• Creative Arts Conference
Three Melbourne Salvation Army corps are coming together at the Brunswick Corps for an evening of worship and prayer ahead of the inaugural National Creative Arts Conference.
The event is an all-ages initiative organised by members of the Box Hill, Merri-Bek and Brunswick corps, and event directors say it comes as a response to a growing need for new directions.
Worship arts coordinator for community engagement Jason Simmonds said the organisers believed God was opening their eyes to new possibilities and that collaboration and unity were key to that space.
“We’ve been through a season of liminality where we’re in this post-COVID, post-church, postmodern era, and God is doing a new thing,” he said. “We can’t go back to church the way it was.
“If we don’t adjust our approach, we could miss what God is trying to do in this.”
Jason and the administration assistant from Box Hill Corps, Emma George, said the night would feature cutting-edge new songs from Revolution Worship, as well as quiet prayer spaces. They said the event’s timing was critical for focusing on Jesus and listening to the Holy Spirit, as it is set to occur the day before the first National Creative Arts Conference.
“We’re unapologetically going to be using current music that will appeal to hopefully a broad audience,” Jason said. “We just really want to create an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit can move.We really want to come to God in total adoration of who he is.”
The event is open to all and will also feature an age-appropriate worship program for children.
“We gotta get them worshipping early,” Emma said. “But certainly anybody, any age, we’d love to have. The more the merrier!”
– Kirralee Nicolle
