Why the arts?

As we look back on the last 18 months at Pine Street Church, the changes in our programming are astounding.  Most notably, we've opened our curricular Off Broadway Preschool under the direction of Emily L'Hommedieu and expanded the offerings of our Off Broadway School of Fine Arts led by director Cathy Compton through renovating and reopening our facility next door.  Our renewed and revamped focus on Creativity and our expanded definition of Community have allowed us to increase the impact of our congregation in Boulder.  By embracing the arts not only in our Sunday morning services, but also throughout the whole week through lessons, classes, and special events, we are able to better approach our mission of enriching the lives of our diverse population, regardless of labels that might otherwise divide us.  And it just so happens that the physical structure that houses us as a congregation on Sundays provides the perfect canvas for God to help us be Creative by allowing the arts to flourish here the whole week long.  This article outlines how many churches are embracing a similar journey... although instead of thinking of the church as a "landlord" for the arts, we strive to create a model where religious and artistic experiences are two arms serving our diverse world together.

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