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Great Commission Worship
& Arts Center
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(Specific) PROPOSALS to Encourage Local
(and Overseas)
MULTI-ETHNIC Believers and Fellowships
as we WORK
TOGETHER
+ + +
Intro (see more below)
This page provides some SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITIES for individuals, churches, missions, ministries, church planters, Christian educators, etc. to prayerfully consider as potential ways to WORK TOGETHER to encourage local (and overseas) ethnic believers and fellowships. If you are interested in working together in some way on any of the following, please do contact us: info@DiscipleTheNations.org
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+ Great Commission
Worship & Arts Conference Proposal |
+ Multicultural
Worship & Arts Festival + Music & Arts Camps + Scripture Songwriting Workshops for Multi-Ethnic Christian Musicians & Artists |
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+ International Prayer Days for Musicians & Artists |
+ Prayerwalking |
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PROPOSAL
re CD PROJECT TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS, PRAYER, FUNDS, INVOLVEMENT to
SUPPORT PERSECUTED BELIEVERS - are you interested? +
Creating Resource/Music CDs or DVDs to help raise
up awareness, prayer, finances and other assistance for various ministries
working with specific focus groups such as :
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+ Music / Art Tours to
help raise up awareness, prayer, finances and other assistance for various
ministries working with specific focus groups such as : |
| + World Music Band |
It is a day when God is - and has been - bringing the nations to our shores and to our cities in increasing measure.
While the reasons for this include both positiveAND negative aspects, I believe that, as in any situation, God desires to turn the negative things into positive as we repent and trust in Him.
I also believe that we as North Americans and Europeans have much to learn from our brothers and sisters from other nations. It is a day when God is bringing whole-hearted disciples of Jesus to our nations who have on their hearts a God-given passion to see our cities and nation/s set free into His purposes for us!
Let's honor our brothers and sisters, intercede for them, allow God to work in our hearts to remove our racial prejudices which may be so subtle (to us) that we may not even realize they're there, stand up for them and encourage them in any way we can.
Let us also work WITH THEM and with the rest of the Body in our cities and nation/s to reach out to our many ethnic neighbours who do not yet know Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord and who are not yet DISCIPLES of Jesus. WE NEED EACH OTHER!
I personally believe that God desires to use many from the ethnic communities to not only teach us many things in terms of the value of family, community, communication, hospitality, putting people ahead of schedules and programs, to be grateful for what we have, etc., but that He desires to use them to help us grow spiritually and especially gain a deeper understanding of how to live in the realm of the Spirit and increasingly learn to praise and obey Him in the midst of suffering.
As God's heart is to see increasing unity in His Body worldwide and to see all nations worshipping whole-heartedly before His throne - as described in Revelations 7 - from EVERY language, nation, tongue and tribe - we desire that "His Kingdom (would) come and His will be done on earth - in our cities and nations and in our multi-ethnic cities - as it is in heaven!
Therefore, as we seek to see 'the nations' - or ethnic groups - DISCIPLED and as we desire to see our cities and nations restored as we read about in Scripture, let us seek His face together on how HE desires for us to WORK TOGETHER to encourage our multi-ethnic brothers and sisters - both locally and overseas - directly and indirectly.
This page provides some SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITIES for individuals, churches, missions, ministries, church planters, Christian educators, etc. to prayerfully consider as potential ways to WORK TOGETHER. If you are interested in working together in some way on any of the following, please do contact us: info@DiscipleTheNations.org
A Way of Encouraging Christian Musicians & Artists in Your Region
Are you interested in being part of an ethnic or multi-cthnic church plant in the Lower Mainland of BC? If so, here are some ideas for you to consider.
Also, you may wish to contact Tom Tan at: ttan@adavision.com and let him know of your interest. He is the coordinator of the local annual INTENTIONAL MULTICULTURAL CHURCH PLANTING CONFERENCE and is in contact with many people with whom you might wish to connect.
