Photo Credit: Starry Night Media
photo taken while I was sharing about my trip with the group and they were giving feedback to me
Thankful.
Thankful for family and friends and all of you who come alongside me as I embark on these trips through art ministry. You are equally a part of this. I am so thankful for you.
It's not about me.
It's not even about the art.
It's always going to be about God's heart and love for people.
We get to collaborate together...to listen in on the conversations that God is already having with people and to enter into those conversations in creative ways...to love on people.
I'm so thankful.
Thankful for friends that become mentors. Thankful for mentors that become friends.
I couldn't come alongside others as a Traveling Art Minister without the support of those who come alongside me.
Within the first week or so of arriving back from a trip I try to schedule a gathering with my Commissioning Group (a group of 13 pastors, mentors, friends who have surrounded me from the beginning to support in heart and spirit what I get to do as I listen in and join the conversations that God is already having with people around this world, through creativity and relational ministry).
photo taken on the night of my official Commissioning and Sending Out in 2012
They pray for me, plan with me, dream with me, send me out, converse daily with me, counsel with me and keep me accountable through the hard times, debrief with me when I return, and get to be a part of this worldwide creative conversation first hand. They are my surrounding support through the coming and the going, through the ups and the downs, through the heartaches and the rejoicing, through the active accounts and the tedious details. They are the behind the scenes...they are the faces of faithful love.
They are my Tribe.
They have been with me throughout my traveling journeys praying for me, conversing with me, speaking into my life, keeping me accountable along the way, giving insight, watching me grow and change with each trip, crying with me, laughing with me, challenging me, giving grace, cheering me on.
They care deeply not only for me but also for each group of people that I go to connect with elsewheres through creativity. They are a part of each conversation that I get to be a part of throughout my travels.
They meet with me before each trip. They message and communicate with me during each trip. They meet with me after each trip. And they stay connected with me between trips.
I'm grateful for who they are...each of them contributing their unique voice to the conversation.
They love well.
We get to do this together...it's a collaboration.
I'd like you to meet them:
Dean and Judi Estes
Art Ministers, Creatives, and Mentors.
They are both retired...but still find ministering a full time lifestyle. Dean is a professional Sculptor and Painter, and I consider him a conversation artist too. Judi's art is cooking delicious food, but she used to work in the medical fields! They are the parents of Trevor Estes, the head Pastor at my home church Vineyard Boise in Boise, Idaho.
Jessie and Dom Nilo
Art Ministers, Creatives, and Mentors.
...who also have 3 amazingly creative and talented adult and teens! Dom and Jessie have served in the US Air force as engineers which took them all over the world, they both love to serve their local church through various ministries, and have a real heart to reach youth and young adults. And they have done short term missions trips to serve overseas. Dom is on the facilities crew at Vineyard Boise. Jessie is the founder of VineArts Boise (a local art ministry at Vineyard Boise church) and Art Fruition (an on-line art ministry school) and is a professional Artist, Graphic Designer, and Art Teacher.
LaWayne and Mike Freeman
Art Ministers, Creatives, and Mentors.
...and they are incredible dancers! They both have served at various churches over the years and have 5 amazing adult children who are also incredibly talented and creative. They both also have traveled around the world doing short term missions. LaWayne works at a clinic in Boise. Mike is an Associate Pastor at my home church Vineyard Boise in Boise, Idaho...and is the official "book sniffer"...he loves books and teaching from deep wells of theology.
Jamie and Chad Estes
Art Ministers, Creatives, and Mentors.
...they have a wonderful ministry to those who find themselves outside the walls of churches. They both served as leaders within Youth With A Mission for several years, have traveled all over the world, and lived in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Chad served as a Pastor for several years. Jamie works in the health care field. Chad is the oldest son of Dean and Judi and the brother of the head pastor at Vineyard Boise, Trevor. Chad is a photographer and writer and has a ministry telling the heart wrenching stories of breast cancer survivors through photo and word (The Reveal Mission). They have 4 adult and teen children who are also serving their communities and the world.
Paul and Sarah Goetter
Art Ministers, Creatives, and Mentors.
...and goofballs who have 3 of the cutest kids on the planet and a dog that is loveably weird. Paul has been a Worship and Youth Pastor. He is an incredible musician. And he's a talented salesman. Sarah is a Photographer and talented Artist and Teacher. They have a heart to minister to creatives of all ages in and out of the church.
Ron and Sherri Coffield
Art Ministers, Creatives, Mentors.
They met later in life and integrated 2 families together. The life experience that both Ron and Sherri bring to ministry is full of depth and absolutely priceless. Ron works in comp tech fields. Sherri is a professional Artist who loves to give her time to ministering to other creatives and also to those outside the walls of churches.
Jennifer Metts
Art Minister, Creative, Mentor.
Jen is a New Zealander born in India that has traveled all over the world. She's a Natural Health Therapist and talented Artist who has a heart to see people reach their goals and dreams at their full potentials. Though Jen has worked and ministered within churches in the past, she now finds herself reaching people outside the walls of churches. She has 2 adult children who are also creatively talented and have huge hearts for loving people.
