TravelingArtMinister

 
the artistic adventures of a traveling artist joining the creative conversation around the world

WHAT is a Traveling Art Minister

 

An Art Minister (or Arts Pastor) is someone who mentors others through creativity, and oftentimes will specifically mentor Artists. It was in 2010 that I recognized how I could join art and ministry (mentoring) and missions (mentoring in places beyond what I have known) together by traveling to places where I already have connections (people I’ve met throughout the years who are already living and serving abroad to communities small and large, whether through the influence of specific churches, world wide missions organizations, business in communities, or relationship with others) to bring art as a form of ministry to those communities in creative ways. It’s this endeavor that I want to bring to your attention to share my heart with you about. I take art and ministry around the world.

 

You see I really do believe that creativity is a language that transcends all other languages, all nations, cultures, and borders (all cultures throughout history have their own forms of art, music, textiles, stories, etc.). It's a language we all share...it's the language of our Creator (no matter what religion people have faith in, there is art that expresses that religion). It may look or sound a bit different depending upon where we live and who we are, and some of us might be a bit rusty at first engagement, but it's a language that we all speak. 

 

WHAT is the Conversation

 

I believe Creativity is like a conversation. There are conversations going on all the time. Conversations with the people and the work of their hands, with people and God, with people and nature, with people and humankind, with people and self. Creativity allows me to come alongside others and enter into the conversations that are already happening with them. I love listening to the conversations (it's an honor, a sacred thing). If I'm invited into the conversations this brings about collaboration. Collaboration is an invitation to the sharing of ideas and it's a huge part of building relationship. I believe humankind is a relational people. We need each other. I believe we were created that way by a creative God who is all about relationship with us. And I believe we've been given creativity as a language to relate to each other with. When we connect into the conversation through creativity and allow for collaboration, we are helping to build community together and this helps foster relationship. And the walls become invisible between us. 
HOW and WHERE I travel and WHO I travel to

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HOW IT LOOKS

The creative ministry that I engage in is just that...it's very creative in how it presents. There is no formula or "how-to" manual. I'm probably considered "para-church" in that I'm not ordained or licensed with a specific Christian denomination or organization to do this ministry. Through creative ecumenical art ministry, I come alongside those who are either a part of local churches (all various Christian denominations), those who are a part of world-wide missionary organizations, or those who are involved in their local communities through all various ways connecting with people. I have the blessing and prayers of my local church pastors, staff, and art ministry leaders for these travels. The trips that I take are based on ecumenical relational connections that I've personally cultivated. I do have a specified Commissioning Circle of pastors, mentors, and art ministers who send me out on each trip, pray for me, keep me accountable, and debrief with me upon return of each trip (see headline title "My Commissioning Circle" on this page).

 

Each of these trips looks different from the other as they are hand tailored to the specific country, culture, people, ecumenical relationships and needs of those I would be ministering to. Most of my work has been with adults but I have also worked with youth and children. I’ve done anything from facilitating collaborative art projects for large and small groups, designing and implementing community art murals, leading small group therapeutic or ministerial art activities, painting live for local events, painting live for worship services, painting live/accompanying a pastor’s sermon for church services, painting live and speaking the sermon for church services, meeting with artistic groups to discuss how to implement creative art ministry, meeting with artists to converse and learn and encourage them in their own creativity, and allowing for relational ministry (however that needs to look). 

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WHERE AND TO WHOM I TRAVEL TO

These trips are all based on relationships that I have already cultivated and/or are in process of cultivating with people who are located all throughout the world where they are already doing things in their communities (this can be to pastors, missionaries, lay ministers, professional artists of all kinds, business owners, those in the helping professions and also in educational positions, etc.) So my travels have been to those serving within various Christian church denominations or official worldwide missionary organizations and also to those who are connecting within their secular communities through all various ways. I only travel to places and people when there is a mutual conversation that has opened up between me and my hosts and the opportunity has come about for a trip to take place. 

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Since I started traveling for this purpose I have been able to do art and ministry in countries like Ireland, Ecuador, New Zealand, Lithuania, Scotland, Canada, Thailand and throughout the USA. And with my relational connections continuing to grow, there are many more places to go to! I have mostly traveled on my own...but have also traveled with teams of other art ministers. 

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LENGTH OF TRIPS

The length of the trips are determined within the preparation conversations I have with those I'm traveling to. Trips can be a week, a week and a half, two weeks, a month long. Sometimes (when it is a mutual decision) I will return to places I've traveled to before to continue the connecting through additional trips. And on the rare occasion (when it is mutually agreed upon) I will embark on extended expeditions by moving to a place for several months to a year in order to really immerse myself within the culture and the people and allow for creative art ministry to become a daily part of the conversation. 

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FUNDING TRIPS

How do I fund these trips?....through A LOT OF PRAYER. The funds come from all various creative ways. Some of the funds come from the selling of my artwork (go to my official revelatorART business site to see my art: www.revelatorart.wixsite.com/revelatorart ) and some of the funds come from generous donations given to me for the trips (often times people will donate monies specifically to fund the art supplies I take on the trips). I am not a non-profit, nor am I funded from churches, missions organizations, or any other official institution to take these travels.

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THE AGREEMENT WITH MY HOSTS

I don't require my hosts (whom I already have relationship with) to pay me for these Art Ministry Trips. In fact, I pay for all of my transportation needs and all art supplies needed for whatever art will be created (funding for each trip comes from sales within my own art business revelatorART, along with monthly and one time donations from supporters). The only thing I ask of my hosts is room and board (for me to be able to stay with them and eat with them) while I'm with them, along with them helping me connect in and plan whatever creative art ministry I will be engaged in with/to those they are already connecting with/ministering to. Staying with my hosts allows me the unique experience of immersing myself within their specific culture, lifestyle, and ministry. So I am opposed to staying on my own in hotels, hostels, or with others with whom I do not have relationship with.

 

My goal is to come alongside what they are already doing...so it's not about me coming and doing "my thing"...it's not about me doing art activities or events that aren't actually going to help what is already taking place with my hosts...it's about how I can best come alongside them through creativity to enhance the conversations they are already having, because it's not really about the art, it's about the conversation. I fund these trips through relationship. It's a gift. I give the time. I give the mentoring. I give the art. I give the conversation. It's about relationship. Human to human. Heart to heart.

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WOULD you like to be a part of the creative conversation?

For those of you who might be interested in being a part of the conversation and partnering with me through praying for my travels, following along with my blog posts documenting my travels, financially donating towards my travels, or hosting me on my travels (through establishing relationship first), please contact me (go to my contact page to email me). I'd love to connect with you. You see, we're in this together. I really do believe I take you with me wherever I go. You're part of this adventure as much as I am. I appreciate your prayers and your encouragement more than you realize. We're better together.

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This is my prayer for you, that you will not only love much but love well. -Philippians 1:9

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