However one pastor used the term “ministry opportunity” in one of his references of my ministry. I then began using the term “ministry portfolio” when referring to my press kit. The two terms come across with appeal implying a serious persuit for ministry, not just a gig.

Peace and Love Man

JP

Seems to me it’s all about the difference between expectation and experience. Get more than you expected and the experience is good. When it’s the other way it’s bad - and (in the case of an Evaburn “gig”) maybe you get turned-off Jesus rather than attracted to him.

So what do people expect from an Evaburn gig? My guess is that for most audiences the expectation is good if not great music (define “good if not great”!). The extent to which that expectation is fulfilled perhaps determines the extent to which they give Evaburn permission to witness to Jesus.

Is there a better term than gig? Maybe for some audiences there might be - but to answer the question more precisely I think you’d have to specify the target audience.

No Jaffa Cake for me then!

Hannah - Experience…It’s all a bit Jimi Hendrix and would work much better for Graham Kendrick i.e. ‘The Graham Kendrick Experience’. I can’t wait to see him play his Takamine with his teeth. And you’ve given the world the term ‘Randominity’. Your talents know no end.

I suppose I should qualify my use of the term gig. In my mind gig and concert can be used interchangeably (which I do believe to be a real word). So my concerns about using term worship gig would be just the same for worship concert.

To your comment Mark.T (too many Marks) I should’ve clarified that Evaburn are a worship band so when we put on events/experiences/gigs/concerts we are seeking to lead people in worship. We accept that people who come along may not be Christians, which is something we wholeheartedly embrace, so we accept that they might be coming just to watch a band but in terms of lyrical content and emphasis, we are there to worship God and to facilitate anyone else in the room to do the same, if they wish to.

Oh and Y-Friday call their events gigs. I don’t know if that adds any creedance to the discussion but I thought I’d chuck that in seeing as I’d gone to the trouble to find out!

So, if I’m correct, we’ve got two thumbs up for the use of ‘worship gig’ so far.

I can remember going to an amazing CONCERT by Christian songwriter Michael Card some years ago - for me that was a very worshipful event.
I suspect many folk who go to CONCERTS by Chris Tomlin & other contemporary Christian singers thin the same.

I suspect that some concerts can become times of worship for some folk, although for it to be truly Christian worship, the focus and glory has to be on Christ.

I wonder if a way forward is to ask -
* are you primarily seeking to lead others in worship (i.e worship leading), where the focus is NOT on you, and you have a responsibility to the other people present, or
* are you doing a performance (i.e. gig), where the focus is on YOU and what you are doing (whilst recognising that some folk might find themselves worshipping Christ.

Bye the way - I think Michael Card rocks (but that also shows my age!)

Actually I think gig is fine as a description. It is what happens when Evaburn actually play which counts. Like when people are engaged in worship through the lyrics and melodies, and when others are challenged by the Holy Spirit as they encounter God in a way they did not expect.
We have to use the contemporary medium just as the Wesleys did all those years ago penning hymns to popular tunes of their day
When is the CD being released?