Nominate Your Pastor to Appear on an Episode of "The Committee"

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Dec. 1, 2015 /Discipleship Ministries/ – The fictional Park Grove Community Church of the Chuck Knows Church series, “The Committee,” has lost its pastor and its way. It will soon close its doors unless it reinvents itself. Can your pastor help save Park Grove?

The production staff and cast of “The Committee,” a humorous and thought-provoking online series produced by Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church, is looking for a real pastor to make a cameo appearance on the final episode of the series.

“With only a few episodes left to the series, we wanted to find a way to thank the thousands of congregations that have supported the show,” said Steve Horswill-Johnston, Executive Director of Communications and Brand Strategy at Discipleship Ministries and Chuck Knows Church creator and senior producer. “We believe having a real pastor in the last episode will be a way of expressing that gratitude.”

To enter, create a simple video and upload it to YouTube, or write a statement explaining why your pastor can save Park Grove Community Church. When considering your pastor for the role of Park Grove’s new pastor, “The Committee” production staff wants to know:

• What do you love about your pastor?
• How has he or she served your church?
• Why is your pastor a good fit for Park Grove?
  

There are no requirements for what to include in your entry, and production value is not as important as effectively telling Discipleship Ministries why your pastor can change Park Grove Community Church. Submit your entry at facebook.com/chuckknowschurch. The deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 10, and the selected pastor will be announced on the Chuck Knows Church Facebook page on Wednesday, Jan. 13. For complete rules and details go to: ChuckKnowsChurch.com/save-park-grove.

“We hope congregations and their members will be creative about showing us why their pastor is uniquely qualified to lead the make-believe Park Grove Community Church,” Horswill-Johnston said. “We know that all the pastors nominated will be qualified, so we will have a hard time choosing.”

The winning pastor will come to Nashville for a walk-on scene in the final episode of “The Committee,” to be filmed in February. All travel-related expenses will be paid. In addition, the pastor will receive a tour of Discipleship Ministries and United Methodist Communications and will eat lunch with the cast.

The first five video entries will receive a personalized video message from Chuck and the Park Grove committee members. Every entry will receive a signed photo of Chuck.

“The Committee,” which premiered on Jan. 12, 2015, examines the struggles congregations face as they look toward to the future. The show uses real-world topics to stimulate discussions in local churches. Each free episode is designed for both individual viewing and group study, with an accompanying free downloadable study guide available at ChuckKnowsChurch.com. Fans can also follow the show at facebook.com/chuckknowschurch. When the series ends in early 2016, there will be 15 full episodes of 10-13 minutes each, with at least one shorter SUB-Committee episode accompanying each episode.

The mission of Discipleship Ministries is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, Discipleship Ministries is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, visit the Press Center or call the Communications Office at (877) 899-2780, Ext. 1726.