Charles Brammall on being a chaplain to the entertainmnet industry with his ENTER ministry
One of our guiding principles was that my chaplaincy style wasn’t only “problem-centred”. I.e., I didn’t only have an “open door policy” where people were always welcome to come and chat. (This was partly because I didn’t have a “study” in most of the places I was ministering, but generally used their “Green Room”, a great place to meet performers.) But I actively went out and sought people where they were (on set, in studios, OBs, etc) and offered to shout them coffee and get to know them. At the same time, I prayed that God’s Spirit would be softening their hearts. And often, He did, to some extent. We had hundreds of chats about the Gospel of grace. And presumably, some of these have borne Kingdom fruit over the years. I know some have.
Lunchtime Groups
One of our main strategies was to start lunchtime campus and workplace groups for prayer, Bible discussion, and sharing the Gospel. I would put out feelers to see if anyone knew of any Christians in these places, then get in touch and have coffee and say hi. I would gauge if they were interested in starting a lunchtime group together and sensitively try and find out how they were going as a Christian. It was rare to find someone who was mature, Kingdom-minded, and regular at a church- but there were some. When they said, “Yes, I go to church”, it often meant merely Christmas, Easter, weddings, funerals and baptisms. They were very often Orthodox or Roman Catholic.
For a long time, I made the mistake of interpreting “Yes, I go to church” as meaning weekly and to a small group. In my naivety, my idea of “going to church” and theirs were highly different. After a while, God trained me not to make assumptions, 2 Tim 3:16-17:
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Our little embryonic group would agree on a time and place to meet. This was usually on campus or the workplace, but not always, as sometimes it was not allowed. NIDA wouldn’t let us meet inside but would in the public cafe in the foyer of the Parade Theatre, which Mel Gibson donated in 2002 for the equivalent of about $4 million today. (I was allowed inside NIDA as the chaplain, which was a great blessing.) Bradfield College only lets us meet in the courtyard outside. The Tanya Pearson Classical Ballet Academy group met in Three Beans cafe down the road and ate together, the common practice of the other ENTER groups.
We would catch up, pray briefly about things people wanted us to, especially non-Christian friends, read a short Bible passage, discuss it, and then pray about it. We swapped numbers, and I texted them each week to see how they were and check if they were coming the following week. This encouraged commitment and ownership, which I received positive feedback about, as they were often busy and could easily forget the group. People felt looked after and included and warmed to their accountability.
For many years I was running fourteen of these groups each week (between two and three groups a day). At times, we had about a hundred and thirty people coming to groups each week, which was exhilarating but exhausting. It was one of the things that led me to retire after thirteen years and move to a different kind of chaplaincy – hospital. Hospital had a salary (albeit much smaller) as opposed to constant and highly time-consuming support raising. Meanwhile, the pressures of the church continued as we tried to grow the Kingdom in the industry and the Artarmon community.
Our lunchtime groups included the Conservatorium High School, Newtown Performing Arts High, McDonald Performing Arts College North Strathfield, and The Australian Institute of Music (AIM). Also Tanya Pearson Classical Ballet Academy Crowsnest, NIDA, Bradfield College of Creative Arts, and North Sydney TAFE Film and TV School. In addition, Wesley Institute of Performing Arts at Drummoyne (now Excelsia University at North Ryde), AFTRS (The Australia Film, TV and Radio School), and Channel 7 at Naremburn. Also the Shopping Channel at Frenchs Forest, an evangelistic men’s group at an Artarmon cafe, several evening groups, and F2 at Pyrmont (now Fairfax Digital).
The Artarmon cafe group met at 6:15 am, and one of the chaps in the group was almost entirely deaf. So we shouted the Bible at the tops of our voices every morning as commuters got their morning coffee on the way to the station. Several 60s Aussie rock music legends also took an interest in the group, which made for a fun time. There were plenty of bald heads or long grey hair (some of it dyed black), ponytails, piercings, beards and tats. And the stories!
