POY! SKIT GUIDELINES:
- In a small group, participants might simply read their lines, or glance at their lines to get the idea so they can speak in their own words.
- Most POY! skits require no practice in advance.
- Have any small children play a brief part. Most scripts have an optional part for children, listed last under Participants.
- Most scripts have a Narrator who should read the script beforehand to see how to keep moving the story along.
- It is not necessary to employ costumes and objects, unless the skit recommends such.
- It is not required to have an audience watch the skit. All present may participate.
- Scripture and paraphrases, if any, usually appear in bold.
PARTICIPANTS:
(If you are a small groups, then simply read your lines, or glance at them to get the idea and speak in your own words.):
Narrator (Read through the script beforehand to see how you can move the story along. Small groups need not practice in advance.)
Jonah (make your hair wet and disheveled, make you clothes appear messy)
Citizen
Leader & Crowd. (Having a Crowd is optional, and it can be any number of persons, They are merely to repeat Leader’s words.)
SCRIPT:
| Narrator |
The first instance in Scripture of a foreign missionary is found in… Well, let’s see! |
| Jonah |
(Limp in groaning, hair and clothes messed up.) Sir! Sir! Which way leads to Nineveh? |
| Citizen |
Nineveh?! That evil city! Hey, man, you for sure don’t want to go to Nineveh! |
| Jonah |
You’re right; I sure don’t want to—but the alternative’s been a bit worse! My name’s Jonah. |
| Citizen |
Well, Jonah, if you must go there, (Point at audience) there they are. The Ninevites! |
| Jonah |
(Shade your eyes as though peering at the audience from a distance.) |
| Leader & Crowd: (optional) |
More whiskey! More whiskey! |
| Citizen |
Ooo! (Hold your nose.) You reeking of fish, Jonah! Yuk! You stink! Where’ve you been? |
| Jonah |
If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. |
| Citizen |
Of course I’d believe you; it’s obvious you’ve been some place really weird! |
| Jonah |
Well, it was sort of the other way around. Actually, I was… No, you’d never believe me!
|
| Citizen |
Sure, I’ll believe you. Wow! I have to believe you! Where were you? |
| Jonah |
Well, I was sailing to Tarshish to avoid prophesying God’s punishment to Nineveh, when the Almighty sent a storm and was about to sink our boat. |
| Citizen |
You’re right. I don’t believe you! Get out of here! (Raise fist, chase Jonah away.) |
| Narrator |
The next scene takes place recently. A modern Jonah is in today’s Tarshish, the city to which Jonah tried to flee. |
| Jonah |
Sir! Sir! Which way is Tarshish? I need to go there! |
| Citizen |
Tarshish! You’re already in Tarshish! |
| Jonah |
But the sign on the highway said (name of local city). |
| Citizen |
That’s its old name. They forgot to change the sign. |
| Leader & Crowd: (optional) |
Welcome to Tarshish! Welcome to Tarshish! |
| Jonah |
Well, I’ve finally arrived! (To audience) I’m your new missionary, you straying pagans! |
| Citizen |
What? Am I hearing right? Another missionary’s come here to our city? |
| Jonah |
Of course. Here I am, you lucky people! Where can I rent a large, well-furnished house? |
| Ninevite |
Hey, I’ve been pastoring here for 20 years! The last thing we need is another Western missionary come to turn the clock back! Go find a town where there aren’t any churches? Go to Nineveh, Yemen, Laos or Eritrea. |
| Jonah |
But my great-great grandfather was a missionary to this country. |
| Citizen |
So you’re going to stay here and start another turf war with our churches? |
| Jonah |
Then, there must be errors in your doctrine; otherwise my mission-minded church wouldn’t have sent me here. |
| Citizen |
What do you call your church? |
| Jonah |
We’re the First Independent, Separated, One and Only, True Dogma Church! |
DISCUSS:
What attitudes and plans would you advise the modern missionary to change?
Very good story to share