Visual Art and Photography
Centuries ago visual art was used to teach the Gospel to people who could not read. Today we teach the Gospel to people who do not read. God uses the arts in ways that we have not ever thought possible. A famous early 15th-century altarpiece was commissioned by monks with one request - that the artist would paint it in such a way that those in their care dying from the plague would be healed when they saw it! Before new patients were even washed, they were taken to the altar to see how the Lord, who suffered and died for them, also understood their own suffering. The 15th-century monastery in Isenheim, Germany, the home of the famous Isenheim Altar, became known as a place where miraculous healing occurred.
Today such thinking seems almost impossible. But we commit our work to God's purposes and the rest is up to Him. We use opening receptions of exhibitions as evangelistic outreach. We do art to transform the interiors of churches. We do live painting with concerts. We use the arts to promote missions by essentially bringing viewers into the mission field with powerful visual images. By using art forms devoted to God's purposes, our hearts may be touched with the passion of God's heart: the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. See more about our Chapel Gallery™ Ministry
Music
Whether it's worship or a concert, whether "plugged in" or unplugged, traditional hymns or hymns updated with contemporary instruments, we minister to all age groups. Some of our music ministers have toured internationally for decades. Some are pastors of worship. Some prefer Gospel, some rock. We use concerts for evangelism. We lead worship for churches of any size. We even choreograph live art performance with concerts for liturgical events such as special services for Good Friday. We are serious about ministering with integrity. We are serious followers of Christ, serious about using our gifts for the edification of the Church, and seriously well-rehearsed.
Humanitarian
The Leaders of Widows' Intercessory Ministries, led by Pastor Ruth Mwagalwa (center in red shirt)
Our current humanitarian work is to widows in Uganda. This year, we helped the Widows' Intercessory Ministries establish their own Bakery in Kampala where other parts of the ministry operate: a home for elderly widows, a church plant, medical care, and the base of operations to hold conferences throughout Uganda, geared especially for ministry to the many widows of the nation.
Our master baker, Freedom, heads up the new bakery, and is training other widows in baking and running the business. The breads and cakes are sold from a small shop with the baking being done off-site. The first reports we heard back? "Delicious!"
We expect this miraculous provision of setting up the widows' professional bakery to be the first, with more on the way.
you can see a brief video of the Fount Life Bakery here:
ARM began its ministry by assisting orphans in Russia, where there are an estimated 2.5 million orphans and abandoned children living in the cold streets. According to USAID, there are 163 million orphans in the world today which, taken together, would make them the 7th largest nation on earth! An orphan nation?
We use proceeds from fine art reproductions to assist with these humanitarian projects. Small efforts can make big changes in a life.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
Evangelism
At the heart of all our ministry is to do the work of an evangelist, as St. Paul instructed Timothy. When we did a concert ministry on a US Navy base, we saw over 2,000 young sailors come to Christ over a period of 10 months of weekly outreach. Our art exhibits are designed to be evangelistic. Opening receptions are purposely designed so that a church has opportunity to reach its community in new ways using these events to engage their communities. People love the arts, and we believe it is a sphere of culture that God has given us as a bridge to reach our world.
Discipleship
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you." Matthew 28:18
If the Great Commission was fulfilled when people convert to Christianity, it might be somewhat simpler. But it merely begins there. We have been set on a road called "progressive sanctification" since the day of our conversion, called to be Christ's image bearers. How do we do that beyond coming up with a set of rules? A really, really long, long, set of rules? We believe as St. Peter says that "we have been given everything for life and godliness." And in God's Word we have an instruction manual to help us live meaningful and joyful lives. We like the term, "Advanced Discipleship." And many people gifted in the fine arts and music have a distinct platform and therefore a greater responsibility to lead exemplary Christian lives. Sound like too much? Would God really give us instructions He didn't think we could follow? So here is a sample outline of one of our Discipleship Training Seminars:
Biblical Sufficiency and Necessity: Putting Faith in Practice
If Not God, Then What?: Idols of the Heart/ Unrighteous Anger
Righteous Anger and Forgiveness
The Cure Begins: Loving Neighbor as Self /Biblical Communication
Sacrificial Service: Loving Neighbor More than Self/Overcoming Evil
We promise, doing things His way is worth it all. He has all the answers we will ever need!
Leadership Development
Godly leaders are developed by using godly principles. Men and women of God are accountable to more than a boss for the way they care for those under their charge. Our success is not based on outward appearances, because God sees not as a man sees- man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. Because of this, we teach leadership that aims at the heart of the leader, with the goal of mirroring, by God's grace, the lovely image of His Son Jesus who always lived with eternity in view. As a carpenter or as a teacher, He was always pleasing to His Father, even to the hour of His death. For an example of our philosophy of leadership, read "Biblically Inspired Leadership", a document on leadership published in the 2009 Theological Journal of St. Alcuin House Seminary, written by Rosemarie Adcock.
Intercessory Prayer
Our members gather weekly by way of the internet to hold up one another's ministries in prayer. At times we gather for extended meetings with song and intercession as we move the heart of God who moves the very fabric of the universe. Nothing is impossible with Him as we entrust our lives to His sovereign plan. If you are a pastor, missionary, music minister or artist of any discipline, you are welcome to participate in this network of intercessory prayer. Just email us from the contact us page and let us know you want to participate.
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much"
