Partnering for Art’s Sake

A Chatham, Va., church uses the arts to befriend its small town.       

By Alicia Kazsuk

Walk the downtown streets of Chatham, Va., on the last Friday night of the month, and you’ll hear everything from quiet recitations of poetry to a piercing guitar solo—all echoing off the buildings in this town of 1,300 people. On such nights, 60 to 70 mostly non-believing teenagers from three area high schools converge on a storefront at 1800 Main Street for Soundcheck—a free, student-led event for teenage artistic expression, sponsored by a local arts initiative and 120-member Chatham Baptist Church.

“There’s really no other place like it,” 16-year-old Ali Slayton explains. “Here, we are allowed to open ourselves up to our peers and share what makes us laugh and cry, and what we fear and desire.”

Since its inception in January, Soundcheck has offered an “open mic” improvisational style, with teens running every facet of the event: emcee duties, artist registration and, of course, the performances. The two-hour lineup may include a teen girl’s a cappella tribute to her mother; another teen reading letters from a journalist in Afghanistan; a performance of a scene from “Hamlet”; or more lighthearted fare, such as a Top 10 fashion lesson for men based on the TV show “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.”

“I have been amazed at the level of preparation and performance,” Chatham Baptist’s Pastor Chuck Warnock says. “Kids take this seriously, while still having fun.”

For Scott Chafee, the church’s youth pastor, it’s also a chance to get “facetime” with area teens, and to develop a listening ear. “The event is not a ‘Christian’ event, but rather a social event to gather teens in a safe environment,” Chafee says. “Relationship-building has been the norm, and intentional dialog about Christ can be more direct as I meet with students at home across the coffee table or outside on the street.”

But Sound-check is only one of the ways Chatham Baptist uses arts-focused programs to connect with its town. In a partnership with nearby Virginia Tech University, the church hosts fine arts music instruction and performances. Although music instruction is available elsewhere in neighboring towns, Chatham Baptist’s Music and Worship Pastor Kim Chafee says the church’s Virginia Tech program is more attractive to many because of its intense teaching methods and world-class music instructors.

Chatham Baptist invites the public to its bi-annual student recitals, and hopes to form a community youth orchestra within the next year or two. Of the 25 students taking lessons in guitar, piano, violin, voice or cello, only seven belong to church member families. “We offer the program with no strings attached, but we are hoping to plant seeds,” Kim Chafee says.

Year-round, the church hosts concerts performed by Virginia Tech faculty, other professional musicians or traveling world-class groups. And this December, the sound of music will bring more good tidings to the town’s residents: Chatham Baptist plans to collaborate with a Methodist church, a Presbyterian church and local orchestra musicians for a Christmas musical.

Fine arts may seem like a strange outreach approach for a small-town church, but Warnock sees these avenues as the church’s opportunity to partner in larger community economic redevelopment initiatives. Chatham’s location and demographics, he explains, make it uniquely suited for arts-focused outreach. The town is the county seat of Pittsylvania County, and thus home to several state agencies. Moreover, Chatham has two exclusive preparatory boarding schools with a combined student body of 500 kids, and is the home of 100-plus active and retired faculty members, all with advanced degrees.

“We believe we have a responsibility to contribute to the greater welfare of the community, just like the Rotary Club or Chamber of Commerce,” Warnock says. “No other group was doing the things we have initiated or partnered in, so we feel we’re making our community a better place for all.”

The community also seems appreciative of the arts events. Says Warnock: “One person who attended the ‘Viva Vivaldi’ concert remarked, ‘I didn’t know Chatham had anything like this.’ Many have thanked me personally for our church hosting these community cultural events.”

Pastor’s Notes

Principles for Using the Arts

Get the big picture. “Our first goal isn’t to get people to join our church. Our first goal is to meet our neighbors, get to know our community and create opportunities for people to get together. We believe that as a result of improving our community, our church will benefit in the long run.”

Be flexible. “Pastors and churches must approach projects like these as collaborations with others outside the church. This means that at times, we don’t get to do everything like we want to do it. But, ultimately, it means we create new friendships, build new bridges and establish real working relationships with folks outside our church.”

Respect and friendship are essential. “I’ve learned that many people are surprised that a church would even be interested in the arts or in folks who are not our members. But I have also learned that when you treat people with respect, engage them with genuine friendship and really get to know them, changes occur in both of you that make Kingdom invitation real.”

Chuck Warnock has more than 30 years’ experience in planting and growing churches. At Chatham Baptist Church since June 2004, he is currently completing his D.Min. in Missional Leadership at Fuller Seminary.

-Outreach magazine, "Frontline," November/December 2006

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