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Arts in Mission 2011: Training for Cross-Cultural Ministry Arts in Mission 2011: Training for Cross-Cultural Ministry Over recent years, Christian communities have been giving renewed attention to the arts worldwide. Books, articles, websites, conferences and workshops all demonstrate this growing awareness of the importance of artistic means to engage with what God is doing in the world. The arts touch hearts, opening eyes and ears to God’s word and connecting people across national, cultural and linguistic boundaries. There is now a increasing interest among mission agencies, churches and other ministries to provide training for effective and vibrant involvement of the arts in cross-cultural ministry. Among groups focusing on the missional engagement of the arts has been The International Council of Ethnodoxologists. ICE has marshaled a global network spanning seventy nations and has launched online resources, forums, conferences and workshops. SIL conducts in-depth training for music and arts cross-cultural workers to become consultants and specialists on the field. Most recently, the Mission Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance has established an Arts in Mission Task Force to encourage artistic endeavors in the nations. These and other groups have joined forces to convene a landmark gathering for practitioners to become trainers in the various arts disciplines. A letter from the Executive Director of the World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission: Dear AiM 2011 delegates: Artistic creativity is a gift from the Creator and part of the image of God in the human being. The commandment to give continuity and take care of God’s creation demands this capacity of producing new things in a dialogue and tension between the feelings of our inner man and the outer reality in which we live. Therefore the arts have an important therapeutic function as well as a pedagogic purpose, helping us to understand a different dimension of life. The Arts in Mission event is an outstanding opportunity to share, discuss and learn more about how arts can be an integrated part of your service in the Kingdom of God. Bertil Ekström
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