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Collaborative Kicks Off with a Paint & Sip
Youth & Children’s Ministry Leaders Collaborative Kicks Off with a Paint & Sip
The inaugural meeting of the new Youth & Children’s Ministry Leaders Collaborative brought together several youth leaders, ministers and pastors in a virtual setting to discuss ways to care for youth in the “new normal” brought on by the pandemic. They let their creative juices flow through a painting exercise, held online and guided by the talented and creative Rev. Skye Hallman McQuillan of Heritage Baptist Church in Annapolis, Maryland. Each participant painted a tree and then Rev. Skye helped them see how this exercise could be used to help youth and children. The collaborative is a forum where those charged with helping to guide our youth on their spiritual journey can come together and share ideas.
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Rev. Dr. San No Thuan, pastor of Falam Baptist Church (FBCMD) in Frederick, Maryland, was one of the Paint & Sip participants. Pastor Thuan is originally from Myanmar (Burma), and since 2009, has been serving at FBCMD. He also serves the Lord as Associate General Secretary of Chin Baptist Association, North America that comprises 40 churches. He graduated with a Ph.D. from Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 2014 and has been in ministry for 26 years. He is married and blessed with two boys, Joseph and Christian. Below, Rev. Dr. Thuan shares his Paint & Sip experience:
“I was very glad to have a chance to join the DCBC Paint & Sip program with my family. I joined this art class because I wanted to know how to draw some pictures to help young people in my
teaching. Rev. Skye taught us how to paint a tree and then explained how to use paintings as a tool to teach life lessons. It is remarkable when she said that we are created by the creative God and hence, we can expand our imaginations through arts and use those arts to teach important life lessons to others.
“After painting our own beautiful trees, we shared the life lessons we learned through the process of painting. I never thought I could draw life lessons from the process of painting, and I also learned a lot from the other participants. From Pastor Meg, I learned that as painting has time to stop, we must learn when to stop in life. Rev. Dr. Miller Manarin also shared that as there are many flowers on a tree, if we share the talents of each other, our life will be more beautiful. As I painted one flower, then, another and another until my tree was full of flowers, I realized that I don’t have to be what I am today — a very important life lesson for me. I can creatively become more than what I am now — that will be my gift to our creative God. I hope we can have this kind of workshop more in the future for our DCBC churches.”
After painting and sharing about their trees, Rev. Skye read the lyrics to the “Hymn of Promise” by Natalie Sleethto the group.Rev. Skye shared the text of the hymn as the participants reflected on the seasons of life and the movement of Lent. Following is an excerpt from this hymn: There’s a song in every silence Seeking word and melody There’s a dawn in every darkness Bringing hope to you and me From the past will come the future What it holds a mystery Unrevealed until its season Something God alone can see*
The next collaborative event will be held May 23 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. If you are interested in serving on the collaborative to help plan these events, please email Loretta Polite-Shipman at loretta.polite-shipman@dcbaptist.org.
*Words & Music: Natalie Sleeth © 1986 Hope Publishing Company, https://link.edgepilot.com/s/d9948f2d/dPIrdUALy0 CZljYzBuwiig?u=http://www.hopepublishing.com/. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
