How to Start a Writers’ Group in Your Local Church
Little did I know that a class I offered a few years ago, “The Art of Writing a Devotional,” would end up catalyzing a creative writing ministry within our church. Of all the various church ministries, I had never come across one for creative writers. Yet, cloistered away within most churches are writers or would-be […]
The Other Side of Creative Anxiety
“I hate this. I feel sick. Why did I agree to this? They’re going to think it’s awful.” Thus was my condensed, internal dialogue as I stood before a group of twenty high school students with the gut-wrenching promise of sharing a song I wrote. I was blessed with a short season of working with […]
Remember
United Adoration recently partnered with Heartland Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana to host our first-ever writing workshop: “The Art of Writing God Stories.” United Adoration staff member Kathryn Kircher gives some insights as to why our God stories are so important. As a harried mom of five young children, one of the highlights of each […]
The Vitality of Collaboration
by Hunter Lynch “If you want it done right, do it yourself” is a phrase often used in a half-joking, half-serious way, typically in the context of collaborative efforts. If the words “Group Project” give you traumatic flashbacks to grade school, then this phrase may have found its way into your daily routine, during a […]
A Poet and Didn’t Know It
I was once thought that the brain was static, unable to grow or change. But extensive research and in-depth study of epigenetics has shown that the brain is remarkably adaptable and able to create new neural pathways in response to stimuli in the environment. This is the field of neuroscience called neuroplasticity.
No matter where we fall on the spectrum of left-brained to right-brained dominance, it is God’s desire and will for us all to love Him with “ALL our mind.” In Christ, we are limitless in imagination and unfettered by man-made definitions of how our brains are wired. Think of it: Maybe we can do things we once thought impossible.
In the Midst of Them: COVID Retreats
An intimate community of eight poets, visual artists, creative writers and songwriters registered for the retreat. Our gratitude to be together shaped our perception of COVID restrictions as mechanisms for gathering, not hindrances to fellowship. One participant had never attended our church, but had been searching for a creative community. Seeing this retreat on our church website was an answer to prayer!
Webinar with Sergio Villanueva
The relationship between pastors and artists is one of the most vital and important relationships both inside and outside of the church. Both roles function as important theological interpreters and serve as prophetic voices in our world.
You are invited to join United Adoration on October 25 as we welcome Sergio Vilanueva to discuss this crucial relationship. We’ll hear from Sergio for the first hour and then have time for your questions.
Rhythms of Rest
Recently, my husband and I participated in an online Soul Care Cohort led by Pastor Matt Alexander. Matt has been a church planter in Miami, FL and now serves as a church planting coach in Miami, FL. Since the pandemic, he has started to Soul Care cohorts online. I met him through a mutual friend from Miami. Matt’s journey into Soul Care coaching came out of his own journey. A series of changes in his life hit in quick succession between his personal and ministry lives. He soon realized that if he didn’t make changes to his life, he was not going to make it.
Cross-Cultural Missions
A Conversation with Nick and Kathryn Kircher After spending several years serving in Asia, Nick and Kathryn are currently on staff with United Adoration. Nick is an ethnomusicologist, someone who studies the music of the world. I asked them three questions, thinking of Terry Wildman’s upcoming talk at the UA Conference October 7-9: “Creating in […]
Introducing Terry Wildman “Creating in Your Local Context”
For Wildman, making art for the local church means knowing the people, identifying their needs & working to meet those needs creatively.
