The NightMare
We took some of the teens from our church to the NightMare tonight. The NightMare is a Christian themed haunted house in Tulsa, OK, presented by Guts Church. They have done an exceptional job with this presentation.
While we were in line (close to the front, within the first couple of hundred), we watched another five to six hundred people arrive and line up after us. The NightMare will see approximtely 40,000 people this year, and have the opportunity to present the Gospel to them. That is awesome!
Based on the quality of the presentation we saw tonight, we estimated that Guts Church probably invested well over $100,000 into this opportunty to present the Word to the world. That’s awesome, too!
They started us off in a mortuary, where we saw a body in a coffin. They announced that we were dead, and that this was the beginning of our NightMare. After leaving the mortuary, we entered an elevator, which descended into hell.
From there we journeyed through a series of real-life situations: fatal car accidents, drug and alcohol abuse, rape, abortion, suicide, gang violence, and more. Most of these were portrayed with explicitly real-looking effects. For example, in one suicide, a man placed a gun into his mouth and fired. Using Hollywood level effects, “brain matter” splattered all over the wall behind him. The realness of these situations was very sobering.
After viewing so many events, which we were informed were happening every two minutes across America, we entered a room where four men were flogging another. And from there, we witnessed the crucifixion. Both of these events were very realistic looking.
Our final stage was a man simply talking to us, telling us that all of the events we just saw were simply our imagination. It was all simply part of our NightMare. But as his face morphed into the face of a horned demon, he uttered these words, “Or was it…?”
As we exited the building, each individual was asked if they had a personal relationship with Jesus. If not, they were prepared to explain the Gospel message right there on the spot. And with the potential to have 40,000 people through their event this month, that’s an incredible opportunity to see Kingdom growth!
Guts Church has done an incredible job with this presentation. I, for one, was very impressed. I look forward to going again next year, and seeing how they have improved on a near-perfect production.
If you get the chance to go, I highly encourage it. However, if you have a weak stomach, be advised: it is graphic. So much so that they won’t let anyone in under 12 years of age. But it’s very realistic.
Kudos to Guts Church and the NightMare!