Creative in Church
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
Colossians 3: 12-17, 1 Peter 4: 10-11
12 God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. 13 Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. 14 Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together. 15 Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. 16 Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.
Colossians 3: 12-17
10 Each of you has been blessed with one of God's many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. 11 If you have the gift of speaking, preach God's message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that will bring honor to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful forever. Amen.
1 Peter 4: 10-11
Memory Verse
Romans 12:4-5
4 A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. 5 That's how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.
Cody loves to knit. He makes everything from scarves to blankets for his family. But Cody doesn’t like going to church. He feels like there isn't a place for him there. He has trouble listening to some sermons and singing some songs he doesn’t know. He would rather be knitting. Do you ever feel like Cody does?
Romans 12:5 talks about church when it says, “We each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.” Church is more than just a building or service. The church is God’s family. God knows we need people with different gifts around us to grow (Romans 12:6-8), so he asks us to worship together.
God loves it when you use your gifts to tell his story. Using your talents to give glory to God is a kind of worship. Use your gifts whenever you are with God’s family. Practice the songs; think about what they are saying. Draw pictures of the Bible stories you hear or of things you want to pray for. Talk to your parents or pastor about how you can use your talents in worship. Use your creativity to love God’s family. Think about what people in your church like, then come up with ways to give them that thing. Whatever you do, remember: God wants you to be with him and his people, using your creative gifts.
Maybe one Sunday, Cody’s mom pointed to a bulletin announcement for helpers to create colorful banners for the sanctuary. Or maybe, Cody saw a Mitten Tree for the local homeless ministry nearby that really needed warm mitten and hats. It would be cool if Cody started bringing his yarn and knitting needles to church. Maybe church was a place where he could serve after all!
Prayer
Father, thank you for giving me a family in the church. Help me to praise you and love them in creative ways. Amen.Related Resources
Chris Wheeler
Chris Wheeler is a writer, liturgist, and poet currently based in northwest Indiana. He enjoys writing about faith, art, and fatherhood, and is passionate about offering creative language for the church to use worship. He recently published his first book of poetry, "Solace: Poems for the Broken Season,". He lives in Middlebury, IN in his childhood home, with his wife and five children under eight.