:: laughing : dreaming : watching : waiting ::

came across this article which was published in the Irish News a few years ago telling the story of the ‘Worship Ireland’ stuff i was involved with at the time. reminded me of good times so thought i’d share… 

“She was wandering around the town friendless; a newly arrived migrant in a foreign country – and the music drew her.  He was drunk and from a messed-up family, didn’t know where to turn – and the worship touched him.  She was hurrying down the street to work, stressed out – and the free CD sign grabbed her and she lifted one.  These are only three of over 25 thousand stories that have come about because of the God-given dream that has become known as ‘Worship Ireland’.

The vision of this Worship Ireland movement is to see a nation inspired to worship God.  The idea is that a generation of evangelistic worshippers could bring the flavour of Jesus to towns throughout Ireland, as they offer people free worship-outreach CDs among much more.  With over 25 thousand CDs now in circulation around the island, God has blessed this dream in incredible and eye-widening ways!

It all began back in 2004 when God inspired a few regular guys to bring their worship outside the context of church and onto the streets.  And that was the basis of this part-time interdenominational Worship Ireland mission, a bunch of nobodies, passionate about the spreading of God’s fame, aiming to give a joyful and positive message of Christianity.

Last June saw a group of 26 visit eight towns in Ireland: Drogheda, Dublin, Monaghan, Letterkenny, Ballykelly, Derry, Cookstown and Randalstown.  In each location God’s love was shared with passers-by through the handing out of free sweets and balloons, while a group sang and played some modern worship songs.  The Worship Ireland CDs, containing a gospel message as well as songs, were on offer in each place for absolutely free.

Blown away by the response, we discovered that God loves to meet with people.  As He set up divine encounters we saw that God cares passionately about hassled shoppers, old ladies waiting on the next bus, alcoholics slumped in a street corner, teenagers hanging about having a laugh.

As we worshipped on Grafton Street or outside Monaghan’s Court House, Derry’s Diamond Square or wherever, God drew people to us and brought about conversations that you could never even have dreamt up. Story after story after story. God was dying to meet with all these people. It’s no surprise – because He did die to meet them all!

A year on from Worship Ireland’s first journey around the nation, preparation is well underway for a second trip! Fresh from a year of travelling to different churches all over Ireland to support their work, an expanded Worship Ireland team are ready to hit the streets again. A brand new worship CD has been recorded and excitement is mounting as to what God has in store this time around.

For Worship Ireland the dream is only beginning to unfold as they share the all-embracing, barrier-breaking, life-changing, death-defying message of God’s grace. What a journey!  What a God!  But what a need…”