THE
VISION OF CCAM
Cambodian
Christian Arts Ministry
A Report on the Progress of the Vision
May 2009
BRIEF
HISTORY:
Shadows of the vision began to form during the early
1980s, when Gioia Michelotti started to use the Khmer traditional arts (music,
dance, drama, visual art, and literature/storytelling) as vehicles for
evangelism, discipleship, and worship while working among the Cambodian
refugees in the
During several periods of prayer and fasting, God gave
Gioia and Noren more details about the vision. Since moving the ministry base to
To evangelize and train Cambodians for Christ through
the arts [I Corinthians 9:19-22], giving priority to the
disadvantaged—especially the poor, abused, uneducated, handicapped,
widows, and orphans [Psalm 82:3-4].
Phase One:
Evangelize and Train Core Team
In order to provide the necessary environment for
training a core team of future ministry leaders, we established Cambodian
Christian Arts Ministry School (CCAMS) in
The primary
purpose of the CCAMS program is to train Christian leaders. When
students who plan to serve in Christian ministry complete the requirements for
graduation, they receive a CCAMS “Arts in Ministry” diploma. This diploma
certifies that the graduates:
1. possess a foundational knowledge of the whole Bible and have
demonstrated over the years a steady growth in general spiritual maturity and
the practice of day-to-day Christian life principles;
2. have developed and demonstrated in our apprenticeship
program the gifts and abilities necessary to succeed as teachers or other types
of leaders;
3. possess a foundational knowledge of the five traditional
Khmer art forms (as well as Western forms) and understand how they should be
used by Christians for evangelism, discipleship, and worship, plus
demonstration of practical expertise in each form at least on an intermediate
level;
4. have demonstrated the ability to create original works in
each of the five art forms;
5. possess academic knowledge at least
equivalent to the level of Khmer public schools;
6. have demonstrated proficiency in both written and spoken
Khmer and English languages;
7. have demonstrated proficiency in various vocational skills,
especially computer data entry, using both Khmer and English characters.
Those students who do not earn the Arts in Ministry
diploma may still receive general academic certificates for completion of sixth
grade, ninth grade, and twelfth grade. Because of their difficult life
circumstances which have delayed normal development, CCAMS students are
“home-schooled” to provide individualized instruction. Therefore, students who get a late start
may not graduate until they are young adults. Since CCAMS is their home as well as
their school, they are not required to leave after graduation, but may choose
to stay as leaders and teachers of the next generation.
CCAMS shelters up to 50 young people between the ages
of 5 and 25. Most of them we led to
faith in Christ. All of them are
from difficult backgrounds—orphans, youngsters living on the streets,
children sold into slavery, kids who were members of gangs, poor children whose
families could not feed and educate them, abused children, abandoned kids from
broken homes, teenagers on their way into prostitution, etc. There is a long waiting list of similar
young people desiring to join CCAMS.
Members of the core team (full-time boarding students)
begin their affiliation with CCAMS by a three-month or more trial period,
followed by a long-term commitment to be disciples of Jesus Christ and students
and performers at CCAMS until graduation.
Young children wait until they are teenagers to make the long-term commitment. Older students who wish to be considered
for specialized courses and private or semi-private instruction, sign a
contract promising to pursue their studies at CCAMS until graduation, plus
agreeing to remain at least two-years afterward to teach others. It is hoped that, somewhere along the
way, each individual student will receive a direct calling from God, either to
become a future leader at CCAMS, or to pursue some other ministry calling in
the
Core team members live with us at our
headquarters. We provide them
shelter, food, clothing, medical and dental attention, school supplies and
allowances. We train them in Bible,
Christian discipleship, leadership skills, five art forms (music, dance, drama,
visual art, literature/storytelling), arts ministry, worship leading, computers,
multi-media, academic subjects, vocational expertise, and teacher
training. In addition to
proclaiming the gospel through artistic performances, core team members are
trained to evangelize through formal preaching and personal witnessing.
The model for our core team comes from that of Jesus
Himself. He chose a small group of
disciples, lived with them closely for a few years, poured His life into their
discipleship, growth, and training, and then commissioned them to multiply His
ministry by training others, who would, in turn, train others, and so on.
On July 29, 2006, the first “Arts
in Ministry” diplomas were awarded to five graduates, two of whom made a
two-year commitment, and three of whom made a long-term commitment, to serve
the Lord by training others through CCAMS.
Phase Two:
Provide Training for
Through workshops and special classes,
CCAMS teaches members of churches and organizations about the biblical basis
for arts ministry and how to effectively use the arts for evangelism,
discipleship, and worship. Other
training includes practical instruction about story and script writing, song
writing, music composition and recording, choreography, costume and scene
design, performance professionalism, etc.
