Reaching postmoderns through art
By Carol Pipes

Bardstown Road in Louisville, Kentucky, feels like a small town with its sense of community and creative spirit. The sights and smells coming from its off-beat shops and eclectic restaurants are a smorgasbord for the senses. The area, known as the Highlands, is recognized for its postmodern subculture and diverse population.

Daniel and Mandy Montgomery have pioneered the Highlands with a new church start begun through Southern Seminarys Church Planting Center and the North American Mission Boards Nehemiah Project. The church, called Sojourn, offers refuge to seekers and believers alike, who long for a safe place where they can find answers to tough questionsa place where arguing is allowed and condemnation isnt.

Were reaching after people with a postmodern mindset, says Daniel, a master of divinity student from Marietta, Georgia. Were looking at reaching people who normally would never even go into a church.

Daniel and Mandy are exploring outlets for cultural evangelismengaging the culture with the gospel in ways the culture understands. A major outlet for the church is through an art gallery in a Highlands storefront.

We offer a venue for up-and-coming local artists to show their work, explains Mandy. We help hang their art, we promote the event and even cater it. Most of the artists they show are non-Christians and so are most of the people who come to each show.

Its all about developing and nurturing relationships, explains Mandy. We keep in touch with many of the artists who had their first showing in our gallery, and now they are showing in New York. Not only are we cultivating the relationship with them, but our sphere of influence grows as they move on.

Most people who come to the gallery grow curious when they find out its operated by the church. People who wouldnt normally visit a church will come to the gallery and then start asking questions about this unusual group of people called Christians. Weve had several people visit the church because they came to an artists exhibit, says Mandy.

In the past theyve had seeker Bible studies, philosophy studies and literary studies. They are starting a new seeker study soon.

At our past seeker studies it was not uncommon for people to argue about something in the Bible and even get up and leave during the middle of a discussion. At one of our recent seeker studies, we had four out of six people accept Christ.

Carol Pipes is managing editor of On Mission.