Community Event Recap
Prefer to listen? Press Play ► for the audio version.
In a time when culture often feels fragmented and disconnected from deeper meaning, many parents are asking: How do we raise artists who don’t just perform, but renew culture?
Today’s arts environment can be saturated with noise, trends, and commercialism. But there is a richer, more rooted vision—a vision that understands art not as mere entertainment, but as a formative force that shapes souls and ultimately enriches communities.
Earlier this month, the Worldview Institute partnered with the Lancaster Academy of Performing Arts to host a community event entitled Raising Artists Who Renew Culture, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Steve Turley.
Throughout the event, we explored what it means to nurture artists who engage beauty with purpose; grounded in truth, anchored in virtue, and equipped to influence the culture around them.
The event kicked off with a presentation from Kevin Goss, Director of the Lancaster Academy of Performing Arts. Kevin spoke about the mission of their program, which fosters artistry with intentionality where technical excellence and deep cultural engagement intersect, and where students are equipped to influence culture through the arts to glorify God. Through rigorous training in music, theatre, and the performing arts, students learn discipline, creativity, and confidence. Equally important is the cultivation of aesthetic sensibility: the ability to recognize and pursue what is truly beautiful, a capacity that serves them both on stage and in life.
LAPA has a beautiful mission and has become an anchor in the homeschool arts community in Lancaster County. That is why the Worldview Institute is thrilled to announce a community partnership with the Lancaster Academy. This partnership allows students enrolled in the Worldview Institute to pursue vocal and instrumental instruction through LAPA as part of their WVI education. It also allows our students to connect and grow within a rich artistic environment. LAPA is excited to provide apprenticeship opportunities for students interested in the arts, from learning stage management and production, to assisting with summer camps, to working with mentors in art education. This valuable partnership is an exciting addition to the WVI experience.
Following Kevin’s presentation, I was interviewed by Kevin and had the opportunity to share with the audience about our Christian college alternative program, where students gain real-world experience, develop leadership skills through community service, earn college credits, and obtain apprenticeships at Christian-owned businesses. I spoke about the challenges parents and students face as they consider the cost, culture, and climate of higher education, and how WVI stands out as an affordable, Christ-centered option in our community.
Lastly, we were joined by WVI Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Steve Turley. Through a compelling media presentation and eloquent cultural analysis, Dr. Turley explained how beauty functions not merely as aesthetic preference, but as a formative force in education, character, and culture. He showed that when students encounter beauty intentionally through music, visual arts, architecture, and poetry they learn to love what is true, good, and noble. This intentional engagement can yield a renaissance of meaningful cultural renewal.
He enlightened us with examples of deep renewal throughout history and around the world—from the building of cathedrals, to the composition of new forms of music, to grassroots efforts in classical education. Christians are taking seriously their calling to be a city on a hill and are working to engage, educate, and cultivate the next generation—equipping them to stand on our shoulders and continue building toward what is true, good, and beautiful.
Thank you to Dr. Turley for your wisdom and insight on cultural renewal. Thank you to Kevin Goss and the LAPA board for hosting this meaningful cultural event, and thank you to the entire Worldview team.
To learn more about WVI and our mission to renew culture for the Gospel, visit:
www.worldviewinstitute.net
Sign up for our next Open House:
https://www.worldviewinstitute.net/open-house
