DATE: Thursday, September 11, 1997          TAG: 9709100215

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 14   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY TRUDY CUTHRELL, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   70 lines

SUFFOLK TEEN A CREATIVE FORCE BEHIND TEEN MINISTRY TEAM

Soft-spoken Ami Giancoli's appearance doesn't give any indicate that she is a dynamo of talent and creative energy.

The 17-year-old from Suffolk is a senior at Norfolk Christian Schools who has joined creative forces with fellow classmate Christianne Crabtree of Norfolk to resurrect a ministry team at their school.

Motivated by their love for the performing arts and their passion for missions, the two girls have put together in the past year a traveling team of 14 performers with a repertoire of skills including puppetry, clowning, mime and dramatic skits.

The team recently performed at the Jernigan farm on Manning Road in Suffolk for a children's end-of-the-summer party sponsored by First Baptist Church.

The children sat spell-bound through a puppet show about contemporary music. They laughed as a colorful clown frolicked through the crowd. And they listened attentively to a modern skit about the Good Samaritan and a powerful drama about God's love.

``They did a wonderful job,'' remarked Lisa Rath, the church's Summer Children's Worker. ``Their message was great and they touched the children because they communicated on their level so they really kept their attention.''

The Norfolk Christian Ministry Team will perform at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on the children's stage at Love Feast '97 at Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach. This all-day event sponsored by about 40 local churches will include daylong entertainment on three stages. Operation Blessing will also be on hand to distribute food and a there will also be free apparel distributed at a clothing tent. The event is expected to draw 8,000 to 10,000 people.

During the day, the ministry team members will be performing mime and working as volunteers among the kids.

Ami and Christianne both trace their interest in mission work to the summer of 1996 when they served as missionaries in Thailand.

``I came home with a desire to be in ministry,'' Ami explained. ``I realized a ministry team would be an incredible way to spread the gospel.''

``When we got back we felt convicted about going out into our own community to share the gospel,'' Christianne added. ``We had the time, we were willing and we felt God saying `Yes,' '' she said.

Both have a background in acting and forensics, and excel in the performing arts. After attending a ministry workshop at Virginia Wesleyan College led by Mark Eulo, director of the Christian drama group ``Wings,'' their vision for a ministry team began to take tangible form.

``At this conference we received a lot of great advice and real encouragement,'' Christianne said. So the girls went to work. First, Ami designed and produced a cast of big-mouth puppets - including Jose, Kisha, Antoine, Susie and Grandma. Now two twittering birds - one with a British accent - have joined the lively cast of handmade characters. Ami also designed the puppet stage, and she and Christianne have written several skits to round out their repertoire of performance pieces.

``So far we've given performances for children in Christian settings,'' Ami noted. But the team also is looking for opportunities to share their ministry in non-church situations. They have designed programs appropriate for children and teens as well as adults.

The key quality Ami and Christianne look for in new team members is a servant's heart. ``That takes precedence over talent and other things,'' Christianne explained. MEMO: For more information on the Norfolk Christian Ministry Team, call

Norfolk Christian Schools at 423-5735. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by TRUDY CUTHRELL

Members of the Norfolk Christian Ministry Team include, from left,

Christianne Crabtree, Ben Evans and Ami Giancoli. Giancoli created

and made the puppets used in the team's show.

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