By Joel Choong
Few venture to reach non-Christian creative youth. A small number enter creative and arts education, hence the smaller cohorts of students. The aloof perception of the creative person does not help; eccentric, quirky, free, and independent are some nicer adjectives used to describe creative students, including myself. How does SYFC approach this vocal and expressive minority?
A simple answer is befriending. Giving a listening ear, with a desire to understand creative youth (or adults) becomes an extremely easy way to share the gospel, pray or study the Bible with them. This straightforward approach sounds too good to be true, but by God’s grace, befriending has been a baseline for EDGE (Evolving & Digital Generation Evangelism) Arts outreach.
In 2022, EDGE Arts started Through The Roof to reach creative youth. Through collaborative creative groups across art schools, we curate creative projects, to be sold as “zines”. A zine is an independently published art book. It lends to a wide range of styles, and the formats^ of a publication is constantly being challenged.
As an approach, befriending is also easiest as most creatives feel isolated. In 2022, out of 660,000 enrolled students, about 10,000 were in art education, ranging from Polytechnics to Masters of Arts. The final number of graduates is lesser still, and the minority create and design for the rest of the world. Talk about small steps for big change!
While working on a collaborative zine together, creative mentoring creates space to share openly about religion, emotional burdens and career pursuits. Upon completion, the collaborators agree on a cost price to publish the books, and a selling price for different art markets or art book fairs. This teaches creative youth an aspect of business currently missing in local creative education, and therefore a draw for students.
While doing groundwork at the art schools, students have asked why we do this, and I have been able to share the gospel on the spot. “I do this because I’m a Christian, and this is my Christian action for the creative community.” I get to share about Jesus’ sacrificial love for sinners. This concept of grace is applied immediately in the friendship formed. We give genuine friendship and practical skills, all for free.
In the middle of 2024, Through The Roof raised money to purchase RISO printers. Being an older form, RISO printing is a big draw for the creative community as a retro printing technique. At our RISO printing workshops, students could operate the RISO printers themselves. Not every youth is open to join a collaborative project with a new friend but many are keen to print with a RISO. Hence, we reached a wider range of youth.
A lot of creative youth used to go to church. Hurts from well-meaning parents, elders, and youth group leaders pushed them away. Peers did not understand their creative choices, and leaders couldn’t relate. Parents would ask, “When will you get a proper job?” or “How will you earn enough for yourself and for the family next time?”
Worse, reports of Artificial Intelligence taking over creative jobs or artists being non-essential, become extremely discouraging. Creative youth end up banding together, and separating further from Christian community. Some give up their creative dreams for financially viable vocations.
The creative youth might not communicate well, but if someone or anyone, listens to him long enough, he will hear a person who needs God’s grace in his life. I can attest that in the past two years, many more needed a listening ear each, and a friend to journey through life with.
As 2025 rolls along, pray for more workers to the harvest. Oddly enough, it is not artists needed, but people who are willing to journey with creative youth and artists. Prayerfully God will continue to use us in this slow but big work!
Joel Choong and wife, Clarice, at SG Art Book Fair 2024. Joel graduated in Graphic Design from Temasek Polytechnic and came on staff in 2013 (he was with his church team from 2020 to 2022), and looks forward to welcoming his first child in March this year.
