FOUNDATIONS OF

ART MINISTRY COURSE

Copyright ©2015, 2016, 2017 Art Fruition and Jessie Nilo

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the
express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or course review.

To obtain permission for reproducing or showing any part of this material to others, email your request to jessie@artfruition.
com and explain the nature of your request.

www.ArtFruition.com
Dear Art Fruition student,

Welcome to our school! I’ve been praying for you, and I’m so excited for the next few months and
what God will do in your life.

I will read every word you write in this course. I eagerly watch for every sketch and project you will
upload. Your creative work moves and inspires me. I find that I’m constantly challenged and uplifted
as you minister to me with your writings and responses. I value learning from you as much as you
learn from me.

Although I read everything, I don’t normally type comments in response (although I do

occasionally). This is partly due to the enormous amount of time it takes to create ongoing content
for Art Fruition as we develop future material. But mostly it is because I am intentional about
connecting with the artists who are right in front of me. I love to give them my time.

We need to be aware of the local communities of artists who exist all around us, and be open to
helping them develop their God-given creativity in regular, mundane, everyday life.

My greatest hope for this course, and my whole reason for creating this art ministry school in the
first place, is that you will look around you and pray for the artists who are already in front of you. So
many artists in churches feel invisible. So many artists on the street have no idea that God loves them
and cares deeply about beauty.

But God will guide you to see these people. You’ll learn what makes them dream when you invest
face-to-face time with them, ministering to each other. Face to face we can change the world.

And please, be faithful about ministering to your classmates who are in this course alongside you.
Not because it’s a requirement in order to become certified (although it is), but because it’s a joy
watching people be set free into who God created them to be, equipping them to help others.

Just think, if everyone in this online school were to engage the artists around us, how many lives
would be affected! I earnestly pray for three people in every town and city to go through this course.
I believe Christ is about to draw increasing numbers of people to himself through the beauty and
creativity of his Church, and I want all of us to be ready.

Lastly: Chances are, you feel like you’re invisible sometimes. But you are not invisible. God sees you.
Together we can see and respond to the joys, challenges, and breakthroughs of ministering through
the arts. Feel free to reach out to me directly through e-mail if you have any needs. I’m cheering you
on as you learn, invest, process, and create throughout this course.

You can do this. Believe it!

Sincerely,

Jessie Nilo
Founder of Art Fruition
Boise, Idaho
 THE BASIC FORMAT OF THIS WORKBOOK:
Instructions for classwork are mostly given online, not in this workbook.
This workbook includes:

• Your lesson timeline (on the next page)

• An introduction for each lesson, with material by Jessie Nilo and faculty

• Space for you to take notes during each video

• (Sometimes) A few short, fill-in-the-blank questions to get your imagination rolling

• Several blank sheets of paper after each lesson for you to respond, write, journal, draw,
brainstrorm, or glue/tape/paint/collage ideas onto blank pages to keep your thoughts,
responses, and project notes in one place

How are you going through this course? (select one)

 self-paced by myself
 self-paced with a friend or group of friends
 in a weekly-release class

Fill out the following chart to create the time you’ll need to complete this course.

What day of the week (and

what time) will you dedicate to
video lessons and assignments?
(Allow 3 hours)
Example: Every Tuesday night
What day of the week (and What day of the week (and
what time) will you dedicate to what time) will you dedicate to
uploading assignments? commenting on classmates’ work?
(Allow 45 minutes) (Allow 45 minutes)
 Add checkmarks after you complete each lesson

Date to Uploaded Commented on

Watched video all assignments classmates’ work
watch video
(2 - 5 days after watching video) (2 - 7 days after watching video)

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Break Week

Lesson 5

Lesson 6

Lesson 7

Lesson 8

Break Week

Lesson 9

Lesson 10

Lesson 11

Lesson 12

Break Week

Lesson Plan Timeline

Sticking to a plan makes a huge difference in the successful completion of Foundations of Art Ministry. Fill
out this timeline (the first column only; use a pencil!) to use throughout the course. Break-weeks and catch-up
weeks are highly recommended at the rate of one break week per month so you can rest, reflect, and create.