Also, let us know if you are potentially interested in working together with other ethnic or multi-ethnic churches in some of these ways and we will be happy to connect you.
info@DiscipleTheNations.org
Musicians & Artists as a Part of Church Planting Teams - locally or overseas
Some Ways to Utilize Ethnic Music on Church Planting Teams (locally or overseas)
CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT (or Supplement) FOR YOUR
WORSHIP/MUSIC/ARTS/MEDIA
TRAINING
We have been in the process, for some years, of developing various curriculum options for churches, worship & arts ministries, music/arts/media and missions training programs, missionary training centers, missions organizations - (ie. candidate schools/regional conferences, etc), church planting teams, etc.
These training options are intended to be such that they can be easily added or adapted to existing worship, music, arts, media and missions training options at your church, ministry, school, mission, etc. They are also intended to be provided in a format which can be easily reproducible, encouraging rapid and hopefully inexpensive multiplication of the material - ie. through email, internet access, etc. They are also intended to be used by multi-ethnic worship & arts leaders around the world and so we encourage leaders to contextualize the material in their situations so it is culturally appropriate for their people. We also encourage the translation of the materials, but would ask that, in these various scenarios, credit is given where it is due, that copyrights are not violated and permission is requested in appropriate situations, and that we are made aware of the situation where the materials are being used.
We currently have some seminars that can be done (which have been done at Missionsfests, various Christian education centers and missions conferences such as at Missionsfest), some intro sessions - which have been done at candidate schools, for example; some workshops - see the Scripture Songwriting Workshop below as an example. Some videos and cassettes are becoming available.
We are finishing up the compilation of an INTRO TO MUSIC, ARTS, MEDIA and the Great Commission booklet which will hopefully be complete by the end of 2002. We are also working an international team of people to compile a Music, Arts, Media and the Great Commission training course which is intended to be a part of the PERSPECTIVES ON THE WORLD CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT curricuolum options. Several of us are also in the process of writing books about such themes as: RECLAIMING MUSIC AND THE ARTS for the Kingdom of God, and UTILIZING MUSIC, THE ARTS and MEDIA as a VITAL PART OF CHURCH PLANTING AMONG the Unreached, etc.
We are hoping to provide training options at various levels, and for various time needs - ie. one hour seminars, one day sesssions, weekend options, week-long options, perhaps 2-week modules, etc. so they can be used as needed. Along with these options we will also let you know of specific people you can invite to do the training for/with you or who can coach you regarding the specific training you are interested in.
While our current training is focused on young adults/adults, we hope to also develop, as able, training also focused on youth and children.
We are in the process of developing the:
+ Music, Arts, Media and the Great Commission Online (free) Distance Learning Course
which we hope will be ready to roll in Jan. 2003. Though we do not have the manpower to mentor students via email, the resources/materials will be available so you can use them to develop your own training along these lines as the Holy Spirit leads you.
If you have resources or materials which you feel are relevant to the course and which you would like to contribute, or if you would like to let us know of your availability and experience in teaching related subjects or mentoring in related ways, we will look forward to hearing from you:
info@DiscipleTheNations.org
ETHNOMUSICOLOGY and CHURCH PLANTING / THE GREAT COMMISSION
Although the following is about a particular event held in Feb. 2002 in Surrey, it gives an idea of the kind of events which are being planned to continue to take place in the Greater Vancouver region as interest is expressed. Let us know if your church, school, mission, ministry, etc. would be interested in hosting such an event - for your particular ministry or ESPECIALLY in conjunction with other local churches/ministries in your region. Perhaps your local ministerial would like to prayerfully consider hosting such an event. Let us know if you are interested and we can coordinate this with you and invite qualified missionary ethnomusicologists to lead these times: info@DiscipleTheNations.org
EVANGELISTIC LOCAL TELEVISION PROGRAMS TO REACH LOCAL MULTI-ETHNIC PEOPLES
We are very fortunate to have Christian-operated NOW TV here in the Lower Mainland in BC!
However, it is surprising and sad to realize that while the Canadian television standards require that NOW TV includes programs of other religions on the air, which are helping to promote their religions among local Caucasians and multi-ethnic groups, the surprising fact is that CHRISTIANS DO NOT YET HAVE evangelistic television programs reaching out to our many local ethnic communities!! This should not be!! Especially in a day when music and the arts/media is one of the greatest influencers of society around the globe!
