The Journey to Mission

I saw this on facebook and it was attributed to JourneyChurch.org I think it is a fantastic illustration of what the church is experiencing in our day and age.

You see a lot of times we in the church are down on the consumer model of church where people come to be fed. This diagram also seems to take that tack and if it does, I might have to part ways with them just slightly. I believe that all Christians should be missional by the definition of this diagram. The church is “A body of people sent on mission who gather in community for worship, community, encouragement and teaching from the word in addition to what they are self-feeding themselves throughout the week.” That is where we need to be headed, so that we are the church at all times.

That being said, ministry and evangelism are and have always been about meeting people where they are. I believe in many cases, this is where the consumer part comes in. People come in looking for something and we need to deliver that. This is one of the great things about art ministry. It’s an entry point, a way of giving people something they want. Surely it feeds much of what we read in the above description of missional, but it’s also something really cool to appeal to the seeker or the consumer, the person who is “just checking it out” or “looking for a better show than the church down the street.” You may cringe when you read that. I cringed when I wrote it, but remember we are in the business of meeting people where they are. We are not in competition with the church down the street, but we are in competition with a whole bunch of other media and activities all screaming for consumers. We have something better. We have what moves them to something deeper, but first we have to get their attention.

What spoke to me most in the whole diagram was the arrow. I wish they had left the words off the arrow, because I think the arrow is sort of the point and the mission for the church. We need to be about reaching the world beyond our doors for sure, but another huge part of ministry is that arrow, moving people from Spiritual consumers to Missional believers, from someone who goes to church so someone who is the church.

That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Go and make disciples.” It’s all about the arrow.

Is Your Church Harnessing the Power of It’s God-given Creativity?

We live in a world where things are changing at an unprecendented pace with no sign of slowing down. How does the church respond to all this change. Very creatively. Let’s face it, no matter how much things change, the message of the Gospel remains the same and rightfully so, the Gospel is the hope of Christ to our broken world. So how do we take that unchanging message to an ever changing world? Again, very creatively!

I’m not saying change the message, it’s the Word of God and it’s good all by itself. I’m saying that God has empowered His people in the church to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth in a multitude of ways, designed by God Himself to reach a multitude of people. Is your church tapping into that creativity? Is it utilizing all of its people in all their glorious giftings? I’d like to help. You see I was one of those people. A new believer, struggling to find where I fit in the system. I’m not musical and I was terrified to speak in public. Those are the two main gifts we use in the church. Then one day something awesome happened. My pastor found a use for my gift and gave me permission to use it (art, in my case) to serve the Lord. It radically changed my life. Today I go to churches all over the US and preach and teach and use my gift of art to reach unbelievers and challenge believers to find and use their gifts.

That’s what I’d like to do for your church. I’d like to come in and share my gift and be used by the Lord to fire the imaginations of church members and churches alike. I’d like to share the Gospel with your community, but I’d also like to talk to the person who thinks his gift has no use in the Kingdom and I’d like to help the congregation to imagine what it would be like if all these diversely gifted people were putting their God-given gifts to serve the Lord in the church and community. How many people in your community could be reached if you just got a little creative?

I’m here to help. Contact me at amokarts@aol.com for more information.

Photos from Youth Explosion

It feels like forever since I have posted to the tribe. My apologies but I had a great opportunity to minister over the weekend at Saint’s Home Church of God in Christ’s Youth Explosion and Grace Temple in Terre Haute, IN. It was a great weekend. I got the opportunity to paint four paintings, do a 10 foot square street painting and preach the Word. God was at work and lives were transformed, to Him be the glory. I feel like I’ve made some lifelong friendships this weekend and hope to get back there again soon. Our topic for the weekend was The Church Has Left the Building: Takin’ It to the Streets and that is exactly what the folks did. We went to a city park and share the Gospel in song, art and word. It was fantastic. Many people were fed, prayed for and blessed. Below are some photos of the event (Thanks Jerry White).

If your church would be interested in doing a similar event, I’d love to help you out. Contact me at amokarts@aol.com.

