Starting a Creative Arts team means different things to different churches.
The term “arts” covers music, print, web, media, dance, drama, etc. So, if you are just starting to build an arts ministry, here are four tips to make it successful:
1) Define the primary purpose of the arts team.
Is it creative message support? Is it music support? Is it graphics and video? Is it creative support for the weekend or is it for all of the ministries? Having a defined focus for the team’s deliverables will provide clarity and allows the team to prioritize and get the most important things accomplished.
2) Choose the right leader.
The leader of the arts team needs to be fully aligned with the mission and vision of the church and with the lead pastor. The right leader can provide an environment where the artists can dream, create, concept and design, but also provide leadership and structure so that projects get accomplished on time, and meet the expectations of leadership. This doesn’t have to be a full-time staff member, but if it is a volunteer, they need to have a contact on the lead team who helps provide accountability and a pipeline to the information a creative team will inherently need to get.
3) Choose excellence.
Focus the scope of what the arts team will spend their time working on. This will allow them to be great with a few things. This links back to tip #1 – defining the primary purpose of the team. Too many arts teams get too many projects piled on them with too little time, and in the end, everything a becomes mediocre. And nobody wants mediocre.
4) Tell stories.
Just as Jesus used parables to communicate truth, use your arts team to tell stories! This includes telling God’s story, telling the stories in your church, telling the stories of your church, and bringing stories/illustrations to life within your lead pastor’s teachings. Nothing is more compelling than to hear the stories of how God is at work in the lives of your people.