Will you, your church and/or ministry/mission prayerfully consider the possibility of working together with us in conjunction with other local churches/ministries that share similar vision, in order to see this change and to see this type of programming becoming available?
We know of several local ethnic pastors (who also happen to be excellent musicians in their own ethnic musical styles of worship) who would be able to do these types of television shows which include cross-cultural aspects such as Arabic or Hindi/Punjabi/Urdu worship music, their forms of storytelling, etc. One of these pastors has almost finished producing a whole series of video messages on the Uniqueness of Jesus, specifically to reach out to Muslim hearts, but currently has no way of getting them aired. These are just a couple of initial ideas and actual possibilities for you to prayerfully consider in this regard.
If you are interested in potentially participating in something like this in any way, please do let us know and we can discuss it. info@DiscipleTheNations.org
Great Commission Worship & Arts Conference Proposal
Although the proposal linked to is one which was initially submitted to a grant organization, we feel it would be more effective to have local churches/ministries/missions that share similar vision to WORK TOGETHER to host/coordinate such an event, instead of going the grant route. There would be a much deeper sense of local ownership and longevity and greater local and overseas impact in the long run. And although this type of conference would address all local believers that are interested in seeing the arts more effectively utilized in the Great Commission and in seeing God's musicians and artists firmly established and released into their biblical calling, a major focus of such a conference would be to ENCOURAGE LOCAL MULTI-ETHNIC BELIEVERS and FELLOWSHIPS through the Ethnic Worship & Arts Focus. If you or your church/ministry/school, etc. are interested in potentially collaborating with us on this type of endeavour - through prayer, finances, logistical or administrative help, through decorating, graphic design, promotions, fund-raising, partnership development, etc., do let us know: info@DiscipleTheNations.org
Great Commission Musicians & Artists Resource Networking CENTER Proposal
Although the Resource Networking Center proposal above was initially submitted to a grant organization, we feel it would be more effective to have local churches/ministries/missions that share similar vision to WORK TOGETHER to develop such a REGIONAL CENTER as a JOINT EFFORT, instead of going the grant route. There would be a much deeper sense of local ownership and longevity and greater local and overseas impact in the long run. And although this type of regional center would address all local believers that are interested in seeing the arts more effectively utilized in the Great Commission and in seeing God's musicians and artists firmly established and released into their biblical calling, a major focus of such a Resource Networking Center would be to ENCOURAGE LOCAL MULTI-ETHNIC BELIEVERS and FELLOWSHIPS through the Ethnic Worship & Arts Focus of such a center.
If you or your church/ministry/school, etc. are interested in potentially collaborating with us on this type of endeavour - through prayer, finances, logistical or administrative help, through decorating, graphic design, promotions, fund-raising, partnership development, etc., do let us know: info@DiscipleTheNations.org
INTERNATIONAL MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL
Another thing we would love to see happening in the next few years, hopefully, once a good base has been laid through the Multicultural Worship & Arts Festivals focused on BELIEVERS, is to have folks that we've connected with THROUGH THAT work with us to do a Christian-organized INTERNATIONAL MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL in Greater Vancouver as a way of reaching out to the lost - especially musicians and artists of whatever background - through INDIRECT and DIRECT (as appropriate) evangelism through the arts....
If you or your church/ministry/school, etc. is interested in potentially working together with us on this, in whatever way, or perhaps being part of the vision-shaping and facilitation team, please do let us know. info@DiscipleTheNations.org
LOCAL INVOLVEMENTS - volunteer opportunities, internships, full time, etc.
Consider Some Opportunities to Get Involved with the Great commission Worship & Arts Center in Surrey to Move in these Directions (see listing below):
+ Internship Opportunities in Surrey, BC
+ More Opporutnities in Surrey, BC
We are very happy to prayerfully consult with individuals, churches, ministries, missions and schools, etc., to tailor-make specific opportunities with you which will hopefully be a win win win situation for all involved. We can provide volunteer opportunities that are occasional - where individuals can contribute/participate AS ABLE. Or we can prayerfully consider short term, summer or long term opportunities. Full-time or part-time. We can assist in the process of raising financial support or seek potential 'tentmaking' opportunities for you related to your involvements re music/the arts, etc.
