Our Mission

Create Hope Studios exists to bring forth the creative gifts in all of us by providing a comfortable, inspiring, hope-filled space for 'creators to create' in the areas of visual art, dramatic theater, dance, music, audio engineering, and video production.

Our Vision

The vision of Create Hope Studios is to help the broader community to learn and develop creative skills that can and will be used in the local church.

How it all started

Many years ago, Pastor Josh Huisman of New Hope Community Church had an idea to create a comfortable space that could simply be used by creators to create. He envisioned a place where musicians could strengthen their skills and record their ideas, artists could broaden their palette, and where dancers could have room to grow. Two years ago, Mark Edington was hired to take this idea to the next level. With Mark's background in starting and leading a school of worship, Josh's idea and vision, and an amazing, growing staff - Create Hope Studios has gone from a dream to a reality.

Expanding the vision

As we continue to grow, we are looking to expand the classes and services offered at Create Hope Studios. We recently partnered with Christian Youth Theater Nashville (CYT) to offer dramatic theater classes.

Where we are headed

We strive to continue to expand what we are able to offer to the community. Although we already offer art, music, dance, and drama classes at Create Hope Studios, that list will be ever-changing with future plans to incorporate video and production classes into our curriculum.

Our Leaders

Create Hope Studios' Staff

Mark Edington

Director, Create Hope Studios
Connection Pastor, New Hope Community Church

In addition to being the Director of Create Hope Studios, Mark is on the Pastoral staff at New Hope Community Church as the Connections Pastor as well as being on a team of Worship Leaders at the church. He joined New Hope after serving on staff with The Journey Church in Manhattan NYC, and prior to that in Anchorage, Alaska as the Worship/Teaching Pastor of Faith Christian Community, and Founder/Dean of The Community School of Worship.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts from Hardin-Simmons University in his hometown of Abilene, Texas, where he met his wife of nearly 25 years. He and Lisa have two girls, Samantha (21), Emily (17) and a really cute Corgi named Barnaby. You can also find Mark at thingsilove.co.

Josh Huisman

Executive Supervisor, Create Hope Studios
Senior Pastor, New Hope Community Church

Josh Huisman is the senior pastor of New Hope Community Church, a growing, generous body of believers committed to pursuing a relentless, unrestricted relationship with Jesus Christ.

Josh has a passion for creativity and is always looking for new and interesting ways to share the timeless truths of the gospel. It is not uncommon for him to use music, drama and storytelling throughout his messages.

Peter Wells

Producer & Audio Engineer, Create Hope Studios
Student Director, New Hope Community Church

Pete came to New Hope after serving for three years as Pastor of Worship and Pastor of Student Ministries at Susquehanna Valley Church in Pennsylvania. Pete holds a bachelor of arts in both Biblical Studies and Worship Arts and is also a talented musician and songwriter. Pete, along with his wife Becca, moved to the Nashville area because of their backgrounds in music and run a successful audio production studio. Along with giving direction and leadership to the youth group of New Hope, Pete is also one of the Worship Leaders.

Austin Duncan

Creative Director, Create Hope Studios
Communications Director, New Hope Community Church

Austin and his wife, Cassy, come to Tennessee from the West Texas area where he spent from 2013 - 2018 as a professional web developer, graphic designer, and software project manager for various companies and churches. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Texas Tech University in Digital Printmaking with an emphasis in Photography, a Master of Arts from the Art Institute of Dallas in Design and Media Management, and an Advanced Master's Certification from Villanova University in Strategic Project Management.

Our Instructors

Celia
van Maarth

van Maarth Arts

Celia is a visual artist and enjoys working with a variety of art mediums and techniques. She has taught art to local children in the Williamson County area for more than 15 years as the director and art instructor at Arts Alive and ARTful U. She graduated from California State University, Northridge with a major in Interior Design and a minor in Art. After college, she enrolled in UCLA extension classes in Decorative Painting and Surface Pattern Design and continues to develop her creative voice by taking a variety of local art workshops. Her passion for encouraging children to explore their God given gift of creating has overflowed to inspiring others of all ages. She believes that with guidance, patience and practice, everyone is teachable and able to discover their own unique inner artist while developing their creative potential.

Lauren Cochran & Tracy Roper

CHS Dance

My name is Lauren Cochran and I am a Nashville native. I am married to my wonderful husband Bo and have 4 beautiful children. I grew up dancing ballet, tap and jazz in my younger years. I have a passion for teaching littles ones to move and groove with the amazing bodies that our Creator has given us. I also love to incorporate dance and drama into our Children’s Ministry at New Hope Community Church that I oversee as the Children’s Director.

Elise
Horecka

CHS Dance

Elise grew up in Nashville and began her dance and theatre training as a kid, and eventually found her true passion in creating and teaching. After working as a choreographer and dance teacher in various theatre and dance programs since she was 16, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Entertainment Industry Studies and Theatre at Belmont University. She is so excited to be a part of the dance program at Create Hope Studios, and can't wait to see where God leads us.

Katie
Whigham

Christian Youth Theater

Rachel
Hoffman

Sound Start

Mike
Blumenthal

CHS Art

Mike never colored the pictures in coloring books. He just drew his own pictures in the blank spaces inside the covers of said coloring books. Later he was introduced to sketchbooks and blank paper. Also watercolor and oil painting. And later power tools. Mike loves to bring his ridiculous ideas to life on surfaces and spaces he creates from random stuff. Whether that's old cabinet doors, or a shadow box made from scrap wood, or any blank space that can be transformed into vividly color scenes.

Bill
Bowles

CHS Music

"Bringing forth the creative gifts in all of us"