Say Hi to Robin Harris
When you want to know how a design works, you go to the inventor for answers. God is THE creator of all things. He is OUR Creator. We go to Him to discover how we are designed, how we function and how we thrive. Robin Harris didn’t consider herself creative until God showed her how He created her.
As a young girl, Robin’s parents put her in a ballet class. With limited flexibility and sheer will power, she tried her very best to touch her palm against the floor. Unfortunately, with every bit of effort, her hands still swung like a pendulum. She became discouraged and quit dance class altogether. It wasn’t until years later that God would call her back to dancing.
If her lack of dance talent wasn’t enough, Robin grew up with a speech impediment. Also known as a lazy tongue, she struggled saying her R’s and L’s clearly. This felt like a cruel joke to her since her own name started with an R. She was in the depths of despair, questioning who she was. Robin said, “Growing up, I struggled with my identity. I thought, ‘Why God is my name Robin? Who am I, to You and for You? I can’t even pronounce my name so how can I connect with You?’”
In her disparity, God spoke to her. He whispered and called to her like the gentleman He is. For God knew the right channel in which to speak to her heart. He used her lost love for dance. Even though she gave up on dance years before, God had given her a second chance. It was the last way she ever thought she would connect to God. But it was the channel in which the Creator knew she could hear His voice. (beautiful)
At 28 years old, she had her epiphany and God met her through her love and expression of dance. It took one invitation. One willing servant. To meet another obedient servant. In God’s perfect timing. A woman asked Robin to join a Jewish circle dance; she said yes. Now, dance is a major outlet for Robin to connect with the God of the universe.
God spoke to her, “You don’t have to be this eloquent speaker. This is how I wired and created you: to love and express through the arts.” Robin realized, through God’s sweet nudging, that there are so many ways to communicate with Him and with others. “That switch went on, and from that moment on, it changed everything.” Robin said, in her own eyes, she wasn’t even creative, but she realized that there is creativity in everyone since God created us in His likeness and image. He is the greatest Creator of all. Now she has been a dancer for 30 years in modern with a splash of ballet. Her 6-year-old self would have had a very different idea of her future, but our Creator knows best.
Robin accepted Jesus at 12 years old, but still struggled with her identity. Her journey as a Christian shaped her to understand that her flaws and shortcomings are something, not to despise, but to give God. Only then can He show His strength in her weakness. Robin says, “The moment that I knew that I was a daughter of the King, it gave me the confidence to walk out my walk and impact other ladies.”
As a leader, Robin is passionate about helping others with their own lightbulb moments. That moment changes everything. It is when a person realizes, “Wow I can use that for God; that’s how I am wired and that brings God glory.” Robin wants to connect women to their own passion and the realization that they are valued, needed, and loved in the exact way that God wired them. “In my heart, everyone is creative at some level because God is our Creator. The arts help people connect to God the way He wired them,” Robin says. She wants everyone to understand they have an irreplaceable role in the kingdom of God.
Her and her husband of 31 years, TJ, are both eager to bring the arts into churches. The couple have been in ministry for thirty years, serving as youth and worship arts pastors and 13 years ago transitioned to lead pastors at Trinity Community Church. Twenty-five years ago, they were asked to be the worship arts pastors at a church in Chicago. At that time, they didn’t even know what worship arts meant. But God knew it was the first open door to many, as it began their journey into developing what creative arts looks like in church today. After some research and experience, they learned that worship arts involved vibrant worship, arts program, dance, art, spoken word, and more.
Robin believes that the arts allow for a vulnerable communication in which, sometimes, words cannot fully extend. It breaks down walls. It drowns out insecurities and barriers. “When you see art, it truly drops the walls. You can pierce someone's heart.” She says, “It’s the connection of that creativity connecting with God.” For her, it's dancing on a bad day. She feels the most connected to God when her words fail her. She says, “That’s where I feel His heart.”
Nineteen years ago, Robin and TJ developed a school of the arts called the Renaissance School in Chicago. From there they dove fully into the arts in church. They currently live in Newark, Delaware and pastor at Trinity Community Church. The couple try to encourage the arts with creative elements throughout the service. They find so many people that want to express themselves in artistic ways once given the opportunity.
In December of 2021, Robin came aboard the PennDel Women Dream Team. She is excited to bring her creative elements to the team and conferences. She wants to give women creative ideas of artistic expression that they can take home and implement at their own church. She has ideas of implementing spoken word, sculpture, painting, human videos and photography.
Currently, Robin is serving at her church in kid’s ministry, women’s ministry, creative arts, and is the serve area coordinator. She has two jobs and is sending the last of her three children off to college. Her oldest son, Tyler, is 26 years old and is a youth pastor at their church. Her daughter, Tori, is 24 years old and recently graduated college with a political science major. Her youngest son, Toby, is 18 years old and the last to leave the nest. He is attending University of Valley Forge and will be studying pastoral leadership.
Robin sees this next season of her life as a unique and special time; the Lord is asking her into a rest season. She says, “It’s weird because I won’t have the responsibility of my kids and that’s my most important responsibility. So this new season, everything I do can come out of a place of rest. That’s where I am challenging myself now. I could just continue pushing through and going into the next gear, but I feel like God wants me to come to a place of rest.”
Robin wants to be involved in women’s ministry because she understands, first-hand, that women can feel very alone, especially when the busyness of family, work, and life seem to take over. She believes that, “True connections revive our hearts.” Robin loves yard sales, Mountain Dew, Olive Garden and spending time with her kids. She reminds her kids, her husband and herself, that through all seasons, the Lord has them and they can always expect Him to show up.
Connect with Robin via email at robin@tccde.com or Facebook. Meet her at the Illuminate Conference in Hershey. Be on the lookout for ways the creative arts will be showcased and appear. Brainstorm how to flourish in your creativity and how to bring it to your church. She is excited to connect with you and remember that everyone is creative, for the ultimate Creator made you.