If interested in discussing some potential options, contact: info@DiscipleTheNations,org
Are you a Christian musician or artist who is firmly rooted in your understanding of the role of music and the arts in the Bible? and who understands the biblical role of musicians and artists in the Great Commission - whether locally or overseas? If so, or if you know of folks like this, and you/they have a heart to encourage local ethnic musicians and artists, whether Christian or pre-believers, we would love to hear from you/them!
There is a growing desire in musicians and artists to have someone with experience and training who can take the time to personally mentor and train them in their artistic gifts. How much more important, though, to also disciple them not only in their creativity, but in their relationship with the Lord and as a disciple - in godly character development and in other aspects of life as the Holy Spirit leads and enables.
If you are interested in potentially mentoring folks or if you know of multi-ethnic musicians or artists - Christian or non-Christian, that are seeking a godly and artistic mentor, please do let us know: info@DiscipleTheNations.org
Mentoring Musicians & Artists - a Lost Art Which Can Be Restored and Which is Greatly Needed
Multicultural Worship & Arts Festival
A local multi-cultural team of Christian leaders is currently in the process of coordinating a Multicultural Worship & Arts Festival for Oct., 2003 in Surrey, BC. For more info about the vision/purpose, etc., click on the link. If you or your church/ministry, etc. is interested in working together with other local churches and with the facilitation team in some way - through prayer, loaning of resources/materials, helping with decorating, helping with logistics or administration, helping with partnership development or promo, etc., we would love to hear from you as soon as possible! info@DiscipleTheNations.org
Or perhaps your church or ministry is interested in hosting such an event in your regional of the Lower Mainland in 2004 or 2005? If so, let us know so we can prayerfully discuss this with you!
PRAYER NETWORK AND/OR PRAYERWALKING
If you or your church/ministry, etc. are interested in seeing musicians and artists released into all that God desires them to be and do in this crucial time in history in order to see Him glorified in our cities and nations, and if you have a desire to pray with others towards the goal of seeing whole-hearted, total-life worshippers raised up from EVERY tribe, language, people and nation, please do let us know!
We are asking the Lord to raise up a local prayer network of prayer partners/intercessors who share similar vision, and to raise up those whom He is leading to be involved in prayerwalks focusing on seeing musicians/artists and the realm of music and the arts reclaimed in our city/nation and beyond. If this is of interest to you, please let us know.
Let us know if you are interested in working together on a team to facilitate these types of scenarios, or pray, or both.
info@DiscipleTheNations.org
Laying Foundations for Music/Arts Ministries Through Prayerwalking
PROVISION OF INSTRUMENTS andor ARTS SUPPLIES - or see INSTRUMENT BANKS
Are you or your church/ministry/home group/house church, etc. interested in encouraging musicians and artists who can't afford instruments or art supplies, by helping to provide some for them - ie. new or used?
These instruments/art supplies can be used to encourage both Christian musicians and artists or as a part of friendship evangelism as Christian musicians or artists spend time developing relationships with their music/art students in a mentoring relationship.
For example, one of our contacts takes regular trips to Cuba to encourage the local churches there and is seeing an increasing need for instruments to be brought over so the church there can also have instruments to supplement their worship times.
Another example is a local need where a colleague, a missionary artist and musician, is developing relationships among local refugees and who is using his art as a way to help develop the relationships, to encourage the refugees and help them work through some of their trauma through their art or music, and to give art or music lessons as appropriate, etc. Assisting these people by helping to provide instruments or art in appropriate situations could be a great encouragement to them and help open further doors of opportunity as the Holy Spirit leads.
If you are interested in discussing this type of possibility further, or if you have a room which could be used to store the art supplies or instruments until they're sent to where they're going or until they have a home, please let us know.
info@DiscipleTheNations.org
RECONCILIATION & JUSTICE ROLES as MUSICIANS & ARTISTS IN OUR CITY/NATION/s
Are you interested in seeing the arts utilized as a way of seeing reconciliation and justice being encouraged among the races locally or overseas (or both)? Are you interested in potentially working together with other Christian musicians/artists and related ministries in order to move in these directions? If so, please let us know. info@DiscipleTheNations.org
At present we have nothing in place in this regard, but this is something which is a growing vision on our hearts.
