by Marvin Copaus ~ “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”—Gal. 5:22-23 (ESV) A year ago, I was admitted to the hospital for an infection. Little did I know that I’d be there Read More
Cliff Duren I’m sitting down to write this article on the eve of my 39th birthday. Yes, that’s right. I’m 366 days away from kissing my 30’s goodbye forever. Some of you are thinking, “30’s?! Sonny boy, I kissed them goodbye ages ago!” … while you fresh-out-of-college types are thinking, Read More
Sunday mornings are a busy time. A lot of details go into making sure Sunday morning services go off without any components slipping through the cracks. Most of the time, it takes many people to pull these services off. With the busyness of the morning, it is easy for us, Read More
A message from the writers: Dennis and Nan Allen. There’s nothing more fun to write than a musical for children. Even though it’s been 20 years since we wrote and recorded It All Happened in the Country, we still smile (and sometimes laugh out loud) when we listen to it Read More
by Lauren Bruce “I hate this song, so I’m just not going to sing.” “I can’t lead others in worship when I’m not worshipping.” I have said both of these things on more than one occasion. And you know what? God still lets me worship Him. I’m still allowed in Read More
Do you remember the last time God unexpectedly touched you? We all desire for His presence in our lives daily. But sometimes, He chooses an unexpected moment or an unusual circumstance to really reach us deeply. One of those times happened to me in December of last year. I was Read More
Songwriter Wes King shares the story behind the song “Almost There.” The powerful lyrics and melody invite you on Mary’s journey to Bethlehem. “Almost There” was featured on Michael W. Smith’s album The Spirit of Christmas and is the title track of one of our new Christmas musicals. Check out Read More
By John Chisum “’Maybe Christmas,’ the Grinch thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store.’” —Dr. Seuss Beatle boots. I just wanted Beatle boots. But the package under the tree that had been so promising, the one shaped like the perfect pair of black Beatle boots, packed such a walloping disappointment on Read More
By Gary Durbin “I just can’t worship with that kind of music.” Have you ever said something like this? I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before. I’ve definitely thought it at times. I was at a traditional church several years ago when God opened my eyes to this. I was Read More
In part two of this two-part series, Marvin Copaus introduces common conflicts choir directors and worship leaders face and how to deal with them. If you haven’t read part one, you can find it here. Communication issues There are some folks that really don’t mean to criticize, but they don’t understand the Read More