Family Worship Resources Family Worship Resources Newsletter Easter 2008
In This Issue: March 2008 
•   Welcome to the Newsletter
•   Songwriters' Showcase
•   Easter Resources
•   FW Roadshows
•   What is Leona Lewis doing on the front page of the FW website?
•   Joke spot
Welcome to the Newsletter
It's been around 3 months since our last newsletter, so a very warm welcome to new subscribers. Having only managed to get one newsletter out in the whole of 2007, I've resolved to at least try to get 2 or 3 out this year, so time will tell...

We have had a busy but exciting start to 2008, with one highlight being the wedding of FW Writer and friend, Chris Juby to Hannah.

Chris also designed the FW website and helped to make it the most popular UK worship site on the Internet - a fact which never fails to amaze me! I hope you enjoy the newsletter this month, and find something on the site of use and of interest - your feedback and comments are always especially welcome.

Visit the FW website

Easter Resources
Easter is especially early this year, and with only 2 weeks to go, I'm sure you have planned and prepared for your services. Just in case you happen to be as last-minute a person as me, however, then it's not too late to order our brand new "Easter Songs" CD, which contains 6 songs ideal for use at this time of year, along with backing tracks. The CD also comes with a free DVD, featuring the beautiful videos to songs "Jesus, thank you for the cross" and "The depth of a mystery (Communion song)".

We're sending out orders daily at present, so if you're quick, the CD and DVD will be with you in time for Easter. But, for something even more instant, check out the Easter Resources page on the site, where songs, and a couple of drama scripts, can be freely downloaded.

Happy Easter - Christ is risen!

Check out the FW Easter Resources page, including details of the new CD & DVD

Easter Resources
What is Leona Lewis doing on the front page of the FW website?
A good question! We received a request from the promotion company for Sportrelief to add a link on the FW site to the video for this year’s charity single. I remember hearing Leona’s single “Bleeding in love” on the radio last year, without knowing who she was (I didn’t watch Pop Idol!) and was struck by the strength & beauty of her voice, and the power of the song itself, and I wondered about her beliefs at the time.

So, when the request came in to link to her single, I was curious, and discovered that her song, chosen as the Sportrelief single, is based on the most downloaded poem on the web - “Footprints in the sand”, and the video contains images of Africa, which is always on my heart and mind. So, I warmly invite you to check it out for yourself.

Check out details of the song and video in the FW Blog

Leona Lewis
Songwriters' Showcase
Several years ago, before MySpace, before Facebook, and before iTunes, we set up a small section on the FW site for songwriters to submit their own songs, simply as a way to showcase them to a wider potential audience. The vision was in keeping with the overall vision for the main FW site - to make songs from a grassroots level in the church freely available, especially to encourage the rising generation in worship and faith.

We offer the service to artists completely free, and often the number of requests to add new artists and songs means that I haven't had the time to keep it updated regularly. Over the past few months, however, Dave Fordham has been working on the section to get it updated, and has added several new artists, and updated songs and profiles for a number of long-standing artists.

Despite the fact that it is easier than ever for independent musicians to load their songs to the web, it is also getting harder all the time to get those songs "noticed", so we are pleased that the Showcase continues to receive thousands of hits every day, and a number of artists have told us that the site is the main way that people find their songs (often a Google search for a writer's name features the FW Songwriters' Showcase as the top result)

So, if you are a writer yourself, or know a writer who may be interested, do let them know about the site. Or, if you like to listen to original grassroots music, with the chance of finding the odd hidden gem, then do check out the Showcase, and add it to your Bookmarks as Dave is busy adding new songs all the time at present!

Check out the Songwriters' Showcase

FW Songwriters' Showcase
FW Roadshows
We try to stick to only one Sunday a month away, in order to be around at our home church as much as possible, and we have a number of dates booked in the diary for this year, including the Ichthus Bible Week, Revive, in August. We do have some availability for September onwards, however, so if you are interested in exploring the possibility of a visit to your church or area, please do get in touch.

Roadshow page

FW Roadshows
Joke spot
A few classic worship leader/musician jokes to close with. I've left the drummers alone for a change...

How many flute players does it take to change a light bulb?
Just one, but they'll have to twist it backwards and forwards for an hour or so to make sure that it's just right.

How do you get two guitar-playing worship leaders to happily lead worship together?
Shoot one of them.

How may worship leaders does it take to change a lightbulb?
Just one - they hold the bulb up and the world revolves around them.

How does a Worship leader warm up?
Doe, Ray Me Me Me Me Me Me

How do you get a trumpeter to play quietly?
Take away their trumpet.

How many sound technicians does it take to change a lightbulb?
One two, one two, one two

What's the difference between an organist and a terrorist?
You can bargain with a terrorist

This newsletter is written by Mike Burn and is published by Family Worship Resources, London, UK. Copyright 2008, Mike Burn.

Inclusion of links and quotations does not imply full endorsement of the contents. The newsletter may be forwarded or reproduced in full or in part providing that the source is acknowledged.

Send comments or queries, or suggested articles or links for inclusion in future newsletters to MikeBurn@familyworship.org.uk  Family Worship Resources