Ministry Update | July 25, 2008
Scott Aniol July 25th, 2008
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Dear Friends,
Thank you all so much for your interest and support of Religious Affections Ministries. We are excited about this next stage of ministry and anticipating good things from the Lord!
New Base of Operations
In just about a month we will be moving to South Carolina, at which time I will officially launch Religious Affections Ministries as my full-time ministry. The Greenville, SC area provides many opportunities conducive with this ministry, and it will also be nice to be near my wife’s parents, especially since I will be traveling often. Please pray for us that God will provide all of our needs in this move.
Worship in Song Publication
My new book on music and worship will be published soon! The major editing is complete, endorsements are coming in, and the formatting has begun. Please pray that this tool will be helpful for Christians desirous to know God’s mind on these important issues. Endorsements for the book are printed below my signature in this e-mail.
New Logo
Many thanks to David Fassett for designing a new logo for Religious Affections Ministries!
Upcoming Meetings
I will be in Michigan this weekend preaching and teaching in a couple churches and a pastors’ forum. Pastor Steve Thomas of Huron Baptist Church in Flat Rock, MI has asked me to speak on “A Christian View of the Arts” Sunday morning and afternoon. I’ll be preaching in their morning service, teaching Sunday School, and then speaking again in their afternoon service. I’ll also be presenting the ministry in churches on Sunday evening and Wednesday evening. On Monday, Pastor Thomas has arranged for a gathering of local pastors, and I will have an opportunity of speaking three times and presenting the ministry as well. Please pray with me that pastors and God’s people will be encouraged and instructed in these areas, and also that I will be able to raise some more financial support for the ministry as well.
Special Needs
As we move soon into the next stage of our lives and ministry, there are several pressing needs to bring to your attention. Thank you to all who regularly ask us to keep you updated with these kinds of needs.
1. Monthly financial support. Right now we are at about 18% of the support we need. Since our move to South Carolina is only a few short weeks away, we are praying earnestly that God will lead pastors and individuals to pledge monthly support for this ministry. We are so thankful for the churches and individuals who have already pledged support, anywhere from $25 per month to $400. Please let us know if you would be willing to help us with this need, or if you know of a pastor or individual who is burdened with the state of worship and music in churches today.
2. Startup costs. I have begun the process of establishing a Not-for-profit organization in South Carolina so that individuals can gain tax credit for their donations. The filings and paperwork for the several steps involved in State and Federal registration will run somewhere around $500-$800. Please pray with us that the Lord will provide this financing.
3. Office equipment. Since I will be working primarily out of a home office, there is some necessarily equipment that I will be looking to purchase soon. While at First Baptist, my primary work computer has been owned by the church, so I will need to purchase a laptop. The other primary purchase I need to make is a small copier/printer.
Beginning Monthly Financial Support in August
Again, I would like to express deep gratitude for all who have pledged financial support for this ministry. If you have pledged monthly support, we would appreciate if that would begin in the month of August. Until the Not-for-profit organization is officially up and running, please send your support to First Baptist Church, 5304 Charles St., Rockford, IL 61108. Please be sure to designate your support for “Scott Aniol - Religious Affections Ministries.” First Baptist will facilitate donations until the Not-for-profit is established, and individuals will be able to get full tax benefits from donations. I will let you know how to send support once the Not-for-profit is approved.
Help Spread the Word
If you know of pastors and churches who would be encouraged by this ministry, please help to spread the word along. I am available to speak in churches any time! As I mentioned before, at this stage I am also earnestly looking for churches and individuals who would be willing to regularly support this ministry. Even individuals willing to give $25 per month would be a great help!
Again, thank you so much for your prayers and support! Please continue to pray, especially as we move into this ministry full time.
Scott M. Aniol
Executive Director
Religious Affections Ministries
Endorsements for Worship in Song:
“Here we have a brief and thoughtful theology of the use and place of music in the gathered worship of the people of God. Aniol argues that our current confusions over music in public worship are at the root, theological. Consequently, we need to understand what worship is (biblically), how sanctification happens, the nature and importance of religious affections, the relationship between God’s glory and beauty, and the purpose of music in corporate worship before we are in a position to evaluate the kinds of music most appropriate to that purpose. When it comes to musical forms, most evangelicals just don’t think that they matter in the end, and hence drop back to their own preferences as the benchmarks of what we do and don’t do musically in public services of worship. Aniol wants to challenge that approach. Rightly so.”
