​Dear Georgia Baptist Worship Leaders and Pastors,
 
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to address a recent development that has raised concerns within our Georgia Baptist Mission Board worship and music community. Lifeway has made the decision to discontinue the digital download service for churches through the LIFEWAYWORSHIP website. We appreciate all Lifeway has provided to our ministries over the years; however, this news has left many of us wondering how to move forward and find alternative solutions for our worship and music needs.
 
While the closure of this service may initially seem disheartening, it's important for us to remember that challenges often present opportunities for growth and adaptation. Considering this situation, I would like to offer some suggestions on how we can navigate this transition and continue to provide meaningful worship experiences for our congregations:
 

1. Explore other digital platforms: Take some time to research and explore other digital platforms that offer resources and licensing options. Look for platforms that provide a wide range of worship tracks, lead sheets, orchestrations, and multimedia elements at competitive prices. Compare prices, licensing terms, and the quality of available resources to find the best fit for your church's needs and budget.
2. Leverage local talent and resources: In addition to exploring digital platforms, consider tapping into the talent and resources available within your church community. Collaborating with local musicians, songwriters, and worship leaders can not only provide a more budget-friendly approach but also foster a sense of community and ownership in your worship services.
3. Foster creativity within your worship team: Encourage your worship team to think creatively and maximize the resources you already have. Encourage the development of original music within your team, which eliminates the need for purchasing expensive copyrighted material. By nurturing the talents within your team, you can create unique and personalized worship experiences while keeping costs under control.
4. Seek out free or low-cost resources: Explore free or low-cost resources available online that offer worship music, chord charts, and other useful materials. Many independent artists and worship leaders provide their music for free or at a minimal cost through websites, social media, or streaming platforms. 
5. Evaluate your music budget: With the discontinuation of the digital download service from Lifeway, it's important to assess your music budget and consider allocating funds for alternative resources. Keep in mind that the cost of creating music resources has increased over the past 15 years, while the demand for music in churches has intensified. With churches requiring music for all 52 Sundays of the year, there is a need for a steady supply of new music at an increased pace compared to previous years. Therefore, it becomes even more crucial to plan and allocate your budget, accordingly, prioritizing essential resources and exploring cost-effective options that can meet the growing demands of worshipwhile considering the rising costs of musical materials in today's market.

 
 
Remember, change can be an opportunity for growth and innovation. Though we may feel a temporary loss, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to leading our congregations in heartfelt worship. Together, we can adapt, inspire, and continue to glorify God through our music and worship.
 
May God's wisdom guide you in these decisions as you strive to lead your congregation in worship. Our team is always available to help you navigate through these times as you share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music.
 
Rhon Carter
Catalyst for Worship and Music
Georgia Baptist Mission Board

Heart of Worship: Living a Lifestyle of Worship
Worship is a lifestyle. It is not just something we do on Sunday mornings or when we are at a church service. Worship is a way of life that should permeate every aspect of our lives.
When we worship, we are acknowledging God's greatness and His sovereignty. We are declaring that He is worthy of our praise and our adoration. We are submitting ourselves to His will and His plans for our lives.
Worship is not just about singing songs or raising our hands in praise. It is about a heart that is fully surrendered to God. It is about a life that is lived in obedience to His Word.
When we live a lifestyle of worship, we are transformed into the image of Christ. We become more like Him in our thoughts, our words, and our actions. We become more loving, more forgiving, and more compassionate.
Worship is a powerful thing. It has the ability to change our lives and to change the world around us. If we want to see a revival in our churches and in our communities, we need to start by living a lifestyle of worship.
Here are some practical ways to live a lifestyle of worship:

• Spend time in prayer and Bible study. This is where we will grow in our relationship with God and learn more about Him.
• Sing songs of praise and worship. This is a great way to express our love and adoration for God.
• Read books and articles about worship. This will help us to understand what worship is all about and how we can live a more worshipful life.
• Attend worship services at your local church. This is a great way to be surrounded by other believers who are also worshiping God.
• Worship God in your everyday life. This means living a life that is pleasing to Him and that reflects His love to others.

Worship is a journey, not a destination. It is something that we will continue to grow in throughout our lives. But if we start by living a lifestyle of worship, we will be on our way to a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God.

The Mind of Christ
Worship leaders and musicians in the church need to be spiritual before musical. They need to strive to immerse themselves in spiritual disciplines to grow closer to Christ.

​This means spending time in prayer and Bible study, reading books and articles about worship, and attending worship services at their local church. It also means living a life that is pleasing to God and that reflects His love to others.
When worship leaders and musicians are spiritually mature, they are better able to lead others in worship. They are also better able to discern God's will for their lives and for the church.
Here are some practical ways for worship leaders and musicians to grow spiritually:

• Spend time in prayer and Bible study. This is the foundation of a strong spiritual life. When we spend time in prayer, we are talking to God and getting to know Him better. When we spend time in Bible study, we are learning about God's Word and how it applies to our lives.
• Read books and articles about worship. There are many great resources available that can help us to understand worship and to grow in our worship of God.
• Attend worship services at your local church. This is a great way to be surrounded by other believers who are also worshiping God. It is also a great way to learn new songs and to be inspired by the worship leader and musicians.
• Live a life that is pleasing to God. This means obeying His commandments and living in a way that honors Him. It also means loving others and serving them in His name.
• Discern God's will for your life and for the church. This is an ongoing process, but it is important to seek God's guidance in all that we do. We can do this through prayer, Bible study, and talking to other Christians who we trust.

When we strive to grow spiritually, we are becoming more like Christ. We are also becoming more effective in our worship and in our ministry to others.

