Expressing God's Love in Europe Through Art.

OM Arts International, a ministry of Operation Mobilization (OM), organized an evangelistic outreach this summer in Belgium using art to connect with the local community. Over the course of a week, many conversations took place as the team of short-term missionaries spent time immersed in the communities, giving their hearts in worship and acts of love in the form of personalized drawings, love letters from God and flowers.

A highlight of the outreach was working alongside “The Well”, a community of believers who meet in what they call “expressions”, all over Brussels. Ripple is a new "expression" gathering that began in February. They meet in a local café and are experimenting with the use of art in their meetings. “We held an ‘open mic night’ in their usual café venue sharing poetry, songs, pieces of art and testimonies,” reported Karen, leader of the outreach team. “It was great to be immersed in the community to do this event with local people inside and outside the café.

Praise God for the many encouraging conversations that took place during the week, and for the on-going relationship Ripple has begun in the community.

 

Why not consider going to Belgium on an arts missions trip in this December!  Click here for more information! Tell your friends!

 

 

Arts Team Connects to Community in Belgium.

Four young missionaries serving with Operation Mobilization (OM) in Belgium met as a 'visual arts team' in May, 2011 along with a team of creative students from Colombia International University in the USA. Their goal was to participate in the team's first street art evangelistic outreach.

These musicians, visual artists and actors spent their first week working in Brussels with a church group who holds their gatherings throughout the city in local cafes.  Their days involved praying and creating art that expresses the area, as well as community pieces of art involving local participation.

Evenings brought interactive worship events in local cafes and prayer for the area. One of these events planned was in the Marolles neighborhood that OM has been working in with the hope of starting a church.

The team then moved on to Leuven to do similar things but with the goal of generating interest in their new art club that aims to help Christians and non-Christians meet together on a regular basis. From this club they plan to start Alpha courses based around the artistic themes.

Even though this creative arts team finished their outreach, there will be another arts missions trip to Belgium in December. Consider being a part of this exciting Christmas arts missions trip for performing, technical and visual artists!

OM Arts International 

Excelling in arts in missions.  imagine - illuminate - impact!

The Beautiful Gift of Art.

- An artist's experience of touching a life through the beautiful gift of art.

"The more I make art, the more time I spend in the studio and the more I develop as an artist, I've discovered something about it. Art is a therapy.

For me personally I could also say that it's a spiritual experience.  Usually God speaks to me while I'm creating.  He speaks truth into my life as I push the contrast in my drawings or struggle to mix the colors I want.  I've noticed that I become the most productive with my art during times of struggle.  I need to paint to get my emotions out.  My emotions seem to bottle up...but then when I paint, they just pour out onto the canvas and I feel a release as I paint.

I am a planned, detailed person, but I purposely do not plan out every detail of my art projects from beginning to end because I know that not planning is better for me.  It stretches me, challenges me, helps me become more spontaneous in my art making...and also in life.

And I recently had the opportunity to try some art therapy with someone else.

You see, there's this woman I know.  She's British and her story is an extremely sad one.  She married a Muslim and she became a Muslim.  She was shunned by her family.  Her husband left her when she became pregnant. She is living in a room at a hostel with her son and struggling to make ends meet.  She is without a job.  Without a lot.  And she has a bitterness in her.  A bitterness that just seeps from her pores.  I don't blame her from her bitterness.  She has been through a lot.  If you could just sit down with this lady and hear all that has happened to her, you would be shocked.

One day recently, she came over for tea and we had the chance to pray for her as a group.  We prayed for a good bit and as I opened my eyes, I could see that she had tears streaming down her face.

"No one's every prayed for me like that....you all are the first nice people that I've met here."

I invited her over to the art center the next day to sit and create with me.  She enthusiastically accepted the invitation.

On a Monday she entered the studio, wired up as usual by what had happened that day.  Tense and bitter--that's how I would describe her at that moment.  We sat down to draw and paint and I believe we spent the next hour or two just creating and chatting.  And you know what?  As we created together I noticed how she relaxed and laughed more.  She smiled.  And on top of it all, my friends and I had the chance to share quite a bit about our faith in Jesus to her that day.

I was just so amazed how art literally enabled the entire experience.  I've never seen it work so literally and directly.  Something happened between the time she entered the art studio and when she left.  Art may not have solved all her problems, but I believe it definitely helped her release some of her built up emotions that day!

Thank you Lord for the beautiful gift of art."

Use your gifts as a performing, technical or visual artist!
Go on arts missions trips!

International Short-Term Missions Trips for Artists!

