Speechless: Crothersville youth group finds unique to spread God's word

CROTHERSVILLE-It's a powerful thing when you can minister without saying a word.
That's what a group of youth from the Crothersville Nazarene Church does, and they have done it well.

Crothersville Stix, a praise team that uses sticks along with music as a form of drama, has performed locally and at competitions, and recently gained a perfect score at the regional level.

Diana Koop directs the youth group at the church, and three years ago, she wanted to start something at the church that would involve a lot of people. That's when Crothersville Stix came to life.

"I'm a big drama person," she said, as she's performed with the Jackson County Community Theatre, among other things.

When she arrived at Crothersville Nazarene Church, after working around youth at Seymour First Church of the Nazarene, there were six kids involved with the youth group. Now, there are about 55.

Earlier this year, the group competed at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois at the district level and brought home a perfect score, and they were judged on individual talent, creativity and production.

"We were the only drama group who got a perfect score," Koop said.

Locally, they performed at the Relay for Life Gospel Celebration in April, and in the past few years, they performed at their own church and others in the area and Crothersville's Red, White & Blue Festival.

At the Gospel Celebration, Koop said the group's performance drew emotion.

"From the very first song, people were crying and standing up," she said, which included the playing of "God Bless America" along with red, white and blue sticks spelling out "USA." "Many people were touched by it. There wasn't one person sitting. They were just moved by the music and interpretation and the meaning."

Koop got the idea of starting the group in Crothersville after seeing young kids perform during a ladies' conference at a church in New Albany several years ago.

"I thought then, ‘wow, what a way to get young people involved,'" she said. "I've always been looking for a way to get kids involved and get them hooked on something."

What's important, though, is that the students involved get the message, too. To Trinity Lutheran High School student Macie Ellis, she likes showing her faith to her peers and "seeing young people showing their faith openly to others."

Hannah Farrell, a Jennings County High School student, feels likewise. She is Koop's cousin, and she saw the group perform at a church. That's what drew her in.

"It's really powerful," she said. "It just moved me."

Through her involvement with Crothersville Stix, Farrell said she's seen the audience react just as she did.

"People see it and they are just awe-struck and amazed at what we do," she said. "It's really humbling. It makes you feel really good about yourself, and it makes you feel like you've accomplished something and did something that impacted so many peoples' lives."

The message is something important to Farrell.

"I think everybody in this is in it for the right reason," she said. "We are in it because we really want to do something for God. We want to do something for him that ministers to people. I think that our hearts are in it, and I think that makes us good at it."

Farrell credits the group's success to Koop.

"She's very particular, which is good because we get perfect scores every year," she said of Koop. "Diana puts lots of time into it to make sure it's just right. It shows that we work really hard at what we do."

Scottsburg Middle School student Lindsey Laporga had some prior experience before joining Crothersville Stix. She was involved with a similar group at Brownstown Nazarene Church a few years ago.

She wanted to get involved to reflect a positive message.

"I saw people were not very focused on God, and I wanted to move them toward him more and get them more involved with it and try to make a point with what he did for us," she said.

Through the group's performances, Laporga feels the group has done just that.

"They were very touched by it and they cried," she said. "They always say it's beautiful. It makes me feel really good how we all do this for other people, and how we might have saved someone's life."

Jakob Sauer got involved with the group by being a member of the church. He was an international exchange student from Germany during the spring semester at Seymour High School this year.

"I just came into it and it's fun," he said of performing with Crothersville Stix. "I got used to working with others and having fun with it."

Koop is very happy with the group's results thus far, and she looks forward to continuing on with the group, choreographing every move.

"When the kids are serious about it and they do it for ministry, you can really tell they mean what they are doing," she said. "That's what I want people to see.

"Everybody in our church is very proud of our kids and they always come out and support us," she said. "That means a lot to the kids that adults support them in what they are doing."

Even though the group has seen much success, Koop stresses something to the kids.

"I always tell them, first and foremost, it's a ministry, not a competition," she said. "I want them to remember to reflect God and his love for others and really interpret what the music is saying."