TAM Gears Up for New Season of Ministry in KT Division
In February, the Territorial Arts Ministry (TAM) team gathered in the Paradise Division (Kentucky- Tennessee) to fill their sails before a full and exciting ministry season. Looking ahead to ministry opportunities at multiple events across the territory, the TAM Team first spent time in worship, leaning into the gospel and preparing their hearts for what was to come. They specifically dove into Isaiah 61, claiming it as their chapter for this season.
In addition to a demanding repertoire of dances, scripts, and musical theater performances, the TAM Team are training in various forms of ‘applied arts,’ functional ways that traditional theater and dance skills can be used in non-performative settings. Specifically, the team are focusing on: Enacted Prayer, where the team present prayer requests from the congregation as a corporate, visual prayer; Playback Theater, where they listen to stories from the audience and play them back to the room in creative ways in order to honor the teller and build community; and a room-wide Gospel Encounter, where an entire gathering of people can spontaneously participate in the crucifixion scene, reminding themselves of their part in the Gospel story and of Jesus’ love for them. Art is a powerful tool for connecting people and making space to have an encounter with the Creator, and the TAM Team is fully embracing this opportunity for ministry.
The TAM Team members were also overjoyed to minister at the division’s monthly arts rehearsals, School of Music and Arts (SoMA), at Camp Paradise Valley. They led and participated in dance, drama, brass band, and guitar classes, and put their repertoire and applied arts training to work leading vespers and devotions for attendees. In a time of testimony at the end of the weekend, one young lady from SoMA shared that her experiences with the TAM Team made her “feel safe to be herself and know that she was loved.”
The mission of the TAM Team continues to drive the group in all our engagements: to share the love of Jesus through creative performances, workshops, applied arts, or simply by making someone feel seen, safe, and loved. To God be the glory!