Painting the first painting of the weekend based on the story of the Demoniac from Mark 5

Me preaching behind the finished painting

Flip side of the Demoniac painting. The point...Jesus can turn your life around!

Italian Street Painting begins in the park in Terre Haute

I had several helpers to complete the street painting

Stephanie helps to finish the street painting

The finished street painting. It rained in the middle of making it which took the colors down a little bit but it still came out pretty good, thanks to all who helped.

Starting my painting Dichotomy, the painting I used to illustrate my park message

I really enjoyed having the children right there watching me paint.

Dichotomy in progress.

Dichotomy, The World's Most Unusual Portrait of Jesus

My New Presentation

Defeating the 20/80 Rule with Be the Body
• Does your church have enough people to get everything done?
• Does your church have a small group of people who do most of the work?
• Does your church have a large group of people on the fringes and barely connected?
When you call upon your congregation to do the kinds of service Jesus commanded do they look back at you with a look that says, “Isn’t that what we pay you for?”
There’s a rule in most human organizations including, unfortunately, the church, which states that on average about 20 percent of the people do 80% of the work. This leaves your most faithful servants doing many things for which they are neither called nor gifted and nearing burnout while the rest of the congregation is only slightly invested in the work of the Kingdom. This is not the church that God intended.
I was in danger of becoming one of those 80 percent people and then something amazing happened. I went from struggling new believer who could barely read scripture aloud with a profound fear of public speaking to ordained minister, pastor and speaker. It wasn’t all a smooth ride and it didn’t happen overnight but it happened and I can trace it all back to one event. My pastor found a Kingdom use for my unusual gift and it changed my life. I’m convinced that there are thousands (maybe millions) of people in the church of Jesus Christ who are in the same boat. They have tremendous, God-given potential to do great things—things that will tremendously expand the Kingdom and they’re just waiting for someone to find their gift, ignite their passion and show them how to be what they were created to be to the glory of God. We are all “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do!”
That’s what my new presentation “Be the Body” is all about. Through the use of my story, artistic gifts, interactive projects and preaching the Word of God, I will challenge the “many parts” in your congregation to become fully invested members of the “one body” of Christ. Topics covered include:
• What it means to be the body of Christ? 

• How to do and be your part.

• What to lay down and what to take up.

• Maintaining unity and more.


This can be anywhere from a single message, a series of revival/Spiritual renewal services even a weekend retreat. I really feel a strong leading to go out into the church and call people into their God given calling. The guiding verse of this ministry is 1 Peter 4:10, Each one should use WHATEVER GIFTS he has received to serve others. I would love to come to your church or event and share with your congregation. Contact me, Dave Weiss at AMOKArts@aol.com
God bless,
Dave Weiss

www.amokarts.com

Anyone need a speaker/painter?

Dave Weiss Speaking Ministry Flyer

AMOKArts.com founder looking for opportunities to speak and/or paint, paint and/or speak in worship, conferences, etc. See my booking page or contact amokarts@aol.com for more information.

The Tie That Binds

This is a video I did that I may be taking to my denomination’s Annual Conference. The point of it is sometimes it’s easy too focus on what divides us. I think a far better path is to focus on WHO unites us. Music—Blessed be the Tie that Binds played by Mark Myers

#Trust30 Your Ordinary Self

The Challenge
Good and bad are but names very readily transferable to that or this; the only right is what is after my constitution, the only wrong what is against it. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are our most potent at our most ordinary. And yet most of us discount our “ordinary” because it is, well, ordinary. Or so we believe. But my ordinary is not yours. Three things block us from putting down our clever and picking up our ordinary: false comparisons with others (I’m not as good a writer as _____), false expectations of ourselves (I should be on the NYTimes best seller list or not write at all), and false investments in a story (it’s all been written before, I shouldn’t bother). What are your false comparisons? What are your false expectations? What are your false investments in a story? List them. Each keep you from that internal knowing about which Emerson writes. Each keeps you from making your strong offer to the world. Put down your clever, and pick up your ordinary.

My Response:
First I want to say I disagree with Emerson’s assertion that “the only right is what is after my constitution, the only wrong what is against it.” I believe that right and wrong a clearly defined by God in His Word. When we start to get into right and wrong as defined by me, things get cloudy and mirky. God’s way is the way to go.

