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Hey guys!

Here are three things to spark your inner missional flame:

💥 INSPIRED BY

Encouraging A Culture Of Creativity

*This content comes from the Inspiro Arts Alliance Newsletter. Written by Daniel Lim, Inspiro Arts Alliance member.

Viewing the vast, open plains of Namibia from my window seat was an awe-inspiring experience. By population, Namibia is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. With an average of three to four people per square kilometre, most of the landscape is untouched and left to the wild.

I originally met Sipporah, a Namibian youth pastor, while visiting the Doulos Hope in Taiwan. She heard about an experience I had in Nepal, during which 33 youths had their first experience with songwriting at a worship conference I held. The experience showed me that creativity grows when people are empowered and given the space to create without an agenda. She invited me to Namibia to teach a course on developing this culture of creativity.

Her church in Namibia has a thriving musical heritage that she wanted to see passed down to the next generation—specifically, a group of about 15 to 20 individuals. I was amazed by their talent and their hearts. They were eager to learn and even more eager to create. My Culture of Creativity course was designed not to teach songwriting, but to instruct a community on how to make the appropriate space needed for a thriving community of creatives. I developed much of the curriculum through lessons learned while hosting Third Space—an online, international community of songwriters dedicated to collaboration.

The course ran over two days and culminated in a four-hour session of songwriting and celebration. For many, it was their first time writing. The biggest takeaway was the experience itself. My goal was to make the writing process enjoyable so that they would continue to write with resilience against discouragement, growing in skill as a result.

The success of the course was evident in their response to being reintroduced to God as a creative being—studying Genesis one with an emphasis on understanding God's posture of creativity and cultivation. It was also evident in the fruit that came a few months after the course: a winter concert focused on community outreach.

Perhaps the aspect of the experience that excited me most was how surprising and unexpected the music written by the participants sounded. I'm humbled as I realise more and more that I am not capable of teaching songwriting in a context I am not a part of. It's important to hold what is excellent with an open hand and allow the people you are teaching to teach you what is excellent to them.

🛠️ EQUIPPED BY

Metaphorical Christs

Because artists are imaginative beings, ministry never operates solely on the plane of cognition.

A "metaphorical Christ" refers to living a life that manifests the nuances of Christ's life.

It involves using wisdom in daily actions and being self-aware of communicating God's kingdom.

Your life, actions, and words serve as a signpost for others to understand the gospel.

This concept emphasizes the "how" of sharing the Christian message, not just the "what."

Paul captured this metaphorical Christ idea when he said “In my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” (Colossians 1:24b). The Colossae believers couldn’t see the literal Jesus’ sufferings. Paul knew his sufferings were both literal and metaphorical for them to “see” Jesus in Paul.

🚀 SENT WITH

Kevin Kelly

-Matt