For self-paced students, recommendations on this chart are suggestions. You still need to write out a timeline.

If you’re going through this course as part of a group, agree on a schedule together.
 Add checkmarks after you complete each lesson

Date to Uploaded Commented on

Watched video all assignments classmates’ work
watch video
(2 - 5 days after watching video) (2 - 7 days after watching video)

Lesson 13

Lesson 14

Lesson 15

Lesson 16

Break Week

Lesson 17

Lesson 18

Lesson 19

Lesson 20

Break Week

Lesson 21

Lesson 22

Lesson 23

Lesson 24

Project Turn-In

Recommended: Index Tabs for These Pages

Purchase self-stick index tabs or clear colorful Post-It tabs to tape along the outside of this workbook, and
label Lessons 1 - 24 with a Sharpie for easy access.

Also mark this timeline page so you can refer to it weekly.

Lesson 1
What is Art Ministry?

Left to right: People viewing art in the VineArts Gallery; Dean Estes teaching; Lisa Marten painting on stage

First Video: “How To Do Art Ministry”

What does art ministry look like?

It could be hosting a writers’ group at the senior center once a month. Or painting children’s faces at the home-
less shelter. Or giving art supplies to a family who suffers a grave illness. Or hosting a Bible study that ministers
to professional Christian artists downtown. Or giving $200 of art supplies to a young artist just released from
prison. Or volunteering to paint on an easel during story time in Sunday school or at your city library program.
Or starting a culinary arts or filmmakers’ group at your church. Or organizing a community mural on a mission
trip overseas. Or facilitating therapeutic art at a retreat for survivors of abuse. Or creating art on stage during
church worship services. Or inviting your congregation to process scripture through art in an environment
that’s safe to fail where they can grow creatively.

These are examples of real-life art ministry, and VineArts Boise has done all of the above and more. Small scale
and personal is most effective. You need to do what God created specifically for YOU to do. What’s “been done”
is just a fraction of all the ways we can play in visual art to the glory of God.

It’s more about “how YOU” than “how to.”

I don’t know what God has in store for you, and maybe you don’t know either. And that’s okay! Do not figure
anything out ahead of time. Just create, listen, play, and pray; don’t be afraid to dream or explore; and surrender
to God all of your creativity and all of your capacity to love people.

God will do this in his timing!

Watch the Lesson 1 video while taking notes on the opposite page, writing anything you’ll want to remember.

Occasional Quizzes
There are built-in quizzes throughout this course, appearing every few lessons or so, but it’s nothing too tech-
nical or hard to remember. The quizzes are much more about ministry than about art. If you catch the overall
philosophy presented in these videos, you should do just fine on the quizzes.
Lesson 1 What is Art Ministry? Video Notes
Lesson 1 What is Art Ministry? Video Notes
Lesson 1 What is Art Ministry?

Ministry is definitely not an assembly line, where everyone makes the same thing. The very nature
of art and of ministry is not meant to “Copy Exactly What Others Are Doing.” The roles of artists in God’s
Kingdom are beautifully customized.
You will learn important ministry skills and leadership principles in this course, but as Jessie says: When it
comes to the actual installation, God is site-specific with His art and with His artists.
There are many ways visual art and writing can minister to people... art and artists can:

inspire encourage lead worship bring healing

teach pray through art exhort/challenge illuminate truth

equip prophesy expose injustice serve practical needs

These facets of art ministry reflect more variety than a box of crayons. One local church might have an art
gallery or studio open to the public; at another church, an artist creates onstage during worship; a third
church holds a summer art fair benefitting the homeless. We can minister outside of the church walls, too. A
Christian art teacher prays for and speaks value into her students in a public school. Another Christian artist
volunteers to serve and pray for the director of his city’s art museum.

Worksheet: What is God stirring up in you?

In just 3 to 6 words, write the answers to the following questions here in your workbook:

• What is the main mission, vision, or passion of your church (gathering of believers)?

