Jul 02 2009
After some communication recently with Paul Smith at CompassionArt, I've been asked to post something of the conversation we went through, which is below.
"Recent donations [to CompassionArt] came as a result of some events we have led at churches around St Helens, Lancashire. We've been invited a few times to lead worship and give talks at fellowship groups in churches over the last few years. We've been offered money by way of expenses by these groups, but refuse as we're happy to give our time in this way. Often, however, they are quite insistent, so we agree that the money will be passed on to charity. We decided to support CompassionArt throughout this year by donating this money from each event to the charity.
By way of further support, we have added a short talk to the end of our presentations, about CompassionArt and sung 'There Is Always A Song' while playing the video, following it with the audio of the Watoto Choir. We then give the group the details of the song and ask them to add it to their CCLI return explaining that we can donate simply by singing a song. They have all been very receptive to this and one retired lady has since contacted me to say she bought the CompassionArt CD and loves it! So hopefully, this is getting the charity known and also a few more entries on CCLI forms from churches which otherwise may not have had any.
As well as benefitting the charity, we also feel it's a way of passing on our thanks to Martin, whose songs and music in Delirious? have been a great encouragement to us and a major part of our lives over the last decade or so. By supporting him in this way in his new venture, we hope we are in a sense, 'giving something back' and helping spread the word so that others can get on board even if it is just by singing the songs and adding it to their church CCLI forms.
It is our prayer that God will bless CompassionArt and help it to achieve it's aims, but also that He will support and uphold Martin after his step of faith. In a way, since History Maker was written, a moment has been coming in which the History Makers God has used Delirious? to gather would become part of something bigger than all of us. If this is that moment 'when people stand with the truth of God and the fire in hand', maybe we'll see that miracle that Martin has long since sung of."
Delirious? have shared their God-given talents with us for many years, maybe CompassionArt is now a calling for the 'History Makers' to take the baton and run.
To read more and comment on this blog, please join us in the living room.
"Recent donations [to CompassionArt] came as a result of some events we have led at churches around St Helens, Lancashire. We've been invited a few times to lead worship and give talks at fellowship groups in churches over the last few years. We've been offered money by way of expenses by these groups, but refuse as we're happy to give our time in this way. Often, however, they are quite insistent, so we agree that the money will be passed on to charity. We decided to support CompassionArt throughout this year by donating this money from each event to the charity.
By way of further support, we have added a short talk to the end of our presentations, about CompassionArt and sung 'There Is Always A Song' while playing the video, following it with the audio of the Watoto Choir. We then give the group the details of the song and ask them to add it to their CCLI return explaining that we can donate simply by singing a song. They have all been very receptive to this and one retired lady has since contacted me to say she bought the CompassionArt CD and loves it! So hopefully, this is getting the charity known and also a few more entries on CCLI forms from churches which otherwise may not have had any.
As well as benefitting the charity, we also feel it's a way of passing on our thanks to Martin, whose songs and music in Delirious? have been a great encouragement to us and a major part of our lives over the last decade or so. By supporting him in this way in his new venture, we hope we are in a sense, 'giving something back' and helping spread the word so that others can get on board even if it is just by singing the songs and adding it to their church CCLI forms.
It is our prayer that God will bless CompassionArt and help it to achieve it's aims, but also that He will support and uphold Martin after his step of faith. In a way, since History Maker was written, a moment has been coming in which the History Makers God has used Delirious? to gather would become part of something bigger than all of us. If this is that moment 'when people stand with the truth of God and the fire in hand', maybe we'll see that miracle that Martin has long since sung of."
Delirious? have shared their God-given talents with us for many years, maybe CompassionArt is now a calling for the 'History Makers' to take the baton and run.
To read more and comment on this blog, please join us in the living room.
