Lesson 2

Artists Leading in Community

The VineArts Leadership Team in September 2006 (Gayle, Angie, Jessie, Kathy, Travis, Lisa, Ruth)

Another term for leading:

Notes from videos:

Because He First Loved Us

Originally A Late Show Presentation by Jessie Nilo at the CIVA (Christians in the Visual Arts) Conference, 2015
Im an artist who works in the medium of people
and Ive learned a few things.
If the church loves artistsin all their glorious mess
artists will find hope & healing.
Pictured in the frame is Alyee. When I met her 5 years ago, she was
struggling for life and abandoned by her family. We became her family.
With love and support, she recovered. Alyee has a new life as a student,
painter, art minister, and is now studying to become a therapist.
Art ministry is NOT about artists serving the local church.
Its about the church loving artists.
(And we are the church, you and I.)
If the church loves her artists first, the way God loves us first,
artists will respond by loving the church.
Our artists painted a sanctuary altarpiece, 50 feet wide, representing
the life of David. Our pastors even helped a little.
Some artists who find healing will gravitate
toward helping the broken people of your city.
Darrel lived in a nursing home. He had no family.
My friend Sherri, his only visitor, taught him how to paint.
He said over and over: Well, how about that!
Darrels wall was covered in the watercolors that Sherri helped him
create, when he passed away.
If you invite artists to share
what theyre learning,
theyll help each other grow
spiritually and artistically,
across generations.

They will take Gods love

outside
your church doors.
We traveled to Ecuador
to paint murals for another church.

If you embrace
not just some abstract theory of Arts in the Church
but actual artists,
theyll willingly show you their heart, and their art.
This is a congregational exhibit at our church.

If you are open to the Holy Spirits leading,

youll try things nobodys done before.
We introduced art tables into one section of our sanctuary.
People can quietly process the sermon visually through line
and color, during the sermon. And it works.

If you love your pastors, and educate them with grace,

you may gain new territory for the arts.
This is our art studio, which our pastors gave us
after wed already been doing art ministry
for five years.
(Prayer avails much.)
Its all about Christ expressed in community.
And you know, its attractive.
You may find new artists joining from all sorts of places,
because theyve heard... and they know theyll be accepted.
Come as you are.
Youll be loved.
How can your church love artists
first?
Find them.
Start now.
Picture a church where artists know that God loves them.
And then make that place a reality.