Volume 16, No. 3 (March 2021)
Formerly known as GCoMM (Global Consultation on Music and Missions), the newly minted name GCAMM (Global Consultation on Arts and Music in Missions) only compels us to remain evermore faithful to our primary values.
Originally conceived over twenty years ago, our gatherings have served as a meeting juncture for musicians with the Gospel message of Jesus Christ; yet today, we acknowledge the shared global value, rich beauty, and eternal message the Arts can convey. Through all her forms, the Arts bring meaning, shape, beauty, and affect both heart and mind. The primary motivation for GCAMM is to continue encouraging these conduits of the Gospel of Christ, as we bear witness through every creative and excellent art form.
Our previous global events (held in Dallas, 2003; St. Paul, Minnesota, 2007; Singapore, 2010; Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2015; and Nairobi, Kenya, 2018) have averaged around 250 participants from about 35 different countries. They were all wonderful occasions to celebrate the unity of God’s people through as astonishing diversity of culturally inflected expressions through music and the other arts.
The global situation has necessitated making this year’s event a virtual, streaming one, like so many other conferences. But we hope that the drastically lower cost will enable many more to participate who might not have been able to afford it otherwise.
We are excited to see how God will knit our distanced hearts together by His Spirit, for His glory!
For more about our organization, please see our website at www.gcamm.org.
WORSHIP
These amazing global worship bands will lead us in diverse worship!
THEME AND SPEAKERS
Our plenary speakers will unpack for us the Great Commission and its implications for the arts and music in missions. With that in mind, we will be blessed to hear from (and interact with) four outstanding authorities from different spheres of Kingdom work.
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On Day One, pastor-theologian (and songwriter) Matt Boswell will point us to Christ as the one who has been granted “ALL AUTHORITY”(Matthew 28:18,20b; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:1-4).
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On Day Two, missionary statesman Michael Ortiz will highlight Christ’s commission for us to go and make disciples among “ALL NATIONS” (Matthew 28:19; Psalm 67; 96:1-5).
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On Day Three, worship theologian Myrleene Yap will show us the vast scope of teaching, in Jesus’ name, “ALL COMMANDS” (Matthew 20a; 22:34-40) in the disciplemaking process.
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And on Day Four, ethnodoxology specialist Robin Harris will cast a vision for employing “ALL ARTS”(Psalm 150) in the great task of discipling worshipers.
TIME ZONES
In order to accommodate participants from all over the world, GCAMM 2021 is providing duplicate programming: identical three-hour online programs each day, 10 hours apart, so that each participant can choose the time that best fits their location. Please see HERE for further explanation.
SEMINARS
At past events we have offered dozens of special-interest Seminars offered by experienced arts practitioners from all over the world.
We plan to do the same year, with one important change because of the time limitations of our streaming format. Following the example of some other successful virtual events, the Seminars will be prerecorded and made available to view in advance of the July conference. These should be posted online by June 1. And then during the live event opportunity will be given for interaction with the seminar presenters.
The hour-long Seminars will cover a rich diversity of topics:
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biblical and theological instruction
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case studies of artistic ministry
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strategies and experiences in cultural engagement through the arts
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demonstrations covering as many of the performing and visual arts as possible.
Worship Notes 