“We’re all made in the image of God,” says Janice*, who leads OM’s Arts ministry in the United Kingdom. “And God is a creator. Therefore we connect with the creative.”

“One day,” recalls Janice, looking back on an art class she was attending. “[The teacher] asked me ‘How did you get into all this religion stuff?’ I said, ‘Give me ten minutes and I’ll share.’” Janice was able to explain her testimony and the gospel with the whole class, sparking a discussion.

But the reach of this ministry has not been limited to art classes; Janice has also taken her painting to OM UK’s weekly outreach in Birmingham's city centre. She invited people to paint with her, each person adding to a collaborative piece.

One man approached the artwork, curious and Janice asked him if he went to church. “You mean a place of worship?” he replied. “I go to the mosque.” “Are you a good Muslim?” Janice asked, and when he looked bemused, she pressed on. “Do you read the Injil?”

When the man didn’t know what the Injil – the Arabic New Testament – was, Janice introduced him to her colleague. The OM worker, was then able to have an in-depth conversation with the man for the next 40 minutes. “We used art to start a conversation,” says Janice. “And who knows where that conversation goes?”

Janice hopes to continue using her painting to engage people that may not otherwise come into contact with the gospel. “For me, it’s not about the final product,” Janice says. “It’s about using the vehicle of art to do what we’re called: to evangelise.”

Please pray for Janice as she shares the gospel with those who connect with her art. Pray for OM teams following up with the people contacted through art outreaches.

* surname not included for security reasons