Page 26 - Empowering Missional Artists - Jim Mills.pdf

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electives focusing on such themes as forming a creative group in your church or management

of a performing arts team or Bible teaching on art and creativity. Also, throughout the week

artists would share their testimonies about their failures as well as their victories on their journey.

Finally, in the evening everyone settled down to either a creative smorgasbord of performances

involving musicians, actors, mimes, or dancers interspersed with interviews with the performers.

On other evenings Biblical perspectives on art, culture, character, or craftsmanship was

presented, often creatively. These first art sessions in Ravensburg ran for three years. In 1992

near the end of our three-week third Summer Arts Session, as I was looking out at the over 200

gathered artist/teachers, participants and volunteers for the morning worship time, I reflected

over the last few years of our development. This event had now become a central part of our re-

educational discipleship strategy for finding and discipling artists. That morning I was reflecting

on the fact that the majority of our participants were often adults who had dreamed of moving in

the arts as children, but who had found little or no affirmation from the church for their passion for

the arts. Many now were in their early thirties and though they were gifted, they would never

realize their dream of becoming a professional artist. Some were despondent and some were

simply in denial. Some did realize that they would have needed to begin much earlier, for

instance around 12 years of age, for a marketplace career.

The time came to begin the meeting. Based on my reflections of those few quiet

moments, I began the morning with these words: “Good morning. I am compelled to say to you

today something on my heart. Many of you here for these intensive weeks of arts training will

never dance or act on Broadway; many will never sing in the Opera nor will you perform on

stages in ‘West End.’ But here is something that you can do. You can pray for and serve your

church leaders; you can work with the children of your church and form creative groups; you can

invest in the next generation instilling in them a vision for the Lordship of Christ over all of life.

Transform your frustration, disillusionment, and disappointment into action. Invest in the future.”