Below are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions. If you don’t find your answer below, or if you think of a question you think should be on here, send us an email with your question and we’ll be happy to answer your inquiry.
1. Where are you willing to travel to?
Anywhere! I love seeing new places, whether it’s just down the road or on the other side of the world. I have performed in all 50 states as well as every continent (minus Antarctica). Wherever you are located, I would love to come to your school.
2. We have an Upward Award Celebration, do you give a Gospel Presentation?
Yes we do! We love Upward events as the outreach potential is always fantastic. During our program we incorporate a gospel message along with all the exciting jump rope, unicycle, audience participation and glow rope stunts. We are very flexible on how you would like to handle the salvation invitation. Some churches like us to do it, some prefer to have one of the staff pastors or Upward league director do this. We have done the invitation every way possible and are very comfortable with whatever you prefer.
3. What kind of churches do you perform in?
Pretty much any type. I have done shows in Baptist, Presbyterian, Church of Christ, Church of God, Assembly of God, Independent, Lutheran, Catholic, Methodist, Foursquare, Free-Will, No-Will, etc. I realize that every denomination has certain beliefs that sometimes are at odds with each other, but my primary goal is winning students and families to Christ and how to grow in that relationship. With that in mind I always focus on teaching Christ and Christ crucified. If you have any questions about what I will be speaking on and/or any specific doctrinal issues that you feel are relevant from your church, let me know and I am happy to discuss this with you.
On a side note: I have performed in many “cult” churches as well, I do not hold to their beliefs in any way, it just so happened to be that I was booked there and I did the show. I always look at it as a great opportunity to show the true love of Christ in a place that really needs it.
4. Do you jump in water at your shows?
No! I do have a number of pictures and video clips on the site where I am jumping in water, it looks cool, but it’s not practical in a live setting. I used the effect for a video and photo shoot I was doing, but it’s never been a part of any live show I’ve ever done. Plus, it’s really hard to do without making a lot of mistakes, try it sometime!
5. Do you have time for question and answer during your show?
It depends on the schedule. Normally I try to allow time for a couple quick questions at the end of the show, but I can’t always guarantee it since some days I’m forced to race to the airport to catch a flight. If you would really like this, just let me know before we start and I’ll make sure to allow a few minutes at the end for it.
6. How long is your show?
The typical show length is 45 minutes. I have found this fits most schedules best while not being too long for younger students. However, if you want the show to be a specific amount of time, I can adjust to fit ANY schedule. I have done shows as short as 5 minutes and as long as 75. My preferred time range is 30-50 minutes.
7. We want to do a school outreach, do you have a program that can be done in schools?
Yes. I have been performing in schools since 1997 (as the Rope Master). Over the years I have performed over 2,000 school assemblies in many countries and all 50 states in the US. We have school assembly programs that are designed to be educational and motivational, but are specifically geared to not be threatening in any way to a public school. We do not share the gospel or make any reference to God whatsoever. This may sound strange for a minister to say, but in working with public schools for so long, you find that they are very wary of any program that is “Christian” due to either a lawsuit or a bad past experience. We want to help you reach your community so we make sure our school programs will not give you any grief. We encourage you to have flyers and invite the students to a night time event at your church where we can deliver the gospel effectively. If you have any questions about any of this, give us a call and we’ll be happy to explain it to you.
8. How much room do you need? What kind of stage setup do you like?
This is a tricky question. I have jumped in pretty much every space allotment known to man, but I do have some preferences that make sure we have enough room to do everything in the show. On that front, below are the most common preferences.
Height: The best ceiling height is 12 feet or higher. I can work with lower, but it limits some of the skills that I do.
Width: I prefer an area that is 20 feet or wider. I can certainly work with smaller than this, but 20 feet allows me ample room to move with the unicycle and some of the audience participation things I do.
Depth: 10 feet or deeper is preferred. I do need to have enough room so that I am not hitting people in the front row with my rope.
Here comes the fun part. My primary concern when setting up for a show is that everyone can see as well as possible. Sometimes this requires thinking a little outside of the box. If you have a stage that has enough room to work with and is up higher than the audience, I will prefer to be on the stage. This allows everyone to be able to see better. If you don’t have a stage and there are bleachers, I prefer everyone be seated in the bleachers. I don’t mind having a couple rows of students on the floor, but having more in the bleachers is preferred.
If you have a gym without bleachers and no stage then I typically try to seat the students in a semi-circle. This allows more students a front row seat. I try to limit the number of rows as much as possible since the further back someone sits, the harder time they will have being able to see my feet.
If you have any questions about the setup, I am always happy to help discuss your particular space and how best to set things up. Give me a call or send an email and we’ll get things figured out.
9. What is your ministry background?
Peter has been sharing the gospel since he got saved, but as a ministry he has been doing so since 1998. Peter has worked with a variety of denominations over the years.
10. Are your shows appropriate for families?
Yes! Family events are some of the most fun shows I get to do. Everyone I’ve done has always had a great response as I have developed a program that is fun for both kids as well as adults. This isn’t the wiggles. My show is very visual and engaging. I keep things at a pace that won’t lose a first grader, but at the same time it won’t cause your adults to pass out from boredom. In fact, when I’m doing a show for just a children’s group, it’s quite common to see adults sneak out of service so they can watch the show.
11. What about corporate shows? We just want a fun show with no speaking and a 20-30 minute demo.
For the non-education crowd there are lots of options. I have an extensive network of very skilled jumpers that I can bring along to your event. Whether it’s a party or large scale event (basketball half-times, trade shows, etc.) we can work with you to develop the perfect show for you. I have developed shows with as few as 3-4 jumpers and as large as 30-50, contact us and let us know what your event looks like, we’ll help you put something together that will fit your budget and venue.
12. What kind of sound equipment do you need/provide?
I always bring my own microphone and mp3 player for music. I have a receiver that I can plug into most sound systems (requires either one free xlr or 1/4″ input), but I do have connections from my microphone for either a Sennheiser, Shure or Audio-Technica body pack. After years of scratched discs, I finally got away from cd’s a couple years ago. I travel with an mp3 player that can be connected to pretty much anywhere a cd player can go. I have a few different types of connection cords with me so we can usually figure out something that will work.
13. Are you a clown?
Absolutely not! I am a professional rope jumper and unicyclist. I realize that many people associate unicycling with clowns, but this is certainly not the case with me. This isn’t a show that relies on cheap gimmicks or buffoonery to get a point across. I have worked very hard to develop a show that showcases my talents in a way that is appropriate for elementary, middle and high school audiences. One of my goals is to encourage students to master the skills or talents they possess, whether they are a little different or not. Do I have anything against clowns? No, but my shows are a completely different breed of performance.
14. What’s your favorite food?
Smoothies and Thai. I know they sound a bit at odds with each other, but a smoothie for breakfast is one of the greatest things known to man. On the other hand, good Thai food is amazing. One of the best culinary trips of my life was the 2 weeks I spent in Thailand. The food was amazing and I couldn’t get enough. I eat most anything (except cheese and shellfish).