We see it everywhere: on T.V., in subway stations, storefronts, billboard signs, t-shirts and magazines.  Advertisement.  We have found creative ways to market most anything from cars to cough syrup.  Whether you believe it or not, advertising works!  We have all heard it said, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  Why?  Because we are such a visual society.  We respond strongly to visual images.  That is why in schools, object lessons are so successful; that’s why pastors use illustrations to aide them in their sermons, that’s why more people are consumed with watching T.V. than with reading books; and its also why visual advertising works.

If advertising is so effective, why don’t we, as Christians, do more of it?  We have the most important message out there, yet it is probably one of the least marketed!  Maybe the answer is that we simply don’t know how.  Maybe it is because our way of advertising doesn’t seem to hold a candle to what is already out there.  Maybe we just haven’t found a creative form of advertisement that people will actually respond to.  I would like to take the time now to introduce you to an extremely proven and effective way to advertise the Gospel, without saying a word!  It is called pantomime. 

You probably already have a visual of mimes out on the streets wearing black and white, a painted mask on their face, not saying a word.  This art form has recently been made famous by the renowned French mime, Marcel Marceau.  Mime focuses in on facial expressions and gestures, not words, to communicate emotions, thoughts, ideas, and objects.  This art form uses visual communication and for this reason, it is a great way to advertise. 

More and more, Christian evangelists are realizing the impact that mime can have on an audience.  They are recognizing that by using actions and expressions you can powerfully demonstrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ without saying a word.  It is a revolutionary way to portray stories that many have heard over and over again as well as a life-changing way to present a story that many may have never heard before.  Mime captures the passion of individual characters by making them rely solely on their movement, expression, and emotion as opposed to a script and because of this, it easily engages a wide spectrum of people.  

There are various ways to incorporate mime into an evangelism message whether it is with music or without, with scripture, with a narrator, with a team, or by yourself.  Mime transcends denominational, racial, social, cultural, age, and language barriers.  It is a tool that can be used in churches, on the street, at fairs, in concerts, at revivals, and around the world.  In addition, mime can be combined with a number of other creative arts ministries such as ribbons, flags, sign-language, and drama.  The art of mime is very flexible and diverse.

There are so many people out there who have been convicted with the fact that God’s message is not being advertised.  If you are one of those people, I encourage you to look into using mime as a way to advertise the Gospel.  Let’s give the world a picture they will never forget!