Last year there were several ideas God had given us to begin implementing for the vision of Genesis 1:1Art, like practical ways to share His love through fine art. It all happened in God’s timing. We started having the “Open Studio” once a month. In it’s launch we looked for a venue to host these events. A place of refuge to share the beauty of God’s creation through creating art together and inviting others to do the same with us. No doors opened and God put it on my heart to humbly host it at our home. It has been a great place to start! We have several people coming and this has
been a really nice time of creativity and fellowship. It’s become known as a comfortable place to invite people in, build relationships and share Jesus as we enjoy our common interest in art .
We are blessed to open our home but it is pretty small and we have to take out furniture, rearrange some of it and leave the rest outside for the living room to be turned into a Genesis 1-1Art Open Studio. As we talk and share visions more people are becoming excited to join and the group is always sharing their Open Studio experiences with other artist and inviting them. Please be praying for a space we can use that will accommodate this larger group one Saturday a month. A place any type of artist would find comfortable enough to invite neighbors, teachers, students and that it would be close to the neighborhood we live in because it is our heart to see this community come to know the Lord!
As I step further out in faith God gives me more great ideas. If I focus on everything all at once I find no time to actually do art which is one of the main things I believe I need to focus on.
The more painting and drawing I spend time doing the better I will be and the more resources I will have to use this gift to touch people's hearts.
I also believe that this ministry is not short term, it is something that is going to continue on for years and so I don’t want to rush anything but at the same time I want to be faithful and work on what I need to through His timing. It is amazing how God has paired Bill and I together to work through this as a team and to have partners like you to keep all this in prayer so the right things can be done at the right time.
Priorities of focus next year for Genesis 1:1Art:
Commit specific amounts of time working on and developing fine art skills
Continuing to develop the Open Studio ministry.
Connect more with the local art community through involvement in public art events, contests etc...
Start planning a gallery fundraiser for the L3 orphanage Home of Hope in Africa
This year I also worked on the Genesis 1-1 Days of Creation Art Curriculum for kids. We sent some supplies and ideas with the L3 International team that went to Home of Hope of Zambia last summer and reported the kids had an amazing time. These orphan kids sat and took so much time to create art and they drew beautiful pictures from photos of animals and creatures they had never even seen before! We never knew God had gifted them in this way until that moment. I am praying more about how to fine tune and implement this curriculum to reach more kids and encourage them in God’s giftings.
We are excited for the new year and all that God has! Please continue praying for us and God’s direction in this part of our ministry. Thank you for your friendship and support! We love you and always love hearing from you too!
“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”- Philippians 1:3-4
The ministries we are a part of are YWAM (Youth With a Mission) Ministries. Every YWAM worker, including the founder, Loren Cunningham, raises their own support to meet their financial needs. No one receives a salary from the organization. For most people in YWAM, these funds come from friends, family and churches who contribute financially. If you would like partner with us financially you can do so online at L3International, All donations are tax deductible.