It has been many years since I was last directly involved with ACAN, but I think back fondly over the days of the organisation's inception, when a small group of musically-minded people met at a modest Melbourne eatery to discuss the vision burning within us. It was my privilege to help co-found this not-for-profit support network to assist, resource and equip the work of independent Australian Christian music artists and to serve as the organisation's National Coordinator for 4 years. For several years (beginning 1998), the ACAN National Office was run full-time from of a spare bedroom in my home on a completely voluntary basis and I felt enormously honoured to serve God and this growing community of His gifted servants on a daily basis. I also recall many, many months of intensely hard but satisfying work coordinating the Forest Edge Christian Music Festival and Muso's Breakfast Industry Showcase events over a number of years. ACAN was an organisation with a clear and vital vision, operating at a time in Australian Christian music history where a concerted effort to unify and serve artists was desperately needed. That need still exists, but new times clearly require new strategies and directions.

Was it really 10 years ago? It seems like a few weeks – or a lifetime – ago that a few of us met in a suburban café to discuss a network for musicians. Not just a way of talking with each other, but for musos to move forward individually by moving forward mutually. From memory, the first meeting was attended by Dave and Rosanna Palmer, Ashley Kiesskalt, Martin Walker, Col Saddington, Gerard Callanan, Caz Oates, subsequent meetings we were joined by Wes Jay, Claire Hazzard, Phil Logan, Ben Louise and more.

This was in an email I got from a muso this week: “I always have a struggle with prayer, i.e. how can it help even if you’re praying for people on the other side of the world? And predestination? And why would God answer your prayers for someone else JUST cos YOU asked Him to”? Fair questions. If God already knows all, and has it all planned, what difference can we make?

There are many options available to you to continue to connect with like-minded musos and be encouraged, challenged and part of a community. We'd like to personally invite you to be part of the JoyNoise Hub and join us on this next part of our personal musical journey. But we aren't the only option out there so we've listed a few alternatives below so you can prayerfully choose which groups you feel you want to be a part of, and follow the still small voice of God. Join one, join all, we'll leave that between you and God!
Aussie Christian Gigs - for free online gig & events listing http://www.myspace.com/aussiechristiangigs

JoyNoise Hub - an grassroots network hub for independent musos http://www.joynoise.com

GMA-ANZ - a nation wide network for Christian musicians http://www.gma-anz.org/main.cfm

Musicians Prayer Network - prayer support for musicians by musicians based on Facebook.

As ACAN winds down, and Tiff and I begin our latest Australian music project, I thought it a good time to say goodbye to a great organization. One that I've been proud to serve as National Coordinator for the last four years.

The The Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF) conducts an annual National Songwriting Competition for every Primary, Secondary and Special Needs Schools across Australia. In 2009, the competition is being held for the seventh consecutive year and is divided into several categories to provide opportunities for children of all ages.