The Arts at Midtown
At Midtown, we believe the creative act is a sacred one. Rooted in the very nature of God, the arts help us encounter truth, stir the imagination, and bear witness to beauty in a world that desperately needs it.
To reveal the Kingdom of Jesus in Kansas City is to amplify the image-bearing work of the artists in our own community.
God as Creator.
Our introduction to God in verse one of Genesis is as Creator, before we know Him as Father, Redeemer, or even Lord. Creation is God’s first act in the Scriptures and one of the primary functions attributed to Him throughout the Bible.
The act of creation is so clearly a godly one. God is not just the originator of the universe and all within it, He is a true artisan that delights in the beauty of the creative act and what He has produced (Gen. 1:31). God formed man of dust (Gen 2:7); He stretched out the heavens with His hands (Isa. 45:12); He is called potter (Isa. 45:9, Rom. 9:20), designer and builder (Heb. 3:4, 11:10), maker of heaven and earth (Ps. 124:8), and even gardener (John 15:1-2). The creative act is the original and ongoing act of God.
God not only creates but invites His people to create as well. In the building of the Tabernacle (Ex. 25-31) and later the Temple (1 Chron. 28:19), He gives Moses and David detailed instructions, not just for function, but for beauty. From precious materials to intricate designs and nature-inspired imagery, God shows that craftsmanship and artistic excellence matter to Him. These works were not just practical; they were expressions of beauty meant to reflect God's glory and make worship spaces worthy of His presence.
The arts help us see God more clearly. They move past defenses, stir awe, challenge assumptions, and comfort the soul. In a fragmented world searching for meaning, beauty becomes a kind of evangelism. The artist doesn’t just decorate faith—they help reveal it.
Midtown Artist Docuseries
Why we value the arts.
A life of participating in the Gospel, offering hospitality, and pursuing justice is a life spent striving towards beauty— a life as an art work. As Christians, we are co-laborers with God, revealing His Kingdom, truth, and beauty.
At Midtown, we want to foster a community that realizes its inherent creative capacity to mirror God’s image. We want to encourage the artists among us to capture and share God’s vision for creation and a new Kingdom. And we want to nurture a culture that’s both generative and generous.
To reveal the Kingdom of Jesus in Kansas City is to amplify the image-bearing work of the artists in our own community.
We understand the creative act as a witness in and of itself. We understand that to value the artist in a church setting is not to value them for “Christian” works of art or what they can produce for the church, but rather we value them for their embodiment and practice of a role that is essential to God Himself. Just as God cherished the creative act, we seek to create a space that appreciates and emboldens artists in their own pursuits of beauty, in whatever forms those take.