• What forms of art do you personally enjoy that you could imagine sharing with others?

• Whom might God be calling you to serve? (Even if you don’t have an official art ministry, you can
love and serve people inside or outside of a church; more on this topic in Lesson 2.)

Creative people who will shake this earth for Christ already surround you. They’re in your church, even if you
don’t know who they are. They’re waiting outside the church doors. Start praying for them. Artists desperately
want to be loved. Your town or city desperately needs to see the beauty of Christ.

Take it to God in prayer, and He will guide you.

Lord, put your dreams into our hearts, minds, and passions.
Lesson 1 What is Art Ministry?

You’re NOT called to do 10,000 things to the glory of God. None of us are!
Instead, focus on your part in the Body of Christ and ask God for 2 or 3 ideas that seem like they’d be most im-
portant to you and/or to your church.

(What or who) can (ministry goal) (group or individual) through (activity or relationship).
Here are some examples of ways people could fill in the above sentence, not listed in any kind of order:

What ministry group or activity or

or who goal individual relationship

works of art inspire our local church gallery hopping

guided projects
can serve creatives in our city
through therapeutic art

a community mural
live demos bring healing to beginner artists
book studies
teach emerging artists
all of our church’s open studio
artists illustrate a professional artists
a mentoring program
concept for
2 or 3 artists me art and discipleship
reflect Christ to discussions
in our city
local college students
come alongside congregational shows
a public art
the elderly
challenge art history class
group in our city
our ___ ministry journaling class
equip
pastors (environmental, kids, etc)
poetry readings
grow the incarcerated
ministry sanctuary art
volunteers lead worship for oppressed groups fine art demos
study group expose injustice
the homeless an art fair
leaders pray for
wounded people affinity groups
(culinary, photography,
ministry leaders prophesy to painting, acting, etc.)
nonprofit groups
college students encourage accessible workshops for
surrounding churches beginners
illuminate truth for
our local church distant churches advanced workshops
Lesson 1 What is Art Ministry?

What resonates with you?

Fill in a few ways you could imagine ministering through the arts (and/or list a few ways you’ve already been
doing art ministry).

(What or who) (ministry goal) (group or individual) (activity or relationship)

1. ________________________ can _____________________ _______________________ through __________________________ .

2. ________________________ can _____________________ _______________________ through __________________________ .

3. ________________________ can _____________________ _______________________ through __________________________ .

4. ________________________ can _____________________ _______________________ through __________________________ .

5. ________________________ can _____________________ _______________________ through __________________________ .

Assignment: Share Ideas with your Classmates Online

Remember, your class assignments are not listed here in this workbook.
Instead, log into your account through your email to do your assignment for each lesson. Follow the
instructions to share your thoughts and ideas with your classmates.
These blank pages are for you to write in, journal, draw, brainstrorm, or glue/tape/paint/collage your own ideas...
or you can print out your typed responses and tape/glue them here if you prefer... or do a combination of all of the above.
Lesson 2
Artists Leading in Community

The VineArts Leadership Team in September 2006 (Gayle, Angie, Jessie, Kathy, Travis, Lisa, Ruth)

