Artists sweltered as they sat painting in the Kansas City summer heat. They had gathered for Art in the Park with Genesis 1-1 Fine Art, and the heat bore down. The forecast predicted no respite—no wind, no clouds, just sun.

In the beginning, God called Julia and Bill Otterness into creating an art ministry that reflected God’s heart as creator. At every step of their journey, they have seen God surpass their expectations by miraculously providing for their ministry. That day in the park was no exception.

“We need clouds,” Julia thought. She and the artists started praying for clouds and painting them into their artwork. As they prayed and painted, clouds popped up, seemingly from nowhere. The rest of the day, the sky remained cloudy and overcast.

“It was awesome,” Julia later told Faith Horizons. “There was nothing magical about our painting, but it was just the act of intercession.”

Genesis 1-1 Fine Art encourages Christian artists to share the inspiration behind their work and use art to point people to the Creator. The nonprofit holds workshops, artist talks, and gallery events. Once a month, they host open studios where artists gather and work on their individual projects.

            When Bill and Julia started Genesis 1-1 eight years ago, they had no idea of the impact it would have. But as they stepped out in obedience, they saw God’s abundance.

Multiplying Loaves and Fishes

One example of God surpassing their expectations came through a gallery event they hosted. They gathered artists and hosted a community gala—complete with dinner, live music, and, of course, art. The first time they held the event, Julia hoped to get four or five artists to present their artwork.

            “We just prayed,” Julia said, “and God brought twenty local artists together from nearby areas. It was incredible.”

            With the first gallery event so successful, they continued it subsequent years. At the most recent event, complications arose with their food providers.

            “There was no food,” Bill told Faith Horizons. “We all gathered around and prayed. I said to the chef, ‘Don’t worry about this. Just use what you have.’”

Bill recalled bustling around the venue the day of the event, coordinating volunteers, and making sure everything was in place. “I went back in the kitchen, and it was completely packed full of food” Bill told Faith Horizons. “Food was piled on top, in carts, and in the hallways. I was like, ‘Where’d all this food come from?’ We don’t know. People snuck in and dropped off food.”

As Bill and Julia continually saw God provide for their ministry, that provision encouraged them to keep taking bolder steps of faith.