A Creative Faith Rooted in God’s Design

Ministry takes many forms—and for several women across Virginia, it’s taking shape through art. For them, creativity isn’t just a hobby but a spiritual practice—one that heals, builds community, and brings faith to life in new ways.

“I believe our Godis a very creative God,” says Eli Withers, associate pastor at Harrisonburg Baptist Church. “We owe it to such a creative Creator to tap into our own creativity.”

Eli’s journey into art ministry began after meeting Amy Hall of Shalom Creatives at a Baptist Women in Ministry conference. Since then, Eli has woven visual art into worship—most recently with an Ash Wednesday collage where congregants marked a shared canvas with ashes. “Folks could dip their fingers in the ashes and mark the piece of art with their crosses. It was so exciting to see how eager they were to make their mark on this piece.”

Last summer, Eli brought art ministry alive at the church with something she called Soul Collage—inviting people of all ages to participate. “They came together in a group that wouldn’t likely have been meeting together,” she recalled, “But because they were all interested in art, they showed up for this group and had interactions they wouldn’t have had otherwise.” She described how lovely their interactions were as they met and shared, “crossing all sorts of lines and learning new things about themselves and about each other.”

Collaboration Through Creativity

Their spirit of connection brought several women together for the “True Colors” workshop, hosted at Madison Heights Baptist Church. The event was led by Amy Hall, founder of Shalom Creatives, a ministry dedicated to helping people “create, grow, and heal.”

Amy believes art offers safe space for those wounded by the church. “I’ve worked with so many capable, passionate women whose gifts weren’t embraced by their churches,” she said. “Through conversations and creative practice, they’re finding healing.”The workshop stemmed from Shalom Creatives’ leadership art circle, where women in ministry gather for encouragement and growth.

Art as Healing and Fellowship

Among those sharing her gifts was Donna Massie, a longtime member of Madison Heights Baptist who didn’t begin painting until age 50. She now teaches watercolor classes, helping people of all ages find comfort and calm through creativity.

“One woman, who has a serious illness, told me it’s the only thing that gets her mind off her health,” Donna said. Her recent project, based on Psalm 104, includes artwork from children to seniors. The pieces line the hallway of her church, paired with an online guide to encourage reflection and learning through art.

A New Kind of Worship

At Melrose Baptist in Roanoke, Blair Thurman felt a calling to start something new. Inspired by a church plant in Kentucky using art to connect with their community, she pitched the idea of a “Creatives Night” to her pastor. He said yes.

For the past year and a half, Blair has led monthly gatherings of about 20 people for art-focused fellowship. “It’s a different kind of worship,” she said. One participant—uncomfortable in crowds—finds attending Sunday services difficult but comes to every creative night with her mom, “just have a time with her brothers and sisters in Christ and having that time to really connect and worship,” Blair said. “That is something I love to see—and really what drives me to do this.”

Art and Recovery

Nichole Keltz of Blue Ridge Community Church brings a different perspective. With a strong art background and a personal story of recovery, she hopes to “open up that avenue through art therapy and weave recovery into it,” she explained. “Now that I’ve come to this workshop, they’re broadening my ideas about what I could do to open it up more for the community through my church and start an art program.”

How to Begin

This growing network of creative leaders shows the power of art to engage, heal, and build bridges across generations and backgrounds. Whether through art installations, therapeutic painting, or quiet fellowship around a table, they’re creating space for people to encounter God in new ways.

Amy Hall encourages anyone feeling the nudge to begin: “The best way to start is just to start. You don’t need a formal program—just a table, a few friends, and a willingness to experiment. Maybe it’s a Bible study with an art component, or making handmade prayer journals out of scrap paper.” Anyone, anywhere, can start small and see where the Spirit leads.