While the medieval cathedral was the geographic and spiritual center of many towns throughout Europe, the modern American Renaissance Faire is much more likely to be an exaltation of all things pagan. The Ren Faire in our hometown of Las Cruces, N.M., includes psychics and New Age crystals, but little in the way of a Christian presence.
It was into this setting that our youth group felt called to go.
The St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church high schoolers were passionate about reaching out to the unchurched in our area in some form, but none of their former outreach activities interested them. After much discussion, our youth group felt called to bring a Christian presence into our local Ren Faire, especially to reach out to those who might never have considered or experienced Christianity.
One senior commented, “We wanted to get out into the community to spread God’s Word. We wanted to impact the lives of people who may not have been reached before.”
Seeking a Symbol
How should we present ourselves to our chosen audience? I prepared our youth for the possibility that anything even remotely Christian would be unwelcome at the Faire and discussed potential alternatives.
The possibility of active denial only seemed to energize them even more. They were doing something dangerous enough spiritually that someone might actually want to stop them.
After many discussions, we decided to create a small cathedral. While the Faire sports a dragon in the park pond, a rat catcher with a catapult and areas for mock battles, the organizers were reluctant to allow a cathedral to be built on the grounds, citing the separation of church and state.
At this point, God intervened, and Arts Council board members lobbied on our behalf. Our application for a booth finally was accepted. Now the work of construction and preparation would begin.
Getting to Work
The high schoolers had little idea what it was going to take to construct a rudimentary structure suggesting a cathedral. Each youth had ideas about what made a given structure a cathedral. These ideas were discussed, and a design plan was drawn up with the idea of keeping it easy and quick enough to assemble at the Faire, yet with the feeling of a cathedral.
The actual construction took place during two weekends. The construction consisted of standard 2X4 stud walls in easily mobile sections to which sheathing would be attached. The roof was made of 4X4s reaching as high a peak as possible, simulating the beams of an old cathedral, and was left open to accentuate the look of the beaming.
Adults volunteered to assist with the construction and painting, and a local artist helped us create an exterior that looked like stone. Stained glass windows were created from pieces of colored cellophane sandwiched between sheets of clear contact paper. Monks robes were sewn. Everything was in place.
Honing Our Message
It wasn’t enough to build a cathedral; our youth group realized a Christian edifice alone would fail to communicate true faith in Jesus Christ. Liturgical worship is an important part of our church, so the youth decided to follow the Benedictine model of daily prayer. Because they were hoping to reach people who had no Christian experience, prayer books were printed that included liturgical prayers and Bible readings in the hopes that people would take the prayer books with them, bringing home at least a little bit of Scripture from the Ren Faire.
The kids also chose to lead Bible studies to share Scripture with people who might not have heard it before. They decided to prepare introductory Bible studies, particularly focused on inviting non-Christians into a relationship with Jesus.
The youth also felt that prayer was important. “People need prayer. We wanted to pray on behalf of people,” commented one student. Visitors would be invited to fill out prayer request slips, and the kids planned intercessory prayer time. The cathedral would become an oasis of prayer within the noise and chaos of the Ren Faire.
Finally, the kids wanted to provide a quiet space for people to encounter God. Faire goers would be invited to come into the cathedral and spend some time with God. There was nothing else like this at the Faire. Our youth group clearly was going to be a counter-cultural presence.
Throughout these preparations, the high schoolers continued to enlist the prayer support of the congregation, as well as pray themselves. Each evening together ended with prayer for their presence at the Ren Faire and for those God wanted them to touch.
Reaching Out
The morning of the Ren Faire dawned clear and sunny, and we were ready to go. As people milled around the surrounding booths, the high schoolers called out, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God!” and invited the passersby to join them in morning prayer.
The responses varied. While some folks came in and prayed, many were clearly uncomfortable with a Christian church in the midst of the Faire. Perhaps most strikingly, our high schoolers noted that many children were drawn to the cathedral, pulling their parents toward the door and asking to go in, only to be dragged away to other booths.
One parent was overheard telling his child that she really didn’t want to go in the cathedral. Our kids noted that many people, particularly adults, would not make eye contact with them and actively avoided them. It was an important lesson for them about the response of many in our culture to Jesus.
Of all their interactions, the ones that most touched our kids were with people who had no previous experience of Christ. “A Jewish woman came in and wanted to convert,” said one of our group members. “She came to all of the services that day.”
Another senior said, “One family came in and sat down. The mom said they had never been to church before and had no idea what to do. We led them in evening prayer. They ended up taking a Bible home with them and saying they would come to our church!” This family we reached at the Faire has been coming faithfully to St. Andrew’s ever since.
Unpacking the Experience
There were several other unanticipated outcomes of our time at the Faire. Unexpectedly, the cathedral won the award for best booth. Even more unexpectedly, the local PBS TV station did a segment on the Ren Faire, with much of that dedicated to the cathedral. There were interviews with the kids, shots of the cathedral and a clip of the Bible. Even now, we continue to be amazed at the ways Jesus was proclaimed through the cathedral.
The biggest impact was on the kids themselves. They heard God speak to them, and they responded. As a result, they are now more on fire for God than ever before.
One of our high schoolers said, “It showed us how much God moved through everybody.” Another commented, “I think it benefitted us as much as other people.”
Through our efforts, the kids had reached out to others with the message of Jesus. Said one, “We impacted other people’s lives.” A second high schooler agreed, saying, “It was worth it if I got through to just one person.”
Grace La Torra is a Youth Leader at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Las Cruces, N.M., where she loves to watch the Holy Spirit moving in the lives of the high schoolers. This is her first article for YouthWorker Journal.
Mark Hammersmith contributed his talents as a Habitat for Humanity volunteer.
