What happens when the things we create bring goodness into the world—and that goodness goes on to create even more good?
This November, First Methodist Midland will host our First Creation Fair, transforming spaces throughout the church into a gallery celebrating creativity, beauty, and the good that God invites us to create.
The theme of this year’s Creation Fair is “Create TOV.”
Tov is the Hebrew word often translated as “good” in Scripture. In the creation story of Genesis, God creates and then looks upon what He has made and calls it tov. But biblical goodness is more than simply making something pleasant or beautiful. TOV is goodness that is fruitful—good that produces more good.
As people created in the image of a Creator, we have been given the remarkable ability to create as well. We paint. We draw. We photograph. We sculpt. We sew, carve, build, write, design, and make. Through those acts of creativity, we have opportunities to reflect something of God’s beauty and goodness into the world around us.
What does it mean to “Create TOV”?
From November 1–15, we will fill our church with artwork created by members of our congregation and artists from our community. As you walk through the Creation Fair, we hope each piece invites you to see something differently—to notice beauty, experience joy, consider a new idea, remember a story, or recognize the goodness of God’s creation.
And we want you to be part of it.
Start thinking now about something you have created—or something you might create—that expresses TOV.
Your submission doesn’t necessarily have to depict a Bible story or contain an explicitly religious message. Think more broadly about goodness. What reminds you that creation is good? What brings beauty, hope, joy, healing, generosity, or love into the world? What could you create that might inspire someone else to go and create good of their own?
Paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, woodworking, mixed media, digital art, crocheting, knitting, and other forms of visual creativity are welcome.
You don’t have to consider yourself a professional artist. Creation Fair is about celebrating the creativity God has placed within His people and seeing what happens when we use it to create good.
Start Creating
Pick up the pencil. Get out the paint. Grab the camera. Open the sketchbook. Return to that project you’ve been meaning to finish—or begin something entirely new.
Create something beautiful. Create something meaningful. Create something that creates good.
Create TOV.