Artists in Community

A small glimpse into the Night of Worship.

I just returned from the Creative Church Conference set in the stunningly beautiful city of Boise, Idaho (I found out I was mispronouncing it - I was saying "boy-zee" when it's actually pronounced "boy-see"). Love the city! Love Vineyard Boise, the church that hosted the conference. Love VineArts (the arts ministry of the church) led by the amazing Jessie Nilo and her equally amazing team of loving artists. The theme of the conference: Artists in Community. Yes, it is possible.

Having just returned home yesterday, in the middle of the night, I'm still exploring all that God has deposited in me while there. It's very hard to put into words at this point. But what I have come away with the most is the impact of a deeply loving community of creatives and artists. A community where lines are blurred between "professional" artists and "emerging" artists. Where love for Jesus  and love for others reigns FAR above what our art looks like, what gallery its hanging in, or if we have a spectacular home studio or not. Love. Period. I'm forever changed by the presence of the Holy Spirit who was very present at the conference. My spiritual family grew as I was introduced to all the new siblings in Christ that I met. My heart has expanded. God is so full of goodness!

If you want to be blown away by the love God has for you, watch this sermon by potter/pastor Dave Blakeslee (link below). He uses the art of throwing pots as a powerful illustration for his sermons. You can see it here. I highly recommend it.

Pastor Dave Blakeslee setting up for his Sunday message.