Stop Making Christian Art

By Sam Elias

I’m going to get straight to my point, I want to stop making “christian art”

I don’t want to add in to all the mediocre art that is being produced and artist friends, I want you to know just how important your role is in the church. You are valued and you are so necessary.

I am so passionate about this. I am passionate about design and I have to defend how important it is to the Church.

Design is a way to visually communicate what someone is trying to say. I had a professor in college that would say that design was just problem solving. I literally think about that every day, it is just so accurate.

Sometimes ideas are complex and hard to understand (and come on, sometimes they are just plain boring.) You know what design does? It makes an idea approachable, it makes the idea shine and attracts people towards it.

I understand that design is not the most important thing. I know the content is the star, but design can elevate the content and transform it. It really can. I promise.

Artists, I want you to keep this in mind:

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 
Colossians 3:23-24

You are serving the Lord! How crazy and cool is that!

With that in mind, we need to stop accepting mediocre art as good enough. Because “good enough” is not what we should be giving to the Lord.

Our design doesn't need to be made through a “christian” lens. There is no rule that says our art has to look a certain way, it only needs to assist in pointing people towards Christ. and I mean, wow, that instantly makes this so so crucial.

So what does design do?
Problem Solve…and what is our problem?
Figuring out how to use design in the Church to visually communicate Christ.

So artists in the Church, start coming up with new ideas and start believing that everything we create is worship.

And if everything is worship, then we need to give special attention to the art that is being created in the church. Because God expects that. He expects us to give all we can in every aspect of our worship to Him.

God is an artist. The best artist.
In striving to be like Him, we must be constantly growing and striving to be better artists.

Sincerely,
Kindred