Now let me also say I really agree with what the challenge writer posted about comparison. When we begin to compare ourselves to others, we begin to try to be like them and stop being what we were created to be or we walk away defeated because we are trying to be something we were never supposed to be in the first place. I’ve fallen into this trap many times. I’ve quit doing things because I don’t feel like I measure up to someone else. but what if I was supposed to invent a different way of doing it. Did Picasso quit because his work didn’t look like everyone else’s? No, and he became one of the world’s foremost artists precisely because of his difference.

False expectations will also kill you. How many people have quit something because they couldn’t be the best in the world (or even in their community) at what they do? I know I have. There is one thing I am the best in the entire world at and it is the one thing I can do beyond the shadow of a doubt. I am the best person at being THIS David Weiss (yes there are others and I can’t be them) in the entire world. My job then is to do that well. To clean up the edges, polish the gifts, submit that will to God and go forward in being who I am made to be. His plan for me is unique in the entire universe and my life is part of that plan for the universe. I don’t get to pick if it’s large or small, I’m just privileged to be a piece in that puzzle. Congrats, you’re a piece too. Did Bob Dylan give up because he is not the world’s best singer. No, he sang his song and became the voice of his generation.

It hasn’t all been done. You still have a part to play. Play it for all your worth. Give God your best and watch Him do His best in you. This prompt really made me think about all the Bible people (or at least the good ones). We look at them as if they were superheroes but with the exception of Jesus, they weren’t. The Bible is pretty good at pointing out their flaws and their foibles. They were ordinary people just like you and me. What made them extraordinary was simple and available to everyone of us even you and me. They were ordinary people who put their ordinary lives in the hands of an extraordinary God andthat made all the difference.

Bible Reading Guide
An important part of following God is knowing what He wants and a great way to know what He wants is to read His Word. Follow this plan and you will finish reading the Bible in a year.
1 Kings 15-16; Psalm 53
1 Kings 17-18; Psalm 115
1 Kings 19-20
You can also download your own chart here.

Foundations: On What Are You Building Your Life?

I’m preaching on the topic of foundations tomorrow and all this study and preparation beg me to ask a question. Here’s an excerpt…

The question for us is, What are you building your life on? I mean let’s face it, there are a lot of materials out there you can build a life on. People build their lives on careers, but jobs go away. People build their lives on friends but people are people, nobody is perfect and sooner or later most of them will let you down. Romance and relationships are not good foundations for the same reason. Relationships are not foundations, like the rest of our lives they are things that that we build and they need a foundation too.

Some people build their lives on popularity but popularity depends on people and people are fickle, what’s popular today may not be popular tomorrow. What’s more trying to stay popular by trying to please a particular crowd of people might make you into someone you don’t really want to be. Some people build their lives on their circumstances which leaves them in a really bad place because circumstances change. They’re not dependable. Related to that some people build their lives on their own happiness, and we all want to be happy, but no one is happy all the time. We all go through tough times and when we do, those who build their lives on happiness and circumstances crumble.

Society, ours or anyone else’s is not a firm foundation. Adults, how much has society changed since you were kids? How much have our values as a nation changed?

A lot of people try to build their lives on money and stuff. How many of you had something you just absolutely had to have? How long did you have it before you wanted something else? Something more? When do you have enough stuff? I used to be this guy. I had a button I wore that said the one who dies with the most toys wins. That’s the way a lot of people live but sooner or later the one who has the most toys still dies and you can’t take any of it with you. Stuff may have been your desire, but it makes a lousy foundation and money is worse. We get all caught up in money, but look at money. What is it? At the end of the day it’s a piece of paper with a picture of a dead guy printed on it. People can steal it, it burns, it’s value goes up and down depending on what other people are doing and all the adults will agree, it goes away very quickly. It only really has value because people say it has value. And some people will say that’s true of paper money but I have my money in gold, or precious metals or gems. Do you know what all those things really are? Shiny rocks. They have value for the same reason paper money does, because we say they do. We all need money and we all need to earn a living, I have bills I need to pay too, but money is a tool to use to live your life, not the reason for living, not a foundation.

