Participant Affirmation

Heart for the Arts Central Florida (HFA) is a Christian ministry that believes God created every human being in His image. Therefore, every person is capable of producing the arts, particularly when inspired by faith, hope, and love in Him. Our ministry seeks to encourage people to use their God-given creative capacities to glorify the Lord together!

HFA encourages all who desire to improve or develop new artistic skills to participate in our Christ-centered community. Participation is designed to allow anyone, whether a Christian or not, to enjoy faith-based fellowship and cultivate their God-given artistic gifts and talents (1 Cor. 10:31).

Participation is a privilege, not a right. HFA leaders are responsible for stewarding the ministry’s religious purpose and mission (1 Tim. 3:7). All of our programs and policies, including these participant expectations, seek to glorify God in all that we say and do.

Consistent with our founding documents:

The purpose of the Heart for the Arts Ministry is

• “Using talents and gifts to bring others to God” aligned with a biblical worldview.

The mission of the Ministry is

• “To inspire others to love Christ through the Arts.”

The values of the Ministry are:

• God-Honoring; Pursuing Excellence; Family-Oriented; Dedicated to Community; Fun!

HFA leadership has committed to pursue and model godliness consistent with Scripture and hold each other accountable to the same (Prov. 27:17; Titus 2:7-8). While we welcome anyone regardless of their faith background, we believe that every member of our community shares the responsibility to preserve our ministry’s integrity. Therefore, all HFA participants are expected to

cultivate and honor our Christ-centered community rooted in Scripture, our organizational beliefs, and our mutual respect for one another as image-bearers of God (Gen. 1:27).

By affirming, you understand and affirm that HFA is a religious organization with the right to operate consistent with its Christian beliefs, including but not limited to beliefs about:

• Biblical Authority: The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, Word of God and the final authority on faith, truth, morality, and conduct. There is only one sovereign God existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• The Gospel of Jesus Christ: Salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone, who was born of a virgin, crucified for our sins, and resurrected to eternal glory. Knowing Him is the foundation of all true wisdom and knowledge.
• Sanctity of Life and Personhood: All human life is sacred, created by God in His image from conception to natural death, including the pre-born, the aged, and the physically or mentally challenged.
• Biblical Sexuality and Marriage: God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female, and these two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image of God. “Marriage" is exclusively the union of one biological man and one biological woman, and sexual intimacy is intended to occur only within that union.

In addition, you affirm that participating in HFA is a privilege, not a right, and therefore agree to meet the following participant expectations:

• Support Christian Community: You agree to support a community that carries out the work of Christ according to Scripture. To that end, you agree to honor the requests HFA leadership asks of you to help them steward the ministry’s mission and reputation.
• Support Scriptural Behavior: When you are participating in HFA programs, you agree to not contradict the ministry’s beliefs, including those listed above, in speech, conduct, or dress. You agree to dress modestly, follow performance dress codes, and avoid clothing that would undermine HFA’s Christian testimony. If you have any questions, you agree to promptly ask the designated ministry leader for clarification.
• Pursue Excellence: You agree to pursue excellence in your rehearsals, event participation, and interactions with others.
• Respect the Places: You agree to respect any additional norms and rules put in place by the venues where HFA may prepare or perform (e.g., churches).
• Final Authority: You affirm that the HFA Board of Directors is the final interpretive authority on the Bible's application and that the Board reserves the right to update or revise these participation standards at any time. You understand that the Board may deny or revoke your participation at any time, including for failure to meet these expectations.