Passion for Jesus, Wonder and Adventure

Mission Statement

Arts Evangelica is a 501c3 Non-Profit. We are a Parachurch organization dedicated to reclaiming the Arts for God's Glory. We come alongside churches, ministries, schools and homeschool groups to bring what we uniquely offer. We incorporate all of the Arts into our programming and students can progress from beginners to a pre-professional level, studying Classical Ballet/Pointe, Contemporary, Jazz, Modern, Drama, Music, Vocal Performance and more in a Christian environment of excellence. Our mission is to help our students leap forward in their giftings and the purpose they were created for, and we challenge them to do great exploits in the Kingdom. Our students draw near to God as part of their training and display His Glory in the community and beyond.

Wonder is also an important part of our ministry, and our Camping & Survival Skills classes help children and adults enjoy the adventure of being out in God's Creation. This empowers our students (and their families) to travel abroad with Arts Evangelica on mission trips that involve numerous opportunities to share the Love of Christ through the Arts and through Service Projects that improve the lives of those in desperate need. All of our innovative performances can be adapted to be displayed on the finest of stages or onto a dirt floor in a remote village.

We encourage our students to pursue the Arts as a career and to use them to spread the Gospel worldwide. The Arts form a bridge to all people and all cultures. Our heart's desire is to reflect the "Image of God" by visually displaying His creative, gracious, powerful and saving nature through Jesus Christ.

Our faculty and dance company are available for bookings.

If your church, school or organization wants to experience the Gospel in a new way, you can contact us for a performance or a transformative instructional seminar.

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Arts Evangelica admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The ministry does not discriminate based on race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, dance & music programs, or other school-administered programs.

Leaders

Lisa Kidd is the Founder and Executive Director of the international ministry of Arts Evangelica. She and her family are known for glorifying God through performing arts, a legacy spanning over three decades. Lisa is married to Grady, a talented performer, skilled artisan, and Technical Director of Arts Evangelica. The couple combine their gifts of dance, drama, vocal performance and art with their love for Jesus to create performance experiences that are radiant with worship.

Passion for Jesus, Wonder and Adventure are the heart of Arts Evangelica, and Lisa has an innovative approach to teaching. She and her staff train students to excel in dance, drama and music, and to become leaders - “Ambassadors” of Christ - to the poor, homeless, elderly, orphaned, and those with special needs. Using the arts as a bridge to other cultures, Lisa and her team serve and perform to bring help and hope in creative and practical ways that transform lives. Lisa encourages her students to do great exploits in the Kingdom, and these exploits have taken Arts Evangelica throughout the United States and abroad to Israel, Nicaragua, Europe, South Africa, the Philippines and other parts of the world.

Lisa is a Summa Cum Laude with BFA and AA Degrees in Dance, Drama and Music (Vocal Performance). Lisa's work has been recognized by Dance Teacher Now and Today’s Christian Woman magazines. She loves to work with all ages and specializes in using movement to help children and adults move past impossible conditions and circumstances, particularly the effects of trauma. Lisa's calling is to demonstrate God's love to all people and to reclaim the Arts for the Glory of Jesus Christ.

Karen Kidd is a member of the dance faculty and a principal dancer for Arts Evangelica's dance company Imago Dei. Karen's vision for the dance ministry is to raise up professional leaders who reflect the "Image of God" and captivate audiences with vibrant portrayals of Biblical truths. Karen began her dance training at Arts Evangelica at the age of 5 and studied ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, tap and clogging. She performed principal roles in Arts Evangelica's original ballets The Tree & The Journey and also their adaptations of the classical ballets Cinderella, Swan Lake, Firebird, and Sleeping Beauty. Karen also performed with Arts Evangelica in collaboration with Project Dance in both New York City and Jerusalem, Israel.

Karen is married to Gray Kidd, and from 2015-2017, they lived in Michigan where she performed with the "Soli Deo Gloria Contemporary Ballet Company.” There she continued her ballet training and performed regularly throughout the community at churches, elderly homes, theatres and prisons. Her favorite roles in the Michigan dance company were a doll in the classical ballet Petrushka and the lead role in an original contemporary ballet Healing of the Soul.

Karen returned to Arts Evangelica in 2018 as a guest artist to perform the role of "The Rose" in their adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. Later that year, she performed in a show with the Chicago based "Tapestry Dance Company" and also choreographed & performed several ballet components in The Glory and Majesty of Christmas at the Blue Gate Theatre in Shipshewana, Indiana.

At the start of 2019, Karen and family returned to North Carolina and she re-joined the staff of Arts Evangelica.

Liston Kidd is the Director of Music for Arts Evangelica. His passion is helping others to find their voice, and he challenges young people to “leap" out of their comfort zone and gain confidence through the performing arts.

Liston holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He composes original scores for Arts Evangelica performances and accompanies the dancers with his voice and music. Because Arts Evangelica is an international ministry, Liston uses his experience as an Opera singer in a unique way. His training in the classical arts required him to learn many languages, and this unique skillset has enabled him to translate and perform his original music in whatever language is needed for the mission at hand. Liston has been on many missions with Arts Evangelica, and together with his family, dance and music have opened doors to share God’s love worldwide.

Liston is also an Eagle Scout and uses his outdoor skills and training to help prepare Arts Evangelica students for the Mission field, equipping them to travel with Arts Evangelica and to experience the wonder and adventure of spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Samantha McKinney is a member of the dance faculty and has spent the vast majority of her life training, teaching, and performing in the dance arts.The Holy Spirit led Samantha to connect with Lisa Kidd and the Arts Evangelica family to partner with them in servitude, worship, and community outreach.Together they touch the lives of others and advance the Kingdom of God.

Samantha is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University where she received her BFA in Dance and Choreography, and she later went on to receive her MBA in Nonprofit Management from Lenoir-Rhyne University. God has given Samantha stewardship over two organizations - Christian Community Center (a nonprofit founded by her family) and Create a Heart Marketing (a For Profit LLC). The Lord has blessed Samantha with many gifts and talents in the fields of artistry and administration and she strives to use all of her gifts and talents for the glory of God.

Kelly Overholt is the Office Manager at Arts Evangelica. All three of her daughters dance with the ministry and have been a part of Arts Evangelica since 2012. Kelly and her husband, Steve, have been members of Community Bible Church since 2006 where Steve serves as a Deacon and Kelly leads the High School Girls Small Group as part of the Community Students Ministry. Kelly is a homeschool mom and teaches classes at a local homeschool co-op. Prior to being blessed with kids, Kelly taught Special Education, using the love and talent God gifted her with in serving children with disabilities. She earned a Masters degree in Special Education through George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at The University of Virginia.