The Performing Arts Elective draws together people with a love and passion for music, drama and dance. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve had zero experience or if you’ve been trained at a professional level. Our heart is to see students in this elective come together and use the gifts and talents within them to give glory to God. Some students may come with strong gifts already, while some may come not knowing their gifts. Either way, this elective is a time of growth for everyone.

During Lecture Phase, students will spend time creating many different pieces such as monologues, skits, dances, songs, etc. It may sound scary and impossible to some people, but it’s really amazing to see what students end up producing! There will also be times when students will be taught pieces. We do our best to keep training diverse, doing both cultural and non-cultural kinds of performing arts. Although this elective is Performing Arts-focused, the ultimate goal during Lecture Phase is for students to learn about God and build their relationship with Him and become passionate about spreading His Word.

Every elective is different, but students will always have a number of pieces and/or a small production that they will have practiced during Lecture Phase to take overseas when they continue onto Outreach Phase. Outreach Phase is when students have the opportunity to take all that they’ve learned during Lecture Phase and apply it in real, cross-cultural situations. Being a Performing Arts elective, it is our heart that students have the chance to use music, dance and drama to share the Gospel and bring people to know Jesus. However, outreach situations always vary and there are a wide range of activities and ministries that students participate in depending on the country they go to for outreach. Students should be prepared not just to do performances during outreach, but also to serve in different ways, whether it’s playing with children in an orphanage, teaching people English, doing house visits, working with schools, etc.

Performing Arts Elective provides a safe place for students to come and learn about God, themselves and the gifts that God has given them, whether they know it already or not! It’s a time to strengthen gifts, discover new ones and figure out how all of it can be used to give all glory to God.