also an off-white curtain (from the Mother’s Lounge) that hung over the chalkboard. On the boat there was a picture that we mounted of Christ calling his disciples by a boat. On the floor we had a mounted fisher’s of men scripture. Off to the corner of the boat we hung some netting and on the floor in front of the boat we had a nautical wheel.
To the left of the boat area there were two fichus trees and in front of the trees there was a wood fence (should also be in storage). In front of the fence there was a wood walking stick (representing a shepherd’s staff) and a white cloth that hung over the fence (representing a white robe worn by a shepherd). On top of the fence a mounted picture of Christ as a shepherd was set and on the floor by the staff there a scripture about the shepherd knows the sheep and the sheep know His voice.
In the room off to the left of the main primary room was “The Healer”. The bulletin boards were covered with tablecloths. A gold tablecloth covered across the boards and two burgundy curtains were hung on each side and gathered at the top to make them look like drapes. And there was also a burgundy tablecloth that draped across the top to also look like drapes. The bed was in the corner and it had a cardboard box underneath of a child’s mattress. On the bed we used a small white pillowcase stuffed with cloth to look like a pillow. On top of the bed we had a cream colored blanket and on top it we placed a smaller burgundy blanket. On the side of the bed
there was an old wood chair that had a little gold pillow on top and there was a wicker basket beside the chair that had some cloth in it. At the end of the bed we had a wicker chest. In the corner of the room we had a wood bench that had a cream runner across it and on top was the scripture of Jairus’ daughter being raised from the dead. On the gold tablecloth (the curtain) by the bed we hung up a mounted picture of Jairus’ daughter being raised from the dead. As the flooring in the bedroom we used a big plastic square that had been sprayed with specking. There was a light on the ground that was directed to the scripture on the bench. On the walls in the
whole room we had brown butcher paper hung up on the walls.
The next area was located across from the master teacher area. This area was “The Vine”. We had a wooden stool against the wall (right below the thermostat). On top of the stool there was a wood “fence” that had fake grape vines twisted around it and it also had real bunches of grapes throughout it. On the stool, we had put a mounted sign that had a scripture of Christ being the living vine. There was a light on the floor that was directed up onto the vine.
The last area was next to the vine, it was called “The Living Water”. We created a well. We used a cardboard box and made it into a circular shape that was in front of a door. We used foam stones and pinned them into the cardboard with floral pins. We also had a stone base that went underneath of the well. In the crevices between the bricks we randomly placed moss. On the base of the well we had the mounted sign that gave a scripture about Christ being the living water. Inside of the well we had an easel that had a huge picture of Christ in his red robe (Sherrie Mann’s picture). A light was placed inside the well on a chair and it pointed up onto the
picture.
The entrance was the first door into the main primary room. Outside of the door was a table with a gold tablecloth and it had a mounted scripture of Christ being called Mighty Counselor, Prince of Peace, etc… The small room included in the primary room had the sectioned wall closed so that it was not a part of the room. The Elders took out some of the light bulbs in the overhead lighting so that the lighting would be softened and so the spot lights would be more dramatic. Next year, we definitely need to add more spotlights to the room because it was hard to read some of the scriptures.
We greeted the group of people each time outside of the door and we told them that they were about to enter the room that portrayed the ministry of Christ. We told them that as they entered they would be hearing a song and we asked them to listen to the words of the song as they walked around, read, and observed. We played the song “The Man with Many Names” from “The Garden” by Michael McLean. As the song was closing we told them thank you and to exit through the last door. As they left the room there was a gold framed mirror by the door that had transparency on it so that when they looked into the mirror they would read,” Hope comes from the man with many names, and he has not forgotten yours.”
The only thing that we think would be better for next year is to figure out a way to get the timing consistent throughout the rooms because they were bottle-necked outside of our room waiting for the Last Supper room because their script was a lot longer than the length of our song. Other than that we thought it was a huge success. Everyone’s rooms looked wonderful. We had so much fun decorating and cleaning up with all of the others who gave up so much of their time to help out. Thank you for letting me to be part of this experience. It was such a powerful way to begin celebrating the Christmas season.
Thanks again,
Melissa Mann
(Assisted by Sherrie Mann)