All it took was a simple narration of the Christmas story to draw children and youth to Mount Zion Baptist Church in New Brockton, where a creative arts ministry now is in full swing for the glory of God.
Mount Zion is mainly a congregation of senior adults, but when several grandchildren began attending, leaders scrambled to train them. What emerged was a group of students repeating after a narrator to dramatically present the story of Jesus’ birth and later His death and resurrection.
“Everybody loves a story. They read through a script, and I think it kind of gets them involved on a deeper level,” said Claudette Whitmore, a theater major and artistic director of the creative arts ministry at Mount Zion. “They’re not just listening to a story. They’re actively engaged. They’re playing a role.”
Creative arts — which can encompass music, dance, theater, audio and visual arts, poetry and storytelling — are gaining traction in churches, noted Andrew Goodwin, assistant professor of music and creative director at the University of Mobile’s Alabama School of the Arts.
‘Vision and oversight’
“What is becoming more and more common in churches today is having someone fill the role of creative arts pastor,” he said. “This typically is someone who provides vision and oversight for all creative/artistic endeavors or ministries at the church.”
Often worship teams, including singers, musicians and audio and visual engineers, will fall under the umbrella of creative arts and the leadership of a creative arts pastor, Goodwin said.
At Mount Zion, when the children presented the Christmas story, they didn’t have elaborate costumes.
“We found some old pieces of fabric and cut holes in it and put it all together, and they loved it,” Whitmore recalled.
For Easter, someone made a donation and the church bought costumes and had a decorated set.
In August, Mount Zion hosted a two-day drama workshop for students, who then presented another play for the congregation. Most Sundays children sing a song such as “I’ll Fly Away” or recite Scripture during the worship service.
Response
The senior adults at Mount Zion have responded warmly to the students’ participation, Whitmore noted. Some of them sew and pitch in on costumes, and they make sure their grandchildren are present for rehearsals and presentations.
“They are very attentive when the kids get up there.
“The performing arts have the ability to break down barriers,” she asserted. “One of the barriers that was the most difficult to break down was with the kids themselves because they were scared to put themselves out there. A lot of people aren’t comfortable with getting up in front of others.”
Whitmore encouraged the students to consider doing something difficult to share God’s word, and they responded well. She teaches them, “Get on your knees and pray. Then get on your feet and work.”
“There’s so much noise that goes on in the world today, and I want these young people to learn to be still and listen and let God speak to them,” she continued. “Many of them are kind of new in their faith, so when it comes to talking to friends who may not be accepting, they’re kind of timid.
“But when you’re just telling a story, the ones that are resistant tend to get caught up in it because it’s not personal.”
Utilizing gifts
The students also are learning public speaking skills, Whitmore noted, and they’ll be better equipped to share biblical truth one-on-one because of their involvement in telling stories through theater.
Goodwin noted creative arts are valuable because they give artistic people outlets to use their gifts within the walls of a church.
“For musicians, this has been somewhat easier, since music is a large part of the corporate worship gathering,” he said. “However, someone who is passionate about theater or creative writing may not as easily have a place where they can use their giftings for the church.
“A church naming and claiming a space for this is very valuable,” Goodwin added. “It’s important to clarify ‘use their giftings for the church’ doesn’t always mean on the platform during a worship service.”
Communication is something every church has to tackle, he asserted, including print, digital, video, graphics, etc.
“Having someone in a creative leadership position who can maintain a level of excellence in this area is something that is more and more common in churches as well.”
Congregations can use creative arts to engage youth, much like Mount Zion, by providing a space for those things to take place, Goodwin said.
“Does it seem like there are a lot of young people who have an interest in theater? Give them a space to participate in something within the church. Maybe the ‘creative ministry’ is simply a one-on-one piano lesson with a young person who has taken an interest.”
Share with others: