Back to Blog

For the Sake of Beauty: Uniting Faith and the Performing Arts

Pastor Matt Heard sympathizes with artists' frustration about how the evangelical church in the West often neglects or devalues art. Rooted in Scripture and compassionate understanding, his message affirms the God-given calling of the artist and challenges the church to listen to what artists can reveal about God.

As a performing artist, you know your talent and passion are gifts from God. You try every day to glorify His name through your art. But, have you ever felt frustrated with the rest of the (non-artist) faith community? Have you ever felt guilty for sometimes feeling more connected to a secular group of artist than to your church community? Well, Matt Heard has a suggestion of how to remove that guilt and relieve that frustration.

Watch Matt's lecture and tell us what you think.

Matt's main question: Can faith communities foster artistry and creativity in culture?
The answer: Yes, with an open heart and the willingness to embrace beauty.

In his lecture, Matt outlines the four foundational realities that faith communities should adopt in order to foster creativity. He explains how the beauty created by performing artists can inspire and encourage our culture towards more faith in Christ. His approach is artful to say the least-- tying together Romans, William Blake, Gilligan's Island, Blaise Pascal, and Our Town to illustrate his point.

The one thing I hope you take away from this post is to persevere. Use your gifts to serve the Lord and others with dedication and grace.

Check out the Resources page in the GreenRoom for more articles, lectures, and videos.