Things are getting clearer

Hey friends! I'm officially three weeks in with United Adoration, and as my role has begun taking shape, I wanted to share a clearer picture of what I’ll actually be doing. At its core, my focus will be equipping UA leaders and Artist Missionaries by developing content, resources, and tools that help them cultivate creative communities in their churches and surrounding geographical areas.

The church is filled with people carrying songs, stories, ideas, and gifts that all too often go without seeing the light of day. In a nutshell, I get to arm artist leaders with tools to facilitate room for others to thrive in their creativity in service to God. A large part of that will look like writing resources (similar to the UA devotional I co-edited with Cath Butler from Northern Ireland, together setting the direction and inviting artist writers around the world to contribute chapters and reflective exercises), as well as providing training, support, and practices to artist multipliers—ensuring they are shepherding with the integrity of heart and the skill of their hands (Psalm 78:72).

How do we cultivate creative communities?

How do we develop artists as missionaries?

How do we help churches become places where home-grown creativity flourishes?

How do we multiply leaders who can carry this vision into their own communities?

These are the kinds of questions my work seeks to answer. Can I tell you... I'm just so grateful to be stepping into a role that, frankly, feels "tailor-fit for how God has wired" me. (That's literally the phrase people have repeated to me whenever they hear what I'm doing!)

With our family rooted in KC, it's also an answer to prayer getting to remain based here all while the door has been flung open with opportunities for me to travel and connect with others around the country and world. Some of the trips on the horizon include the likes of Tucson, Detroit, Miami—with some possibilities developing overseas in Europe and Asia as well! My calendar is already beginning to fill up between now and the end of the year, and I couldn't be more thrilled!

As you know, it takes funds to make these trips happen. Any and all gifts through this link will go toward that (be sure to designate "Peter Assad" under "fund"), as well as any purchases from our poems of grace shop (or commissioning an original painting) all helps to make this happen. Appreciate all of you who have already chosen to partner with us in this way—literally couldn't do this without you!

In September, I'll be helping lead a songwriting retreat in the Smoky Mountains. I know of a handful of artists who would love to attend but are unable to because of financial challenges. If you feel led to sponsor an artist, contact me and I'll be sure those funds go toward them!

The goal of retreats like these is simple: to make room, encourage, and build relationships that become seeds of creative community. As you know, I've lived in both worlds: pulpits and music stands. But I’ve noticed something fascinating about the difference between those two spaces.

In all my years preaching, no one has ever come up to me afterward and said, “You know, I really wish you would’ve preached Andy Stanley’s or Tim Keller's sermon instead."

Yet after leading music, it’s not uncommon to hear something like, “I wish you would’ve sung ‘Blessed Assurance,’” or “Couldn't you have done the latest Elevation Worship song?” Now, there’s nothing wrong with those songs—many of them are gifts to the church(!)—but I think the difference reveals something important.

Have we allowed ourselves to believe that preachers are the only ones who get to wrestle with God, sit with Scripture, know their church family, and bring a word to bless? Have we forgotten that God has filled His body with many different kinds of gifts?

The songwriters in our churches have been wrestling with God too.

The artists in our communities have been carrying stories too.

The poets, the musicians, painters, the dancers have all been paying attention to the Spirit’s movement in their own lives and neighborhoods too.

Perhaps these homegrown artists might better understand the aches, hopes, questions, and prayers of a particular community better than someone writing from thousands of miles away ever could. That’s a huge part of what excites me about my work with United Adoration. We're not trying to replace the great songs the church has been given, but we are passionate about helping the church rediscover that God is still giving songs... and he often does so locally.

Because God is still speaking through His people. And there are artists sitting in churches all over the world who simply need someone to say, “Your gift matters. Your voice has a place. Let’s cultivate this... together.”

That is the kind of work I’m thrilled to step into, and thrilled to invite you to join me in, as well. So thank you for praying, encouraging, financially partnering, and walking with us as this next chapter begins!