Puppet Ministry
ZELIENOPLE — They dance to a hip-hop version of "Jesus Loves Me" and sing along to a Latino-style "Amazing Grace."
They're red, white, yellow and black. They wear colorful clothes — and some even glow in the dark.
They're all puppets who live in the fellowship room at St. Peter's Reformed Church on East Grandview Avenue. And they're all used to spreading the word of God to anyone who'll listen.
The Rev. Jim Bertoti brought the puppets with him five years ago when he came to Zelienople from Reading.
He attended a conference on children's ministry and heard about the puppets there. It wasn't long until he initiated them in to his own congregation and called them His Royal Hands Puppet Ministry.
He knows the puppets have the ability to transcend generations and appeal to young and old alike. That's why the puppets are booked for shows at venues like Passavant Retirement Community and for groups like Mothers of Multiples.
Bertoti said they get "incredible feedback" from the community and already have shows booked through 2010. Most of all, he said the puppets bring new life into his 150-year-old congregation.
"There's people clapping, hooting and hollering," he said. "It really brings a lot of joy to the older folks."
The puppets have great stories to tell, stories told by the teenagers who operate them behind a curtain. Those teenagers act out different scenes and Bible passages, like the birth of Jesus at Christmas or his Resurrection at Easter.Bertoti said it's amazing to watch the puppets dance. It's even more amazing, he said, to watch the teenagers be themselves and let loose under a cloak of secrecy."It's great because there's a curtain keeping them from being seen, so all of their inhibitions are gone," he said. "They know they can let go and have fun, and they do."Dane and Tammy Stauffer are the puppet masters at the church. They lead the practices and performances and determine what material lands in the final show.Dane Stauffer said it gets strenuous working with the 15 youth puppeteers. They range in age from 12 to 18, and he admitted it's "challenging" to work with them sometimes.He and his wife hold hour-long practices every Sunday night just to prepare for their several yearly shows. But it's all worth it when he sees the fruits of his labor after a puppet show."You watch them perform, and it makes what we do really worthwhile," he said.Craig Stauffer, 16 and one of four Stauffer children, is a puppeteer who thoroughly enjoys his work. He said he often loses himself in his character, something that makes the puppet show even more lively and entertaining."The more you act and get into the song, the more the puppet gets into it and the better it looks," he said. "A lot of times I'm more into it than the puppets. It's really a lot of fun."He said the best part of puppeteering is the reaction it gets from the crowd."It's the satisfaction of seeing peoples' faces while bringing God to them through puppets," he said. "We go to nursing homes and it's great to see how into it they are watching these silly puppets. Watching them is very fulfilling."
Dane Stauffer and his wife choreograph the puppets' dance show even without previous experience.The shows change according to their audience, Stauffer said, which is one reason why they're so popular.They break out tunes from older times: Frankie Valli's "Sherry" becomes "Mary" and Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild" becomes "Born to be King."Bertoti buys compact discs with these alternative songs from the same company that sells the puppets. New songs lead to new shows and, ultimately, a new story or lesson to perform from the Bible.Dane Stauffer said the puppet group already has five shows booked for Christmas and another five for next spring, and the church never charges admission for the shows. He said the trick is being "bold and creative" with costumes, music and themes.Most of all, he said, it's about keeping the audience focused on the real message."It's about spreading the word (of God) in a fun way. This isn't about a suit-and-tie Sunday morning service, even though there is a time and a place for that. This is just another way."Bertoti said they also use bubble machines and colorful lights to add to the performances. His wife creates the flamboyant costumes, but the puppets come from a company in Colorado.He said each puppet costs anywhere from $80 to $150, a price he's more than willing to pay because of the joy they bring. The church already has more than 50 puppets and Bertoti said they're not slowing down any time soon."They're very much worth it," he said. "The church is so supportive of the ministry because of the word it gets out, but it also keeps the kids involved too."
