Creativity in Ministry
Today I want to introduce you to Amber Simpson, artist and minister. Amber painted the beautiful “Seasons of Ministry” that now lives on the cover of Pastoral Imagination: Bringing the Practice of Ministry to Life. This is the first of two conversations with Amber that I want to share with you!
She began her business Amber Simpson Art in 2019 following a time of crisis over her own creativity. That crisis came during a Central Seminary praxis travel-trip to Cuba. In our interview Amber describes how she navigated the crisis and processed her drop in confidence and clarity. Eventually she re-embraced her creativity.
Amber says that during this long season of pandemic, she is deeply grateful.ย โMy creativity continues to show up for me in my spiritual practice.โ In this same challenging season Amberโs artistic creations moved from side hustle to entrepreneurial space where her vocation as artist and minister is emerging.
It has been delightful to watch her new practice of ministry as an artist grow and blossom. In this weekendโs video conversation, Amber talks to us about how she integrates ministry and art. She also tells us the story of how she worked with Sardis Baptist Church as the Artist in Residence during Lent and Easter.
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Next week Iโll share Part II of our interview in which we talk about the collaborative process that she and I engaged in when I commissioned her to create a new piece of art for three minute ministry mentor. The delightful outcome of that work is that her creation, โseasons of ministryโ became the central piece of art on the cover of my book.
Visit Amberโs site sign up for her newsletter. More new creations are emerging each week. Also join me and Amber at my Book Launch Party on May 11. We will be giving away some of Amberโs art in a drawing during the event! RSVP today!
