As a side note I’m also an advocate of the arts, but I think the Christmas cantata, etc. is passe. In my experience they’re mostly attended by existing church members and maybe some close friends or family, many of whom are also already believers.

I think the authors would say, rather than adding another program draining thousands of dollars and dozens or hundreds of volunteers, why not invest that energy and money into the artistic excellence of weekend services, which are already part of the mission? It’s not about getting rid of the arts, in that instance, it’s getting rid of the program.

If a Church’s #1 goal is to make more christians, I guess we shouldn’t have Divorce Recovery, the Christmas Cantata, the Church Picnic, possibly the choir as a whole… but is that what Jesus came to do? Surely AA, MOPS, the Arts, and all the other ministries have value beyond their ability to produce christians.

As an artist, it’s very apparent to me that the Arts exist to glorify God, and the 2 millenia of church arts are testament to that. Theologically, what does it say to jettison all activities that aren’t expressly evangelical?