+ Is the Role of Reconciliation Part of Our Roles as Great Commission Musicians & Artists?
RECORDING STUDIOS to Encourage Local Christian Ethnic Musicians
Although the following is about a particular event held in Feb. 2002 in Surrey, it gives an idea of the kind of events which are being planned to continue to take place in the Greater Vancouver region as interest is expressed. Let us know if your church, school, mission, ministry, etc. would be interested in hosting such an event - for your particular ministry or ESPECIALLY in conjunction with other local churches/ministries in your region. Perhaps your local ministerial, for example, would like to prayerfully consider hosting such an event or WORKING TOGETHER to see such a recording studio developed in your region. Let us know if you are interested and we can coordinate this with you and invite qualified people to inspire and train interested parties or lead these informational types of meetings: info@DiscipleTheNations.org
Resource Networking Fellowships for Local Multi-Ethnic Christian Musicians & Artists - currently in Surrey, BC
If you know if multi-ethnic Christian musicians and artists who are looking for some encouragement and who are interested in being all that God wants them to be as His musicians and artists in these days, please let them know about this resource networking fellowship where we are desiring to grow together in these directions.
Perhaps you know of others in your region which might want to begin to meet together in similar ways? If so, please do let us know so we can encourage each other and network together as the Holy Spirit leads.
info@DiscipleTheNations.org
Following are some FREE resources which you can let people know about who are interested in encouraging the development of multi-ethnic God-honoring expressions of music and the arts - whether locally or overseas...
+ Resource Sheet for Great Commission Musicians & Artists
+ Assisting Multi-Cultural Churches With Their Various Expressions of Worship
+ Music, Arts, Media and the Great Commission Online (free) Distance Learning Course
+ Great Commission Worship & Arts Center RESOURCES & Networking Opportunities
+ Ethnic Worship & Arts Focus Newsletter
+ Ethnic Worship Music Available
+ International Worship & Arts Network
SCRIPTURE SONGWRITING WORKSHOPS FOR
MULTI-ETHNIC CHRISTIAN MUSICIANS & ARTISTS
Although the following is about a particular event held in Feb. 2002 in Surrey, it gives an idea of the kind of events which are being planned to continue to take place in the Greater Vancouver region as interest is expressed. Let us know if your church, school, mission, ministry, etc. would be interested in hosting such an event - for your particular ministry or ESPECIALLY in conjunction with other local churches/ministries in your region. Perhaps your local ministerial, for example, would like to prayerfully consider hosting such an event. Let us know if you are interested and we can coordinate this with you and invite qualified missionary ethnomusicologists to lead these times: info@DiscipleTheNations.org
Scripture Songwriting Workshops for Local (or Overseas) Ethnic Christian Musicians & Poets
Evangelical SATSANGS - see down the page a ways (on their web site) to find related articles
(Editor's Note): Although the
following 'satsangs' are mostly in Hindu settings, many other unreached groups
also have similar gatherings in their cultures. I believe there is potential
to see similar 'evangelistic satsangs' (where God-honoring music and the arts
are interspersed with Words of Scripture and discussion, plus perhaps opportunity
provided for interested parties to receive prayer and ministry as the Holy
Spirit leads) springing up among many unreached peoples, not only overseas
but here in our very multicultural cities as well! I would encourage you to
prayerfully consider the potential of this type of possibility in your regions
as a way to not only encourage local ethnic believers (especially musicians
& artists) but to partner together with them to reach out to other ethnic
peoples in your region and beyond --
-------------
Please read the following info about satsangs, and if this is of interest to you and you would like to potentially partner together in some way, either with us or others around the world who might also be interested, please do let us know at:
Order
of Worship for the Sunday Afternoon Satsang
Demonstration
of a Hindu Bhajan Performance by Agnihotri Bandu
Conclusion
(Editor's Note) - we would encourage you to check out their excellent web
site and
consider purchasing their excellent CDs!
