a night of "communion" at envision

last night, at a local gathering for creatives of faith (called ENVISION: which meets to build community and inspire each other in who we are and what we do), i had the wonderful opportunity to share about being a traveling art minister. 

i set up the room in the round with a mock campfire in the middle. i tried to create the atmosphere of those moments we experience in intimate community around a campfire while sharing drink and food and stories and music and parts of who we are with each other. 

this is what i was going for...

okay so it actually looked more like this...

but hey it was inside during the cold of winter with around 35 people, so ya know, i improvised. 

and let me tell you the setting didn't matter at all on the quality of conversation and connection that took place amongst people while we gathered. 

we talked about what it means to minister to each other and what that can look like through creativity.  i brought up the importance of "communion" in community (connecting with others through relationship) which can look like so many things but always has the purpose of love. and we worked together on an art project as an example of that.  

the art project represented how we are all broken & hurting people with inner struggles of life. being in relationship with God guarantees us we are not alone and there is hope. being in relationship with Community allows us the safety to experience the hard work of inner healing and see it lived out daily. when we begin to trust God with our lives and start to give those areas that are hinderances, struggles, heartaches, pains over to him to partner with us for healing and growth...and when we allow him to do that within the safety of trusted fellow human beings, he is able to create some beautiful things in us and others. 

while we created, my friend & artist, Jessie Nilo played some beautiful songs for us on her guitar, continuing the mood of intimate campfire communion...

here is the result of 3 groups made up of broken people (all of us are) working on a new creation together with each other and with God...

photo taken by J Lund

i enjoyed the conversations we had with each other (whether verbally or through the art activity or just through our presence together). we are all creative (made by a creative God). what can we do with our creativity? we were all made for relationship and we were all made to minister to each other. 

thank you to all who attended this month's ENVISION meeting and for partnering and participating in the ongoing conversation that God is having with us.

if you want to learn more about ENVISION and how you can get involved, you can click here.

if you want to learn more about my art travels and how i minister throughout the world through creativity you can click here.

an update from VineArts Boise

Here is the latest news from VineArts Boise introducing upcoming opportunities for 2014: Photo by Jessie Nilo

VineArts Update January 2014 It's a new beginning, a fresh start. Maybe a time for reflection and asking honest questions, or for spending some quiet time with God. What are your needs as an creative person? How can we help equip you this year? Our goal at VineArts is to provide opportunities for everyone to grow spiritually and artistically in Christ-filled community. Let us know how we can serve you. Bless you in this coming year! Heart of the Artist Book Study Monday evenings January 6 & 20/February 3 & 17/March 3 & 10 6:30-8:30 PM at the VineArts Studio Cost: $14 for book (purchase at Book Cellar or online) This isn’t just a class, it’s an experience... Join us for this groundbreaking study on being a Christ-filled artist. Explore what it means to serve God with your artistic gifts. Open to creatives of all genres (writing, music, theatre, visual art, dance, etc). Special guests each week from VineArts will give insight into the Heart of the Artist. Sorry, no childcare provided. This study is for ages 16+ due to the contemplative and reflective nature of our topics. Contact: Jessie Nilo and Corinna Stevens jessie.nilo@vineyardboise.org Click here to learn more or to sign up for Heart of the Artist! The Creative Church Conference Save the date! July 25-27, 2014 We're excited for this second international gathering of Christian creatives who desire to see God's glory reflected through the arts in churches everywhere. The Creative Church Conference is a beautiful, encouraging, and connecting experience. Save the date and invite a friend to the 2014 Conference in Boise! The conference will take place all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 25-27 at Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Boise, Idaho. Cost: $75 for the entire 3-day conference. Special rates for hotels also available. Registration begins in two weeks! Miss the First One? DVDs of our 2012 conferences are available for purchase: The Indianapolis DVD set costs $105 for all 7 main sessions plus 8 workshops. The Boise DVD set is $75 for all 7 main sessions and does not include workshops. Please reply if you'd like to learn more about purchasing a set of 2012 DVDs. It's a great way to share and enjoy the practical teachings of passionate artists, pastors, and leaders in the arts while providing funds for future Creative Church Conferences. January Envision A Community of Support for Christian Creatives  Third Wednesdays 7:00 - 9:00 PM (next one: January 15) You're invited to a beautiful Envision experience! This month our main speaker will be Lisa Marten. Get ready to hear some highly missional and relational stories about being a traveling art minister overseas. Sherri Coffield has created Envision, a safe place for creatives throughout the Treasure Valley to come together to worship Christ, be inspired in our calling, and know that we belong. Our Envision members come from many different churches and traditions, and we worship one Savior, Jesus Christ. Our gathering takes place in the VineArts Studio on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 pm sharp. Please forward this open invitation to any artists of faith you may know. January VineArts Exhibit "Second Chances: Mercy and Grace" (up through Easter) taking art entries January 19, 21, 22 “PEOPLE NEED LOVING THE MOST WHEN THEY DESERVE IT THE LEAST.” —Jim Elliot (a missionary killed in Ecuador while ministering to native warriors; after his death, Jim's family led the warriors to Christ)   Mercy:  The withholding of punishment shown to an offender; abstaining from the degree of strictness or severity deserved; relieving another’s distress or misfortune. Grace:  The sovereign gift of totally undeserved kindness, shown by God to man; an unexpected act of kindness or compassion; undeserved or ill-deserved favor/gifts. Who deserves another chance? God's mercies are new every morning. What greater mercy has ever been shown when He sent His Son to die for us? He is limitless, continually creative when we make choices that get us off track, and able to lead us to a new path. It’s never too late for a do-over. It’s never too big or small an act to show someone else the extravagant love, mercy, and kindness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Download the required entry packet here. More thoughts, scriptures, and quotes about mercy and grace here. Open Studio Remember, our studio is open to the public every Saturday from noon to 4:00pm at the VineArts Studio. Come for free coffee and creating in the chilly winter months, and you can even use our art supplies! Find out more about Open Studio here.

