CONTENTS:
1 What's Been Done So Far
2. Current Projects
3. Some Future Plans
-------------

We gratefully praise the Lord for the joy and continued privilege of being able to be involved in this ministry which continues to leave us in total amazement at what God is doing in our day re musicians and artists and the Great Commission! What a delight to be in a position to be able to increasingly serve the Body locally and internationally as He opens doors and brings people/ministries/churches/missions together for His purposes! To Him be all the glory for His provisions and enablement in every way!

1. WHAT'S BEEN DONE SO FAR?

GREAT COMMISSION WORSHIP & ARTS CENTER
--------------------------------------
* Web Site constantly developing
* Local and International networks constantly developing
* Local and International Partnerships constantly developing
* Research being continued in order to continue to develop RESOURCES which are available locally and internationally
* Local mentoring
* On-going consultation
* On-going vision casting and implimentation
* On-going mobilization of missions-minded musicians and artists for local and overseas ministry in the arts
* On-going writing of resources
* On-going coordination of related events and projects
* On-going promotion of awareness of need for musicians and artists in their vital role in the Great Commission
* On-going development
* Contact base continues to grow

* Local Prayer Network of folks interested in seeing musicians and artists and the arts reclaimed for the glory of God has been meeting about once a month.

* Missionsfest Vancouver - In Jan 2002 we (GCWAC & EW&AF) worked in conjunction with Vancouver Missionsfest to carry out the first phase of our proposal to work together to develop a Great Commission Musicians & Artists Track. The hope is that this concept will multiply in the various Missionsfests in Canada and beyond, adapted according to each culture/context as needed.

* Sending out a bi-monthly "Christianity & the Arts' e-resource to local believers/musicians & artists who are interested

* Closely linked with Heart Sounds International

* One of the sponsors of the Global Consultation on Music & Missions - Oct/03

* Local team developing...seeking the Lord for more team players as the Holy Spirit leads and directs us to work together

* In partnership with the International Council of Ethnodoxologists

* Compiled a free e-mail-available Lower Mainland Christian Musicians & Artists Networking Directory
Etc.

ETHNIC WORSHIP & ARTS FOCUS
---------------------------
* Integrated part of the ministry and provider of resources of the International Worship & Arts Network
* Monthly free e-newsletter (Ethnic Worship & Art Focus")being made available internationally since Nov. 98. The EW&AF newsletter is being sent out to about 800 or more missions minded musicians and artists internationally, including to missions, missions training centers, missions educators, ministries, churches – worship leaders/missions leaders, etc. List of international subscribers continues to increase. PTL!!
* International Networking constantly developing
* Research being continued in order to continue to develop RESOURCES which are available locally and internationally
* Local and International Partnerships constantly developing
* Web site constantly developing
* Summer Team of Ethnomusicology Students was sent to Africa to do Scripture Songwriting Workshops and Recording these songs in order to help encourage the development of indigneous worship songwriting/distribution
* Short Term worker was sent to Africa to help a church planting team set up a desktop recording studio in order to record the local indigenous worship being written and performed by the local indigenous believers in an unreached people group
* Major focus is on serving the church planters in the international mission agency that the Ethnic Worship & Arts Focus is a part of - but also serves many other missions and ministries, as well as individuals, churches, Christian educators, missionary training centers, etc.
* Researches needs and then seeks to match potential personnel with appropriate needs and potential resources with approriate needs
* On-going consultation
* On-going vision casting and implimentation
* On-going mobilization of missions-minded musicians and artists for local and overseas ministry in the arts
* On-going writing of resources
* On-going coordination of related events and projects
* On-going promotion of awareness of need for musicians and artists in their vital role in the Great Commission
* On-going development
* The Ethnic Worship & Arts Focus has done a number of seminars on music and missions, as well as on the utilization of ethnic music. These have been done at Missionsfests, various missions conferences and also was asked to do a one day conference at a missions conference at a Bible College in Eastern Canada about music and missions.
* Resources have been made available to local PERSPECTIVES coordinators for their courses
* EW&AF has made a CD Rom of related resources available to instructors teaching courses to missionaries/candidates on Ethnic Worship & Arts as a vital part of church planting among the unreached
* The Ethnic Worship & Arts Focus has also done a few sessions on music/missions and the utilization of ethnic music at a number of missions Candidate Schools and Training Centers.
* The Ethnic Worship & Arts Focus invited Ethnomusicologist Paul Neeley to come out to Vancouver in order to teach some ethnomusicology classes, etc. to some local Christian Bible colleges/Christian education centers, etc. We hope to do this kind of thing every year or two to assist local Christian music and arts and missions educators regarding the aspects of music and arts and missions, and to encourage local multicultural Christian musicians.
* The Ethnic Worship & Arts Focus has regularly contributed to the Global Worship Report (of the International Worship & Arts Network) and resources for the IWAN web site.
* Have developed, in conjunction with the facilitation team of the IWAN, the Ethnic Division of the Network.
* Contact base continues to grow

* Scripture Songwriting Worship and Recording sessions were held in Jan 2002 in Vancouver (Surrey) as a way of encouraging local Christian musicians/poets in the writing of indigenous worship songs. The result was the development of an on-going resource network of local Multicultural Christian Musicians & Artists that is continuing to meet quite reqularly (about once a month). The hope is that this concept will multiply in various parts of the city/country and internationally, adapted according to each culture/context as needed.
Etc.

