“Music missionaries? Never heard of that before.”
This is a response that the Institute of Young Musicians for Christ (IYMC) hears very often. This kind of response shows that we are not using all of God’s gifts to their fullest potential. Music can have a remarkable impact on a person's life - Christian music even more so. Sadly, the furthest we as Seventh-day Adventists tend to reach is a concert here and a concert there, an album here, a music video there. When we focus only on the performance aspect of music, we miss a huge part of what music is and what makes it so beautiful. Music is a discipline, an art, and a lifestyle. It is hard work, character building. It is a process.
Taking private lessons is a major aspect of music for almost all professional musicians. As a young person, they meet once a week with a music teacher. Ask any musician and they’ll tell you that their music teacher was a huge influence in their lives. They are someone that their students aspire to be like. They become role models. Students build a bond of trust with their teachers. They look to them for advice, they vent to them if they are having a hard time, they confide in them. These music teachers take them from a beginner who can play nothing, to an artist who can play with emotional depth and sincerity. Music teachers become a major influential figure in a student’s life.
Practicing is another large part of music. In order to get better at your instrument, you have to practice. Practicing is a discipline that one must learn. To be a successful practicer one must develop time management skills and concentration. Practicing allows one to set a goal and to work toward its completion. Progress in the practice room promotes a sense of self-worth and self-confidence in the ability to achieve goals.
Finally, there is the performance. This is the moment that the musician has been excitedly anticipating. All the hard work has been put in and has led to this moment. A proper performance transports the listener to another place. All their anxieties and cares are forgotten for a moment and all that matters is the message that the performer is delivering through his or her medium. The listener leaves, touched, hopeful, and inspired.
Imagine if we could use this amazing process for the Lord? Imagine if there were musicians, trained as music teachers and evangelists, who would go to different parts of the world to teach music. Imagine if we sent missionaries to start music programs in orphanages around the world. Imagine if they not only taught Christian music, but were also ready to give Bible studies and to be a spiritual mentor. This, IYMC believes, is the untapped potential of music ministry. What if we gave the gift of music, in its entirety, to those who at this point do not have it. What if we trained up a generation of musicians with mission-minded music teachers? How many lives could be touched? How great of an impact could we have?
IYMC has a vision to equip and send music missionaries to the United States and around the world to share the gift of godly music to the ends of the earth. IYMC truly believes that this program will make a huge impact on the lives of those receiving it and that it will lead many to the kingdom.
If you are interested in becoming a music missionary click here.