THE RESTORATION ARTS “BIG” VISION*
Restoring artists and all art forms to the glory of God for kingdom purposes:
• Impacting the culture through free community outreach presentations
• Providing opportunities for youth to be trained and mentored through the arts
Imagine a Restoration Arts Center, a state of the art facility which houses a theater and classrooms for teaching music (piano, guitar, violin, etc.), dance, drama, voice & visual arts freely to under-privileged youth.
A place for aspiring young artists as well as established artists of all forms to further develop their gifts for the sole purpose of glorifying and magnifying the Lord Jesus Christ; offering artists the opportunity to use their gifts in worship and for the purpose of boldly "proclaiming Christ" through the arts.
A place where the community can be evangelized through free outreach presentations using all the arts in a collaborative spirit of unity that inspires and brings hope and healing all to the glory of God.
*Habakkuk 2:2-3 - Then the LORD answered me and said, “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.”
Matthew 19:26 - Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Ephesians 3:20-21 - Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
My personal story:
When I was a child, I loved listening to all types of music and especially dancing to the music. Through some of my childhood struggles (not having a normal Mother/daughter relationship due to my Mom’s battle with mental illness (even though she was a Christian with a very kind and generous heart & also very artistic), having to live with different relatives, experiencing some abusive situations, and then later being exposed to a frequently unstable environment resulting from my Dad’s alcohol abuse), dancing and music became a pleasant “escape” for me. As a Christian adult, I am so thankful I have learned not to "escape", but to press into the presence of the Lord through worship. As a result, I have experienced so much healing through worshiping God in song and through dance. Even after the tragic murder of my only brother, I experienced a lot of healing of the grief and pain through worshiping God through dance. He truly “turned for me my mourning into dancing” (Psalm 30:11). In God’s presence there is joy and healing (Psalm 16:11).
I believe God can use the arts (especially when infused with the spirit of God as praise and worship, and through communicating the truth of God’s word) as a tool to bring healing and restoration to many youth and adults who have been abused and/or are currently experiencing unstable and challenging home environments.
James 1:27 – both parts of the verse – the outreach to widows & orphans (through free, inspirational arts presentations) and keeping youth unstained from the world (opportunities for them to not conform to the culture using their gifts and talents but instead for eternal purposes). We are a visual culture and youth are drawn to the arts of our culture, especially through music and dance. Consider the impact of going beyond providing weekly youth services through the provision of free, after-school arts classes in a spirit-filled environment.
