Why Your Church Doesn’t Need an Arts Ministry –
(this article first published at atlantaartsnetwork.com)
Some Churches start out to have an Arts Ministry hoping that there will be a influx of new creative people; maybe they hope to keep on the cutting edge of church planting. With goals that center around building a program or ministry they forget that Jesus’ kingdom was about bringing restoration to a broken world. Your church doesn’t need an Arts Ministry, your church needs to fulfill the call of Christ to make followers of Jesus who learn how to live like Jesus lived!
Artists, like all people benefit from being part of a healthy church that keeps the central priorities of Christ as the focal part of life and ministry.
The first priority that Jesus calls us to is found in Matthew 28:19: Go and make disciples.
The second priority is to teach them all that Christ commanded.
Sitting in-between these two commands is the context. Jesus tells us to bring new followers into community, symbolized by the command to baptize, where we become one with Christ and part of His body the church.
I think of the best way to minister to artists or creatives is by inviting them into relationship with others. Once artists are part of the church, they, among other followers of Christ, can grow to maturity. As people grow as young believers toward maturity, they have the opportunity to learn how their particular life and calling is guided by Jesus. They will be encouraged and challenged to do their work to the glory of God and find other artists and creative people that share their passion and love for the arts. They will also develop relationships with others who may become a “friend” of the arts who do not share a similar calling but love and support their work.
This community becomes a mosaic where people grow together to fulfill the purposes of God. Jesus will use his people to share the gospel and help see people become disciples who grow to maturity. Artists and others in the same body support one another as they fulfill the great commission. Each learning where they fit together in Christ’s kingdom.
So how does a church help people grow to maturity? You might want to read, What Jesus Did/ What We Can Do, by Worldwide Discipleship Association and look at how Jesus helped his disciples grow. WDA has more resources that look more deeply into the process of Christian growth. We also have staff who provide consulting for your leadership team who may want to design and build a strategy for discipleship for your church.
Author: Buddy Eades
Buddy is the Coordinator of the Atlanta Arts Network, WDA’s new ministry to Artists based in Atlanta. The Atlanta Arts Network: Connecting, Creating and Cultivating through building a Network of Artist and Worship Artist communities throughout Atlanta.