Signature Ministry In Action
Pastor Croft, with East Ohio Conference UMC, believes the most effective way he can serve the pastoral staff is to provide support and encouragement with the desire to walk alongside and give them the resources they need so they can be successful.
When he says “successful” he means 100% fruitfulness to the mission of making disciples.
“That is the most important thing you have to start with. If I’m not growing in my relationship with God, then my relationship with other people is going to be affected. So relationships are the key to ministry. And we have to figure out how to grow relationships better with each other and with God for us to be able to live into the mission God has created us for.”
A signature ministry is different for every church. It’s what your church is known for in your community. For Pastor Croft, relationships are the most important thing when you talk about the lifecycle of a church.
Having a desire to find very creative and powerful ways to develop new ministries that impact the Galena area, Pastor Croft discovered that art was very important in their community. Knowing this, the church decided to launch an Art Camp during their normal Vacation Bible School week in the summer.
Tapping into resources to include local art college students for instructors, this camp boasted over 100 children in attendance, instead of the ten to fifteen from previous VBS years. The art camp gave the church body an opportunity to build relationships they didn’t have before.
Families with children who had not previously attended the church or VBS, and were strangers to the congregation, filled the entire church building at the end of the week for the art show. And, while it was an uplifting moment for the church staff to encourage the children, it also enlightened the people in the community who realized that there was a group of people, in the church, who truly cared about them. What a beautifully creative tool to be able to connect people together!
“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” -Isaiah 64:8
Too many times, we all get stuck in routines.
The goal is to find new ways to have a fresh approach and sometimes it means thinking outside the box. The art camp was definitely a “breaking the mold” idea, but incorporating Biblical principles alongside the hands-on projects emphasized the mission.
When we are creating God-glorifying art, we follow the example set for us by God, and live into the gifts, skills, and talents He has given us through His Spirit. The formation of art is an act of worship in which these young creators point back to the Ultimate Creator.
Something significant happened that week, and the church staff was blessed to contribute to the lives of all who participated- from the children, to their families, and the college students.
The impact of this previously unreached community cannot be underestimated. That’s what vision is- seeing what is next, submitting the plans to God, seeking him to help us figure out where He leads us next, and ultimately giving us the strength to fulfill it.