One day, one of the regular non-Christian guys asked for a Bible, so I gave him one. Very exciting. But that was the last time he ever came! Very strange- I have no idea why. It was sad. I’m still in touch with him often, though, and pray daily that he’s still reading God’s Word and will surrender to Jesus. Tony Bonner (“Jerry”, the chopper pilot from “Skippy”) came to the group and approached the Bible in a unique, delightful and instructive way, which helped me as a rusted-on believer. He read it as a writer and actor, and saw the gospels in a way I had never seen. One high-profile actor in the group (who is elderly but in good health) lined me up to attend his funeral.
Trof-fest
The mission basically ran out of my laptop on our dining table (I didn’t even have a study at home), and people donated their large homes for Bible groups and evangelistic dinners. The CEO of Fox Studios regularly donated a venue for “Trof-fest”, our quarterly, sensitively evangelistic dinner (hence the name Trof-fest- food trough). It was for industry people and students, and we analysed about forty minutes of a recent, critically acclaimed art house film. We had dinner, and one of our guests performed a song, scene from a play, stand-up routine, dance, or puppet show. Then, we screened the film segment.
I invited a panel of three high-profile industry people to discuss the issue from their own perspectives. I was the fourth panelist and provided the Christian perspective. This was followed by a Q and A with the audience. Our panelists included stand-up comedian Gary Eck, actors John Howard (“Seachange,” “Blue Heelers,” “Always Greener,”) Tony Bonner, Tony Llewellyn Jones (“Picnic at Hanging Rock”, “Rake,” “Underbelly,”) and Steve Bisley. Also, Bruce Spence (“Mad Max,” “Storm Boy,” “Star Wars,”) and Josephine Mitchell (“Neighbours,” “All Saints,” “Home and Away.”)
Plus Christy Hayes, David Field (“Chopper,” “Two Hands,” “A Moody Christmas”) and Daniel Widdowson. In addition, Country Musician Nathan Tasker, Colin Buchanan, Chef Tony Bilson, and SBS Film Critic Megan Spencer. And ABC Radio broadcaster Angela Catterns, SBS’s Mark Fennell (“Stuff the British Stole,”) SBS Newsreader Anton Enus. Also SBS TV film reviewer Megan Spencer and Steadicam operator Mark Goellnicht (“Flipper,” “Mad Max Fury Road,” “Aquaman”). (A steadicam is a lightweight mounting for a film camera, which keeps it steady for filming when handheld or moving.)
Our films included “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” (Helen Bonham Carter, Robert DeNiro, Kenneth Branagh), and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (Jim Carey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst). Also “Look Both Ways” (Lili Reinhart, Josephine Mitchell and Luke Wilson), “Edward Scissorhands” (Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Vincent Price), and “The Truman Show” (Jim Carey, Laura Linney and Ed Harris).
In addition, “Napoleon Dynamite” (John Heder, Efrem Ramirez, and Haylie Duff), and “Lantana” (Geoffrey Rush, Anthony Lapaglia and Barbara Hershey). Also, “Jindabyne” (Gabriel Byrne, Laura Linney and Deborra-Lee Furness), and “Donnie Darko” (Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barriemore, Seth Rogan). Below is from an article by Rev Matthew Davies in “Sydney Anglicans”, 9 November 2005:
“Movie Workers Invited to ENTER In”
“… Christian actor “Andrew” says it’s hard work talking to those he works with about Jesus.
Many of his friends in the film industry “… have issues that block them from ever wanting to seek God or attend church.”
He believes Trof-fest is just the sort of entry point they need to hear about the Gospel:
“Trof-fest is a way of reaching this people group by breaking down misconceptions and raising ideas that flow naturally out of a film, not in a traditionally preachy way…”
“Surviving and Thriving as a Christian in Entertainment”
Another important strategy was a day conference we ran in the style of the Katoomba Christian Convention, with Bible preaching, seminars, music, entertainment and great food, at a donated venue at Fox Studios. It was called “Surviving and Thriving as a Christian in the Industry”. The conference (and most of our events, Trof-fests and evangelistic dinners were catered sumptuously by our own people in their generosity. Especially Christine Marsh (whose daughter Erin was a broadcaster at Heart FM Radio), Dr Barbara Lucas (a friend of the ministry), Cathy Cook, and Kathy Hawkins. Our speakers for the day were Rev Simon Manchester, and Dr Barry Webb from Moore College on Ruth; and Nashville Australian country singer Nathan Tasker performed.
SP. L. A. T.
Another important strategy was our holiday Kidz Klub SP.L.A.T. (Sport, Life, Art, Theatre) that we ran for six years. Our expert “namer” again was at work again. Up to one hundred and twenty kids came each year, and tragically, we eventually had to start turning kids away. It was a great hit in the community, and the news spread quickly. Again, SPLAT was not my brainchild, nor did I organise it. To do so would have been beyond my fairly narrow skill set. And again one of our elders graciously stepped in and helped with vision setting, planning, and admin.
SPLAT was a kids’ club with a different from other holiday kids clubs- two fundamental differences, actually. Firstly, the drama it started with each morning, which we wrote. They taught the Bible and were on different themes each year, including Narnia, Spies, Detective, Jungle, Circus, etc. The sets for these were made by one of our lovely elders, architect David Cook, complete with big top, rustic doors, medieval lamp posts, snow, the “WarDrobe”, and the White Queen’s ice chariot. David was generous, creative and skilled, and is a dear friend to this day. He and his wife Cathy actually hosted my wife Chiq and my wedding and reception on the grounds of their beautiful heritage home and catered the wedding as their second gift to us!
Secondly, after the drama, discussion groups and morning tea each morning, the kids broke into different activities they had requested when they applied. The choices were sport, drama, science, or art. In terms of the science and art strands, our policy was novel (but not with completeagreement from the team). We decided the art/crafts and science projects each day should never be the kind of things kids would just throw out when they get home (“paper plates with cotton wool glued to them”, etc).
They had to be things that the kids would want to keep for the rest of their lives, or at least a very long time. Consequently, in the weeks leading up to SPLAT, I could be seen driving desperately all around Sydney, sourcing very specific equipment. Things like tiny electrical components, little squares of glass, small two-way mirrors, perspex, etc. As a result, the sport, art, science and theatre components were very popular, and one of the biggest draw cards for families in the community. One year, the drama elective was ”School of Rock”, modeled on Jack Black’s film and the subsequent stage show. It was a hoot.
I didn’t delegate as I should have as we prepared for SPLAT (although, as a small ministry and church, there weren’t many people available anyway). And they were all working hard already, so we didn’t want them to burn out or become discouraged or resentful (which some of them did, sadly, to my shame). This is one of the mistakes we made as a ministry, but we did care for the kids who came. However, we also had some sad experiences:
One day at SPLAT. we found a little girl sitting on her own crying, and asked if she was okay. She told us that every single one of her afternoons, nights and weekend days were filled up with co-curricular activities: piano, violin, sport, Kumon, gymnastics, swimming, tutoring, coaching etc. She was just feeling overwhelmed. Poor little thing, she was exhausted, with no time to rest, ever. Nor was she the only one- we met and cared for many children like her. Partly a product of living in upwardly mobile mortgaged Artarmon I think. Her parents instilled no ethic of rest in her, Hebrews 4:1-11:
“…the promise to enter (God’s) rest remains,… we who have believed enter the rest,… On the seventh day God rested from all his works… Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. For the person who has entered His rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his. Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest,…”
I pray that little girl and the many others got a glimpse of God’s rest at SPLAT, are amongst His chosen people, and finally enterthat rest.
