National Book Month is winding down! And we have THREE books—all for artists and creatives in church ministry! I know many creatives feel like the church has let them down, but these books help artists AND pastors walk through the process of starting a worship arts ministry together. All three make a strong case for the use of arts in our churches. Here they are and what others are saying about them!

Arts Ministry: Nurturing the Creative Life of God’s People by Michael J Bauer includes eighteen case studies of churches succeeding in arts ministries. “For anyone wanting to explore the field of arts ministry, this book is a superb and remarkably comprehensive primer. Whether readers are most interested in the theological, aesthetic, or practical aspect, they will discover a solid foundation along with a generous list of resources for further study and application. Best of all, Michael Bauer’s perspective is a refreshing antidote to the frequent laments I hear about the current ‘decline of artistic standards’ in the church. …Bauer’s enthusiasm for the work of the Spirit in the church today is contagious! I recommend this book heartily to professional artists, clerics, and laypersons alike.” ~Stephan Casurella, Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati

For the Beauty of the Church: Casting a Vision for the Arts edited by W. David O. Taylor includes insights from Eugene Peterson, Lauren Winner, Jeremy Begbie, Andy Crouch, and John Witvliet. “One reason the church exists is that our hunger for beauty will not go away. These essays remind us why.” ~John Ortberg, and “This book is an urgently needed wake-up call for the church! I pray that it will encourage more artists and churches to offer each other their respective gifts.” ~Marva J. Dawn

Visual Faith: Art, Theology and Worship in Dialogue by William A. Dyrness explores the relationship between the church and the arts in both historical and Biblical contexts. “This book critiques the traditional Protestant prejudice against visual arts and aesthetics, and invites Christians to have new vision for the arts and a recovery of visual imagination. …Dyrness is Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Seminary, and his love of art and its interaction with theology is contagious. Emerging churches that are seeking to enjoy and worship with beauty and creative arts will find helpful background here.” ~Darren Cronshaw,The Emerging Church: Spirituality and Worship Reading Guide

Three great books to help churches, worshipers and creatives navigate the complexities of engaging the arts in our churches and faith communities. Check them out today!

Blessings of ARTistry, CREATivity & BEaUty, Jody

P.S. Missed previous posts? Click here.

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What is Create-A-Day?  Just as One-A-Day® Vitamins help restore the nutrients we deplete in our bodies, so too do we need to refill, replenish and renew our creative souls. In 2015, watch for daily* posts to undergird your ministry; lead you to resources to nurture the creative spirit within; and draw you more deeply in worship of Jesus Christ. My goal is to provide you, the creative Christian, with over 250* resources to help you develop your ARTistry, CREATivity & capacity for BEaUty. Books, worship arts ministries, video series, websites, conferences—all geared towards artists, creatives, worshipers and people serving in worship and creative arts ministries. So, visit my blog every day* to see what creative resource I’ve hunted down for you. You can stay connected by following me on Twitter or Facebook. Or better yet, sign up to receive email updates by clicking the button to the left. We’ll watch the resources pile up as the year unfolds!

* I am a proponent of family time and Sabbath rest so don’t look for posts on weekends or Holidays.

Jody Thomae is the author of God’s Creative Gift—Unleashing the Artist in You, a devotional book with Bible studies to nurture the creative spirit within and to serve as a resource for creative Christians, artists, musicians and worshippers. She has been involved in worship arts ministry since 1997, coordinating artistic involvement in church services and regional worship events through dance, drama, poetry and fine arts. She performs, teaches, choreographs, preaches, coordinates and leads workshops in the area of creativity, spirituality and embodied prayer. She has also recently released a devotional CD, Song of the Beloved. Her passion is for the revelation of God to be made more real through the prophetic use of the arts in church and formational ministry. It is her desire to portray the message of Christ’s desperate and unfailing love for His people to help sustain the hearts of the broken and weary. Life scriptures include Psalm 27; Isaiah 50:4-7; and Zephaniah 3:14-17.