About Willow Arts
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common.
They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42-47 (TNIV; emphasis added)
The Arts Ministry of the Willow Creek Association is all about rediscovering awe: the deep sense of wonder that is kindled inside of us when we are touched by God. Awe doesn't just come from good art or great creative elements, it flows from creativity that resonates with who God is and expresses a portion of that essence.
Creative elements that are arranged and executed with sensitivity and purpose can cause people to experience wonder at either an aspect of God's character or a portion of the human condition. When people have an encounter that helps them rediscover awe, their souls are ready to be molded by the Spirit of God and moved to a new place in their relationship with Him. Awe is a pathway to growing in God: it increases our faith and our awareness of the deeper reality of who God is and His activity in our lives and in our world.
As we strive to help artists and teachers rediscover awe, there are several key elements that are a part of the essence of who we are.
- It's about crafting moments that lead to open hearts.
When people experience moments of awe and wonder, their faith is increased and their hearts are more open to God and His work in their lives. The world is changed one heart at a time, one moment at a time. - It's about a learning community of artists.
There is a community where artists can find insight, ideas, and encouragement. As we go through life together, we all need people we trust to hold up the mirror in front of us so that we can better see the areas where Christ needs to be formed in us. - It's about developing instincts.
We all need to work to develop the instincts that will enable us to pull together multiple elements and arrange them to allow space for God to work in people's hearts. Honing your instincts means gaining a better understanding of how to partner with God as He works in people's hearts within powerful moments. - It's about ennobling the artist in the church.
Artists matter. What you do matters. When we talk about using the arts in church, we're talking about a very broad spectrum: music, drama, dance, video, painting, sculpting, other visual arts, audio, lighting, other technical arts and the arts of teaching and programming. While even this list isn't complete, it begins to express a few of the many expressions of art that should find a home in the church. - It's about offering hope.
When it comes to the weekly responsibilities you face, we'll consistently remind you that you can do it and be there when you need a moment of inspiration or a resource to get you through. Our prayer is that at the end of each week, you'll look back at how God has encouraged you personally and also used you to communicate His hope and you'll say with a sense of disbelief, "I can't believe I get to do this with my life."
If you're a worship or technical artist or teacher using your gifts in the local church,
Willow Arts exists to serve you. Find inspiration, connection and resources at www.towardwonder.com