Art and Spiritual Ministry

Art as a 'spiritual ministry' is all about looking at things more deeply. Artists who contribute their spiritual gifts and skills to help people in the church and the wider community try to help us all better relate to God, social concerns, and motivate us to act - to better serve, care, and love. We believe that God is the original master artist and who gave us the gift of creativity.

Many individuals and religious organizations would like to become more fluent in the use of the arts to communicate truths about God more effectively–a truly worthy goal. God designed the arts to help jump over barriers, slip past our intellect, and penetrate our hearts and souls. Through art, we’ve seen people be pulled into conversations they wouldn’t normally have had in the church.

 

Artists played a critical role in the early history of the Church—their work evoking longing and enhancing worship for many years. However, the Protestant Reformation in the 16th Century and the Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries led to suspicion of emotional and sensual experiences. During this time, the Church came to associate art with idolatry and irrational thinking and thus distanced itself from most forms of artistic expression. In doing so, we lost a powerful means of transformation. - Visual & Creative Arts as Ministry

Art Technology & Tools

There are many helpful technologies and tools available for artists today. The following are links to some Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and selected tools artists ought to explore and use:

  • Art of Illusion - A 3D modelling and rendering studio.

  • Blender - A 3D content creation suite.

  • DigiKam - An open source digital photo management app providing tools for importing, managing, editing, and sharing photos.

  • eDraw Religious Clip Art and Christian Clip Art

  • GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) - Free and open source alternative to Photoshop.

  • Krita - A full-featured, open source sketching and painting application for digital artists.

  • Libre Office - A free and open source software suite of office applications similar to MS Office.

  • Open Movie Editor - Designed for basic movie making capabilities.

  • Scribus - An open source desktop publishing system with and extensive graphics tools.

  • Synfig Studio – A 2D animation software solution for creating film-quality animation.

  • TuxPaint – An award-winning drawing program for children ages 3 to12.

* There are many other free and open source software (FOSS) tools available for artists. See Best Free Painting Software 2020 by TechRadar.

Selected Links on 'Art & Spiritual Ministry'

The following are some links to selected organizations and web sites focused on the ‘Arts’ and its use in ‘Spiritual Ministry’:

* Some articles on the Arts & Ministry you might want to read include How to Start an Arts Ministry in Your Church and Building Community Through Arts Ministry.




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