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Sunday Edition


19
Apr
2008
Gospel Sounds Comes Off The Road Due to Fuel Costs


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Gospel Sounds Duet, a full time christian touring group, has cancelled their tour due to gas prices, and low attendance at churches and events. The group has been touring full time on the east coast for 6 years in Delaware, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida, West VA, and Virginia doing about 150 church concerts a year.

Reader Comments

Wishing Gospel Sounds the best, but understand the reasons. God bless you always and hopefully, in the near future...you'll be back out there!!


Commented by On 04/20/2008
I am sorry to hear about your leaving the road. However if the offerings at concerts in churches does not improve, there will be more groups having to leave the road.


Commented by On 04/20/2008
Proud-of-5's avatar I can sypathize with the gas price problem as well but how much are they limiting God by allowing Him to supply thier needs? Remember what happened with the disciples in the boat? They got scared when the storm came, Jesus asked them, "where is your faith?" If they would have simply remebered the will of God in the first place, Jesus said, let's go to the other side. He did not say, lets get in the boat and hope to make it to the other side. He is God, and He already let them know they would make it. Did or did not God call you to ministry?


Commented by Proud-of-5 On 04/20/2008
Proud-of-5's avatar OOPS, one correction, I meant are they limiting God by NOT allowing God to supply thier needs.


Commented by Proud-of-5 On 04/20/2008
Saying this very carefully because I am in no way pointing a finger at this group........I will be praying for them.

How is it that some ministries are running this close to the edge? I have been in full-time sg music ministry for 14 years. I fully understand the strain of rising fuel costs.

It just seems to me that groups spend so much money on the stuff that does not help them (radio, comps, promoters, "record labels") that they don't have any money left over for the needed costs.

Sg music is just like any other business or home.....you should FIRST save enough money to float you for a min. of 3-6 months. THEN put money in savings.....THEN start paying for those other things you "need." Until you have a solid cushion built up....you dont' need a new sound system, bus, CD, suits, posters, ect......

YOU HAVE TO PREPARE FOR HARD TIMES SO THAT THE HARD TIMES ARE NOT SO HARD.

Common sense seems lost in the SG world of "keeping up with the joneses."

One last thing....Sg groups have to quit going back to churches that give you $100 YEAR AFTER YEAR. If you are going in the whole, then yes you will be out of the ministry very soon.

There are plenty of churches out there who will pay you a good wage, buy your cd's and cover you trip costs. You just have to quit going to the churches that don't and find those that do.

I am amazed to read message boards and blogs and see Sg groups complain about the low offerings.....but they keep going back. You have to work this industry and find the good places. They are out there. Or is it just easier to go back to those places you know will have you? Sure they will have you back.....it costs them only $100!!!!!

I am sorry for this groups troubles and I don't mean that all of the above applies to them. Gas prices do hurt everyone. The key is to eliminate the silly costs so that your bottom line is unnafected.

It can be done.


Commented by mark forester On 04/21/2008
I am in agreement with MOST of the comments being that ive been in both types of groups, fulltimer and weekender. I have found out that the churchs with pastors that BELEIVE in the seed sowing and reaping principles DO give more than ones that dont support that thought. With the fuel prices going up there WILL be alot of groups cut back on the dates they do. Unfortunately, those groups may NOT be in the industry for the ministry part and in it for the money. Sure it takes money to operate but arent we aupposed to be good stewards of GODS money? I totally agree with Mark in eliminated the "silly costs" as i have seen product tables that looked like a yard sale in the church. Do groups really need trinkets to sell? New cd's tho are a must but shop around to see where you can get the best prices instead of flaunting money just because you liked one particular recording studio and they charged more for a quality project that you can get the same quality project from another studio of wey less. Ive probably stepped on alot of toes with that statement but i dont apologise for trying to be a good steward of GODS MONEY and have to account to HIM for what ive done. All the groups need our prayers and support both spiritually and financially or we, the public, are going to loose them. Finances arent the only problem but the other problems can be addressed some other time. Thank you and GOD BLESS.


Commented by On 04/21/2008
There are a lot of churches out hear in the west that would love to have more gospel quartets. The ones that I have seen have all played to a full house. We don't see many so they sell a lot of there CD's. If you keep going back to the same place all the time they will allredey have your CD"s and they want to hear something new.


Commented by On 04/22/2008
I totally agree with and support this group in their decision. I do believe we should trust God and not limit what He can do for us! However, HE gave us a brain and common sense to realize that when things are not going well, a decision must be made. If this group was going out weekend after weekend and singing to the masses with full attendance at each show, they would not be forced to make this decision. I understand where they are coming from. People at a SG concert give 2-3 bucks max and some don't give that. Combine that with the huge cost of gas and needed items and you can go "in the hole" really fast. I am sure their decision was not an easy one. For those here that choose to immediately placed the old "not doing what God says" line out there, put yourself in their shoes and when you see that you left home this weekend with a $100 bucks, sang your butt off and came home and had less than what you left with, you would think diff as well. I mean, would you go to work everyday and come home at the end of the week with less than what you started with? I THINK NOT!! I will pray for these folks and just know I support you 100000%


Commented by On 04/22/2008
I can't understand just coming home and quitting. If God calls you and qualifies you, he will make a way. Surely there are hundreds of churches within a 150 mile radius that you can get booked into and spread the Gospel and still not go broke.
I remember going to a church like that one night in our old beat up van. By the time we fed the kids, put gas and oil in it we had $100.00 spent. we got a $75.00 love offering. But guess what? We saw one young soul saved. How can you put a price on that?
I do think that christians should dig in their pockets and help more. I have seen 40 member churches give more that 200 members. I don't see why groups are charging $15.00 for a cd that cost $1.75 to produce.


Commented by On 04/23/2008
Lewis......maybe they charge $15 because there is a little thing like production costs! It doesn't just cost $1.75!

This mentality is what is wrong! Quit going to to the places that give you only $75 if you are trying to be full time. If you want to have a part time ministry that you finance with you other job, then you can go to the places that won't pay you.

If you want to make a living and reach the most people possible. You have to raise the bar. Otherwise....don;t complain that no one supports you.


Commented by mark forester On 04/23/2008
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