Ever since we started New Life we have felt a commitment to the creative arts.
It feels like this is a part of our DNA, and yet we have not been able to come to the point where the arts are integrated into what we do.
The arts enable us to tell the story in a powerful way, to tell the gospel story in ways that transcend the purely rational.
But how to start?
Here are some questions that I think we need to ask ourselves:
1. What is the message that we are trying to convey?
2. What can the arts do for us that we cannot do in other ways?
3. What changes do we need to make to:
- our worship
- the building
- our people
4. What are the abilities or interests that people have which we can tap into?
5. Is there scope for getting people in to help us, and if so who?
New Life Narrabri 
1. What is the message that we are trying to convey?The Good news – that Jesus came and died for our sins and that through Jesus we can have eternal life. But also that there is good news for our life today. Life sucks sometimes but with Jesus we can get through it and experience healing, wholeness and restoration – though this process is not instantaneous and not easy2. What can the arts do for us that we cannot do in other ways?The arts by pass the brain and effect peoples hearts. This is where we want their lives to change – from the inside out. We think and analyse too much and the arts open peoples Spirits in ways that words cannot. We hear too much and we ignore most of it – it isn't for me, they are talking to somebody else, I don't believe it anyway. Why is the Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Circus de Soliel so popular – they tell parts of the Christian message without meaning to and they touch peoples hearts. We live in the world of TV, movies, the internet. Most communication today is visual, peoples concentration span is as about as long as between commercial breaks. Schools need to be places of entertainment and teachers try to cater for all learning styles (not always with success! but we do try) Most educational places have changed how they do business but churches still use the sermon as the major message of comunication and wonder why people don't come. People won't generally listen to somebody for 20 minutes. We have the best story to tell but we are using methods that are out dated to tell it. People go to movies, plays, musicals, dances – they don't generally go to listen to people speak and most speakers today would use computers and power point presentations so there is a visual with their speaking.People today are very good at closing off there hearts and words won't break them down. The arts make people vulnerable to see into their hearts. They touch emotions that they don't normally let themselves feel. If something is uncomfortable they don't face it and avoid situtaions where they know they will have to face them (look at the people who couldn't come to Annabel's funeral) however the arts shows people the inside without giving them a chance to shut down,I think art to gives you permission to say that you don't have all the answers. When we speak we feel like we have to give all the answers and sometimes giving the pat answer make things worse. In art it is easier sometimes to leave things without a resolution3. What changes do we need to make to: * our worship * the building * our peopleI think first of all people have to understand the importance of the arts and they have to understand that the way we worship has to change. We do the same thing every Sunday – music, sharing, family input, communion, sermon, song – we may change the order but it is the same week in week out. Somehow the way we worship has to change to integrate worshipping with our bodies. We need to kneel, prostrate ourselves, wave, dance – we need to listen to the Spirit and do what he tells ius to do.We are big on worshipping God with Spirit and Soul but what about with our bodies? And people need to grasp that it is for everybody, not just the children.Family Input when we first started it was suppose to be a way of getting families involved in worship – it wasn't suppose to be just for the children and this is what it has turned into. If we get flags/banners they are not just for the kids to wave up the back where they are out of the way. They need to be an integral part of worship with everybody free to use them. The flags and banners can be used to minister to others by waving them over them, playing with them – hard to do if the flags are up the back and people are singing down the front. It has to be integrated worshipI think we need to rearrange the way the building is so there is space for who ever wants to move dance, wave flags, baners, ribbons, people to lay down, people to kneel do whatever so that it still all in the same area. I believe that God often moves from the front of the building down so if you move thsi kind of worship to the back then the people who are trying to listen to the Spirit are the furthest away. I also think at the moment you are teaching the kids – who are the ones doing it that it is onlt for kids and you can do it if you are out of our way! We don't say that but often the non verbal is more powerful than the verbal. As adults we need to be braver because otherwise we are teaching the kids that you grow out of all that stuff as you grow older.It isn't necessary to have a sermon everyweek – sometimes the message is better given in some other way (like the slide show on Good Friday) However these ways are not easy and require alot of thought and planning. A picture paints a thousand words and doesn't need to be explained4. What are the abilities or interests that people have which we can tap into?I think it is important to have people who are trained if you are presenting stuff to an audience. Everybody can do all of it in worship but we need trained people to present it on a larger scale. Susannah and Philip are receiving training and we need to look for ways to encourage them to pass on their training and also to use it.The arts should be a way to bring unity to the body – in Narrabri I think that most churches will not have enough trained people to do things regularly on a big scale but that together we can do some amazing things.If we had something to do I could try to get my school dance group involved. Jemma Keast wants to come to Alice Springs for the next conference,5. Is there scope for getting people in to help us, and if so who?I really feel that we need to sow into other ministries that are doing something in this area. I did think at the conference that maybe as a church for CDFA – what I don't know. It is like the rest of it I can see what it is suppose to look like but how you get there I don't know. I guess we need revelation as you said the other night and that means taht we have to pray. If God wants us to do this then he will give us the ways
