Christian Stand Up Comedy - Is it Hard to Do in a Secular World?
If you're like me, you've wondered if a practicing Christian can make a living in the often rough and tumble world of entertainment.
Is it even possible for a believer to do Christian stand up comedy? The answer is a resounding yes! As proof, I offer the following stories of people who have found a way to maintain their spiritiality while succeeding in the world of comedy.
Christian Stand Up Comedy Success Stories: Brad Stine is a forty something Evangelical Christian stand up comic who has recently found success in his chosen field of comedy.
But that wasn't always the case.
Before his christian comedic revelation, he was just one more in a number of talented comedians who were struggling to get noticed.
His struggles changed, and his calling was found, at the end of the last millennium, when his agent and his manager both stopped returning his calls.
For more than a decade, Stine (who was nine when he found Christ) had obtained a modest amount of success in show business, first as a magician, then as a clean, though not overtly spiritual, comedian.
However, like the overwhelming majority in his profession, Stine found his career had dove-tailed, and his chances of sustained success had grown remote.
He continually struggled with depression and doubt, leading him to question his most fundamental beliefs.
Then, one afternoon while spending the afternoon with his young son and pregnant wife, he began to pray.
He asked God to figure out the answer to his problem, and to point him in the right direction.
He prayed for guidance and understanding, while finally letting go of his prior goals of wealth and fame in return for peace of mind.
His heart-felt outreach to God bore fruit, as it resulted in an offer to appear on a televised Christmas special on North Carolina's Inspiration Network.
This appearance led to many other opportunities so that Stine could now quit the club circuit, and start working a different kind of crowd.
The enthusiastic response from this new audience showed Stine that he had at last found his calling.
He realized,finally, that his career had evolved from an occupation into a ministry.
He's now playing church dates (where he makes upwards of 5 thousand dollars a show), and is marketing his own DVD's.
He's performed/ministered with the Promise Keepers men's ministry.
and appeared on The 700 Club.
He's making good money and changing hearts in the process.
He has certainly improved his lot in life..
..
wouldn't you say? Will McDaniel is another example of a Christian standup comedy success story.
Prior to his "overnight success" he struggled with many professions.
By his count, he had nearly 40 jobs in his 1st 40 years on this earth.
He became a Christian (and subsequently a Christian stand up comedian) a few years ago, channeling his sharp sense of humor into a family-oriented act that borrows from his experiences living in Bowling Green, Ohio, headquarters to the National Tractor Pulling Championships.
There are numerous other examples of successful Christian Stand up Comedians.
Some of the rising stars include the San Francisco Bay Area's J-Red, Houston's Mark Lowry, and Southern California's Michael Joiner, to name a few.
Yes sir: comedians who get booked by God (and, sometimes, an Earthly talent agency) are flourishing.
Is it even possible for a believer to do Christian stand up comedy? The answer is a resounding yes! As proof, I offer the following stories of people who have found a way to maintain their spiritiality while succeeding in the world of comedy.
Christian Stand Up Comedy Success Stories: Brad Stine is a forty something Evangelical Christian stand up comic who has recently found success in his chosen field of comedy.
But that wasn't always the case.
Before his christian comedic revelation, he was just one more in a number of talented comedians who were struggling to get noticed.
His struggles changed, and his calling was found, at the end of the last millennium, when his agent and his manager both stopped returning his calls.
For more than a decade, Stine (who was nine when he found Christ) had obtained a modest amount of success in show business, first as a magician, then as a clean, though not overtly spiritual, comedian.
However, like the overwhelming majority in his profession, Stine found his career had dove-tailed, and his chances of sustained success had grown remote.
He continually struggled with depression and doubt, leading him to question his most fundamental beliefs.
Then, one afternoon while spending the afternoon with his young son and pregnant wife, he began to pray.
He asked God to figure out the answer to his problem, and to point him in the right direction.
He prayed for guidance and understanding, while finally letting go of his prior goals of wealth and fame in return for peace of mind.
His heart-felt outreach to God bore fruit, as it resulted in an offer to appear on a televised Christmas special on North Carolina's Inspiration Network.
This appearance led to many other opportunities so that Stine could now quit the club circuit, and start working a different kind of crowd.
The enthusiastic response from this new audience showed Stine that he had at last found his calling.
He realized,finally, that his career had evolved from an occupation into a ministry.
He's now playing church dates (where he makes upwards of 5 thousand dollars a show), and is marketing his own DVD's.
He's performed/ministered with the Promise Keepers men's ministry.
and appeared on The 700 Club.
He's making good money and changing hearts in the process.
He has certainly improved his lot in life..
..
wouldn't you say? Will McDaniel is another example of a Christian standup comedy success story.
Prior to his "overnight success" he struggled with many professions.
By his count, he had nearly 40 jobs in his 1st 40 years on this earth.
He became a Christian (and subsequently a Christian stand up comedian) a few years ago, channeling his sharp sense of humor into a family-oriented act that borrows from his experiences living in Bowling Green, Ohio, headquarters to the National Tractor Pulling Championships.
There are numerous other examples of successful Christian Stand up Comedians.
Some of the rising stars include the San Francisco Bay Area's J-Red, Houston's Mark Lowry, and Southern California's Michael Joiner, to name a few.
Yes sir: comedians who get booked by God (and, sometimes, an Earthly talent agency) are flourishing.