Polygrafik

A little over a month ago, I had the opportunity to ask Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church a couple of questions regarding the modern church, the incorporation of media, and how a media director such as myself should be interacting with my pastor when we need those things (the telephone “interview” is in the video below).

Mars Hill Church in Seattle is nothing short of a powerhouse of resources for all people seeking Jesus and His ministry. To reiterate the brief synopsis that caught my attention: they are the fastest growing church in our nation, in a city where there are more pet dogs than Christians. Somehow in my walk as a new, young Christian I stumbled upon their website a little over a year ago and through the teaching of their Ballard campus pastor, Mark Driscoll, and the aid of their resource-centered sister website, The Resurgence, I learned the foundations as well as the nitty gritty details of my faith. And I’m currently still in the process of growing. In my, once obsession, but now tamed appreciation for this Seattle ministry, four things appeal to me:

1. The centrality of the Gospel
2. The biblical attitude of Reformed Theology
3. A pastor who knows that he’s presenting all of this biblical, sometimes Christian-jargony, material to ex-Atheists like me who don’t always pick up on the Evangelical “Christianese.”
4. The incorporation of seasoned, experienced graphic design and web development work.

In regards to the infrastructure of a church media team and their interaction with a board of elders or a pastor, I never had formal direction as to how our meetings should look when we need animations, a visual identity, and themed ProPresenter slides for a new series or a special event. I certainly feel like it is very important for media directors and church creatives to read up on their bible when creating visuals for a congregation of believers. I wasn’t sure what types of calls the pastor made in the mix, but I knew for sure that we as artists need to comprehend the power of the idol of ‘self-expression’ that most creative people tend to get boggled down with; the temptation to override scripture or the authoritative word of an elder to add something you think may be more ‘relevant’ may be unhelpful and potentially damaging if you’re not in scripture. I question the motives of a creator who wouldn’t fill their pastor in on everything that they are doing visually before they reveal it to an entire congregation. A media person has power over what people see, and if you think art – as abstracted as it can be – can’t be used for evil, you’re definitely misinformed.

At any rate, I asked Driscoll what typically goes on between the media team and him in Seattle. He told me he was a communications major which is, indeed, a serious plus on so many different levels. Not everyone has that luxury and he sympathizes, stating that it is indeed tougher. I’ll let the video below do the talking (I’m not white gentleman with the glasses, I’m the man on the phone).

We’re not alone, church artists. And we have a responsibility. It doesn’t hurt to seek each other out and try to grow from one another. That’s one of the primary reasons I’ve decided to change the direction of this blog here. Maybe you can take a trip to Seattle, haha. I definitely plan on going this summer for a week or two, and maybe I can get extroverted and friendly enough for someone at Ballard campus to show me around the art department and allow me to ask the millions of questions that I have. Keep in mind that art isn’t what we worship, however:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

I wouldn’t classify anything I write as scholarly or reputable any further than a brother’s opinion, however, if you’re an artist and the idol of ‘self-expression’ idea caught your attention in this entry, just scroll down a little bit and you’ll find a (much) longer entry where I had a chance to sit down and unpack the snares and identities of it.