​Voice of Discipleship
Music is a powerful tool that can be used for good or evil. It can be used to inspire and uplift, or it can be used to manipulate and control. In the church, we believe that music can be used as a tool for discipleship.
Discipleship is the process of learning and growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a lifelong journey that involves following His teachings, obeying His commands, and living a life that is pleasing to Him.
Music can be a powerful tool in the discipleship process. It can help us to learn about God's Word, to remember His promises, and to apply His teachings to our lives. It can also help us to connect with other believers and to build a strong community of faith.
When we sing songs about God's love, His faithfulness, and His salvation, we are reminded of His great promises. When we sing songs about His character, we are challenged to reflect His love and compassion to others. And when we sing songs about His call on our lives, we are encouraged to live a life that is pleasing to Him.
Music is a powerful tool that can be used for good or evil. In the church, we believe that music can be used as a tool for discipleship. When we sing songs that are true to God's Word, we are helping to shape our hearts and minds according to His will. We are also helping to build a strong community of faith that is committed to following Jesus Christ.
Here are some practical ways that we can use music as a tool for discipleship:

• Sing songs that are true to God's Word. When we sing songs that are based on Scripture, we are helping to memorize God's Word and to apply it to our lives.
• Sing songs that reflect God's character. When we sing songs about God's love, His faithfulness, and His salvation, we are reminded of His great promises.
• Sing songs that challenge us to live a life that is pleasing to God. When we sing songs about God's call on our lives, we are encouraged to live a life that is surrendered to Him.
• Sing songs with other believers. When we sing with other believers, we are building a strong community of faith that is committed to following Jesus Christ.

Music is a powerful tool that can be used for good or evil. In the church, we believe that music can be used as a tool for discipleship. When we sing songs that are true to God's Word, we are helping to shape our hearts and minds according to His will. We are also helping to build a strong community of faith that is committed to following Jesus Christ.

I was reading a blog post this week that said 3 of 4 church pastors say the number one challenge in church work it apathy.   Apathy is defined as lack of enthusiasm, concern or interest.  I started thinking through this and decided what things could help.... Here are my FOUR HELPS.
1. Address it - We have to remind ourselves and those we lead what we see.  We need to remind people that we need them to invest in the ministry by giving their time, talents and financial resources.  We have to remind them that we don't want something from them, but something for them.
2. Belong to a Community - It is one of the greatest encouraging things to be part of community.  When you are in community with others, they help you carry the load.  They can also spur you on to greater things and keep you engaged.
3. Create Curiosity -  One of the things I think we all have to strive against is just floating.  We find something that works great and we want to keep it and sustain it as long as possible and sometimes much longer than the life of it.   Cultivate creativity by engaging the most people you can.
4. Deliver the Gospel -  Nothing excites people and motivates them more than when they see lives being changed.   We must share the gospel with those around us and when we do, God begins to change people   When God changes people, there is an amazing motivation that happens. 

So as you see, here it is ABCD's of getting rid of apathy
Address it
Battle it
Confess it
Defy it
​

Ministry includes many people which most are volunteers.   What is a volunteer?  Webster says "one who renders a service or takes part in a transaction while having no legal concern or interest"   We have to have volunteers to help us as we minister to our community. What are those things that volunteers can slip into that cause us all more harm than good?  Here are just a few
1. When they come unprepared
2. When they have a sense of entitlement
3. When they are subversive and sow discontent
4. When they complain often
5. When they think 50% attendance is highly committed

As leaders most of the people we work with in our ministry are volunteers.  It's important that we remember a few things as we minister to them and we allow them to help us minister to others
1. SPUR OF THE MOMENT CHANGES
It's important that we plan well so we can make sure we don't have to make those spur of the moment changes on a regular basis.  It should be a shock to most people when we have to do this.
2. THE ONLY CALL AND TEXT VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE ARE WHEN SOMETHING IS NEEDED
We must minister to people and the best way to do that is to communicate well and minister to them as often as you can.
3. WASTING TIME
One of the greatest commodities that people have today is time.  We have to make the best use of time and we do this by publicizing start and stop times and stick to them.  
4. FORGETTING THEY ARE VOLUNTEERS
It's really easy to become a user of people and sometimes the "same" people.  We have to remember that people who are in our ministries are usually full time mothers, employees or students and are gracious to give us the time they give.
5. USING SPIRITUAL WORDS TO MANIPULATE
People love their ministers and pastors and often they respect our leadership.   We have to be careful not to use bible words in situations to put pressure on our volunteers.   Things like, "submit to my authority" and "God impressed upon me" can be used for the wrong reason.

I was reading a few weeks ago and came across at Craig Groeschel quote.   Craig said "When comparison ends, contentment begins"!  What a great word and I thought I would share 4 things to help us as we do our best not to compare ourselves to each other.   It's important in minister especially worship ministry to rely on the giftedness that God gave you and give that gift back to Him at 100%.
​1. Remember that you are fearfully and wonderfully made
God made you just like He wants you to be.  He knew that the gifts you have are the ones you could use to help build His Kingdom.   God doesn't make any mistakes.
2. We all have different strengths and weaknesses
Look around, we are all gifted in many different ways.  It is this gifting difference that makes ministry so fun.   As you minister, you realize how God brings people in to help you with gifts different than yours.
3. Choose compliments over comparison
One of the quickest ways to become discouraged is to compare yourself to others.  I would rather see us build others up and put others first!  Look around today and see who you can build up.
4. Rely on God's opinion of you
You are a child of God, His word even calls you a "Friend of God"   God loved you so much that He gave his one and only son to save you from yourself.  His opinion of you is very high!