Welcome to our second newsletter,
These newsletters (3 a year) aim to share what the Lord is doing through Created Creative to encourage, give hope and to thank you for partnering in prayer, finance, and/or investigating more about being Created Creative in God’s image.
We use creativity to help support people - running workshops and training teams to help facilitate God’s healing in churches, organisations, communities… anywhere. We have an outward focus to enable God to bring His release and healing to hurting people opening up the opportunity of a deeper, sometimes a new relationship with Jesus as we connect heart to heart with Him.
God is amazing and we are excited by the opportunities to share His love through creativity.
|
|
Emma Cottrell
Founder of Created Creative
|
|
|
|
One person shares: “God brought relief and peace to the anxiety and turmoil in my mind as I was colouring in. I left knowing in a deeper way His love and peace.”
Another person shares: “I was surprised that I could express through the colour and paints what I was feeling deep within but unable to articulate or connect to. I could then pray from a place of rest.”
|
|
|
What’s been happening?
Creativity evenings at Buckingham Parish Church
We are in our second year of monthly creativity evenings at BPC. If you are local, we would love to see you.
We also have a Creativity Day retreat coming up at Stanton House, Oxfordshire. Click here for more information on both.
|
|
One participant, Judith Wigley, writes:
“I had no idea what to expect when I first came along to Created Creative, but I was offered such a warm welcome I felt immediately relaxed. The room was filled with a variety of creative resources, there was no pressure to perform or produce, just time and space to recover and feed the creative spirit within. Following a short introduction and Bible reading the evening was ours to use as we wished.
I decided to play with words rather than collage or draw. It was good to feel pencil and paper in place of keyboard. It was good to doodle, write large or small letters, erase when it didn’t feel or sound right. It was good to have to think and struggle a little to find words that expressed something of my mood and thoughts. It was good to know I wasn’t going to be marked, judged or singled out. There was an opportunity to share something of our experiences towards the end of the evening, some did, and some didn’t. The process was by far the most valuable part and the end product remains a reminder of just how important it is to carve out time to create. Thank you, I’ll be back!”
|
|
|
These are the words I wrote in the creativity time:
|
|
Community hand print banner
In May, BPC had a great fun day at the church. It was a lovely opportunity to collect handprints from our community on a big heart and make our mark as a family. On big boards we collected handprints, all unique in size, print and colour - children, teens and adults. An amazing diversity expressing our unity as family together in Buckingham. This is going to be turned into a banner for church. Look out for the final design!
Matt Lambert
(trustee of Created Creative)
|
|
|
"God’s banner over us in Love" - Song of Solomon 2:4b
|
|
|
Licensed Lay Ministers’ (LLM) conference
In June, Created Creative was invited to facilitate two Creativity workshops at the Oxford Diocese LLM conference.
It was a privilege to be with these 2 groups of amazing people who pour out their lives for God and to see Him bringing His refreshment and nourishment to their hearts.
|
|
|
The workshops began with explanation of how creativity can be used in our own spiritual lives to draw closer to God and hear from Him. There was then a time of quiet reflection to respond to this through collage and colouring in.
At the end of each workshop there was an opportunity for individuals to share their experiences and to pray. It was a refreshing and peaceful time where God ministered to hearts in the quietness and space.
Pauline Stanton-Saringer
(trustee of Created Creative and Lay Minister in attendance)
|
|
Andrew and Chris, two of our trustees, share:
|
|
How did you come to be a trustee of Created Creative?
Andrew: “I’ve known Emma for some time, having studied with her at Ellel Ministries, and been on several mission trips where creativity was involved. I share a similar desire to see people connect to God at not only a head level, but also a heart level – which is what creativity does. So, I guess that’s why she asked me if I would like to become a Trustee!!”
Chris: “I became aware of the ministry Emma was undertaking while attending Buckingham Parish Church. It was clear that one woman with a heart for God was using her creative gifts to change communities for the better by bringing people into relationship with our Creator God. When she told me about plans to find a way to take this forward and set up a charity structure I was only too happy to help.”
|
|
What do you see God doing through it?
Andrew: “So much of the time people don’t know how to hear from God, and this opens up a whole new way to do this. God powerfully uses these times of creativity to show us things about the issues we are going through and, in this, brings answers to problems, along with His healing and comfort. It really is amazing to see God work in this way, and the fruit that comes from it.”
Chris: “My biggest encouragement is reading the testimonies of those whose lives have been changed by the Lord through Created Creative. We work in some very tough situations and to see God lift people out of anguish is both touching and inspiring.”
|
|
Greeting cards and colouring-in postcards for sale!
|
|
|
Our 4 greetings card designs:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Our 2 colouring-in postcard designs:
|
|
|
Ordering:
All cards come in packs of 4 with envelopes and are £5 a pack. They make lovely gifts and the colouring-in postcards are great to personalise for friends and family or oneself.
To order please e-mail us.
All money from the cards goes towards the work of Created Creative.
|
|
Partnering with us
How can you get involved?
This ministry would not happen without you. Your prayers underpin what God is doing. We value your support both in prayer and if you feel led financially.
We are just over 1/3 of the way towards reaching our financial support base goal!
Give Website (Inc Gift Aid option for UK tax paying residents)
The direct link is www.give.net/20244409 or you can search “Created Creative” on the give.net website.
Direct payment using Bank Details
NatWest, Created Creative, 60 20 34, 41157788
|
|
|
For more information
To find out more or to book a creativity time visit createdcreative.co.uk or
e-mail Emma Cottrell info@createdcreative.co.uk
|
|
|
|
Please keep us in your prayers with the overseas and UK based creativity times that will take place between now and our next newsletter.
Thank you.
|
|
|
|
