A land with millions of gods, multiple languages and five rivers needs the One True God, 
now more than ever. India is seeing a fresh wave of evangelism, discipleship and the miraculous from the north to the south, the east and west. God is at work and moving mightily among devoted Christians who are willing to allow God move through them.
Maryl and I were once again honored to be a part of one of the great moves of God in India. We started in Lucknow in March 2011, and went on to New Delhi for some powerful and wonderful meetings, teachings, worship times and prophetic releases throughout. Pastor Augustus Anthony (Pastor Tony) started this group of churches called 
Assembly of Believers’ Churches 34 years ago. They have since grown into over 400 churches throughout India including more than 40,000 believers. 18 years ago, a farmer from Harrisburg, Oregon, Mark Smucker came to Lucknow, caught the vision and left a guitar. He has come back every year since, bringing others and more guitars. 7 years ago, they decided to start a School of Worship (now an International School of Worship and a National School of Worship) with the help of Mark, Bob Fitts and others. God has grown an amazing work in Lucknow and around India through the faithfulness of a pastor and a farmer! Pastor Tony is also on Zee TV being shown around Asia to over 500 million people weekly.
We arrived in Delhi on March 10 and flew on to Lucknow the next day where we rested and tried to beat the jetlag.
Day One: March 12 began our ministry in Lucknow with a wonderful worship seminar at the main ABC church. The place was packed with fervent worshipers including friends we had 
made last year when we came to Lucknow. The worship was intense and then I was able to seal this beautiful time with biblical foundations and understanding of worship. It was a powerfully prophetic time of building up His worshipers in the house of God. We got to rest some more to stay strong for the week.
Day Two: Sunday, March 13 was spent at the main ABC church in Lucknow with Pastor Shanu (a wonderfully happy, joyful and loving pastor). Again, the worship was strong and we felt right at home even though it was mostly in Hindi. I love how the children play instruments and stay 
involved in the worship there! As the worship continued Pastor Shanu led the congregation into intercession for Japan and families and relationships. It was powerful as the whole place wept, repented, interceded and cried out to God for mercy and restored relationships. Pastor Shanu turned to me to see if I wanted to 
take it from there. I was at the piano, so I led right into ‘On Christ the Solid Rock I stand…’ and continued the time with prophetic words and songs for about another hour as we flowed back and forth with God doing a great work. Many came forward to receive Christ and many more came for healing. I didn’t preach at all! God is amazing sometimes. Once again they allowed us to rest the rest of the day so we felt refreshed for Monday morning.
Day Three: Monday, March 14 we drove out to the School of Worship at the Convention Centre a few miles outside of Lucknow to join the students there. This was the final week for them of 8 weeks study at the International School of Worship. 17 students (mostly from India, but one from Oregon
and two from New Zealand!) totally dedicating two months (Jan-Mar) to learn and receive all they could from Jesus. We were able to jump right into their routine (we were there last year and knew the basics) and got them worshiping and flowing immediately with us. Then I proceeded to lay the groundwork for what I felt God wanted them to receive from me this week. 
We started with the biblical foundations of worship, leading then into the vision for worship. Maryl ended the time with how to study the word of God. After lunch and some rest we came back in the evening with a powerful time of worship together. These students know how to worship and truly abandon themselves to Jesus. We encouraged them to really step out and be the leaders God has called them to be.
Day Four: Tuesday, March 15 we continued with our teaching, but first I taught them to ‘speak, sing, pray’ the psalms. This has been a tremendous release and revelation for so many in their devotional times. For a season I would practice this every day with 5 psalms each day. That is how God birthed ‘Our God is Lifted Up’ from Psalm 47. Great times. That lead into Maryl teaching on Personal Devotions. Then I taught on Principles of Leading Worship starting with studies of David, Asaph and Chenaniah, the three great worship leaders of the Old Testament. Then we went into more practical considerations of worship leading, the list, the rehearsal, how to release the worship in a congregational setting, etc. After lunch and rest, Maryl had a class on drama basics and then taught 
them a skit for the graduation ceremony, based 
on my song, Prayer is For the Warrior. After that I taught them the song along with another a capella song ‘Doxology’ that is nice with 4 part harmony. We ended up really working those hard until we had the harmonies really ringing, but it took us right up to 9pm (which is dinnertime). Another great day!
Day 5: March 16, Wednesday was another full day of teaching and releasing for these students. We started the day with another great time of worship and prophetic songs and then I took the rest of the time working on the Worship Team concepts. From the basics of choosing and forming the team through the rehearsal and the service ideas, we touched a lot of bases on getting a worship team off the ground and flowing in the Spirit. We talked about flexibility and sensitivity a lot since that is needed so much in spirit-led worship. Rather than being top-40 driven, we try to be sensitive to what the Spirit might do in a service and then remain flexible to change according to where He leads. Exciting, risk-taking moments happen 
when we remain pliable in His hands. After lunch Maryl and I visited the conference grounds where 8000 people can be housed, fed and taught at once! It’s an amazing place that was built from ground 
up by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit moving through Pastor Tony! We got to play and run with a bunch of the orphan boys housed and going to school there. Great group. A lot of laughing. Then the SOW students were trying on their graduation gowns with little 4 year old Rachel helping out. Very cute. That night we met with the students once again to prepare them for the graduation ceremony. We worked the songs over and over until they were singing their parts in their sleep! :) Then we ran the skit with pantomime and dancing synced with 
the music. I 
assigned two soloists (turned out to be the two from New Zealand: Melza and Nathanael) and then the rest of the team sang backup. This prophetic song and skit got better and better as the night wore on. Since this was their last night at the School of Worship, the students stayed up until 3 and 4am (we didn’t of course, but we noted them throughout the night, singing, laughing, practicing, etc.)
