Softball game a video for church

Published 9:45 pm Thursday, April 30, 2009

If you drive by Jack Hayes Baseball Field in City Park Sunday morning, don’t make the mistake of believing the softball players on the field are holdovers from a Saturday tournament. The players and hundreds of fans in the stands will actually be taking part in a movie being filmed by a group of young adults at West End Baptist Church.

Part of the movie script, the softball game will consist of three or four innings of play that will allow the film’s director to capture game shots as well as shots of the fans cheering on the teams.

The Rev. Kenny Martin, minister of youth at West End Baptist Church, said the Journey Singles Class at the church are filming “The Dark Place,” an evangelical outreach film to be used as part of the church’s mission to reach people for Christ.

“We are moving our Sunday morning services to Jack Hayes Field Sunday to allow the film crew to film needed scenes for the movie,” Martin said. “We will begin our church service at 10 a.m. which will include special music and a sermon by Tony (the Rev. Tony Smitherman).

The game and filming will begin following the regular agenda for the service. Martin said he expects most of the 560 seats at the stadium will be filled.

The church announced to its membership last week that it would move the service to the baseball field and that regular Sunday School classes would not be held Sunday morning. The church will hold its regular Sunday night services that night.

– Mike Kelley