When most people hear the term "missionary", they usually think of people traveling to remote and often primitive countries halfway around the world, in order to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, it should be clear to those who have really taken the time to observe what is going on in our culture that there are many people within the boundaries of the continental United States have never really been presented with the truth regarding Jesus Christ. What they do know about Christ and the Church is often based on misinformation which they have received secondhand.
This may seem like an odd assertion to make, in light of the fact that most of our cities and towns have numerous churches, especially in the midwest and the so-called "Bible Belt" region of the country. But it doesn't follow from the fact that we have many church buildings that the Church is successfully reaching people with the gospel of Christ. Some of those church buildings are nearly empty, or in the process of being converted into condominiums or office spaces. Some of the groups which meet in those church buildings have become so thoroughly secularized that they are little more than social clubs, even though they may still claim to be Christian churches. And then there are the churches which preach all of the right doctrines, but do so in such an unloving manner that they drive away the very people they are ostensibly trying to reach.
The sad fact is that the Christian consensus which once existed in this country has eroded significantly during the past four decades or so. Ideas which once would have been thought absurd have gained great popularity. Ideas which were once commonly accepted throughout the community now struggle for acceptance among the general population.
This is not to erroneously imply that there was ever a complete Christian consensus in the United States. There have always been unbelievers, even among our founding fathers. But the Church was once one of the most influential institutions in America. Now, the voice of the Church is just one of many voices competing for people's attention.
Ironically, the Christian Church is now stronger in some Third World nations than it is here in the United States. Perhaps they should be sending missionaries to us!
If Christian clergy no longer hold the power they once did, who are the people who most commonly influence moral values in this nation? You guessed it. The moral values of your friends, neighbors and relatives are increasingly shaped and influenced by those who are involved in various facets of the arts. More often than not, the messages they are hearing from such people are contrary to sound Christian teaching.
Any home missions strategy which fails to take that fact into account is destined to fail.
The first goal of this web site, therefore, will be to use the arts in order to spiritually revitalize popular culture right here in the United States.
However, ArtisticChristians.com will also seek to serve as a resource for foreign missionaries who seek to incorporate the arts into their missionary work when traveling abroad. Doing so has the potential to open doors which might otherwise remain closed.
In particular, I hope to use online classified ads published on this site in order to enable Christian missionaries to locate artistically talented Christians who are interested in traveling abroad in order to help in the daily operations of foreign missionary endeavors. From music to web design, there are many areas in which artistically talented Christians could enhance the work of foreign missionaries.
There is no need to choose between home missions and foreign missions. In reality, both types of ministries are badly needed.
For more specific information about the mission of ArtisticChristians.com, read our Mission Statement.
... Mark W. Pettigrew
Webmaster and Christian Renaissance Man
