Introduction
One way to connect with God and to each other, is through creativity. God is creative and He made us to be creative as well.
Program Ideas:
#1 LEGO Masters
When I think of connection and beautiful things coming from connections, I immediately think of LEGO. Normally the kids have all the fun with these little blocks. Today give the women a chance to unleash their creativity and celebrate their uniqueness as they build just for fun.
All this program requires is a small amount of LEGO pieces for each woman.
- Watch an episode of ‘Lego Masters’ (Fox, Hulu, YouTube TV). There are also a number of free clips available on YouTube.
- Show the images from the post ’10 of the most amazing LEGO creations’
- https://www.insider.com/best-lego-creations-2019-1
- Provide each woman with a small bag of LEGO pieces or have a table with some available.
- Issue a creation challenge. This can be a specific item (flower, house, rocket, car, hat, or have a theme for them to interpret (Bible scene, my favorite food, a special place). This is flexible depending on the time available and the makeup of the group.
- Having ‘inspiration’ images may be helpful. For the women with limited fine-motor dexterity, they can ‘team up’ with another woman who can build what they describe, use other materials (play doh/pen & paper), or use large ‘DUPLO’ blocks to participate.
- Awards are optional. Participants can vote for best technical piece, most inspiring, tallest, or whatever comes to mind.
- The aim is to enjoy the opportunity to create together. LEGO is fun for all ages, so this is ideal for an all-ages fellowship to engage the span of generations at the corps.
Distance Mode
This is easily taken online by mailing bricks to the women. The program could then be run via Zoom or ‘offline’ with the women keeping what they built until the next meeting or by sending a picture.
#2 Piece of a Masterpiece
If your Corps doesn’t have LEGO, or a budget that allows it, this is a group project that simply requires a printer, art supplies (whatever you have!) and $8 for a download.
There are some amazing artworks in the world, and this activity allows the women to recreate Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’.
- Download the template at https://artprojectsforkids.org/product/starry-night-3/ There are also other templates to explore.
- Each woman takes a page or two to complete. This can be crayon, marker, paint, pastels, mixed media, whatever works for your location. The template has 24 pieces. This could be a multi-week project, or you could involve the kids to make a mural created by the whole corps.
- Once all the pieces are completed, they will come together to show a unique perspective of the original masterpiece.
Distance Mode
This project works perfectly if your whole group is apart, or if individual women are not able to make it to the meeting. Simply send one piece of the artwork to them along with a pre-addressed and stamped envelope to return their completed part of the masterpiece.
Connection
Why is connection important? When connection happens well, something positive usually happens. An action begins or something beautiful is made. We connect a plug to an outlet— electricity surges through. We connect a key to a lock—a door opens. We connect bricks with mortar—a building takes shape. We connect a paintbrush to canvas—a masterpiece grows.
So often in our lives, we focus on the practical connections, but forget about the creative ones. We can trick ourselves into believing that creativity isn’t important, that it certainly shouldn’t be a priority, but in doing so, we miss out on one of the first characteristics of God described in the Genesis account.
The Word of God begins with what? Creation. Every part of existence was carefully breathed into being by a Creator who was determined to express the full beauty and grandeur of His love through every detail of our universe. This beauty was not single sided either, from vast golden deserts, to azure oceans stretching beyond the horizon; from grand snow–capped mountains to mammoth gorges carved into sandstone. They are each unique. Each has value, each is essential in the way our world functions and each shows a different element of God’s masterful creativity. And where landscapes take our breath away, His greatest creation is expressed. We read in Genesis 1:27, “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them” (NIV).
This is a truth we often forget. We were each created in the image of God. This doesn’t make us perfect. This doesn’t mean there isn’t a whole lot we can work on. It does mean we are created with the characteristics of our Creator. God didn’t simply make; He created, and this means that we are skillfully designed to need connection to creativity, each of us in a unique and different way.
Some people are blessed with the ability to make pictures come to life with a post-it-note and old crayons. For others, a sonata is at their fingertips when they reach for a musical instrument. Some create new worlds with words, plant seeds to fashion majestic gardens. Some can fashion a feast from the humblest ingredients, and some inspire with their voices. Some use their minds to solve the most complex of problems, or ingenuity to create a welcoming space. Creativity goes beyond the arts, but it is something we all need. It is an essential part of our being.
Proverbs 18:16 declares, “A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.” When we connect with our God-given creativity, and uses it to honor God, He uses those gifts to usher others into His presence.
Friends, let us not forget how our unique expressions of creativity can bless others as they seek to find meaning in this messy world. Take a chance, connect with your creativity, connect with God through it, and see how mightily He will use you for the building of His Kingdom here on earth.
