Area churches offering walk-through drama of Judgement House

This year marks the church's 10th anniversary of Lynwood Baptist Church's Judgment House, a drama that shows scenes from life and their consequences in the afterlife.

Susan Russell, national volunteer trainer and co-director at Lynwood Baptist, has been involved with Judgement House at the church since the beginning. She has presented it 14 times and trained other ministries outside of Missouri.

Guests are led through nine rooms at a Judgement House that together tell a story. The last three rooms are hell, judgement and heaven. Describing the remaining rooms would take away from the suspense, Russell said. Prior themes have been car and airplane crashes and a murder committed by a dysfunctional family member.

"It's a very rewarding ministry outreach experience because it's a very honest way of explaining to people that by not making a choice and not choosing Jesus Christ, you've made a choice," Russell said.

Mark Strickland turned down the offer to play Jesus when Judgement House began. But after a few years he told the committee, "I'll do it in 2001."

ELIZABETH DODD ~ edodd@semissourian.comBarb Crain of Cape Girardeau is the guide that leads people through Judgement House, which will be performed Wednesday through Saturday.

He played Jesus from 2001 to 2006.

"It's humbling being a physical form of Jesus to them," Strickland said. "I've enjoyed seeing their facial expressions and how they respond to the presentation."

Strickland, said he sees Judgement House as an outreach to young people to physically see that while we're still living they can make a choice to have a relationship with Jesus.

"We're helping people realize they can make a choice while there's still time," said Strickland, whose entire family is involved this year. His wife, 4-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son are angels; his 13-year-old son plays one of the main characters.

Judgement House, a nondenominational, not-for-profit organization founded by Tom Hudgins in 1983 as a student minister in Moody, Ala., has been done in 34 states and seven other countries. Any evangelical church or organization with an evangelism mission that agrees to abide by the terms laid out by the covenant partner agreement can produce a Judgement House presentation.

"It's awesome," said Barb Crain, a Judgement House guide for 10 years who assists the group in understanding the story. "It's really exciting to be a guide. There's lots of script to memorize. You give a tour. You're assigned to 25 people, and take them from start to finish during the hour tour."

Crain said she has seen many life changing experiences as a guide.

"Whole families come in not really knowing what it's going to be about and have an experience accepting Christ," she said.

She said sometimes families and individuals arrive with obvious family problems.

"You can just tell in the beginning that they seem angry or there's hostility in the family. As they see the scenes unfold their hearts melt and there's reconciliation at the end," Crain said. "Many who come through are already Christians. About 25 percent of those who come through make decisions to become Christians."

Lynwood Baptist Church will hold its 10th anniversary Judgement House from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday. Reservation passes are available now for a $2 donation. for all ages. For more information, call 334-4600 or visit www.judgementhouse.org.

First Baptist Church of Perryville, 416 N. Main St., will hold Judgement House from 6 to 9:45 p.m. today and from 5 to 7:45 p.m. Sunday.

cpagano@semissourian.com

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