Creative Church Handbook - by J Scott McElroy (Paperback)

About the Book

Now is the time for the church to reclaim its role as a center of creativity. Among your members are artists and musicians whose gifts can enhance your worship, inform your theology and impact your community. Christian arts advocate J. Scott McElroy gives a comprehensive vision and manual for unleashing creativity in your congregation.

Book Synopsis

If the future is creative, is it any wonder that sometimes the church seems stuck in the past?Now is the time for the church to reclaim its role as a center of creativity. Among your members are artists, musicians and other creatives whose gifts can enhance your worship, inform your theology and impact your community. Christian arts advocate J. Scott McElroy gives a comprehensive vision and manual for unleashing creativity in your congregation so you can connect with the more visual, aural, participatory and expressive generation that is rising up within the church today.In this handbook you'll find clear direction for:

• Mobilizing and managing artists and other creatives in your congregation
• Establishing structures and parameters for arts ministry
• Leading and supporting staff and church members in creative changes
• Enhancing the worship service
• Adding creative elements to your sermons
• Engaging the broader community

Activate your church in every avenue of worship with this practical guide for arts ministry.

Review Quotes

"Creative Church Handbook is a treasury of resources for those wanting to instigate more creativity in their local church. It radiates passion for the arts as it provides thoughtful perspectives, practical instructions and prolific illustrations. This book will convince you that the arts are critical to faith formation and will show you how to introduce them to your faith community. I'm proud of Scott McElroy's hard work in curating this substantial volume and hopeful for the fire it will ignite in churches across America."--Beth A. Booram, founder and director of Sustainable Faith Indy

"Essential. Comprehensive. Inspiring. If you are an artist of faith, or lead artists of faith, you absolutely need to get this book."--Manuel Luz, author, Imagine That: Discovering Your Unique Role as a Christian Artist

"I was blown away by how comprehensive and helpful this book is. It will get your creative juices flowing and open your eyes to how amazing God is in his diversity of communication styles. Any church that is serious about using the arts to draw people toward Christ needs this book in their library. I wish a resource like this had been available when I was planning worship services every week."--Marcus Warner, president, Deeper Walk International

"In his book The Creative Church Handbook, my friend Scott McElroy gives churches some of the practical tools and direction they can use right now to start embracing kingdom creativity in their community. I wholeheartedly recommend this resource for church leaders who want to begin to experience the fullness of the kingdom in their local congregation in the context of creativity."--Matt Tommey, founder and executive director, The Worship Studio

"McElroy has gone to work for us, recording inspiring advice, experience and ideas from his national survey of churches active in the arts. Creative Church Handbook shows how the new renaissance of creativity in our churches is turning the eyes of our culture back to God. Whether you are a seasoned arts pastor or just investigating how the arts might benefit your church, this book's gathered wisdom and curated advice will serve you greatly."--Jason Leith, Arts Initiative Director, Saddleback Church

"Places and people who profess to know the Creator best be out to be the most creative places and people around. J. Scott McElroy shows the church how to reclaim its creative calling, and outlines powerful and road-ready strategies in the church's struggle to comprehend and create beauty."--Leonard Sweet, bestselling author, professor, Drew University and George Fox University, and chief contributor to sermons.com

"Scott McElroy brings a thoroughly biblical worldview to his treatment of the arts as one of the ways we can enhance worship and ministry in the church. Theological education has often become so intellectual in its approach to the mission of the church that the intimacy of personal relationship is missed in the process. McElroy sees the proper use of the arts as another way of expressing an intimate personal relationship in the definition of mature discipleship. All of this with a wealth of practical suggestions and resources."--Timothy M. Warner, former Director of the Professional Doctoral Programs, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

"With the increasing interest in creativity and artistic expression among Christians today, there is a commensurate need for insight and wisdom on how a renewed imagination can be embodied within the life and mission of the church. Biblically rooted and immensely practical, Creative Church Handbook is an encouraging resource that will inform the journey of God's people as they continue to recover and create vibrant expressions of truth and beauty in worship, life and mission."--Dr. Colin Harbinson, international director, StoneWorks Global Arts Initiative

About the Author

Scott McElroy is the author of Finding Divine Inspiration and director of the New Renaissance Art Movement, which hosts the Creative Church Conferences in Boise, Idaho, and Indianapolis, Indiana. He is director of arts at the Indy Vineyard Church and a visual and voiceover artist.