: )
A group of missionary ethnomusicologists have put together a WORLD MUSIC BAND which gives them an opportunity to be involved in a band, write music, share their music, play with other musicians and support reach other as Christian ethnomusicologists, but mostly they also play at churches, missions agencies, Christian music/arts/missions institutions, etc. in order to encourage people to encourage Christian ethnic musicians locally and overseas, to encourage local ethnic believers, and I believe they also play at various world music types of festivals, etc. which are not Christian-organized, in order to also be an indirect or direct witness to those that come to those kinds of events. We would love to see God raise up a similar band here in Vancouver - though not necessarily of missions-minded ethnomusicologists, but local Christian ethnic musicians that have very good musical quality, but who, especially, are godly and God-honoring musicians (maybe including a couple Caucasian missions-minded musicians), which could play wholesome ethnic music - original preferably but not necessarily - in similar formats as mentioned above - to reach the lost and to encourage local/overseas believers, and perhaps also produce their own CDs which could also be sold through EthnicLink.net (should be functioning as a Christian-run ethnic music/arts business soon - as a way to encourage ethnic Christian musicians/artists by helping to distribute their music/art) and perhaps through other World Music distributors, etc.? Perhaps this band could sing/play at satsangs and at the local evangelistic International Music & Arts Festival, etc.
If potentially becoming involved in something like this locally or overseas is something you or someone you know might be interested in, please contact us at: info@DiscipleTheNations.org
If you or your church, mission, ministry, home group, house church or house church network, etc. has some musical instruments (or art supplies) - whether western or ethnic instruments, which you would like to contribute as a way of assisting in the encouragement of ethnic Christian musicians here locally in Greater Vancouver, BC, or internationally (through our contacts with various music/worship ministries and missions which are helping to assist and encourage the local indigenous churches by supporting and encouraging their musicians in various ways), please do let us know of your interest and we can discuss this further.
Something to prayerfully consider would be which country or ministry you would like to send the instruments (or art supplies) to, etc. We are currently networking with several ministries that are already involved in this type of ministry so will be passing any appropriate requests regarding their regions to them so they can respond to you directly.
If you are interested in assisting in this in some way and you'd like to discuss this further, contact: info@DiscipleTheNations.org
A CURRENT NEED is for instruments, such as guitars, etc., for some believers in Cuba:
From a missionary: "...You mentioned
about wanting to help with the music needs at the churches and
camps in Cuba...one of the big needs is for sets of classical (nylon) guitar
strings. Many of the
Christians using guitars in their churches and camps have very old strings
(one fellow at a camp I visited this August told me that his guitar strings
are 10 years old!). Strings are hard to get ahold of there, and, coupled with
the cost when found, many cannot buy them. I have put out the word that donations
of guitar string sets would be greatly appreciated. I have one set donated
and a few other people told me that they will send me some more. They will
make great gifts for the brothers and sisters there. If you and your contacts
can help there, it would be greatly appreciated. As for taking in instruments,
it is difficult, as customs duties there can be quite high (up to 100% of
value!), funds are better raised and sent in to purchase items there. Guitar
string sets, though, are light, small and easy to throw in a suitcase..."
MUSIC/ARTCAMPS
In God's timing/way, we would like to work together
with local and/or international churches, missions, music/arts ministries
and Christian musicians and artists to see some local (and perhaps eventually
international?) music and/or art camps developed in order to help train/mentor,
resource, encourage, support and network local or overseas Christian ethnic
musicians/artists - and also be used as a way to reach out to pre-Christian
musicians/artists…if you or your ministry is interested in potentially
working together on something like this at this point, please do contact us
so we can prayerfully discuss it further: info@DiscipleTheNations.org
http://disciplethenations.org/MACamps.html
The following is:
Songbooks
CONTENTS
Summer teams
CONTENTS
Help to sponsor kids to arts camps, etc.
CONTENTS
Work with us re festivals
CD Distribution
Overseas trips
Help with translation
Mobilization
Networking
L:ocal Teams - admin, etc.
Music/arts in prison
EthnicLink
Fundraising
encourage local ethnic music choirs - ie. MFest, etc.
Missionsfest
Perspectives
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