Page 29 - Empowering Missional Artists - Jim Mills.pdf

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offering to actually remit artists for their services in the church context. Up until that time, I had

only experienced the opposite. Artists had to pay to serve, and now for the first time, a church

wanted to actually pay them MONEY. The following spring, the event took place with about 100

teens and grew over the next four years to 300 in attendance. In these seminars as many as 25-

30 various workshops were offered and over the four-year period that the event was held, 1000

kids were, were reached.

This wineskin strategy was a mentoring strategy. Simultaneously, artists, pastors, teens,

church members and their East/West Berlin culture was introduced to art from a Christian

perspective all at the same time. Parents gained a vision that enabled them to endorse their

children to study as Christians at the conservatory. Pastors affirmed and applauded artists as

they served with their gifts. Young teens were loved and served by worthy role models. 2 of the

4 years took place in the former capital of East Germany, East Berlin. One city official observed,

“It is obvious that this group is Christian, but this doesn’t seem to hurt or hinder what they are

doing.” That quote is marvelously revealing.

After more than 35 years of offering arts camps, sessions and ‘Next Generation’ seminars,

we are seeing a river of Christian young people who have chosen aesthetic careers as

Christians. I could share countless stories of artists coming to the Lord, being reconciled to the

church and now doing their own works all over Europe. Professional dancers wept when they

attended our camps. They knew somehow in their heart that God meant for them to dance, but

now they were hearing it taught. God has raised up a parade of pioneer artists who are serving

and leading and who are not angry at the church. Dancers have started professional dance

companies built on a solid Christian worldview; actor-directors have opened theaters; and others

have a vision for launching arts training centers in Spain, Finland and Switzerland. Still, in the

midst of scores of successes, there are also the tragedies. This is the drama of real life.

“Leadership tragedies are almost entirely caused by character breakdowns rather than gift