With the recent release of Mel Gibson’s moving depiction of the Desmond Doss story in Hacksaw Ridge, many viewers are asking the question— why? Why did Doss refuse to carry a weapon? Why was he so adamant about not training on Saturdays? Why did his faith play such a big role in his life?
The movie gives the church an incredibly unique opportunity to step in and answer those questions that viewers are searching for. Our team at SermonView has come up with a couple ideas for how you can do just that:
1. Utilize Bible Study Cards: With an eye-catching design, the Bible study card is made to pique the interest of someone who has heard of or seen the movie. Bible study cards are most effective when they offer a valuable resource to the recipient, and with Hacksaw Ridge there are a number of offers you can make to engage with your community.
2. Host a Documentary Viewing: Invite members of your community to continue lerning about Desmond’s faith by watching Terry Benedict’s 2004 documentary The Conscientious Objector. This is also a great way to get people familiar with your church and a perfect opportunity to invite them to come back again. Promote it throughout your community with a custom campaign kit designed to get noticed.
3. Craft a ‘Faith Like Doss” Sermon: Invite your community to join your congregation for a sermon that outlines Desmond’s Seventh-day Adventist beliefs. Send them an invitation that will grab their interest with a call-to-action to join you and learn more about the faith that made a hero.
4. Share “Hero of Hacksaw Ridge”: The 128-page book, written by Booton Herdon with a postscript by Doug Batchelor, is the exciting Desmond Doss story in book form. This is an excellent alternative for those who prefer to read over viewing the movie.
5. Adopt a #LiveLikeDoss Mentality: Perhaps the most famous words in Doss’ story are, “Lord, help me get one more…” Evangelism Marketing boils down to that very same mentality- just like Doss, our goal is to reach at least one person with the message about Jesus. (And check out the #LiveLikeDoss hashtag on Twitter for inspiration!)
Our Hacksaw Ridge Campaign Kits (vertical and horizontal banners, invitation cards, and more!) are available now starting at just $500. Call 1-800-525-5791 to learn more.