Why Art Deserves a Place in Your Church Service

A. W. Tozer, pastor and author of many Christian classics, once wrote, “We do not want new doctrine—we want fresh emphasis on doctrine already well known by all of us.”

Tozer is getting at something very much related to the role of art in worship and churches: we need to see old truths with fresh eyes.

For example, here at Faithlife we have monitors throughout our buildings that display Bible art by our designers. It often catches my eye and makes me notice something new about a passage. Take this design of Matthew 5:3, for instance.

It can be hard to embrace the beatitudes in daily living. Who wants to be poor in spirit? But look how this design reinforces Jesus’ teaching. The temporary burdens Christians carry will someday explode into eternal joys in the kingdom of heaven. Explode. Erupt. Transform. This art, and the vivid verbs it inspires, bring the passage into focus.

Art helps us see

Art helps us get to the heart of things. We are not just cognitive creatures, we are aesthetic, too.

That’s one reason cathedrals were built with expansive ceilings and windows for natural light. They take your eye up and up and up so you feel you are in the presence of Greatness, and the effect does something to your heart.

Does art have a role in your church? What could you do this year to help people see old truths with new eyes?

Art can be many things. It doesn’t have to be graphic design, painting, or other visual mediums.

In the context of church ministry, art can be anything that causes you to look again. In that way, art speaks for itself. When it captures your attention, it has done its job.
The question is, are you giving it a place to do that?

How to get more art in your church services

Your creativity is the limit, but one simple way to get art into your church services is through your presentations.

Every week you have dozens of opportunities to add texture to lyrics, verse slides, sermon slides, and more with tasteful church media.

Consider a free trial of Proclaim Church Presentation Software. You’ll instantly get access to a growing collection of 14,000+ motion graphics and stills designed just for churches. And in Proclaim, it takes just seconds to find and add media to your presentation.


Give art a place in your worship. Start a free trial of Proclaim church presentation software to get tons of church media, and discover how easy it is to cast new light on the old truths of Scripture.

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Written by
Matthew Boffey

Matthew Boffey (MDiv, Trinity International University) is the pastor of worship at Christ Church Bellingham. He is also editor-in-chief of Ministry Team magazine, has edited several books, and has written for several blogs and publications, including Relevant online, the Logos blog, and the Faithlife blog.

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Written by Matthew Boffey
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