Leadership

The E.P.I.C. Model: Empowering Creative Arts in Your Church

Six years ago, I was given the challenge to take our church congregation on a journey.

It started slowly in rearranging décor on stage and morphed into working with a team of people who were given the exciting task of finding ways to connect our congregation to the message, and ultimately to GOD, in a new way. If you are looking to add more avenues for people to connect to your Sunday services, there is a simple model that we use each time we dive into a message series.

Here are four areas that will get you on the right path:

Experiential

Each Sunday, we want people in attendance to have a deeper level of involvement in the message. The key to creating meaningful experiences is keeping in mind the five senses of sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. Think simple and sensory.

The heat and smell of a fire pit would create strong reminders of a message on hell. Burning incense of frankincense during a Christmas message would leave a lingering reminder of the Wise Men. Pass out pennies while the congregation listens to a message about the widow and the mite to bring the story to life.

Participatory

One of the most powerful ways people connect to a message is through a call to action. Its been said over and over that “actions speak louder than words” so get your congregation to engage. Perhaps during a message on forgiveness, the congregation could be asked to write the name of someone they need to forgive. Challenge them to “tweet” or Instagram a scripture. Let them light a candle or post prayers on a cross. Think about changing the way you receive communion for one Sunday.

Image Driven

Graphic arts are fantastic tools for enhancing a message.

If you don’t have a staff member who is dedicated to creating graphics, check out websites that allow others to use their art for free:
8 Churches that Give Away Their Media Content
churchrelevance.com/free-church-graphics-and-resources-toolbox
churchcreatives.com/resources-2

Also check out [twelve:thirty]media’s “Church Media in a Box” solution.
You can get a truckload of video and graphics content all for an incredibly low monthly price.

Your stage design, program, projected images, as well as website graphics, should all complement each other when designed to reflect the message series. It doesn’t have to be complex to make an impact.

Connection

We want those who attend our services to walk away feeling connected to what they just experienced. Brainstorm ways that your congregation can take home the message. Social media is a great way to keep a message alive through the week. Use Twitter, Instagram or Facebook to send out quotes or links to the message.

Send your congregation home with an object such as a magnet or bracelet to remind them of what God did in their hearts during the series. Help their Sunday experience translate to their everyday life.

Lastly, don’t let creativity overwhelm you. Creative arts can greatly enhance a Sunday Morning experience so start with prayer, brainstorm and see how God leads you! When we create environments that connect people to God in new and meaningful ways, we will see true life change take place.

KIM PORTER
Music Director / Creative Arts Director
The River Church | Liberty Township, OH 
HitTheRiver.com

Kim has been surrounded by music her entire life. She led worship in church settings as a young teenager through her adult years and continues to feel incredibly blessed to do it now as a profession. She has been serving as Worship Leader and Creative Arts Director since 2010 at The River Church in Liberty Township, Ohio.  Besides leading the congregation in music each week, Kim also spends time building stage designs, brainstorming sermon illustration ideas and whatever else she can do to keep her creative mind entertained.