God's on My Job
April 2010
“I have also learned how valuable and rewarding it is to pray. It is a regular thing
for me to pray before going into meetings and work is not so stressful anymore”
 A social services manager from Birmingham has spoken how a course in Gospel Music performance has strengthened her relationship with God and helped her reduce stress at work.
Eighteen months ago, Maureen Watson of Hay Mills, then 45, signed up to study an accredited year-long course in Gospel Performance and Music Technology taught in Handsworth, Birmingham. “I used to sing a lot at church and low–key venues outside church but this gradually reduced in number to being quite rare. I had raw talent but no vocal training so when I heard two friends singing the course’s praises, I thought it would be a great opportunity to improve my voice.”
During the course, offered by Birmingham’s emerging Gospel Express Academy, Maureen and her fellow adult learners were schooled on key elements of vocal performance. It included lessons in breathing techniques and a range of tips on brushing up on-stage abilities and presence.
Positive
 “The course really made a difference to me and it was useful having other women and other Christians to study alongside. We always prayed before lessons, which had a positive impact on our learning.”
Maureen has been a member of the Worldwide Church of God in Erdington for thirty years, a denomination that meets on Saturdays and in a more quiet and reflective atmosphere than overtly charismatic. “Before I didn’t really know how to publicly express myself to God in worship (without feeling boastful or showy) or how to minister in song rather than perform. As a result of the course, my intimacy with Jesus has grown, I am less reserved and inhibited and now in worship I sing with feeling and my whole being rather than merely by (memory) with my mouth.”
Gospel Express Academy runs NCFE-recognised courses in Counselling Skills, Christian Studies, Gospel Performance & Music Technology. Academy founder and former Church of God of Prophecy pastor, Rev Deborah Harrison, comments: “Maureen has shared with me how being in the class with fellow Christians had helped her to grow spiritually. She was particularly inspired by the fact that I shared God so openly and used Bible verses to encourage their personal development.
Pleased
“Maureen explained that our style of including God in all aspects of the course inspired her to seek a closer relationship with Him herself. She has now gained the confidence to share her Christian lifestyle in all areas of her own life. Am I surprised? No, God is everywhere and I expect Him to reveal himself to both those who seek him and those who may be unaware. I am pleased that the Gospel Express is being used as a vehicle to impact lives, building up believers into confident worshipers.
“I say to anyone wanting to join this year's course, if you already have a relationship with God, don't be afraid to share him. This course provides the mechanism for believers to minister to a range of different audiences through singing /performing at events, thus building confidence."
Fresh from her graduation ceremony in July, Maureen has also felt the benefits of prayer and giving God more prominence in her life at work. Being in social work can be very stressful but since being on the course, I have also learned how valuable and rewarding it is to pray. It is a regular thing for me to pray before going into meetings and I know that God has intervened in some difficult situations and made them so much better - and work is not so stressful anymore. It reinforced the lesson that God is involved in every area of our life including work, education and leisure.
Further enquiries:
Gospel Express Academy runs a series of accredited courses in conjunction with local and national agencies to provide training, education and employment. The Academy has diversified its services to also offer additional courses, OFSTED-registered after school activities and a church/ worship centre (Ecclesia Ministries). Ecclesia Ministries meets on the second and third Sundays each month in Ladywood Methodist Church, St Vincent Street West, Birmingham, B16 8RW.
For more information about Gospel Express Academy, call 0121 523 5297, visit their or email
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