Painting on People's Lives with Words: A Night with Dean Estes

 At this month's ENVISION meeting, founder Sherri Coffield introduced us to sculptor/painter/teacher/mentor Dean Estes. What does it mean to be an "art minister"? Dean shared with us stories dedicated to speaking life into people in creative ways and how creativity can be a language to speak that life.

 Dean (wearing the hat) interviewed myself and Chad Estes (his son who is a writer and photographer) about how we reach people through creativity. Chad shared with us how he connects with people and tells their stories through photography and I shared some about how I travel doing art ministry and also connect with people through peformance art.

 Chris White and Sam Flowers added some atmosphere to the evening with some hand drum rhythm while singer Iris Gallegos sang some acapella songs.

 Dean demonstrated to us through visual art what it's like when we paint on people's lives with words. Many times we don't know how our words can affect others, but if our hearts are focused on encouraging and inspiring others we can make a difference. Dean painted an image upside down on a large canvas with both hands (challenging himself to work without knowing the outcome).

 Then Dean turned the canvas rightside up. Myself and Jessie Nilo (art teacher/founder of VineArts) came forward and painted together on the canvas. We had not planned ahead of time what we were going to paint, we worked side by side spontaneously working off of each other. We added color and texture to bring the image to life. This was a representation of how we can be influential in each other's lives. Oftentimes we're not the only one who gets to speak life, we work together in collaboration.

 After we finished, Mike Freeman (teacher/pastor/writer) joined in to complete the painting by including the Hebrew word for "soul" (this is what happens once life is spoken into someone...life is breathed into the soul).

Here is the final painting created in collaboration...a demonstration of painting on people's lives with words. This is allowing creativity to be the language of life.

photos by Jessie Nilo and Chele Shepherd

ENVISION



Last week I went to the launch of "envision" (a new Treasure Valley wide faith based art community open to creatives of all mediums, skill levels, and accomplishments). over 40 people turned out! it was exciting to see the potential and possibilities when creatives gather together to collaborate in community. We know that though the normal tendency for a creative is to isolate (in our creative process, in our... business, in our spiritual lives, in our relational lives), truth is we the creative desires community and connection at a deep level (it's just so darn hard to be vulnerable with who we are and trust). It's encouraging when norms are broken down and we can reach across the barriers to each other (to understand and be understood). I like it when i see this beginning to happen.

Envision meets on the 3rd Wednesday night of each month, from 7pm to 9pm.

It's first meeting was at the VineArts Studio. It will probably meet there for awhile and then perhaps move around depending upon the theme of the night. Each month will have a different topic and speaker, a different format and experience (some with hands on experiential art making). The first meeting was made up of musicians, singer/songwriters, poets, authors, painters & other visual artists, photographers, dancers, art teachers, and art ministers from a number of churches throughout the Treasure Valley.
Envision:
Connecting Creatives with Each Other and the Creator

"The result of God’s stirring in our hearts, Envision aims to bring a sense of community to Christian creatives. Our vision centers on finding ways to embrace, inspire, and empower creatives, ushering them into the knowledge of who they are in Christ, while nurturing our God-given abilities to connect with each other, our communities, the world, and ultimately our Creator.

Envision will speak to all Christian denominations without prejudice. Whether or not you presently attend a church or have community with other artists, this is a safe place for you to come and find more of who you were created to be.

This meeting is an important opportunity for creatives within all areas of art to explore what needs among us are unmet. Your willingness to share ideas and discuss possible solutions to questions such as the ones below is critical as we move forward.

• What unmet needs do you see in the Christian creative community?
• What do you need in order to feel more connected and inspired as a creative individual?
• How can we support and serve you?

To help illustrate our vision we will feature a guest speaker/guest artist at each meeting who will share with our group. The first meeting on March 20th was led by Sherri Coffield. She spoke about how she came to realize that being a Christian artist doesn't have to mean creating art with a narrow religious focus and how this discovery has impacted her spiritual growth and personal ministry.

If you have questions or comments about upcoming meetings you can contact:
Sherri Coffield
scoffield.id@gmail.com
Child care will not be provided. Children under the age of 17 will only be admitted on a case to case basis since some mature content may not be appropriate."