The Entrepreneurial Guide To Entertainment with Sandy McKeeThe combination of faith and vocation is expected in professions such as the clergy. Nothing is unusual about it, nor is it considered odd. We expect our pastors, rabbis, priests, and other clerics to promote faith. That’s their job. They get paid to do that. Is it a career or a mission? Both?
In other industries or businesses, however, when we encounter a combination of faith and vocation, we may raise an eyebrow or two at the novelty of it. Ever visit a faith-based dentist or doctor (or auto mechanic) who prominently displays religious literature, art, and posters in the waiting room? Ever lunch at a faith-based restaurant-bookstore and partake of excellent gourmet food followed by peaceful browsing of shelves of bibles and contemporary religious literature? For the owners of these businesses (all of whom are real) is it a career or a mission? Both?
The combination of faith and vocation is more often encountered in the creative arts. Like the clergy, we are accustomed to religious art, music, poetry, literature, and films. The artists use their media to share values, express hope, offer direction and encouragement, confront issues, and serve others. That’s their job. Some get paid for it. Again, for them, is it a career, mission, or both?
While mulling this over, I talked with JennyLee Tam-Sing, the founder and executive director of a faith-based art school. I gleaned some insight from our discussion and wish to share part of it with you. Jenny is the founder of the Ho’omaika’i School for Creative Hearts. Pronounced “ho-oh-my-ka-i,” it means to praise, to bless, to thank. The school offers faith-based, Christian classes in art, music, dance, puppetry, and crafts to children (keiki) and senior citizens (kupuna). Through artistic, creative expression, Ho’omaika’i hopes to “make our community a brighter place to the glory of God.”
I asked Jenny how and why she started the school and she replied:
I started Ho'omaika'i because God laid out a vision for me to do
so. This with strong confirmations along the way helped me to take the leap of faith to get started. I quit my job to start Ho'omaika'i from scratch. I left my job in May of 2005 and two months later, we were incorporated as a Christian corporation on July 11, 2005. We sent our application for our 501(c)3 to the IRS and received our tax exempt status some time later.
By August of 2005, we were ready to take our first class of students. Only four children showed up that first day and God told me to "begin at the beginning." So I gave it everything I had. The program grew and grew. This May 2010, we have completed five years of operations, and Ho'omaika'i now services 782 students to the glory of God.
This is amazing growth given the recession and the slashing of budgets for nonessential services (though I would strongly argue that art is essential.)
As for why Jenny works so hard at this, she responded:
I am passionate about teaching art. It's what I love to do.
To have followed the Lord and gotten organized and to be able to teach
art to all these students… makes my work purposeful and so gratifying.
For Jenny, then, is teaching art a career or a mission? Both? I think definitely BOTH. And, by combining the two, a third characteristic emerges: passion. The career aspect of what we do leads us to improve our skills, our network, our business plan, etc. The mission aspect provides the reason for pursuing a particular field: service to others, outreach, fellowship, obedience to God, etc. But, it is the passion that urges us on when we face obstacles and conflicts, when our vision gets cloudy and we want to quit. But, we just can’t quit because we LOVE WHAT WE DO with all our heart.
Jenny’s advice to others who want to combine their faith and vocation:
If others are wanting to take this kind of leap of faith also, my
advice would be to be sure it is the Lord leading, because if it
is the Lord, then He will bring it all to pass.
The website for Ho’omaika’i is at http://www.wix.com/ttstamsing/Hoomaikai-School-for-Creative-Hearts.
The website for MY new faith-based business venture is under construction. Who knows for how long?! But, I vow to take Jenny’s advice and follow the Lord as I take the leap with both feet. Career? Mission? Passion? YES!
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