The Arts have always given us the chance to look at social issues, to awaken to the existence of social injustices and to take action and make change for the better. 

Jesus himself used the art of storytelling to try and awaken people to their surroundings and to his message of peace and divine love:  "The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"  He replied, ..."This is why I speak to them in parables:  'Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.'"   Matthew 13.10-13

In other words, for us to gain understanding about the things around us we need a vehicle to drive this understanding home, something outside of our own context to make us see things anew or as they really are.  Using the arts in this manner, to make us aware of other people and their particular situations, is following in the footsteps of Jesus himself!

Conceived by Ann W. Farris, United Methodist Deaconess http://gbgm-umc.org/who_we_are/mp/dwho.cfm

Goals for this ministry:

1.  To raise social issues awareness in sacred and secular communities through use of various art forms (music, theatre, poetry, dance, literature, visual art, multimedia to include video and internet)

2.  To empower those who are considered marginalized in today's society, through their own artistic expression (to include those who live in poverty or homelessness, living with HIV/AIDS or mental or physical challenges or those who want to express themselves and make aware their situations to an "unawares" community!)

Shonda Nicole Gladden (www.cdbaby.com/cd/sngladden) , Ann W. Farris, Jean Weller; 2001 production of Paul Thain's "Stone Soup" directed by Fredericka Berger, at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC (picture by Faith Colburn Lewis; www.wesleysem.edu/news/2001/stonesoup/default.asp )