The 19th annual Creative Ministries Festival, held April 17-18 for the first time at White Oak Conference Center, offered training in areas of puppetry, clowning, interpretive movement and drama with the purpose of sharing the gospel and leading in worship.
“I love the worship aspect of the weekend,” said Stephanie Caldwell, creative arts consultant with the South Carolina Baptist Convention and event coordinator. “We are here to teach, equip, and share with others how to have ministry opportunities and use their gifts and talents to glorify God.”
Darlene Beesting led several workshops on clowning and face painting, and said she was encouraged to see people getting excited to share their faith after learning about using stamping tattoos.
“Children painted crosses on themselves, then shared their faith as they explained what they drew. The room became a witnessing room; everyone began painting, then sharing. You could feel the spirit of God here with us in this room,” Beesting said.
“Creative ministries allow Christians to use God-given talents and gifts to share the gospel in innovative and personal ways,” Caldwell said. “Many people will not darken the church doors but will pause and watch a mime in a park or joke with a juggler on the sidewalk. Music can always draw a crowd and certainly can speak to any passive heart.”
The festival highlighted ministry ideas using creative arts and some others that were just plain creative. An illusionist showed how to use science experiments to reach audiences with the gospel. Darren Casteel, also known as “Professor DoDad,” demonstrated how to use a series of chemical reactions to explain how sin separates us from God.
Other workshop topics included improvisation, balloon creations, and blending creative arts into children’s ministry and worship. Jeff Smith, founder of Salt and Light Ministries out of Virginia, offered ideas on how to plan children’s worship experiences. He said a church should translate important tenets of faith into worship and intentionally teach what the Bible says about praise. “Praise is physical and participatory. It is our natural response to who God is,” Smith said.
Mark Powers, director of the worship and music group, SCBC, spoke about a seamless relationship between worship and evangelism. “The various facets of creative ministries are ideal for getting the world’s attention in the marketplace,” he said. “Our purpose in this conference is to equip and encourage worship groups to go beyond ministering in their own church and go to the world with their creative expressions.
A puppet ministry group from Sand Hills Church in Kershaw has attended this conference before, but this year’s event was unique for them. In January, a trailer containing 10 years worth of puppet supplies and props was stolen from the church parking lot. The empty trailer was later found, and the puppets had been burned and other materials destroyed. Some members from the puppet ministry attended the conference to learn how to make new puppets and to pick up some puppets they ordered. “We are experiencing a sort of rebirth,” said member David Lee.
According to Caldwell, creative ministries can communicate God’s messages in extraordinary ways. “As a part of worship, it can help us think outside the box, get out of our comfort zones, listen intently for God’s voice, prepare our hearts for worship, and illustrate the sermon. God’s love and teachings are brought to light and hearts are challenged,” she said.
For information on the 2011 Creative Ministries Festival, to be held April 1-2 at White Oak: 800-723-7242, visit www.scbaptist.org/worship, or connect on Facebook under the group “SC Creative Ministries Festival.” – SCBC