Colour Outside the Lines:
Art and Imagination in God's World

ICS Alberta Family Conference
July 30 – August 2, 1999
Deer Valley Meadows (near Lacombe)

Imagination and Art...

We are blessed with two gifted speakers this year. Dr. Calvin Seerveld, senior member emeritus in philosophical aesthetics at the Institute for Christian Studies, has agreed to speak at our conference one more time. He is joined by Dr. Adrienne Dengerink Chaplin, recently arrived from England. Dr. Dengerink Chaplin now occupies the position of senior member in philosophical aesthetics at the Institute.

Together Dr. Seerveld and Dr. Dengerink Chaplin will explore the place artwork deserves in our daily lives. Working from a Biblical perspective they will aim to show how integral imaginativity is to human life.

Dr. Seerveld will conclude the keynote series with a devotional thanksgiving. The ICS Edmonton Chapter is also pleased to announce the return of the band Face to Face/Then Again. Returning for an encore at this year's conference, this group is again going to conduct our teen workshops and perform for us in concert. Thought-provoking songs, a passion for Jesus, and lots of energy and laughter sums up their work.

Teen stuff...

A teen program with a variety of interesting activites is being planned. This year's leaders will be the members of Face to Face/Then Again (former members of Heart Attack). Committed to reaching young people, they have already challenged hundreds of youth by their gospel message.

Kids korner...

Activities will be offered for the children during lectures and group discussions. These include crafts, games, nature hikes and music. There will also be a nursery available for infants and toddlers during all lectures, group discussions and worship services. Parents are expected to volunteer their time and take one turn in the nursery. Sign up at registration!

Popular summer conferences earn raves

ICS Summer weekend conferences in Alberta and Ontario during August long weekends were exciting as speakers and artists brought fresh insights and experiences with the arts. Featured speakers at both conferences, held one week apart, were the Institute's Calvin Seerveld and Adrienne Dengerink Chaplin. William Romanowski of Calvin College (Michigan) was a third keynote speaker in Ontario. Larger numbers of people attended each conference this year.

Seerveld was at his engaging best picturing himself as a workaholic wondering whether followers of Christ could take a break from their life calling to engage in and enjoy art. Is it all right to lift up our noses from the wheel and just enjoy what God has given? In his distinctive way he brought us to see that the biblical reformation of human life can only be lived if we also "colour outside the lines."

Dengerink Chaplin masterfully dealt with the broad scope of art, looking especially at art that is "outside the lines," art that is modern and could not be thought of as being done by Rembrandt. Our boundary lines need to be fluid if we are to respect artistic creativity and the marvellous variety of expression.

Romanowski brought serious entertainment to the Ontario audience as he made clear that viewing movies and TV shows requires developed skills to see as a Christian what is being presented.

There were fun and creative programs for children and teens - Ontario children enjoyed a swimming pool and horseback rides. Sunday worship services were the richest and most moving that most who attended will experience for the whole year. In Ontario the evening service was the stunning enactment through modern dance of the biblical story of Ruth.

Workshops covering many of the arts, book sales, art shows and hearty singing were all part of the conferences.