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ANITA GUTSCHICK
"Women of the Bible"
as performed by Anita Gutschick
Booking Request
Anita Gutschick's Women of the Bible drama ministry is all about women of passion, power, and purpose. Her presentations are appropriate for church services, as well as women's ministry events and other venues.
Anita's background in acting, voice, and movement have been her training ground for Women of the Bible, as well as her work in video, film, and radio.
Anita is a member of the Advisory Board for the International Society for Excellence in Christian Film & Television, a group that offers encouragement, praise and support to mainstream television industry professsionals and filmmakers who are creating high quality drama, comedy and documentary programs that portray Christians and Christian values in a positive light.
Meet the Women . . .
Sarah - Abraham's wife, taken from her home into an unknown land. Find out how she felt about bidding farewell to her friends and leaving her home. Hear about her great disappointment of not having a son, and how she ran ahead of God's plan, causing her great grief. Despite her disappointments and mistakes, Sarah brings us a message of faith.
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Queen Esther - A young woman in a palace, hiding her beliefs. But the time comes when she must decide to whom she truly belongs, and she confronts her husband, the King. Queen Esther reminds us all that sometimes it is important to stand up for what is right, no matter the risk.
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Mary of Magdala - Touched by Jesus, Mary of Magdala becomes his follower. She vividly tells the passion week story and challenges her listeners to acknowledge the living Christ in their lives.
Ruth - Love! It is what brought this Moabitess to Bethlehem. She is a quiet, gentle woman who has a story to tell about her devotion to her mother-in-law, her great sadness, and life-transforming love.
Martha - Too busy to take the time to enjoy Jesus at her table, Jesus teaches her a valuable lesson. He makes her take a breath and remember what in life is truly important.
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Elisabeth - Old, all hope gone for a child, yet Elisabeth finds herself pregnant, her husband mute, and receives a visit from Mary, carrying the Messiah. She shares her joy and that of her unborn child.
Rebekah - A bold woman who leaves her parents to marry a man she has never seen. But her boldness destroys a family as she manipulates her son and husband to accomplish her goal. She brings a warning about interfering in the lives of others and justifying our actions as "doing God's will."
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Lot's Wife - Forced to leave her home in a rush, her disobedient need to look back at the past, rather than where God was leading her turned her into a pillar of salt. Is the constant need to look back at the past paralyzing you as well?
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A Sinful Woman - Ashamed of her behavior, a woman hears about a remarkable man and sets out to see him. Little did she know her encounter that day would give her a new life. She brings a message that forgiveness is available at the feet of Jesus.
Woman at the Well - An outcast, who has to fetch her water from the well during the heat of the day to avoid encountering her neighbors who talk about her, has a very unexpected encounter with Jesus. After Jesus reveals His identity to her, she is so excited, she runs back to the very people who reject her to tell them the good news.
Puah - A midwife looking for a baby to be delivered, tells about her experience in Egypt, and brings a powerful challenge to her audience.
Herodias - Tormented by nightmares, she reflects on how she finds herself in exile, living with a disgraced husband, and why she is haunted by the man she had killed.
Anita's Testimony . . .
Anita tells the story of how God has brought her to this work. It is filled with honesty and humor, and is a reminder that God was working in the lives of the Biblical women, and continues to do so today.
Children's Stories . . .
The Lost Coin - A campy approach to this wonderful parable, concludes with the audience singing a song to rejoice.
Jonah - A fun approach to the classic story, with audience participation.
Rave Reviews . . ."Words can't express how your portrayal of each woman touched the hearts and impacted the lives of our women, young and old." Martha Walter
Director of Women's Ministries, Christian Fellowship Church
"Her fine acting skill as well as her spiritual sensitivity resulted in a unique and moving liturgical drama. The women she protrayed were real, their lives filled with human strugles and human joys. Ms. Gutschick touched many hearts as she presented the issues we - and they - face in life."
Mary A. Matthews
Director of Social Services, Ginger Cove Retirement Community
"Thank you for your magnificent performance. I have never seen the audience so quiet and focused on a presentation or speaker."
Barbara DeFlavis
Director of Women's Ministries, Gloria Dei Church
"It spoke to my heart!"
"It was wonderful. I can see that I am a Martha. I want to learn to sit at the feet of Jesus."
"Challenging and encouraging" "Very profound. Very powerful. Very moving."
"It helped me to learn how similar my problems are to the women of the Bible."
"I was truly shocked at the magnificent performance that you presented. I was captivated by your portrayal of the women. You are definitely anointed by God."
Comments from audience members
Frequently Asked Questions . . .
What do great women from thousands of years ago have to tell us today?
Women from the Bible carry messages across the generations that are very relevant to our daily life. They bring messages of faith, love, courage, taking a breath from the daily rush, and the living Christ.
Is this program only for women?
No. Although Women of the Bible (WOB) is well suited for women's events, it is also very well received by men and children. It is generally not recommended for children under the age of six. Please note Anita has developed two stories, The Lost Coin and Jonah geared specifically for children.
How long is the program?
Women of the Bible is very flexible. There are currently twelve stories available from the Old and New Testaments, as well as Anita's personal testimony and/or "Lessons Along the Way". After determining the desired length of the program, any theme, the makeup of the audience and other pertinent information, a decision is made about which stories should be told in what order. A program can run from 60 to 90 minutes in length. If used for a worship service, a program can be abbreviated to fit during the service.
What is a typical program?
A typical program would consist of visits from two or three great women from the Bible, with a musical interlude between each woman of about two minutes, and then concludes with a witness from Anita about how God's hand has brought her to this work. This program would be about 75 minutes in length.
Can Women of the Bible be the theme for an entire conference or retreat?
Absolutely. Because there are 12 characters to access, there can be multiple programs, with small-group discussions after each program. Discussions can be facilitated by a series of questions that relate to each character, which is provided by WOB.
Does the program have to conclude with a witness?
No, the program can only have visits from Bible women. However, it should be noted that the witness at the end is very well received by the audience, and it is Anita's preference to include it.
What happens between visits from the women?
Typically there is exit music that reflects the theme of the woman. This gives the audience a moment to reflect on what has just happened. However, should you wish to have the visits woven into another program, that is also possible.
Is this program only for churches?
No. WOB has been performed at synagogues, nursing homes, schools, dinner meetings, retreats, as well as at church functions.
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