 "I think art can lead you to God.
I think that's the purpose of everything.
If it's not doing that, what's it doing?
It's leading you the other way.
It's certainly not leading you nowhere." – Bob Dylan Bob Dylan's statement above reflects the purpose of TACO (Turkey Africa-Asia Creative Outreach) – using music and the arts to lead people to God. Our purpose was born out of a longing to use the cross cultural, international and effective language of the arts to proclaim the supra cultural gospel. We do this by partnering with local churches and pioneering in unreached areas where there is no church. Our initial vision was to do this through the tool of music and concerts. It has now expanded to other creative means of outreach such as dance, mime, theater and sports.
We want to offer creative arts ministry as a gift and tool to the church in the Muslim world. It provides a unique opportunity to touch millions with the gospel and be used to help bring many into the kingdom of God who may not be touched in any other way. The creative arts can draw those whom preaching, teaching or even literature cannot reach, often leaving a more open heart to the above mentioned things. Our vision is to model to local churches that this can be done in a effective and culturally acceptable way.
We want to use any creative tool to make this happen – music, theater, mime, dance, sports and other creative arts or activities – that will help break down centuries of prejudice and fear and introduce the incomparable good news contained in the person of Jesus Christ.
Who does these things? Christian "musicianaries" using their artistic talents to be a signpost and lodestar to point people to the person of Jesus Christ! We have often seen that the most effective short term missionaries have been those who have been able to use their God-given talent to proclaim the gospel. Because of the changed lives we have seen in the ministers, our vision has now stretched beyond our original desire to see this ministry used for evangelism and church planting alone. We now also want to see those who come to minister return to their home churches with changed lives and the desire to become long term cross-cultural artists/missionaries.
TACO GOALS
A. Evangelism – Reaching the unreached
1. As much as possible in the context of the local church.
(i) Training churches in creative outreach and follow-up
(ii) Partnering with churches who have a vision for this tool
2. In pioneer areas where there is not as yet a church in:
(i) Turkey
(ii) Central Asia
(iii) Middle East
B. Church Planting and Growth
1. Work with existing churches to strengthen and encourage existing believers through our events.
2. Provide a springboard for church planting in totally unreached areas
3. Network with others in church planting projects (i.e. Marmaris, Izmit, Antakya, Canakkale)
C. Training Nationals
1. In creative and public evangelism
2. In worship and praise
3. In music and the arts
D. Imparting a missions vision to the music teams who come for outreach.
1. By going back and imparting missions vision to others
2. By coming on regular short-term missions trips
3. By becoming long-term workers
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