I want to give a box of 100 personalized copies of “Hopes Prayers and Lullabies” to any couple wanting to adopt. The CD’s would have their story on the inside and a personalized photo on the cover.

They could sell the CDs for $12 a piece and raise $1200 for their adoption process.

I do not want this to be a burden or a worry, but  a blessing for the adoptive couple, however I cannot fund this project on my own. That leaves me looking for a way to raise the needed funds to make this project a reality. It will cost about $250 to produce 100 personalized CDs.

I need your suggestions on how to get this project off the ground.

Leave your comments below, or email me at rgmmusic@gmail.com

Related posts:

1. The Christmas Song Project is Complete
2. Instrumental Reflections #5

Our youth band recently led worship for our district camp. One comment I heard several times was how great it was to have youth leading youth in worship. Youth leading youth in worship is one of the things I am most passionate about. I have worked with youth worship bands at three different churches. I have consulted with churches and led workshops on youth led youth worship. I strongly believe that awesome things can happen when adults get out of the way and allow youth to play their hearts out, and be lead worshippers within their group of peers.

Would you like to have a youth worship team as part of your youth group but don’t know where to start? Youth worship is one of the main categories I write about on forkintheroadmusic.org. Here are 5 articles that might be helpful to you?

1. Five Things I Learned When our Youth Band Led a Week of Worship

Our youth worship team got the opportunity to lead 200 of their peers for 5 days at district camp. It was a great experience, and a learning experience for us all. See what we learned.

2. Youth Worship Teams: Be Creative by Not Leading

Right now our youth worship team leads worship almost every week for the youth group. However this wasn’t always the case. There was a time we took almost a year off from leading in any form, to work on things like playing as a group, learning new songs and more.

3. Working with Youth Worship Teams  - An Interview with Jason Huffman

When in ministry, it is always good to have others you can ask for help, bounce off ideas and share your thoughts. Jason Huffman is a youth director with many years experience working with youth bands. He has his own blog http://jasonbhuffman.wordpress.com/ where he writes about a variety of subjects, including youth worship and where you can download his e-book  “Starting a Youth Worship Band from the Ground Up”.

4. Starting a Youth Worship Team in a Small Church

You may want to have a youth worship team but not know where to start. One challenge you face is finding the musicians and singers you need. The key is to start small and work with what you have. This post talks about ways you can get started, and some tips to take you to the next level.

5. Worshipping Without a Band

Sometimes, no matter how hard you look, you will have times where a youth band is just not going to happen. What do you do then? Here are a few ideas on how to have worship services and experiences, when your own youth worship band is not an option.

There are many more posts about youth worship. Click here to see the archive for the Youth Worship category.

Do you have a question about how to start, or work with a youth worship band? Leave it in the comments. I would love to hear from you.

Related posts:

1. Three “Leading Youth Worship” Guest Posts
2. What To Do With a Youth Worship Team
3. Working With Youth Worship Bands: Back to Basics

This morning we had a combined worship service at 10:30. It was supposed to be in our contemporary worship space, but because of some heating issues we moved it to our sanctuary where our traditional worship service meets.

We decided to keep normal order of worship for the Sanctuary service. This includes a closing benediction song that they always sing, every week.

I got the music, practiced the song and made sure I was ready to play it.

The order of service at the end was supposed to be hymn, pastoral benediction, benediction song, postlude.

I had planned a big loud postlude and was ready.

The pastor gave his blessing

And… I played the postlude, as loud as I could.

It was only after I looked out and saw the congregation standing, with a look of bewilderment did I realize that I had completely skipped over the song they were supposed to be singing.

There was not much to do, but stop, and start the closing song.

2012 is off to a great start.

So how has your 2012 been so far? Let me know in the comments!

Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/blese/

Related posts:

1. Russell’s Evernote Tip #1 – Playing Piano in the Dark
2. 3 Things: Advice for New Worship Leaders
3. 5 Things We Do Wrong at Camp- #1 SHHHHHHHHH TIME FOR WORSHIP!!!

Thank you so much for your support and votes during Indie Heaven’s Indiesong contest. First your votes helped my song “Awaken Our Hearts” be in the top 10 songs during the month of November.

Then it went up against 29 other songs in a head to head contest, decided by your votes. The top ten vote getting songs make it to the next phase. I am glad to announce that you helped “Awaken Our Hearts” come in at #6.

Now a panel of judges and songwriting experts will listen to each song and make a final decision as to the winner. So it is now out of our hands.

I want to thank you again for voting every day. The song could not have gotten this far without your support.

Related posts:

1. Vote In One Final Push to Help Me Win $500 and a One Song Publishing Deal
2. Vote “Awaken our Hearts” as Indie Song 2011
3. Vote For “Awaken Our Hearts”

A few months ago I told you that I had submitted my song “Awaken My Hearts” into Indie Heaven’s Indie Song contest. The main prize for the contest is $500, a one song recording contract. All you had to do was vote once per day. You voted. I made it to round two.

At the beginning of December “Awaken our Hearts” went into the finals. Basically all the winners from the previous months went up against each other. If “Awaken Our Hearts” is in the top 10 at the end of  December, it goes on to a panel of  judges, who will determine the final winner. I asked you to vote again. You have  been.

