Happy Thanksgiving from Graceworks

You'll see a superstorm sequence in this year's Graceworks Thanksgiving card...

Click to enlarge.

I'm thankful for 11 years of helping people find freedom in their public speaking through our work.

This year our founding CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer), Carol Doscher, was a MasterClass instructor at MasterWorks. Since many of our principles are based on acting techniques it was thrilling to take the workshop we've used all over the world in businesses and re-apply it to acting. I've been wanting to bring her out for many years, and this was the perfect season since our play, The Jeweler's Shop, offered our students many opportunities to speak directly to the audience. I was so proud of our cast! They were so connected to each other and to each audience.

I'm thankful, too, that we'll be returning to NYC next summer!


Graceworks Inc.
470 West End Ave. New York, NY 10024
212-724-1541 | info@graceworksinc.com | www.graceworksinc.com
© 2009 - 2012 Graceworks Inc.

Euna Lee spoke to our students about her imprisonment in NK

This summer I wanted our MasterWorks students to meet media professionals, so I asked Euna Lee if she'd share about her imprisonment in North Korea. She set aside a project so that she could do it to meet our students' tight time frame, and Mastermedia brought in a great group of professionals.

Here's a short news piece I uploaded to CNN about our relief work through Actors InC and the Salvation Army (www.USE.SalvationArmy.org).

Actors Giving in Christ

ireport.cnn.com

Actors InC worked through the Salvation Army to help with relief efforts in Staten Island following the devastation from Superstorm Sandy.   For more information visit 

Interview on Focus Today

Here's a recent interview on Focus Today on The Dove, in which I talk about our upcoming documentary, Grace to the Nations: 2012. We showed a preview there in Southern Oregon a few weeks ago, and hope to release the final version soon. Sign up at RichDrama.com/Updates to find out details.

Love Is a Blessing

Pastor Joyce Swingle preaches on 1 Peter 2:9-10.

Opening scripture, Psalm 100 (NIV), read by Bill H. Rich Swingle introduced Dr. Patrick Kavanaugh, director of The MasterWorks Festival. Prayer by Pastor Rachel Taylor. Closing benediction from Jude 1:24-25 by Bill H.



To be sure to receive information on the documentary Pastor Joyce mentions about their trip to Romania sign up for emails at RichDrama.com/Updates. The play Pastor Joyce mentions that refers to King Kedorlaomer is Views of the Manger.

This service is available for download free on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.

Spotify is a third party source and its advertisements are not endorsed by Westchester Chapel.

Treasure Givers

Our church hosts a monthly outreach for children ages 5 to 10 called Treasure Seekers. We'll meet this coming Sunday, Nov. 18! Come one, come all to find the Greatest Treasure Ever! At the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 66 Hale in White Plains at 11 a.m.

An Ipoh connection

We were waited on yesterday by two people from Ipoh, Malaysia, where Joyce preached and I performed Beyond the Chariots. One of the women said in 24 years she hadn't run into someone who had been to Ipoh. The other one knows how to make white coffee (a mix of coffee, tea and milk that is just an amazing experience), but she couldn't make it for us because the restaurant didn't have the right machine.

Pray that the Lord works through this experience to draw both of these women to Himself.

Love Is Loyal

Pastor Joyce Swingle preaches on Romans 12:10, Mark 14:32-42, Psalm 51:10-12.

Opening prayer and Psalm 23 by Pastor Linda Warren.

Closing comments and prayer by Bill H.



 This service is available for download free on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.



Spotify is a third party source and its advertisements are not endorsed by Westchester Chapel. 

A sketch from scratch

Friday night I led a church drama team in a workshop in which we created a sketch from scratch through sociodrama. I guess the woman who runs their drama troupe was getting all these questions she couldn't answer like, "How long will it be?" "How much of the stage will you use?" "How many people will be in it?" We took the passage of scripture the pastor gave us, and through the structured improv of sociodrama we created a sketch that was so ideal to the sermon that when the sketch was over the pastor said, "Well, that was the sermon. You can all go home." He went on to preach a brilliant sermon, but he alluded to the sketch no less than five times through the course of the sermon. I was SO proud of them! Every single person contributed something to the script. They're all listed as playwrights.

Trevor the Treasure Seeker

The Treasure Seekers -- our new Children's Church for ages 5 through 10 -- starts this coming Sunday, Oct. 14. Bring your children to join in the search for the Treasure who lasts! A Moving Up Ceremony for those in our nursery program will take place during the main service. Following that, the children will be dismissed into their new class where they will meet Treasure Seekers and start their Great Adventure in the Word!

Service time is 11 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza, 66 Hale Ave., in White Plains, NY.

MasterWorks alum voted favorite character for In His Steps

Congratulations to Samuel Carr, a MasterWorks Festival alum, who was voted favorite character in the web series In His Steps...

And the winner of our favorite character poll is... Jasper Chase!

Like ·  · Promote · Share

• 

  Rich Swinglehttps://www.facebook.com/InHisStepsTheSeries
  

  
  

  In His Steps: The Series

  
  

  ‎"In His Steps: The Series" tells the story of a pastor, a musician, an heiress ...See More

  Page: 463 like this

Love Always Trusts

Though it's a shame that today's outdoor service and picnic was canceled, it is the last day of Sukkot, the Hebrew Feast of Tabernacles described in Nehemiah 8. During the days of feasting one of the prayers is for rain!

So Lord, we thank you for answered prayer! We praise You for a new way to meet with You.

Pastor Joyce went ahead and preached the sermon she prepared on I Corinthians 13:7 and I Peter 4:12-19. The worship line-up that Bill H. prepared is below. You can fulfill one of the lines: "May our homes be filled with dancing!" Gather as a family, worship and be encouraged.



Opening and closing comments and prayers are by Rich Swingle. You can order the book Rich mentioned in his closing comments, Tortured for Christ, for free by clicking the box below.

This service is available for download free on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.

One Nation One Day

Tracy Trost, who directed me in A Christmas Snow, is going to be a part of this amazing outreach to Honduras on July 20, 2013. They'll have 18 prayer rallies in 18 large venues in 18 states simultaneously. But there will be months of outreach leading up to that day. I have friends from Honduras who report that it has gotten much worse since I was there in 2005. You can read my journal from that trip here.

One Nation One Day

www.1nation1day.com

Love Always Protects

Every fifth Sunday our church, Westchester Chapel, invites the children to join us for the entire service, which is designed around them. Today, Pastor Randy Solomon preached on I Corinthians 13:7 with illustrations from II Kings, Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah. Dramatic performances by Sir Michael Quimby, played by Rich Swingle. Announcements, closing comments and prayer by Pastor Joyce Swingle.



Pastor Randy referred to John Piper's talk on John G. Paton and his work among the Cannibals of what is now Vanuatu, which you can hear in it's entirety: You Will Be Eaten by Cannibals! Lessons from the Life of John G. Paton.

This service is available for download free on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.

Trade of Innocents

MasterWorks Festival MasterClass instructor Bev Holloway invited Joyce and me to join her and her husband, Doug, at the World Premiere of TRADE OF INNOCENTS, a film for which Bev was casting director and also served as a producer.

This phenomenal film stars Academy Award-winner Mira Sorvino and Durmot Mulroney (My Best Friend's Wedding, The Grey, About Schmidt). It's based on real stories the screenwriter heard and experienced in Cambodia.

Visit www.TradeOfInnocentsMovie.com to find out if it will be playing in your area, and then get everyone you can to go on opening weekend, starting October 5. Their tag line is "Justice Needs a Hero. Be One." If you want to do something to stop human trafficking get friends to see this film. That will start a buzz and raise awareness.

Despite the heavy topic, this film is very tactful in how it portrays this evil billion dollar industry.

An International Reach

I'm so encouraged to see how many nations are represented by folks that read my blog:

Pageviews by Countries

Entry	Pageviews
United States	14330
China	1459
Russia	1045
Germany	815
United Kingdom	745
Ukraine	578
South Korea	395
Netherlands	368
Taiwan	326
Slovenia	313

Unconditional

This film is spectacular!

I heard a teenager say, "I thought one Kleenex would be enough. I needed seven!" The ample crowd in our Times Square showing applauded as the credits rolled. 

Support this opening weekend! It's that kind of a show. 

We have a number of friends at Here's Life Inner City, which was thanked in the credits. 

It's rated PG-13 for some violence: not for young kids, but this would be powerful for older teens.

Unconditional (2012)

www.imdb.com

Directed by Brent McCorkle. With Lynn Collins, Michael Ealy, Bruce McGill, Kwesi Boakye. A woman's idyllic life is shattered when her husband is killed in a senseless act of violence. As she prepares to take matters into her own hands, two unexpected encounters begin to change everything.

Africa

We have invitations to perform and teach in Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Rwanda and Nigeria. But none of them can get us to Africa. We need your help to impact them with the love of God through drama.

My grandparents taught at the Rift Valley Academy outside of Nairobi in the '40s, and my mom and aunt attended school there. It would be the fulfilment of a prayer of my heart from when I was old enough to understand their stories.

Donate now at RichDrama.com/Donate. We are not a non-profit organization, so you cannot claim it as a tax deduction.

Thank you so much!

Rich and Joyce

P.S. Make sure you're subscribed to our emailings to find out when the trip is happening: RichDrama.com/Updates.

Missions Through Arts

On September 29 I'm performing and teaching at the English East Coast Joint Mission Day 2012.

View and download the handout from the conference by clicking here.

If you know of other groups that are using the arts in missions, please post their websites as a comment.

Vulnerable

Click here for an outstanding sermon by my former professor from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Some gems: "Charisma without character is catastrophe." "'You're credible with us because you became vulnerable with us.' ...Christ is most credible because He made himself most vulnerable."