The Gathering of Artisans

In about 10 days I will be going to an exciting conference in the Black Mountains of North Carolina. If you are a Christian artist of any sort, I highly recommend this conference to you. Make plans today to attend and bring all your friends.

Matt Tommey and his team run this gathering - I have already posted some articles on Matt. (See here) I can't tell you enough how proud I am of my brother and the ministry he has with prophetic worship artists. You also need to check out the list of workshop teachers - I can't wait to hear some of these speakers:

From their website:

Gathering of Artisans 2013 is a national Christian artist retreat September 26-29, 2013 with hands-on workshops by master artists in Fine Art, Fine Craft, Prophetic Art, Performing Arts, Media and Artist Development. More than just a weekend school of worship, Gathering of Artisans is jam-packed with hands-on workshops, opportunities to collaborate with artists from around the country, dynamic worship experiences and anointed teaching from master artists like Ray Hughes, Sean Feucht, Matt Tommey, Pattie Ann Hale, Vivien Hibbert, Anthony Skinner and many others!

Our heart for Gathering of Artisans has always been to make it as ‘non-conferency’ as possible. What does that mean?  It means:

• Actually being creative, not just sitting around listening to people talk about it

• Hands-on workshops that let you learn from the best of the best

• Free-time and optional activities that let you choose how you want to spend your day

• One-on-one and small group interaction with master artists and Christian leaders

• Shared meals that foster opportunities to get to know other artists

• Dynamic worship experiences where your creative expression is encouraged

• Sharing real tools you can take home and use to keep the creativity going

Whether your creative passion finds it’s outlet inside or outside the walls of the church, there’s a place for you. This year, you’ll be able to participate in 4 different hands-on workshops led by master artists.  

Visit our workshops page for a detailed schedule and description of the over 50 workshops offered this year. 

Make sure you have looked over the entire website to insure you are registering for all the workshops that fit you best. and then share with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or whatever other social networking outlets you use. It’s very common for artists to come together as a group from your church or local area and we encourage that in order to help you foster creative community when you get home!

Matt Tommey

Karitos - Matt Tommey

Matt Tommey

A wonderful worship arts ministry speaking at Karitos this year:


Matt Tommey - basket weaver


I've never met a Professional basket weaver before - fabulous guy!


Go and click on the link and check some of the awesome baskets in the gallery.

More than anything, Matt is a wonderful speaker and totally represents the heart of the Father in the world. Tonight he is singing prophetic songs over people - awesome.


A check out this young man painting during the worship with his father, Richard Hight:

It doesn't better than this!

Karitos Worship Arts Conference

Blogging tonight from the Karitos Worship Arts conference in Chicago IL. I just love to see artists using their gifts in worship - tonight a calligraphy artist did a beautiful piece on the subject of....wait for it...GRACE! (See my blog from yesterday HERE - God is talking to His people about grace right now!)

This was all while dancers danced and artists painted - singers sang and musicians played - I love it!

Right now, Matt Tommey (Matt's Website) is speaking about the Creator who's has put all creativity inside of us - so that His Kingdom could continually be released with His creative nature flowing through us. God gives us His creativity on purpose so that we would love His things inside our lives. God doesn't want us to be creative for Him - He wants us to be creative with Him. It is tied to intimacy and relationship.

There is a way to live creatively in Him that will take us beyond the natural world. God has called us to thrive. 

Some great thoughts from Matt:

- God's Word is the lens through which we look at the world and how we fit in it

- Nothing in the kingdom is birthed outside of intimacy

- Nothing happens in the kingdom without faith - faith is the currency of the kingdom

- Only sons and daughters can escape the curse and access the kingdom 2 Pet. 1:3-4

...as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (II Peter 1:3, 4 NKJV)

- To access the kingdom you have to actively search - God directs our steps not just our waiting. Seek Him with all your being. Co-labor with Him

- When the kingdom comes expect abundance, joy, transformation - your provision is tied to your assignment. We harvest on assignment by revelation. 

- Put the kingdom over your creativity and submit your talents to The Lord. Mix your skill with the revelation of God - that is when the incarnation happens - God comes - then transformation happens. We need artistic vehicles that bring transformation in this world.

Thank you Matt - thank you Jesus!

Exceedingly Abundantly

I want to finish this week and begin a new week with some wonderful words of praise. Here are 3 translations of Ephesians 3:20-21. I am focusing on the concept of our God who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above what we expect or ask for. If you think about it, if He does abundantly more than we ask for, that is a huge blessing...yet He does exceedingly abundantly!! This is abundance multiplied towards us - it is abounding abundance. The primary meaning of the Greek word, ek (abundant) is "out of." I see this as abundance of blessings coming out of God's abundant blessings! In fact, these blessings cannot be measured or imagined - how about that!!

Eph. 3:20-21 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (NKJV)

Eph. 3:20-21 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (NLT)

Eph. 3:20-21 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!

Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!

Glory down all the generations!

Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

(The Message)

The only other time that Paul puts these two words together is when he is talking about the great grace and favor that was poured out to him as a minister. Look at these three things that were given to him in exceedingly abundant measures: grace, faith and love.

1Tim. 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

I just want to say that I am returning home from The Gathering of Artisans conference in Black Mountain, NC exceedingly and abundantly blessed beyond measure.

Thank you to everyone who attended, and to Matt Tommey and His team. What a delight to see all that creativity in one place!