The Assembly of God of Shirley
Text Box: As your “music pastor” and also as a fellow musician and brother in the Lord I want to tell you how exciting and invigorating it is to be ministering along with you. Just as the psalmist wrote “How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity” it is also good and pleasant when musicians play together in unity. We are unified when we are in one accord. We are in one accord when we are bound together under a single purpose which is pure worship to Jesus. I am blessed to sense that the desire of the musicians at this church is to keep true worship at the very center. As our music program expands to include more singers, more instrumentalists, a choir, an orchestra, or whatever else the Lord brings together it is my prayer that our attitude would always be one of humble service to Jesus. The prophet Samuel once said "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” Because it is “better to obey than to sacrifice” our first priority needs to be cultivating a strong personal relationship with God. This relationship must be based in holiness. It is so hard to play and sing worship music with pure motives when our lives are not submitted in obedience to Jesus Christ. Because God’s giftings are talents are without repentance we can often go on playing and singing with excellence as members of a worship team or choir long after our Text Box: relationship with God has faded. God will bless and use powerfully the individuals whose lives are striving after knowing Him more. It is not the most talented, the best looking, or most articulate people that we need in music ministry. We need musicians that intimately know and love the God that they sing about. We cannot lead people to a place we aren’t willing to go ourselves. If we resist the Spirit of God all week long and live in ways that grieve the Holy Spirit we cannot expect Him to bless our ministry before the congregation. However, contrasting this, when we live lives of integrity and seek the Lord in all circumstances our music ministry will be a powerful weapon against the enemy. I’ve noticed (and I’m sure you have to) that the messages in today’s “secular” music are often warped with sin and arrogance. Music is being used as a destructive tool of the enemy. Let us, through our musical giftings and talents, have our music become a powerful weapon against the darkness that seeks to invade hearts and lives. If we are daily taking up our cross and giving our lives to Christ there is no limit on the awesome things this ministry can accomplish! Keep praying for this ministry. May God fill you with love and peace each day of this month. =) Text Box: Staying in tune and in time with Jesus Text Box: New this month Text Box: The goal of this month is to continue to see God move in awesome ways! Worship teams A and B will stay on the same alternating schedule ministering every other week. I’m hoping that eventually this will become “old hat” and will flow smoothly will your personal schedules. A main focus this month is to begin choir rehearsals. I know many of you are looking forward to choir and I am as well. Our website will soon have its own music ministry Text Box: section that will have schedules, calendars, chord charts, and other useful items. Through-out your day be listening for new worship song ideas and ideas for special music. Pastor Mitch greatly encourages your individual creativity and expression in the music program. Lastly Pastor Mitch will begin creating the schedules for sound team members. Your ministry in the sound booth is SO vital and SO appreciated.

Ever wonder what the most popular worship songs in the world are right now? Here are the top 12 most used according to CCLI reports.

1 How Great is Our God

2 Blessed be Your Name

3 Here I am to worship

4 Open the eyes of my heart

5 Shout to the Lord

6 Holy Is the Lord

7 You are My King

8 Forever

9 Lord I lift your name on high

10 Come now is the time to worship

11 God of wonders

12 You are my all in all