Use what you have: Building Community with Art

What happens when you combine canvas, acrylic paint and an open invitation for people to come and create? Community happens.

Earlier in 2015, I was in the midst of considering a practical way to prayerfully observe the season of Advent and my first inclination was to do something creative. In my own heart, I was longing for some space to rest and reflect upon the season of Advent, where hope, peace, joy and love reside.

Through the social networking site, Meetup, I started a group called, "Buffalo Artists Share" and set some dates for a group to gather at a local church to work on an Advent mural project. (For the lesson plan on how to make a canvas mural, email: eastman_tara@yahoo.com.) Church members as well as folks from the Meetup group were invited, over a period of three weeks to come and paint, eat some lunch and get to know each other. The most engaged participants in the project, turned out to be from the general public. 

Over four weeks, the painters painted all four sections of the mural and the mural also was used to compliment the devotional time for pastors in the Niagara Frontier Conference, as well as being used in Christmas Eve worship as a means of reflecting on where the hope, peace, joy and love of God can be found. Because we "used what we had", the community of  St. Mark and Good Shepherd Lutheran Churches was able to connect with the surrounding community of Buffalo both inside and outside of our church and Synod walls. 

For the season of Lent, another community art and spiritual life project is being planned. For five weeks, stories of Jesus life will be shared and people are invited to come, to listen, and to create images based on the story they hear. At the end of the five week sessions, dubbed "Artful Prayer", the group will celebrate with a pot-luck dinner and reveal their creations.

In a time where pastors, parishioners and churches are looking for answers to the questions of how the church can grow; it might be good to take stock in what they already have. Every church might not have a visual artist on hand, but you probably have knitters, woodworkers, cooks, and teachers. If you ask around, I'd bet you find a painter too!

The people who cross your doorstep are our churches greatest asset in helping to build relationships with people on the other side of our church doors. If you long for a place of warmth and hope, you may be surprised to find it in the faces of the people that you already see on Sunday morning. The interests and gifts we already have are the gifts God gives is to share to help build communities of faith that make a difference.

Use what you have, yes you do have it!

Vicar Tara