Day 6: March 17, Thursday was a final day to fine tune their songs and skit for the ceremony that night.In four short days we got so close to these 17 young people. What a wonderful group. We reconvened in Lucknow at ABC for the ceremony in the evening. In the afternoon I met with the four directors of the International School of Worship: Pastor Shanu, Pastor Michael, Pastor Patrick and Pastor Rocky. We discussed the history and philosophy of the school and strategized on 
the curriculum and future schools. What a great group of leaders that truly love the students. In the evening, we started with a great round of worship and then the presentation of the graduates. They came on and dramatically spoke their life verses over the congregation (it was powerful) and then sang a 4 part a capella piece that I had arranged and worked with them. Most of them had no vocal training and some really had difficulty singing in tune – but by the end of this simple piece, we were all convinced that they truly could sing and do it well in an ensemble format. I was so proud of them in boldly singing something they had only learned two days before! Way to go graduates! Then they launched into a couple of great 
praise songs with a lot of passion. After that they did the ‘Prayer Warrior’ skit and song. After that we worshiped to the great song ‘God of This City’ and you could sense the passion of God on that place as He was sending His worshipers back to many great cities around the world. Each student got to share their experience at SOW briefly and powerfully. God has done an amazing work in each one of them in 
such a short time! Then each director also shared their experiences (they all take a two week time with the students – they get to know them very personally and up close). It was wonderful to hear all the stories of their time together. I was asked to share briefly with everyone, so I shared about being set apart and sanctified for the purposes of God in our lives out of 1 Chronicles
25:1. It was evident that God was doing something special among us and that He was calling us out in this season to do mighty exploits. Then each student got their special stole for
graduation.After that, Maryl had the honor of passing out the diplomas to each student and she exhorted the students – and then we all danced and celebrated! What a joy and what an accomplishment!
Day 7: March 18, Friday we flew to New Delhi and spent the rest of the day with Pastor Patrick. He took us to the India Gate which is an amazing natural memorial to Indian soldiers with a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier being watched over day and night. It is awe inspiring to stand under such an immense memorial but I suppose that is the purpose of honoring so many brave people – stop and reflect on the magnitude of the sacrifice they gave!
Day 8: March 19, Saturday was our second worship seminar held at the YMCA in New Delhi. Because of a national holiday that threatened the safety of a lot of people, the seminar and evening service was a little smaller than normal but the spirit of the worship and response was tremendous. 
Pastor Patrick and Pastor Solomon along with many other ABC pastors were there to make it all flow well. The worship from beginning to end had a very fluid feeling with many instrumental breaks for the cello (they had rented a cello for me again from a local synagogue) and Maryl’s 
flute. Patrick on the guitar and his brother Peter on the keyboard (as well as Manjit Joseph on the drums!) created a wonderful seedbed of prophetic music that afforded easy moments to slide in and out for both of us. What a joy to play with such gifted and sensitive musicians. After the worship, I taught on the vision of worship for the church today. The response was magnificent and so receptive. In the evening, during the worship I started 
ministering from the cello and then stepped up to sing and exhort everyone in the fear of the Lord and what God was showing us in the Japan crisis. I opened the altar up for those who were unsure of their foundation in God and in fear of life’s circumstances. We had a great response and a good season of prayer. Then we 
prayed for the sick and had a great response there too. Once again, I did not preach but just allowed the Holy Spirit to do His work among us. He does a lot better than me. It was interesting to have the 
music going the whole time and to sing periodically throughout the time of ministry. I think that is an ideal scenario for what I do in ministry. At the end we greeted a lot of our friends from last year’s ministry. What a great time!
Day 9: March 20, Sunday during the day we hung out at Pastor Patrick’s house to avoid the ‘Holi’ day festival of colors where people throw color on everybody indiscriminately (usually a chalk-like substance, but also water balloons with colored water and various other more nefarious objects) for no apparent reason except vague tradition. In the afternoon we traveled to Pastor Raymond’s ABC church to minister in Gurgaon. Maryl got very sick so I 
ended up ministering alone in the church. I decided to minister from the cello, and it was amazing. I have never done that before, but I just kept playing while leading a song, singing a spontaneous song, praying, exhorting, prophesying, sing another song, play some Bach and on and on it went for an hour and 15 minutes! Such anointing on the cello I dont think I have ever experienced, and such a flow clear till the closing prayer over the musicians and singers of the church. Powerful time! Pastor Raymond was in tears at the end. He expressed that this was what he was praying for his congregation. To experience a free flow of worship and ministry, intermingled powerfully 
and allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work among us. At the end of the service I met a gentleman who apparently is the oboist for the Delhi Symphony! We hope to play together when we return next year.
Day 10: March 21, Monday morning early we got on an airplane headed for Amsterdam and then home. Maryl’s health was stable but weak, so we were careful to get the best seats possible for the flights home. God helped us and we got home safe and sound on the same day!
What a powerful and life-changing time we had in India. We hope to go back as much as possible since there seems to such an open door and fertile ground to plant good seed. We thank God for this opportunity and many others like it in India and around the world that He allows us to represent Him and further His Kingdom in the area of worship. Thank you for your support of this ministry as we transform nations one worshiper at a time.
For His Kingdom,
Your Worship Missionaries – Dr. Tim and Maryl Smith