In a world dominated by large record companies and publishers, UK emerging church pioneers Jonny Baker and Jon Birch, along with Canadian Administrator Aad Vermeyden, dared to think outside the box. So, they launched Proost UK as an outlet to nurture independent artists, musicians, authors and other creative types. Their current catalog includes music, books, short animated films, video loops and other Christian resources designed for group and individual reflection.
Peter Gunstone, Worship Pastor/Music Director for St. Andrews Church, Oxford, reflects how Proost, named after the Dutch word that specifically blesses the hearer with health upon the occasion of having a drink, offers a healthy tonic of material to engage today’s generation of Christians, and others who are not so sure, with our awesomely creative and unrestrained God. In particular, he loves how Si Smith’s movie 40 brings to life Jesus’ experiences in the wilderness in ways that enable the viewer to get beyond the typical “he did this, then that, then the other.” Instead, through 40 cartoon slides, youth can explore every probable facet of Jesus’ existence in those long days before His public ministry began. 40 also is available in book form for those who prefer to conduct meditations using hard copy.
Another popular animation is Jon Birch’s manga style Twelve Stations animation, which depicts Jesus’ journey to the cross. Birch’s other creations include a series of interactive flash confessions that allow youth to type their sins into an animation. The sins are taken away via a variety of means, including being eaten by a scapegoat, expelled by a machine and blasted into outer space.
Their video loops, which are a mix of visual images designed to start again from the beginning when finished, create visual wallpaper that can be sampled in a variety of ways during worship. Leaders have found these loops can be played during worship as a background, used as meditative pieces with music during “quiet time” or run during the reading of Scripture or other reflections.
One of Proost’s trademarks is its music, which has a chilled, soulful, electronic and spiritual tone. Among the more popular albums carried are Laudamus (Church of the Apostles, Seattle), Rio Da Duvida (Barry Taylor) and Spirit of the New (Baker/Birch). Those looking to see the fruits of a faith community that has been at the forefront of the international emerging church movement can peruse Grace, a collection of worship resources developed by Grace (London). Six other liturgy books are available for those looking to create liturgies for their own groups. Rather than use this material verbatim, worship leaders find inspiration in seeing how these creative collectives designed liturgical pieces that speak to their particular communities.
Proost’s worship kits have proven to be popular items in helping youth experience God. In particular, the labyrinth kit, which has been translated into several languages, provides step-by-step instructions for helping youth groups devise and walk their own labyrinth. This kit is sold in the United States by Group Publishing under the title The Prayer Path: A Christ-Centered Labyrinth Experience.
While emerging church leaders and other interested parties can order Proost items a la carte, the simplest way to take advantage of their vast array of material is by purchasing a subscription (available at http://www.proost.co.uk/). For a small annual fee of £60 (approximately $90-100), subscribers have access to the back catalogue, as well as new downloadable content, which will be added each month. (A few items, such as the worship kits, are not included with the subscription.) To try the subscription service, enter the coupon code PRSUBBG for a 10 percent discount.