Operation Mobilization offers international short-term missions trips designed especially for visual, technical and performing artists. Using artistic skills, one is able to work with a team to bring the Gospel message to those who don't know Jesus. Consider going on one of these trips or referring them to an artist you know as well as any journalists who may be interested in accompanying the team on a missions trip!

Transform North Africa:  July 4th-26th 2011
Come for the Transform conference in Rome, Italy, then fly to North Africa to form relationships with the local arts community, experience life in an Arab nation, and encourage long-term workers to reach out to others with the Gospel through art. Will include studio and gallery work, culminating in an exhibition.

Baja, Hungary:  July 9th-26th, 2011
Prepare to let Hungary inspire you! Lead art workshops at the English art camp and reach out to the local community by creating relevant artwork and seeking God's heart for the area.

Germany:  July 25th- Aug. 7th 2011
Serve teenagers and encourage them by facilitating the Artzone at TeenStreet, OM's international youth congress. Artzone is a place where teens can express themselves through art, learn new skills, and worship God.

Christmas Outreach in Belgium:   December 2011
If you have a couple of weeks free in December, why not pray about joining us to experience the Belgium culture and create some inspired artwork to exhibit at a Christmas market.

Further details about all of these outreaches and application information should be posted soon at: OM ArtsLink.  Please note that your portfolio and artist statement will be required as part of the application process. Any questions, email: portfolios@omartslink.org

Find more information about arts in missions at: www.arts.om.org

Artistic Missions Team Reaches Out to Earthquake Victims in Italy

One year after an earthquake hit the town of L'Aquila in central Italy, citizens remain angry, depressed and frustrated. Except one.

A student asleep in her dorm when the earthquake hit, Antonella flew out of bed and cowered under a table, crying out to God to save her. In those horrifying moments, she gave her life to Christ—a true 'foxhole prayer', bearing fruit a year later. Miraculously, Antonella escaped; the stairwell in her dorm collapsed, but she found herself outside the building, running up the street away from the crashing structure.

Behind her, a human pyramid formed to rescue those trapped on the dorm's upper floors. Several students died, but most made it out to safety. If you ask most Aquilinos about the earthquake, they will share their grief, their anger and frustration. If you ask Antonella, she will answer that it was the day her life truly began.

An OM ArtsLink short term missions team visited L'Aquila with the desire to bring a message of healing, salvation and hope. A local pastor introduced the team to Antonella.  Her joy, energy and laughter were infectious. Antonella became the team's inspiration as they began to sketch, photograph, and paint her story.

“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” (Ps. 127:1)

While the goal was to bring a message of hope and restoration, God seemed to continually point to the corruption. That had to be dealt with first; if the city was to be rebuilt, its citizens would have to rebuild their hearts. Not an easy message to deliver! But in Antonella, a person whose heart had been radically changed, we had a compelling story. Rather than succumbing to the fear and blame, Antonella found her hope, strength and joy in Christ. The OM Arts team focused on that, producing 40 pieces of artwork that captured her story, and called the Aquilinos to examine their hearts. An exhibit was created in the town square and the final section portrayed the refreshment and healing that can come when God renews the heart.

The international OM Arts team literally created an outdoor gallery out of the rubble, fencing and scaffolding that surrounded them. They created a circular gallery, surrounding Antonella's “foxhole” table. On the table: her story, with a stone sculpture of the cross, created from the rubble by our artist from Hong Kong. Hundreds of people filed through, reading her story, or hearing it personally from Antonella, studying the artwork, reading the artists' statements, talking with OM Arts team members,  responding with written prayers on paper bricks, and posting them on our simulated “brick wall”—symbolizing a rebuilding of the walls of the city. Many lingered for over an hour.

Countless conversations and scores of books and Bibles went out to the hundreds of visitors that were welcomed. Antonella's story also went out in the form of 500 printed brochures. Seeds of hope and truth were sown and will hopefully be watered by our loving Heavenly Father, who desires good things for the people of L'Aquila.

On the cover of the brochure of Antonella's story was the following scripture.

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”—Isaiah 54:10

Shortly after the OM Arts team visited the city, two more earthquakes hit. You can find dramatic photos of the earthquake here: L'Aquila earthquake.

Below, you can watch a short video of the short term arts missions trip to Italy.

Artists in Christian Missions using Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

OM Arts International  is a family of ministries that exists to empower artists to engage their creative gifts in exalting God and extending His kingdom among the nations.

Read on for a list of these exciting ministries!

Artists' Gallery an Inspiring Place of Restoration and Hope

 "Wow!" exclaimed Fetiha as she stepped into the door with two other North African friends. She walked around, a hot glass of mint tea in her hand, and took in the transformation of the warehouse-turned-