You have been voting since the first of December, and in that time “Awaken our Hearts” has settled in and maintained a healthy number 4 ranking. Which is ok, because it just needs to be in the top #10, but that doesn’t mean you should stop voting.

In fact, I am asking you to make sure that you continue voting for the next several days. I need you to help make that one last push at the end of the race.

So go and vote. Go to www.indieheaven.com/indiesong and vote by clicking the stars next to “Awaken our Hearts”. Then tell your friends and family to vote. Have their friends and family vote. We have just a few days for this final push.

Related posts:

1. Vote “Awaken our Hearts” as Indie Song 2011
2. Vote For “Awaken Our Hearts”
3. Thanks For Your Votes

In February of 2008 I officially moved my blog over from blogger to wordpress. In nearly 4 years I have written over 400 posts covering topics like worship leading, worship backgrounds, youth praise teams, and more.

In that time some posts have become more popular than others. I thought I would take some time to highlight just a few and share them with you. Here are the first 5 of my all time most popular posts.

1. Simple Worship Stage Ideas - There are many blogs out there that have ideas for stage design. Most of them, however, feature ideas for large churches with large stages. This post is the first in a series of posts that show you can use available items in a small space to create great stage backdrops.

2. 50 Free Worship Backgrounds -  Here is a collection of 50 high resolution photo textures. You can use them as they come, or import them into your favorite photo editing program and make your own backgrounds with them.

3. Free Background – Palm Trees - While traveling through Galveston, I snapped a photo of a series of palm trees. I edited it a little and posted it on the website.

4. Free Backgrounds – This post is a link compilation of places you can download free backgrounds.

5. Iphone Audio Applications - This post shares a link to the church audio blog, on audio apps for your iPhone. Also includes links to some great apps for musicians.

Related posts:

1. Your 4 Favorite Recent Posts.. and The Stories Behind Them
2. Top 5 Post of So Far- Free Backgrounds and Iphone Apps
3. Top Ten Posts for February

On December 12 I challenged myself to post 12 instrumental Christmas songs in 12 days. My hope was that taking on a project like this, one that required daily action,  would help me to be more consistent with my blogging, as well as to challenge me in my piano playing and writing.

I also have always wanted to release an instrumental Christmas CD. Mostly for friends and family, to give as gifts, but thought I could also maybe sell a few to those looking for some nice Christmas music. I thought that this would help me wrap all of those goals up into one single project.

So I sat down, nearly every day, at the keyboard. I hooked it into my computer, fired up my software and played the days Christmas song. I had some set backs along the way. First I work at a church, and the last few weeks before Christmas can be a little hectic. My family came in the week before Christmas, which limited my recording time. And finally my son is now 9 months old. Helping to take care of him also added to the challenge. I used a few christmas songs that I had put up on my Lullaby CD, and doubled up a few days, and was able to catch back up.

Finally the project is complete, and available for you to download. I am embedding the list of all the songs below. You can download them all at once by clicking the down arrow at the top right of the player, or one at a time by clicking download by each track.

I am offering these free to you through January 6th. What I would like from you, is for you to let me know what you think. I am considering putting these on a CD and making it available next year. Which songs would you definitely include on that CD, which ones would you leave off, what new songs would you add. I would love your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.

12 Days of Christmas Songs by Russell Martin

Related posts:

1. 12 Days of Free Christmas Songs – #3 Starlight
2. 12 Days of Christmas Music – #4 Away in a Manger
3. Christmas Reflections Week 1

With the carol “We Three Kings” in my mind, I sat down and just played what came to me. This is the type of playing I enjoy most. I hope you enjoy this too. The #12, and final song of the 12 Days of Christmas Music is , “Journey of the Kings (A variation on We Three Kings)”

To listen click the play button, to download Just click download (down arrow) on the song below.

Journey of the Kings (A Varition on We Three Kings) by Russell Martin

If you haven’t downloaded the previous Christmas songs you can download them here.

Related posts:

1. 12 Days of Christmas Music #8 Lo How a Rose
2. 12 Days of Christmas Music – #4 Away in a Manger
3. 12 Days of Christmas Music – #11 The Friendly Beasts

The #11 song of the 12 Days of Christmas Music is , “The Friendly Beasts”

I also have made it easier to download. You no longer need to go to a website and enter a code. Just click download on the song below.

The Friendly Beasts by Russell Martin

If you haven’t downloaded the previous Christmas songs you can download them here.

Related posts:

1. 12 Days of Christmas Music #8 Lo How a Rose
2. 12 Days of Christmas Music – #10 Oh Holy Night
3. 12 Days of Christmas Music #9 – Infant Holy Infant Lowly

The #10 song of the 12 Days of Christmas Music is , “Oh Holy Night”

I also have made it easier to download. You no longer need to go to a website and enter a code. Just click download on the song below.

Oh Holy Night by Russell Martin

If you haven’t downloaded the previous Christmas songs you can download them here.

Related posts:

1. 12 Days of Christmas Music #9 – Infant Holy Infant Lowly
2. 12 Days of Christmas Music – #11 The Friendly Beasts
3. 12 Days of Christmas Music #8 Lo How a Rose