You can’t depend on politics, education, even religion apart from Christ. People in earthquake zones will tell you that even the earth itself is not a totally firm foundation. Many of these things are great things, most of them are very necessary and worthy to pursue but none of them are strong enough to build your life on and many people try. All these things are to one degree or another shifting sand and if you build your life on them sooner or later it will feel like your world is crashing down.

So what can we build a life on? What should be your foundation? Well that song about the wise man and the foolish man comes from a parable Jesus used to teach people about what’s really important. He told the story this way: Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Did you catch that? What’s the foundation? What is the rock we need to build on? Jesus said “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man…” His Words His teachings are a firm foundation on which to build your life. The things He taught us in His Word are true, and they are totally dependable.

Here’s a great song on the topic:

Busy, Busy, Busy

Hi everyone,
Just a quick note of reflection here today. I’ve been really hustling the last few weeks. I am doing a series of six paintings with corresponding videos for my denomination’s annual conference. I’m working on the last one now, it’s called The Tie That Binds and it’s one of my animated pieces, so it’s taking quite a bit of time, but I have to say I think it’s going to be a very important piece. It deals with the things that divide us versus the One who should unite us. I look forward to sharing it. I’ll be making a DVD of the six painting videos available at the conference as well and I have been asked to facilitate an Arts in Worship segment, which also really excites me.

Last week I did two workshops at our National Jr. High Conference on the topic of Be the Body. The main gist of the session was that we are many parts but one body. The first step is to find your part to play and the second part is to do what you do in unity and community. This concept has really become my passion and my prayer is that I will be able to share it and the adult version of it at many places.

This weekend I will be speaking at a camp here in the Pocono Mountains and my church and then a few days later, I’ll be off to Grand Rapids for the aforementioned conference. I am really excited about all of this and pray that the Lord will use me to do some good.

As many of you know, the day job I use to support these ministries is about to become part time. This will be a drastic change for me and my family. I am hoping to supplement my income but going out and speaking and painting, so if you have a need for a speaker/painter for your program, please contact me. I have revamped my booking page on the web site. I’m still working on the rates which have always been hard to set (art supplies are expensive) but I’m trusting that God will come through. I would love to come and serve you, whether you need a worship painter, speaker, Italian street painting, workshop, or something I haven’t thought of yet. Contact me.

Bible Reading Guide
An important part of following God is knowing what He wants and a great way to know what He wants is to read His Word. Follow this plan and you will finish reading the Bible in a year.
Ecclesiastes 9-12
1 Kings 13-14; Psalm 102
You can also download your own chart here.

The Sheep and the Goats…An Invitation

Luke 14:12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

I was reading this passage recently for the purposes of doing a painting and it fascinated me. There’s something beautifully selfless, the idea of doing things for those who can do nothing in return and trusting God for the blessing. It’s particularly fitting in light of what Christ has done for us. He has given us a gift we cannot repay, the best we can do is devote our lives to serving others and I believe that is the invitation Christ has given everyone who calls upon his name. I was having a hard time seeing the image in this passage but it drew my mind to another passage.

Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
   34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

   37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

   40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Jesus is telling us that whatever we do to help those in need, we are actually doing for Him. It makes sense if you think about it. Hungry, Thirsty, Stranger, in need, sick and in prison, we were all these things when Christ came to our rescue. For us to be the sheep of our shepherd, we need to follow our shepherd.

Interestingly, Jesus also speaks to those who refuse his invitation to serve. 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

   44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
   45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
The least of these are all around us and we as Christians have been invited to stand up and meet their need. How will we respond to the invitation? Will we be sheep or goats?

Bible Reading Guide
An important part of following God is knowing what He wants and a great way to know what He wants is to read His Word. Follow this plan and you will finish reading the Bible in a year.
1 Kings 9-10; Proverbs 17
1 Kings 11-12
Ecclesiastes 1-4; Psalm 80
Ecclesiastes 5-8; Psalm 101
You can also download your own chart here.