- J. Ligon Duncan III, BA, MDiv, MA, PhD (Edinburgh)
Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
President, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
Chairman, Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Past Moderator, Presbyterian Church in America
Adjunct Professor, Reformed Theological Seminary
“Scott Aniol is at once theologian, historian, philosopher, aesthetician, musician, logician, and pastor in this encapsulating must-read entry in the worship wars. His biblical and musical insights are remarkable for any one person to make, let alone one so young.”
- Timothy Shafer
Professor of Music at Penn State University
“Unhappily, the whole controversy about worship style has degenerated into arguments based on personal preference, particularly regarding what kind of music is acceptable. Far too frequently, advocates for both “contemporary music” and “traditional music,” while giving verbal testimony to their concern for God’s glory, defend their positions with man-centered reasoning. Although proponents of neither position would admit it, what pleases people often takes precedence over any consideration of what pleases the Lord. Scott Aniol’s treatment of this hot topic is refreshingly and delightfully different. Throughout, his analysis is God-focused, biblically based, thought provoking, and practical. He argues convincingly that music is not neutral and that there are indeed music styles that have infiltrated the church that are absolutely inappropriate for acceptable service unto the Lord. I highly recommend Worship in Song for any who are serious about worshipping the Lord in keeping with the beauty of His holiness, especially in song–an integral element in biblical worship.”
- Michael P. V. Barrett
President of Geneva Reformed Seminary (Greenville, SC)
“Worship In Song is one of the most insightful explanations of biblical worship that I have ever read. Pastor Scott Aniol harmonizes the concepts of God’s beauty, aesthetics, affection for God, accurate theology, and musical expertise unlike any other book on this subject. I enthusiastically recommend Worship In Song as a must read for pastors, church music directors, and all Christian musicians who sincerely desire to help lead their congregations to worship God in spirit and in truth.”
- Michael Harding
Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Troy, MI
“Scott Aniol provides a tremendous service to all who would seek to please the Lord Jesus Christ in their thoughts and emotions and in that place where their thoughts and emotions are drawn together to please God – their worship. This book is scripturally, logically and carefully crafted. The tone of each page is gracious. The documentation of this work is clear. Best of all, the content of this book is readable and memorable. Here is a volume well-suited for those who would instruct others formally but also of great value to all who would honestly ask, ‘How can I know how my musical selections honor God?’”
- Charles Phelps
President, Maranatha Baptist Bible College
“Worship in Song may not always be an easy read, but it should become a must read for those seeking answers to tough questions about music. The book is well written, well researched, and well documented. Arguments are clearly presented. Scott Aniol takes the reader to Scripture for answers; the use of secular sources is appropriate and necessary. He is gracious and uncompromising, balanced and fair.”
- Ed Dunbar, Chairman
Division of Music
Bob Jones University
“In the 20 years I have been in Christian broadcasting, no single issue has been more explosive than the subject of Christian music in the church. Scott Aniol’s much-needed book takes on this issue in an incisive manner, and he rightly points to the foundational issue of religious affections that underlies the entire debate. Christians have allowed Hollywood and popular culture to shape their affections, rather than Holy Scripture. As a result, they have made God over into someone who will accommodate their profane and carnal musical tastes in worship. Scott Aniol’s thoroughly biblical approach is centered on the belief that God does have something to say about the music we listen to and the music that is used in worship. Christians owe a debt of gratitude to the author for his scholarship and clarity on this essential subject.”
–Ingrid Schlueter
Host, Crosstalk Radio Talk ShowVCY America Radio Network
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Dear Scott,thanks for update. Many people are interested in support. My brother-inlaw is Ligon Duncan’s assoc. and my sister plays the piano and has taught in the school for manyyears. I am suggesting that they have a religious affections seminar. Cornerstone is losing a blessing! looking forward to your arrival. Hugh Clarke