CONTENTS
=========

2. CURRENT PROJECTS

* The Ethnic Worship & Arts Focus continues to work together in teams:
1) part of the coordination team of the International Worship & Arts Network
2) in the process of developing a team of ethnomusicologists (PhD) who are interested in working with us as able
3) in the process of developing, along with the Int'l Worship & Arts Network and Heart Sounds International, a team of indigenous recording studio personnel/resources to help encourage the development and distribution of ethnic worship songs
4) working in teams with church planters, Bible school ethnomusicology profs and missionary ethnomusicologists to help train missionaries with an interest in helping church planters to encourage the development of indigenous worship
5) working along with the IWAN to develop a Visual Arts facilitation team as well as a Performing Arts facilitation team
6) working to develop a local team of Christian Recording Engineers/producers, etc. who are interested in contributing to the vision of encouraging the development of indigenous worship songs both locally and/or overseas as able.
* In the process of developing partnerships with Christian radio stations and TV programs which are beaming into unreached areas in order to provide them with indigenous worship songs and other appropriate art forms which can be utilized in reaching the unreached with the Gospel.

* In the process of partnering together with other Canadian Music/Arts/Worship Ministry leaders to develop a Canadian Networking Directory of Christian Musicians & Artists

* In the process of connecting with other national music/arts/worship ministry leaders to see Christian community developed among Christian musicians/artists in the cities across the nation.
* Resources constantly being developed
* In the process of seeing a local team of volunteers raised up in order to assist with administration, coordination, facilitation, logistics and be part of the local ministry team
* We are seeking to see God raise up a local and international prayer/intercessors network for the greater vision as well as to pray for local/international partnerships that God is raising up to work together re worship & the arts and the Great Commission
* We are in the beginning stages of contacting Christian bookstores across Canada to encourage them to make Christianity & the Arts (and the Great Commission) books/tapes/videos, etc. available to help encourage local Christian musicians/artists in their biblical callings
* We are in the beginning stages of developing local ministry partnerships that will potentially work together to see a Great Commission Worship & Arts Conference hosted in Vancouver (Surrey) perhaps in summer/fall of 2005
* We are in the process of updating our CONTACT DATABASE in order to make it easier to connect resources and opportunities with the needs - personnel and resources
* We are in the beginning stages of developing local ministry partnerships that will potentially work together to see a Great Commission Musicians & Artists Resource Networking CENTER to be located here in Surrey. The hope is that this concept will multiply in various parts of the city/country and internationally, adapted according to each culture/context as needed...Lord willing
* We are in the process of developing local ministry partnerships that will potentially work together to see a Great Commission Musicians & Artists Resource Networking RETREAT for LEADERS taking place in 2004. The hope is that this concept will multiply in various parts of the city/country and internationally, adapted according to each culture/context as needed...Lord willing...
* We are in the process of putting together some articles for various missions/Christian magazines which have requested them regarding issues related to music/arts/media and the Great Commission. We are also in the process of contacting other Christian magazines and Christian newspapers to help give the Body greater awareness of what God is doing in these days re music/arts/media and the Great Commission, and encouraging musicians and artists to make use of the resources/training/networking/opportunities available.
* Etc.

CONTENTS
============

3. SOME FUTURE PLANS

(all of this is 'Lord-willing' and as the Holy Spirit leads)

* Book being written about the utilization of ethnic music and the arts/media as a vital part of church planting among the unreached
* Developing various lengths of curriculum modules to provide this service to mission agencies for candidate schools or missionary training centers, as well as for weekend events at missions conferences or in missionary regional meetings overseas, or one-week training modules which can be used to help round out the music/arts/missions programs of Christian education institutions, etc.
* Develop more related seminars which others can use and adapt as they wish in their own settings

* Seeking the Lord for intercessors for the GCWAC vision and steps in those directions, etc.
* Seeking the Lord about Him developing a financial base of ministry partners
* Chronological Bible Storytelling approach - made into a movie, utilizing ethnic music and the arts and international/culturally appropriate actors/actresses, etc. to present the story of the Gospel in this approach, which can then be made available to church planters or be aired on Christian TV to reach the unreached
* Networking/partnering together with international Worship & Arts Ministry leaders/training centers that share similar vision
* Develop additional phases for the Great Commission Musicians & Artists Track for Missionsfest
* Work with local partnering ministries to develop a local International Arts Festival as an outreach to our city
* Etc.

CONTENTS

Date updated: