In Home Arts Training and Discipleship Center
At our church's missions conference in 2002 Irvin Rutherford, a Youth with a Missions international evangelist said to us:
L’Abri is a Christian Apologetics teaching and witnessing community. Francis and Edith Schaeffer founded L’Abri in 1955 with the vision of showing, by demonstration in their lives and work, the existence of God. L’Abri (French for shelter) is a spiritual shelter for any in need of spiritual help, especially those seeking the answers to basic philosophical struggles to find a meaning or purpose in life. L’Abri is a place of equipping believers to distinguish between biblical and non-biblical values; truth and untruth; good and evil. For over thirty years people have participated in L’Abri's work study program from many countries, and from all walks of life, searching for truth and reality.
In 2008 we were able to go to L'Abri for 10 days. It was a good experience and the Alps scenery was breathtaking. Yes, many good things happened, including ministry to the students there, but was there something big that we just weren't seeing-- something so important that we would wait for six years to go there? On return we were asking the Lord why we had to go all the way to Switzerland. What was the purpose of the visit to L'Abri? Our visit there seemed no different than a local time of ministry. His answer stunned us! He said it was a model we needed to see so we could base arts training and discipleship in our home.
As we understand it at this point:
The students will room and board here in an independent work/study program. (Which makes it affordable)
There will be three month trimesters with a month off in between for ministry trips.
They will have regular round table discussions, attend lectures, and meet with mentors on a regular basis.
Logistically the space available in our house has the capacity to have at least five students (although possibly up to ten) at a time. Utilizing our basement, we have space and supplies available for a fabric studio, a ceramics studio, and a carpentry/sculpture studio. On our second floor are two rooms already designated for a painting studio. Our large living room, dining room and eat-in kitchen are large enough to accommodate our shared “family” space.
We plan on partnering with other arts ministries such as Valerie Henry Dance and Priscilla Williams Visual Encounters with God to train the students in their specific areas of artistic gifting. We would also utilize other arts resources and ministries in the area as they lent themselves to the individual needs of each student.
We realized that the Lord had been preparing us, equipping us, and positioning us for this all along. It has been like one long learning curve; a gradual transitioning over the years to bring us to this point. We saw God's providential timing in not letting us see this until now. We realized why it had been essential for us to visit L'Abri, because it was, in large part, giving us a model which we were to follow. We saw how this would be “building a place of refuge”--a prophetic word spoken over Jan, and also the fulfillment of another word that we would all of a sudden see something and say to ourselves, “Why didn't I see this before?” We realized that the vision statement on Jan's IHS brochures -- To teach and train in the worship arts-- was exactly what we would be doing. We would be mentoring a lifestyle of prayer, worship, and the arts.
We are tentatively thinking of formally beginning our “center” January of 2010.
We are greatly appreciative of any and all prayers sent up on our behalf. We know that what the Lord begins He is faithful to bring to completion. Our confidence is in Him and we are excited about the next step in this adventure He has been unfolding for us. We will keep you all posted on further understanding and developments.
In much gratitude for your support and comradeship in the Lord,
Arnolda (Arnie) and Jan Brenneman
At our church's missions conference in 2002 Irvin Rutherford, a Youth with a Missions international evangelist said to us:
“I see in my mind, old cobblestone streets; people walking in and out of a fog…oh, it’s old European cities. I see young university students of the arts attracted to you and I see you having round table discussions with them…Visit L’Abri. Have you ever heard of L‘Abri?”
L’Abri is a Christian Apologetics teaching and witnessing community. Francis and Edith Schaeffer founded L’Abri in 1955 with the vision of showing, by demonstration in their lives and work, the existence of God. L’Abri (French for shelter) is a spiritual shelter for any in need of spiritual help, especially those seeking the answers to basic philosophical struggles to find a meaning or purpose in life. L’Abri is a place of equipping believers to distinguish between biblical and non-biblical values; truth and untruth; good and evil. For over thirty years people have participated in L’Abri's work study program from many countries, and from all walks of life, searching for truth and reality.
In 2008 we were able to go to L'Abri for 10 days. It was a good experience and the Alps scenery was breathtaking. Yes, many good things happened, including ministry to the students there, but was there something big that we just weren't seeing-- something so important that we would wait for six years to go there? On return we were asking the Lord why we had to go all the way to Switzerland. What was the purpose of the visit to L'Abri? Our visit there seemed no different than a local time of ministry. His answer stunned us! He said it was a model we needed to see so we could base arts training and discipleship in our home.
As we understand it at this point:
The students will room and board here in an independent work/study program. (Which makes it affordable)
There will be three month trimesters with a month off in between for ministry trips.
They will have regular round table discussions, attend lectures, and meet with mentors on a regular basis.
Logistically the space available in our house has the capacity to have at least five students (although possibly up to ten) at a time. Utilizing our basement, we have space and supplies available for a fabric studio, a ceramics studio, and a carpentry/sculpture studio. On our second floor are two rooms already designated for a painting studio. Our large living room, dining room and eat-in kitchen are large enough to accommodate our shared “family” space.
We plan on partnering with other arts ministries such as Valerie Henry Dance and Priscilla Williams Visual Encounters with God to train the students in their specific areas of artistic gifting. We would also utilize other arts resources and ministries in the area as they lent themselves to the individual needs of each student.
We realized that the Lord had been preparing us, equipping us, and positioning us for this all along. It has been like one long learning curve; a gradual transitioning over the years to bring us to this point. We saw God's providential timing in not letting us see this until now. We realized why it had been essential for us to visit L'Abri, because it was, in large part, giving us a model which we were to follow. We saw how this would be “building a place of refuge”--a prophetic word spoken over Jan, and also the fulfillment of another word that we would all of a sudden see something and say to ourselves, “Why didn't I see this before?” We realized that the vision statement on Jan's IHS brochures -- To teach and train in the worship arts-- was exactly what we would be doing. We would be mentoring a lifestyle of prayer, worship, and the arts.
We are tentatively thinking of formally beginning our “center” January of 2010.
We are greatly appreciative of any and all prayers sent up on our behalf. We know that what the Lord begins He is faithful to bring to completion. Our confidence is in Him and we are excited about the next step in this adventure He has been unfolding for us. We will keep you all posted on further understanding and developments.
In much gratitude for your support and comradeship in the Lord,
Arnolda (Arnie) and Jan Brenneman