**Below is a letter I sent to a few friends in ministry tonight. If you are a worship leader or staff member I challenge you to read...and to help."
Dear Fellow Worship Leader,
I am writing to many worship leading friends this week. I hope you’ll take a moment to read and to pray for God’s guidance. I believe that worship leaders in the USA have a great opportunity to bless those that lead worship around the world.
Since founding the Give Worship Project in late 2009 I have worshiped with the Body of Christ around the world. I’ve sat in worship services conducted in ten different languages in four different countries! And I’ve always been humbled and amazed at how faithful these brothers and sisters are in their service and ministry. They have few possessions and money, not much in the way of facilities at their churches, and many face persecution and serve in places of great turmoil and deep sorrow. Yet their desperation for God is evident and they worship enthusiastically and openly.
Since I began traveling and equipping I’ve partnered with three different mission organizations, and have helped provide teaching on worship for about 300 church leaders in four different countries. We’ve met in everything from small, mud walled churches, to restaurants, to a small retreat center. We’ve helped provide native language resources, money for travel, and lodging, and meals - none of which these leaders could have afforded on their own. And everywhere I’ve gone, the leaders are HUNGRY. They travel for many days - sometimes walking for hours - to arrive at the training site. They are so thankful for the training, for the encouragement. They long to learn, to grow, to have an opportunity to improve and to help their congregations. In this way, they are just like you and I. Yet opportunities are few.
And that’s where you and I come in. We can help. As I was reading about many leaders attending a well known worship conference this year I had the idea to challenge my friends who serve in worship leadership. If all my friends who lead worship would give $50 to the Give Worship Project for every ministry conference they have or will attend in 2010, we could come close to raising enough money for providing continued needed training in Rwanda, India, the DR, Haiti and South Africa. We have so many opportunities available to us here in the US - conferences, classes, online, books, etc. Yet some of these leaders do not even own a Bible in their own language. Instruments are few and far between. Affordable training is no where in sight. In fact, I find that the work that the Give Worship Project is doing is RARE and UNUSUAL. And invitations to train and equip continue to come in......
After a recent worship conference in a rural area of Rwanda, Anna, the Rwanda country leader for e3 Partners simply said, “This was the best day of my life. I never knew that I could worship God everyday whether or not I was a talented vocalist.” (she is a church planter and pastor) The participants shared, “We never knew that what we did was a holy calling. We didn’t know it was important. Please come back and teach us more.” I was immediately asked to come back and teach in several different areas of Rwanda. They are excited about the continued discipleship of church leaders through the study of Biblical Foundations of Worship.
Yet I can’t go unless I am sent. Right now I have invitations to continue working in India, Rwanda (long term), the DR, Haiti and South Africa. Think about how many church leaders, and therefore churches, will be impacted!! Together, we can help “make His praise glorious.”
There are two different ways you can get involved:
- Go to www.giveworship.com and give a one time gift - my suggestion is $50 for every training or church conference you will have the privilege to attend in 2010. (consider it a sort of tithe or thanks offering!) Ask your worship team to get involved as well. Send out an email and take up an offering during rehearsal then send it in. ALL GIFTS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE as the Give Worship Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
- If you’d like to be a part of combining missions and worship on a more personal level, I am inviting you to consider going to Rwanda with me and helping evangelize, plant churches and then help me teach a 1 1/2 day worship conference. The curriculum outline has been written and approved and it would be an honor to have you as a co-teacher. My next trip is Sept. 15 - 26 with e3 Partners and it will cost $3850 - most of which you should be able to raise from your church. (you can see trips at www.e3partners.org) Email Mary ([email protected]) or Mike ([email protected]) Wagner, who are missionaries with e3 to Rwanda, for more details about the trip. You can call (256-348-5174) or email ([email protected]) me for more information about the worship conference.
That’s it. We - who have so much - have the great opportunity to bless others who do not. God has called us all to go. We can stand beside our brothers and sisters in Christ. Will you answer the call today? Please pray about your involvement. I need your help. More importantly, your fellow church leaders need your help.
God bless you!
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