A CCAM workshop, “Writing Children’s Books,” taught by
Gioia Michelotti, was sponsored in September 2007 by Fount of Wisdom Publishing
House,
The CCAMS Performing Company assists local churches
and Christian organizations in their programs of evangelism, discipleship, and
worship by periodically joining with them to proclaim the truths of the Bible
through original artistic expressions designed by CCAMS for Christian
celebrations and evangelistic crusades.
CCAMS also provides trained performers
for special projects sponsored by local groups.
Phase Three:
Provide Training for Non-Christian Seekers
Special classes in Bible, English, or the arts are
sometimes offered for non-Christian seekers. Core team
members help teach these classes.
Phase Four:
Countrywide Evangelism and Church-Planting Assistance
CCAMS students and staff seek to evangelize and
disciple the children living in our own neighborhood. Periodically, we organize mission trips
to evangelize in
The CCAMS Performing Team has already traveled to many
provinces to proclaim the Good News with music, dance, drama, preaching, and
testimony. One day, we hope to
establish a
Community development projects could also be organized
by CCAMS to fulfill practical needs of people living around these centers.
At a local theater in 2005 and 2006, CCAMS presented in
English an evangelistic version of the musical “Annie,” as an
outreach to the expatriate community.
Phase Five:
Communications Department
In our professional recording studio, we record music
(vocal/ instrumental) and radio dramas. We also plan to produce videos, as well
as artistic Christian tracts, Bible lessons, and books, especially
children’s picture books. In
September 2007, Fount of Wisdom published the first ever Khmer Christian
children’s picture book entitled Miknia’s
Doll, written and illustrated by CCAM graduate intern Lina
Pao.
Phase Six:
Vocational Training Department
So far we have offered vocational training in
computers, book writing, illustrating and publishing, song writing and music
composition, electronics, audio recording, woodworking, cooking, sewing, stage
makeup, hair cutting /styling, and artistic crafts. Visiting teams periodically train
students to be medical and dental assistants.
Phase Seven:
Owning Land
In July 1999, we were able to purchase
our first tract of land in Kompong Chhnang for the purpose of growing our own
food and for building multiple buildings to house the many facets of the CCAMS
ministry. Since then, other tracts
have been purchased, completing our three-acre site. An EMI team of architects and engineers
partnered with CCAMS in June 2003 to draw up plans to build a CCAMS extension
center on that property. In
July 2007, the construction of the perimeter wall around the property was
completed. Now we await funds to
build the buildings inside. We also
await funds to purchase our own headquarters property in
When more of phase seven becomes a reality, we will
have room to take in more children, even babies. There will also be room for more widows
to help care for the children, work in the gardens, and create arts and crafts
to generate income for the ministry.
In addition, we will have room for handicapped musicians and other types
of artists to live on the premises.
There will also be accommodations for married staff with families and
short or long-term volunteers.
Phase Eight:
Worldwide Evangelism and Arts Ministry Training
From September 1 until December 12,
2001, the CCAMS Performing Team toured the
In October and November 2006, the CCAM
Performing Team toured
Conclusion:
Through evangelism, discipleship, and worship, members
of CCAMS sing “a new song” unto our Lord Jesus Christ, as priests
called and set apart for His service (I Peter 2:9). Recapturing the spark of God's original
creation, we yield to the Creator's continuing work through us, to preach,
teach and praise in unique ways.
CCAMS is God’s appointed discoverer, trainer, and patron of Khmer
Christian artists.
Communicating the Good News through the traditional
art forms of the Khmer people bypasses the cultural barriers erected by
Western-style missions and fulfills the biblical mandate to "become all
things to all people" in order to save some. Please pray for the continued unfolding
of this vision according to the will of God.
FACT SHEET:
CCAM is registered with the
CCAM-CCAMS is a faith ministry, totally
dependent on God’s provision through the financial gifts of His people
around the world. No fees are
charged for students to live and study at CCAMS or for CCAMS to present
workshops or performances. However,
donations are welcomed from those who are able to offer them. We hope that many graduating students
will become faithful donors to CCAMS, as God prospers them financially through
the free training they have received.
All staff members are volunteers, either raising their
own support, or sharing together in the provisions made available through CCAM
donors. We hope that many
graduating students will volunteer their time and talents to assist their alma
mater.
For more information about CCAM/CCAMS, please visit our website: www.ccamvision.org
It is possible to make tax-deductible donations online
through Pay Pal.
Tax-deductible donations by check may be sent to:
CCAM
c/o Martha Crabbe, Treasurer
Cambodian Christian Arts Ministry, Inc.
Make checks payable to CCAM.
NOTE: Donors wishing to send large amounts of
money direct to us should contact Gioia by email to receive bank wiring
instructions.
Correspondence may be directed
to: ccam.arts@online.com.kh
Mailing
Address: Local
Address:
CCAM House
# 5, Street # 319
Cell Phones:
Gioia 012-755-144; Noren 012-706-867; Sophun 012-758-643