The Potter’s House Christian Church in Vaivase-Tai is addressing the sensitive and complex issue of self-harm in a new live drama production that opens on Thursday night.

Titled “Suicide is Never the Answer", the drama's storyline was created by the members of the congregation who are part of the production team, said Pastor Kurt Fatupaito, the leader of The Potter’s House.

“This is a story of their personal experiences and encounters with the issue of suicide,” he said.

“We have eight actors in the production with other people assisting with different parts of the production [and] all are members of our congregation.”

Suicide is a real issue that is experienced in Samoa and around the world and the problem is growing, Pastor Fatupaito said.

“Our aim is it to give people hope, a way out, a better answer – the hope of Jesus Christ."

A number of factors inspired the production, according to Pastor Fatupaito.

“One is to show the real life problem of suicide being faced across all ages, groups, in all kinds of families but this was also closely related to personal battles that were faced by some of the members of our congregation before coming to know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior,” he said.

“Second is to expose the destructive cycle of hopelessness people face because of problems and hurts in life that sometimes blinds them from seeing a way out of their situation except through suicide.”

There are about nine families who attend The Potter’s House Christian Church.

Church members seek “to tell the story of hope through Jesus Christ where people who have experienced and contemplated suicide have been set free by the redeeming power of Jesus,” said Pastor Fatupaito.

“To let people know that there is a better way, there is hope, there is a real God that loves them and can help them through the problems of life. Suicide is not the answer, Jesus Christ is the answer.”

The production opens on Thursday night at 7:30 pm and runs through Friday and Saturday night. Admission is free.

The Potter’s House Christian Church is located in Vaivase-Tai, opposite the Samoa College.