How to start as an artists

Moving Out

Steps to moving out in service:

Be part of a community. Service is not a solo sport.
Keep your mission and vision in mind, even though it may not be very clear. Keep learning - service often brings clarity around mission, vision and values.
Take small, short-term opportunities to serve under trusted leaders. It may or may not be ideal, but just getting experience will help you discover what you’re passionate about.
Always give grace to leaders, co-workers and people you’re serving. No one is perfect and everyone is in process.
Be teachable. Let others help you learn and let God’s Spirit teach and lead you. Stay in His word and watch over your heart! (Proverbs 4:23)
Have a coach or mentor to help you grow artistically and in ministry
Take faith-stretching steps with others and let God grow your vision.
Go to conferences and partner with others who will challenge you.
Refine your mission, vision, passions and strategies for the various seasons of your life. Do this regularly.
Seek to serve in God’s power and leadership always.
Pray! Prayer is the foundation for ministry. It’s a gift given to us to access God’s presence, wisdom and power.

Questions you may have:

What should I look for to in an organization or church in which I serve?

There are usually challenges to working with most organizations, even churches. Some are better than others, but every organization is made up of fallible people and if they’re advancing the kingdom, they will also, at times, face spiritual opposition. This can create turbulence and conflict but hopefully a healthy growth as well. When it comes to partnering with others in ministry there still are some non-negotiables.

Basic Beliefs
When considering a church or ministry, first ask if God’s Word is the foundation of their beliefs. Do they believe and teach the gospel of Christ? Is there a commitment to authentically following Him - a commitment to growth? It's important to not compromise on these points for your own growth and ministry!

Core Values
Your core values are important. An organization may not have your core values at its heart, but there should be at least an openness to them. They may not be stated in their top 5 or 10, but they certainly should be mixed in there somewhere, assuming they’re Biblical. My top ministry values are authenticity, excellence, creativity, community and relevance. I look for these and while I may serve in a church low on some points, I still try to influence people toward them because I believe they are important. (Note: Sometimes churches may use different terms but are saying the same thing.) The point is that you should discern the values, mission and vision of an organization and see how it connects with yours. When there is a big gap, it usually results in a short-term relationship. And when there is agreement remember there still will be challenges. 🙂

Leadership
A final consideration should be the leader or leadership team of the ministry you’re partnering with. You should ask if the leader(s) is someone you can follow. You may not know much about the top leader say in a church, but the person you work with directly is someone you should respect and can follow. If you have a conflict don't just run away. Pursue reconciliation and peace in all relationships.

What should I not be willing compromise?

We often make decisions about involvement or non-involvement based on comfort, perks or pleasing others and forget the most important things when it comes to ministry. We must remember that the God who has gifted and called us has a place and time in mind for our service, even though it may be hard. How do we handle differences in beliefs or values?

It is helpful to place our beliefs or desires into these 3 areas. Keeping them in the right perspective will keep you focused on the right things.

Convictions - These are those beliefs you hold so strongly that you would be willing to die for them! You know that God clearly communicated these truths. You might say these are written in "blood." Things such as.
◦ The gospel - Jesus death and resurrection and coming reign
◦ The bible - its infallibility and inerrency

The deity of Jesus Christ, the Father and Spirit

Persuasions - These are things you have a persuasion about from the Bible, but there are other valid perspectives also. There is enough ambiguity in the Scriptures to allow both to exist. These might determine where you would worship but are not grounds to break relationship with other believers. You might say these are written in “pen.” Things such as:

styles of worship
modes of baptism
other theological perspectives from Calvinism to Armineanism, etc.

Opinions - These are things you may have an opinion about but there is no direction given in the Scriptures. These things are not worth quibbling over. You might say they’re written in “pencil.” Things such as:

The color of the carpet, chairs or pews, type of coffee, etc.

The problem many Christians have is that we mix up these categories! What should be convictions, sometimes we let become opinions or persuasions and what are opinions we sometime hold to as convictions and act like we’re willing to die for them. All while this is going on, we are wasting time - not focusing on the heart of what God has called us to as a church or ministry. A phrase that has captured this perspective through church history is, "In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity” Here’s an article about it.

I can’t find a church that accepts or values my gifts. what should I do?

This is a hard and sad situation. Have you talked with the Worship Leader about it? What has he said? Do you need more training and development? Is there a group of other artists in the church he could point you to? If he has no group for you, consider starting one yourself or look for a group outside of the church. Look for a mentor to help here also. Use the group as a launching place for some ministry opportunities in the community. They don’t have to be big, but just begin to do something and learn from it. In time the church may see the value of using your gifts for ministry.

Of course, another option in this scenario is to look for another church or ministry. In the end I think your connection with a small group of artists - using your gifts for the kingdom - will be what keeps you going and growing! And hopefully your church or organization will catch a vision for your ministry. Especially consider how A.C.T. Intl can help encourage and even help launch your ministry.

Authentic Artist Resources

Worship through service...

Moving Out