Equipping and Nurturing Artists in Spiritual Creativity
Vision
We see:
- The church embracing and cultivating the arts in order to worship God more holistically and effectively;
- Artists in the church recognizing their calling and crucial role in the Body of Christ and given the freedom to develop and use their talents in order that God is glorified, the church is enriched, and the artists are fulfilled;
- Believing artists positively influencing the secular artistic culture with excellently executed works of truth and beauty that reflect God’s love and challenge the viewer/listener to think about his/her life and relationship to God;
- A vibrant community of people at various levels on their journey toward God engaged in dialog, in creating, and in striving to become better artists together.
Mission
To bring this about we will:
- Pray – asking God to change us into the image of His Son in order to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit;
- Teach – both overtly when given the opportunity, and covertly as we model our vision for those around us;
- Connect – with artistic believers in churches and those in the community;
- Grow – investing in our own gifts in order to be good stewards of our talents and good examples of serious artists to the church and the community;
- Create – produce works of art and music that reflective both God’s love for humanity and His creative nature.
Values
We will do this with:
- Christ-centered focus – so that He receives the glory, is not maligned, and has the freedom to redirect our efforts;
- Service – to individuals in the specific communities of which we are a part, before thinking of ourselves, our reputation, or our portfolios;
- Creativity – that reflects the Triune God, the ultimate Creator who instituted the standards of Truth and Beauty, and that embraces our identity as image-bearers of Him;
- Excellence – which is not the same thing as perfectionism, but a constant pursuit to improve and invest in the talents God has given us;
- Intelligence – and informed, thoughtful interaction, listening first, in order to engage and influence artists and the culture;
- Balance – allowing enough time in our schedule for reflection and rejuvenation with the Lord and in our disciplines so that we are working out of a full, and not depleted, spirit.