Example of an art ministry leadership team

Two basic demographics of the VineArts community are participants and leaders.
Participants play, and sometimes volunteer to help when the leaders put out a call for participants.
Leaders play, plan, and serve. At any given time we have a team of leaders who are responsible to plan, design,
and implement experimental new ideas, and to maintain the long-running programs of our art ministry.
I draw a clear line between participants and leaders, because I need to know whom I can count on to help lead
this ministry. And yet, once a leader is invited onto my team, that person is free to step on and off our leadership
team as they wish (into participation-only mode) according to whatever season they’re in. They simply let me
know they’re taking a break. When they do, we make sure to relentlessly pursue them even more as friends.
Each leader operates in their strengths and passions. For some reason it works out to about two-thirds of our team
enjoy very relational, people-oriented callings, such as teaching artists, leading Bible studies or art projects for groups,
and discipling artists spiritually in homes, coffee shops, and at church. About one-third of our team enjoy handling
more task-oriented and practical needs, such as scheduling, setup, correspondence, and errands; the task-oriented
leaders hear a lot of gratitude from me as well as frequent, casual reminders that loving people trumps tasks every time.
About half of our leaders lead their own teams or groups, whether Bible studies or book studies (relational), the
gallery installation team (mostly task-oriented), culinary arts group (mostly task but very relational), and writers’
workshops (intellectual/task but very relational), etc. A few leaders don’t have specific roles but serve as floaters
(helping the other leaders), or leading in overall direction and prayer rather than in specifically assigned areas.
Everyone I ask to be on my team understands clearly the vision of our art ministry, and they attend our church’s
leadership training. Additionally, most of our art leaders are active in at least one non-artistic area of serving,
even though we don’t make it a requirement. It’s a great balance for us as human beings to do other things, too.
Once or twice I’ve made the mistake of asking artists who didn’t have ministry skills onto our team, hoping I could
train them to love people. It did not work. Some just do not have the capacity to serve or prefer others. Although
they were talented artists, I never should have asked them to become a leader in ministry. I was doing them a
disservice. Many are meant to be artists or participants, and not art ministers or leaders. After doing damage
control, I had to give those people a choice: Either take training in how to relate in ministry with people under my
close leadership and guidance, or simply step off the team and remain friends and fellow artists. They chose the lat-
ter, admitting they didn’t understand the “ministry” aspects of what we do, and not having the patience for training
nor seeing a need to improve in their people skills. It could have ended much worse, and for that I am grateful.
Lesson 2 Artists Leading in Community Video Notes
Lesson 2 Artists Leading in Community Video Notes
Lesson 2 Artists Leading in Community Video Notes
Because He First Loved Us
Originally A Late Show Presentation by Jessie Nilo at the CIVA (Christians in the Visual Arts) Conference, 2015

I’m an artist who works in the medium of people…

and I’ve learned a few things.

If the church loves artists—in all their glorious mess—

artists will find hope & healing. (And we are the church, you and I.)

Pictured in the frame is Alyee. When I met her, she was struggling for
life, abandoned by her family. We became her family. With love and
support, she recovered from an eating disorder. Alyee has a whole new
life and is studying to become a therapist.

Art ministry is not about

artists serving the local church.
It’s about the church loving artists.

If the church loves her artists first, the way God loves us first,
artists will respond by loving the church.

Our artists painted a sanctuary altarpiece, 50 feet wide, representing

the life of David. Our pastors even helped execute the design.

Some artists who find healing will gravitate

toward helping the broken people of your city.

Darrel lived in a nursing home. He had no family and no visitors.

My friend Sherri visited him, and taught him how to paint.
He said over and over: “Well, how about that!”
Darrel’s wall was covered in the watercolors that Sherri helped him
create, when he passed away.

If you invite artists to share

what they’re learning,

they’ll help each other grow

spiritually and artistically,

across generations.

They will take God’s love

outside
your church doors.

We even traveled to Ecuador

to paint murals for another church.
If you embrace—
not just some abstract theory of Arts in the Church—
but actual artists,

they’ll willingly show you their heart, and their art.

This is a congregational exhibit at our church.

If you are open to the Holy Spirit’s leading,

you’ll try things nobody’s done before.

We introduced art tables into one section of our sanctuary.

People can quietly process the sermon visually, through line

and color, during the sermon. And it works.

If you love and care for your pastors, while educating them
kindly and with grace, you may gain new territory for the arts.

This is our art studio, which our pastors gave us

after we’d already been doing art ministry
for five years.

Prayer avails much.

It’s all about Christ expressed in community.

And you know, it’s attractive. The Word will spread.

You may find new artists coming from all sorts of places,
because they’ve heard... and they hope they might be accepted.

Come as you are.

You’ll be loved.

How can your church love artists

first?

Find them.
Start now.

Picture a church where artists know that God loves them.

And then make that place a reality.