“Frenzy” and “Ignite”
Another important strategy was to plant two youth groups at church, “Frenzy” and “Ignite”. We recruited children early by starting in kindergarten class at school. Several of us taught Scripture, and I would say to the kindy class, “Only five more years before you can come to Youth Group!” (Our junior Youth Group started in the 4th term of year 5). Every week, I would tell them the number of years and terms they still had until they could finally start coming. As the time grew closer and closer each year, their excitement built. Finally, the long-awaited day arrived, and they were jumping out of their skin. Often, a large group would turn up on the first night, with some becoming regular and surrendering to Jesus into adulthood to this day. Some have gone into entertainment themselves as musicians, puppeteers, and musical theatre performers and share the Gospel there. God is good all the time.
Once a term at youth group, we had special nights, many with an entertainment edge. For example, Movie Night, “Gross” Games (including eating chocolate sauce out of a disposable nappy!), Theatre Sports, Giant Games (Chess etc), and Amazing Race around the streets of Willoughby. Also, Luna Park, a homemade slip and slide, and the night-time “Possum Walk” end with a BBQ and swim at Clifton Gardens, Manly Waterworks, and Bonfire night. Also regressive dinners, minigolf, Mums’ and Dads’ nights, and BBQ at Forty Baskets Beach.
Our philosophy came from a seminal book about youth work, “No Guts No Glory”, by Al Stewart and Ed Vaughn. Youth work must be primarily based on an expository study of God’s Words together and a short, bespoke address on a passage, doctrine or Biblical topic. Endless games or activities followed by a short topical talk, which may or may not be from the Bible, shouldn’t be the raison d’etre. We hired the local Scout Hall for youth groups, which was smallish but relatively cheap.
Our Youth work (at least at first) was quite difficult. The original group was our son and one or two of his friends. As most clergy children in small churches, he felt responsible for growing the group and getting his friends along. This was a stress that he could have done without, and it made the youth group a radically different experience for him than for most kids. We would have loved him (as would he), to be more anonymous in a large group within a large church. I tried never to put pressure on him, but I think he felt it anyway. Our groups never grew beyond fifteen, but gee, they were fun and uplifting.
Conferences and Weekends Away
We took ENTER and ACC to many Bible teaching conventions, including CMS Summer School, Easter Convention, and the MTS conference (Ministry Training Strategy- a two year ministry apprenticeship). Also “Club 5” (the ministry recruitment conference), Youth Convention, and Men’s and Women’s Conventions. Generous Christians have for decades now donated their holiday houses in the mountains to us.
We also organised our own Bible teaching weekend away each year, with speakers like Peter Bolt, Mark Thompson from Moore College on the Reformation’s “Four Solas”, and Barry Webb on Ruth. Also Archie Poulos, Mark Gilbert from “Certainty4Eternity” (helping us share the Gospel with people from a Roman Catholic background), and Craig Josling on “The Swedish Method” of Bible Study.
Vignette- Starstruck?
Was I ever starstruck? Only once, and it was with the first profile entertainer I ever met- “The Bill”’s Russell Boulter, a lovely evangelical Christian (and heartthrob character DS John Boulton). We have become dear friends. He had come to Australia for a shoot and had heard about ENTER. We arranged to have coffee at City Extra at the Quay, and I arrived and spied him in a corner. He waved, a big, friendly smile on his face, and I began to walk over.
Suddenly, my briefcase fell open with a loud snap, and all its contents spilt on the floor and fluttered everywhere in the Harbour breeze. I feltclumsy and embarrassed, but Russ jumped up, ran straight over, and helped me pick it all up again, bless him. This was the moment at which my misconception that profile entertainers are somehow a different breed of people was exploded. They are not. Russ (and every other profile performer) is just a normal guy or girl. Julia Roberts’ movie star character in “Notting Hill” expresses it well to “normal guy” Hugh Grant when he says he can’t go out with her because she’s a huge star. She says
“I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”
I became dear friends with Russ, and we still keep in touch.