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By Peter Biggs
www.morethangold.ca
More Than Gold (MTG) is a growing network of
denominations, churches, Christian institutions and individuals, gathering
in preparation for the influx of hundreds of thousands of visitors around
the 2010 Games.
The Vancouver/Whistler Olympic and Paralympic Winter
Games will provide the local church with tremendous opportunities to reach
a large number of people in a short period of time.
It is a unique opportunity for churches to work
together in service and ministry to athletes, their families, Games
officials and organizers – as well as the many thousands of visitors,
and local Canadians.
Range of ministries
As of press time, 11 denominations have signed up
– and are working together as never before. They are joined by an
impressive range of ministry organizations. Working Groups are planning
varied games-related activities.
MTG has an office base in Vancouver. The staff team
has recently grown to include:
• Karen Reed – chief executive
officer
• Bob Kraemer – director of operations
• Jack O’Halloran – field and
games time coordinator.
• Ken Anderson – seconded from Billy
Graham Evangelistic Association, to offer training for evangelism.
• Peter Biggs – seconded from
Christian Info Society, to help with web architecture and communications.
• Katie Cave – administrative assistant.
Opportunities for churches
Interest in the games in all communities (not just the
ones near sports venues) will be high. A series of regional
‘Experience More Than God!’ events are planned for this spring,
to help local church leaders and members become excited about the
possibilities.
Phase II of the MTG website will include a new
‘Churches’ page, outlining the opportunities and benefits for
churches involved with MTG. The MTG initiative can help with vision, and
practical ideas for community-based events.
A church or cluster of churches might consider using
this opportunity to connect with their community. Large screen sports
parties in halls, homestay for athletes’ families who might not
otherwise be able to afford it, and kids’ sports based events . . .
these are a few possibilities.
The upcoming meetings, as well as the
‘Churches’ web page, will encourage every church to appoint a
MTG Church Representative – who will serve as the primary information
conduit to the local church about MTG ministries.
Creative & Performing Arts
By Sandy Rosen
IN the middle of all the excitement surrounding the
2010 Olympic Games, there are a myriad of opportunities for the Christian
community to respond – from home stay, to volunteer services, to
hospitality, to sports outreaches and more. And yet, there are few places
where we as a people can publicly express our voice, our message.
As in many places around the world, the gospel is not a
‘politically correct’ thing to declare from a public stage in
Canada, especially in the middle of an international event. Enter the
creative arts.
It is readily apparent that messages of all sorts
– from personal to political to spiritual – have constantly
poured through the arts, in uniquely palatable morsels of meaning.
In the public arena, the voice of the Christian arts
has been little more than a murmur – and yet our opportunities for
expression are numerous. It is time for us to speak up.
As missionary Jackie Pullinger once said to a music
team as they prepared to lead worship for a Christian youth event:
“Why are you doing this here? All these youth know this message. Why
aren’t you doing this out on the streets?”
The mandate
 | | Russ & Sandy Rosen head More Than Gold's Creative & Performing Arts Working Group. |
More Than Gold’s Creative and Performing
Arts (CaPA) initiative is one response to this challenge.
The CaPA mandate is to gather artists – dancers,
musicians, actors, painters, filmmakers and the like – from across
the nation, and around the world, in an explosion of meaningful
Creator-inspired articulations.
The venues will be both major and minor stages around
the Lower Mainland where visiting and local artists will have the privilege
to be a voice for life and hope at this monumental period of time in the
history of our region.
As author Rick Joyner has said: “Art can have the
power to capture the attention, imagination, and hearts of people. It
has actually been more effective in directing the nations than armies
or weapons.”
Continue article >>
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Army of artists
Envision an army of artists whose sole purpose is to
express whatever is on the heart of the Father, for the sake of
transforming culture and ushering in his kingdom.
Imagine traditional Quebecois dancers sharing the stage
with an East Indian string player; or powerful media images on a huge
screen behind a solo actor; or a native rap singer jamming with a Rwandese
world musician; or a painter creating a piece to the music of a worship
band; or cello players inspiring the movements of a group of contemporary
dancers.
These are the possibilities; these are some of
God’s secret strategies ‘for such a time as this.’
My husband Russ Rosen, one of the leaders of CaPA, says:
“We are talking to artists like Greg Sczebel, Fresh I.E., Laila
Biali, Paul Oakley and Switchfoot about the possibility of their
involvement with this initiative. And these are just the musicians. There
will be many more as well, in all genres of the arts. Brian Doerksen is
even discussing the possibility of launching his new musical with
us.”
Doors wide open
 | | Christian performer at Athens 2004 |
And the doors are wide open for any individual artists
or groups who are interested in participating, on many stages and spaces
around Metro Vancouver.
Russ and I can testify to the potential power of this.
We have witnessed, first hand, the transformational energy of the arts from
stages in cities where it is illegal to proselytize.
During the Games in Athens, it was embodied by
Delirious? singing ‘Majesty’; a hip hop group rapping the name
‘Jesus’; and an American big band singer asking the crowd to
repeat “On Christ the solid rock I stand.”
All of this happened amid a throng of thousands of
unsuspecting visitors, with patrolling police watching for any suspicious
‘evangelistic’ activity, missing all that was being uttered
from the stage.
This is the unique opportunity afforded by the arts
– sliding in and speaking out, in places where even missionaries are
unable to go.
Artist Summits
In order to gather momentum towards the Games, and then
spill out inter-artist synergy for years to come, CaPA will be hosting
Artist Summits – where encouragement, inspiration, networking and
ministry to full-time artists will be the aim.
The first summit will culminate in a Sunday night concert 'Aha!' March 22, 7 pm, at Bible Fellowship,15030 - 66A Avenue, Surrey (for more info: www.yoursource.org). The concert will showcase a number of visiting artists in an eclectic flow of 'everything art.' It will be a foretaste of the More Than Gold initiative as well as future events beyond the games.
It is undeniable that this 2010 initiative could prove
to be a valuable catalyst to launch the arts in this nation, with a more
appreciated and sustainable trajectory.
Conceivably, it begins to look like a modern
renaissance – with the church supporting and effectively utilizing
the arts to lead culture.
An appointed time
We are in a uniquely appointed time, where the arts are
already powerfully influencing culture – and, in case you
haven’t noticed, there has never been a more talented and innovative
generation of artists to come through the church.
We could again see paintings the calibre of
Michelangelo on the ceilings of our sanctuaries; or music blended with
media to tell a parable, to capture contemporary imaginations; or dance and
theatre productions addressing social issues like poverty or
sex-trafficking.
There has been a continuously growing community of
artists across the nation, who have chosen the route of ‘no
compromise’ – and are willing to step into whatever God
places before them. Their lasting creative expressions will not only be
their thumbprint on their culture, but will be the enduring voice of our
generation.
March 2009
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