They are my Commissioning Tribe.
And they are praying for you...
for any of you who I travel to and get to come alongside and minister with/to through creativity.
They are your Tribe too.
We are in this together.
UBUNTU
(I am because We are)
Ubuntu Ohana
c. 2018 Lisa Marten
24x30 mixed media on canvas
Ubuntu is an African words that means "I am because We are". Ohana is a Hawaiian word that means extended family.
There's a story of a group of African children who were challenged to race to a nearby tree for a prize of sweet treats. Upon being given the GO they took each others hands and ran together as one to the tree arriving all at the same time. The man who had given them the challenge realized that there was no individual winner and he asked the children why they had chosen to run together. The children said to him "Ubuntu" and then shared with him that they would rather the outcome be that either they all received the sweet treats or no one did. It was far better for all of them to win than one win a prize and their friends be left out. The man was impressed and handed the treats out to all the children and they sat down together with their feet touching in a circle as they enjoyed their prize together.
These art ministry travels aren't only about me.
They are about us.
That is who we are.
I am because we are.
I've posted before about the importance of this group of 13 who are my Commissioning Community (the people who originally commissioned me for ministry (anointed me and prayed over me and sent me out to embark on these traveling art ministry trips). They are pastors, mentors, friends, artists, world travelers, and a HUGE part of the creative conversation. Some might call them my Missionary Board...but they are not a group of people who meet to give "permission" for ministry and financial support, in fact we stay away from those kinds of traditional trappings. But rather, they are more like my "Fellowship of the Ring" (this is a JRR Tolkien reference to the group of 9 travelers in The Lord of the Rings that embark on a journey together, each having their own unique role and purpose)...they are with me every step as companions on this journey.
With each trip they gather with me ahead of time to pray with me for an upcoming trip, while I'm on my trips they message with me each day as I'm serving through relationship and creativity...helping me to stay focused and centered in all I'm doing and being (they have been a great "sounding board" to bounce ideas off of and gain inspiration from), they gather with me again upon my arrival back for debriefing, and they continue to connect with me in the in between...they are a part of my daily life...and they are very much involved in praying for all those who I come alongside on my travels.
a taste of what their coming alongside me looks like
With a year long move to Maui where I took these art ministry travels to a new level and actually lived amidst the very ones I'd been traveling to for short term trips, this group of 13 became even more important in their roles.
We met up for one last gathering before I headed across the Pacific. We ate a meal together and then had some time of sharing about the move and the ministry partnership with Ke Aha Vineyard on Maui. We also spent some time remembering back over the last 7 years to that point of being a group and all the various trips I'd taken around the world and the experiences I had, the people I'd connected with, and the God stories that have come from those trips. Each trip has built on the next and each trip has equipped for the next.
One member of the group (Jen) had a special song to share with me. She sang it acapella lit by a single candle. It spoke of the journey together...
Rivendell by Rush
Another member of the group (Jessie) led us in songs of worship together.
a little taste of our voices coming together
At the end of the evening I had all of us (who were still present) gather around in a circle on the floor with our shoes off feet touching for some fun photos together. I gave each person an orange safflower (which is very thistle like, reminding me of a Scottish thistle...just different in color: the orange color made me think of Hawaii). This had symbolic meaning as back in 2001 I was sent out from Vineyard Boise church to come alongside Glasgow Central Vineyard church (a church plant from Vineyard Boise church) to serve, to attend a leadership/ministry/missions college (based on teachings of Vineyard and YWAM), and to serve through creativity. I lived there for almost a year. It was there that the prophetic word was spoken over me of being an Art Minister. And I recognized that 17 years later I was heading out on another long term trip (now being sent not just from Vineyard Boise church, but from representatives of so many other churches) to come alongside Ke Aha Vineyard church on Maui to serve and minister through creativity.
In 2001, I stepped out into uncharted territory to go to Scotland and begin my Traveling Art Ministry (though I didn't really understand that's what I was doing nor did I really know what would be up ahead on the road for me). I flew a week after 9-11 actually happened (the day the planes flew again) and I was encouraged deep in my soul with "Do not fear. Do not be afraid. Be strong and courageous. For the Lord your God is with you." It took years of journeying the path He was leading me on...connecting with important people and places and experiences along the way....bringing about key moments that would shift and change my course to come into alignment with His. These short term trips were launched in 2012 (with this Commissioning Group around me)...and the journey continued...learning to listen in on the conversations He is having with others and entering in through creativity. And here I was flying once again a week after 9-11 to step out into uncharted territory to go to Maui to continue my Traveling Art Ministry and I could see that what was started back then was only the beginning...my journey continues and I don't travel alone. We travel together. And that same kind of encouragement had been spoken once again.
Orange Safflower
Scottish Thistle
"In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” -Joshua 1:8-9
I am because We are.
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