Fine Arts Empowerment

Each year thousands of students participate in National Youth Ministries Fine Arts, one of the most recognized and participatory events in the Assemblies of God.

At face value, Fine Arts is a festival through which students engage in a myriad of categories as professionals evaluate them. Yet many view the competition as secondary to discipleship. By empowering students to discover and develop their God-given talents, Fine Arts youth are able to deploy their gifts in a variety of settings — be it vocational ministry or in the marketplace.

One student, Eliana Spiro from Journey Assembly of God in Eubank, Kentucky, is doing just that through dance.

As an eighth grader, Eliana has been accepted into a highly competitive international ballet company school. She will attend Ballet Magnificat! Summer Intensive program in Jackson, Mississippi. She will experience being part of a professional international ballet company under the tutelage of award-winning instructors.

“It means another way for me to teach others about Christ through dance,” says Eliana, who is in her second year of Fine Arts. She is participating in worship dance and an art category this year. Her mom, Kelly Spiro, has seen the impact of Fine Arts on Eliana’s life.

“Her first year of Fine Arts brought about a lot of nerves and fears, which we helped pray and guide her through,” Kelly says. “It was a real learning point of why we do Fine Arts: to help us bring glory to God and see how we can serve Him through gifts and talents.”

Eliana started dancing almost nine years ago after watching older dancers who love what they do. Now she puts in five to six hours of class instruction each week, not including her practice at home. She puts in the time not only because she wants to grow, but also because that’s how she feels connected with God. For her, dance allows her to worship and express her feelings and emotions. She and her friends have gone to nursing homes to dance for residents, and Eliana often searches for opportunities to share the gospel with other dancers.

Kelly Spiro believes in the power Fine Arts can have as a strategic discipleship tool for creativity.

“Fine Arts has been and continues to be a vital tool for her to grow and seek guidance for her talents,” Kelly says. “It pushes her to achieve new levels. And mostly, to keep her focused on who gave her those gifts and why she has them: to bring glory to the kingdom of God. That is all a parent could ever wish for.”

Nii Abrahams

Nii Abrahams is a graduate of Missouri State University with an undergraduate degree in communication and an emphasis in ethical leadership. He is pursuing a master's degree in communication at Missouri State. He is a part of the Assemblies of God National Youth Ministries team as the communication and content strategist.