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Two thoughts out of this:1. Our building is already cramped for space! We have to use the space more effectively… perhaps moving the furniture out/ around…. but that's hard work2. The time component for planning. The reason why you end up following a predictable routine is that it's the easiest way to do things. Even the Good Friday thing which was already produced by somebody else took a lot of time because it had to be converted from a net format to a DVD format (Tim did that). Then I had to work out a format that would work and enhance the presentation not take away from it. Even the arty churches that are right into it (eg Mosaic in LA) only do the big presentations once a month max."I think we need to rearrange the way the building is so there is space for who ever wants to move dance, wave flags, banners, ribbons, people to lay down, people to kneel do whatever so that it still all in the same area. I believe that God often moves from the front of the building down so if you move this kind of worship to the back then the people who are trying to listen to the Spirit are the furthest away. I also think at the moment you are teaching the kids – who are the ones doing it that it is only for kids and you can do it if you are out of our way! We don't say that but often the non verbal is more powerful than the verbal. As adults we need to be braver because otherwise we are teaching the kids that you grow out of all that stuff as you grow older."Again the practicality of letting people move who want to move means space! Is there a way of arranging the building that allows more "stuff" up front while retaining the homey atmosphere that makes people feel comfortable?Here is a problem that I see that's the heart of it all…. we have been conditioned to believe that worship is essentially "receiving". Sit still and listen. We have to change that mind set. Even the sharing times are dull because most people don't understand that they have a responsibility to bring something to share.
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Here is a problem that I see that's the heart of it all…. we have been conditioned to believe that worship is essentially "receiving". Sit still and listen. We have to change that mind set. Even the sharing times are dull because most people don't understand that they have a responsibility to bring something to share.I agree. We all need to accept that worship is about giving to God but that it is also about ministering to others and I think we all get too wrapped up in what we need or what we think we should be doing that we aren't aware of what god wants or even what the other people around us need. If we use the arts if gives people the ability to minister to others. Of course this should be happening in small groups and maybe we need to start there and encourage people to be creative in their small groups.I know it all takes time. I know the Good Friday stuff took ages and I certainly don;t think that at the moment we should be doing something all the time. However I think we can make a start. Maybe we can have a planning meeting and look at what you are planning to preach on and do some small things. I find it hard – if you tell me what to do I will do it but I really don't know what to do or what will work. I think we need to try and do some more symbol/ritual stuff – again I don't really know how or what but we need to make the meaning behind alot of what we do and believe more real. Christian schools can be great for kids in this way because they can tell the story over and over in creative ways and it gets into their souls. I don't think it even has to be that complicated – just stuff with things like candles, water, clothing etc.I don't think there is anything wrong with what we are doing now and God can move in any place at any time. I guess it is as much about learning to listen to God better and doing the whole risk taking thing as it is about what we actually do. I am just not willing to let it go. I feel like God has restored the vision and though I have no idea what to do or how to get there I feel like I have to do something. I feel quite helpless really but I guess that is when God does his best work – I'm hoping anyway.In terms of rearranging the building what about if we moved the lounges in front of the room where the double bunks are and move the front lot of tables down there and left the space where the front lot of tables are? Again I am not good at spatial concepts and that may not work but it is a suggestion.I don't know that sharing times because most people don't understand that they have a responsibility to bring something to share. If they are anything like me they would like to have something to share but mostly I don't feel that God has done anything in my life. I feel I plod along and that there is to much to do and too little time to do it in. I know I don't spend enough time in his presence but I also don't know where to find that time. I bring school work home most nights and I plan to get to bed early but it doesn't often happen and it is all I can do to get up in the mornings in time to go to school. Life mostly seems too hard and it is all I can do to cope.
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