I love what you are doing.

Yes, YOU!

Don't look over your shoulder, I'm speaking directly to the creative soul
reading this.

I don't care if you are a touring artist, a guitar player, a song writer, a
poet, a dancer, a sound engineer, or even if you have no real creative job in
church, but just love the creative arts and long to be a part of it.

I just want to love on you.

I want to tell you that no matter how you may be feeling today about your role
in music and/or the creative arts team in your church, that YOU are important.
And God has something great for you to do for Him.

Now, you may say that you have tried and nothing has happened, or that you've
been serving and you're burned out, tired, unappreciated, or ostracized. I don't
care about that and neither does God. All He cares about is you. He loves you
and loves what you do for Him.

And He made you for a very special and certain purpose.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I
praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are
wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:13-14.

Need more proof?

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which
God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

There's more, but I don't want to rub it in. ;)

The point being is, God has made you for a very specific purpose. And the funny
part is, you KNOW it. You know exactly what your soul is saying and wanting to
do. You know what God has given you to do.

So what to do if you're not being used (or think you aren't)? I think you pray
for God to open doors instead of our nature to pry them open. I'm often guilty
of this. But lately I've heard a word or two about being patient, and just
praying for the next step to become apparent and present itself.

Pray, practice, pray, study, pray, grow. Wait for the opportunity when God opens
the door, and then do your best to serve accordingly.

But the bottomline is still that God has a purpose for you and your creative
gifts. Your job is to feed them, and then wait for the right moments to use
them.

Maybe you're completely happy to do this work, and have been gladly serving for
years. You KNOW it's what you want to do with the rest of your life.

I want to encourage you too!

Look around and find books and materials to get better. Sometimes when we are
happy and doing what we want, we can actually atrophy, thinking we don't need to
do more than what we are doing.

Are you doing all you can? How can you improve?

One of the challenges for those of us lucky enough to work full time in music
ministry is to 1) keep growing, and 2) keep an eye on the horizon for what God
has for us next.

I firmly believe He continues to grow us, no matter what "level" we are at. To
stand still at any level is really an insult to the gifts He has given us.

As many wise older folks will tell you, they know so much more now than they did
twenty or even ten years ago. I know I am much wiser, and can take all that I
have learned and serve the folks and churches I work with much greater because
of this life and ministry experience.

Wherever you fall in the spectrum of using your gifts, I want to tell you that
you are unique, special, and VERY important to God's plan in the circle of your
life (and perhaps your church and perhaps even a much larger audience).

Even if you don't feel that way right now, you are.

I meet folks all the time that are servants. They aren't the lead singer or
guitarist. They don't write the songs or plan the service. But they show up
every week, giving their best, serving with joy, and affirming others. To be
honest, sometimes those folks are the glue that keep all the creative leaders
from losing it each week.

So if you do ANYTHING in the church that is remotely creative, know that here in
Nashville there is someone praying for you. And I'd like everyone who reads this
to pray too for others like themselves who are serving.

None of us are more important than any other no matter what our station, we all
just walk different paths.

So I hope you feel the love. Spread it around this week.

Get together with some one you serve with or serve to. Tell them you are praying
for them, and maybe plan to get together regularly to pray and share info.

More than ever we need to band together (sts) and exhort each other, and as Paul
said to the Romans , "Long to see" each other.

"For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you
may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while
among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine." Romans 1:11

Have a great week my creative friends!

EC
---
Eric Copeland is a music producer in Nashville, TN who works with artists in the
church across the US and around the world. His company Creative Soul grows,
exhorts, and teaches artists how to use their gifts for the glory of God.

You can bring Eric and Creative Soul to your church for a very special weekend
for your church, to share music, teach your team, and grow your creative souls!
For more information, go to http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com

If you are an artist looking to move to a higher level of national ministry,
Creative Soul can help. Check out http://www.CreativeSoulRecords.com