We live in a visual world, a world that “hears with its eyes”. For this reason, the release of the TWIST 2006 Music Ministry Conference on DVD is very welcome.

The DVD includes 6 live EMU songs, 5 from “Let All Creation Sing” and a vibrant rendition of “Worthy of all Praise”.

I’ve reviewed “Let All Creation Sing” elsewhere, so I’ll simply say that it contains some of the best EMU songs to date. The live performances on TWIST 2006 are faultless, and the sound production is top class. You will enjoy these songs.

The centerpiece of the DVD is three talks from John Dickson on the topic - “Gospel on the Lips.” In the first talk, “The One and the Many”, Dickson establishes a common theological foundation for both praise and evangelism - that there is one God, who has “expressed Himself” in Jesus Christ. God’s own worthiness is our motivation, both to praise Him and to proclaim Him to outsiders.

In the second talk, “Heralds Together”, Dickson discusses the key role played by the local church in evangelism, and explores the power of congregational singing in this area. The third talk, “Three modes of evangelism”, discusses individual proclamation and witness.

These are three very compelling talks, and they will challenge you to reconsider how you use music on Sunday - and even how you “do church”. Dickson’s arguments are persuasive and biblical. Pastors and music directors need to watch these talks and discuss the ideas they present.

All good DVDs have “extras”, and TWIST 2006 is no exception. There are some interviews and some material on children’s singing. But most exciting are the three bonus live songs from local group, Garage Hymnal. Raw, energetic, passionate - just wonderful. These guys have a bright future.

For just $24.95 you get nearly 3 hours of quality content. TWIST 2006 is the “must have” item for church musicians and those leading music ministries. There can be no doubt that this DVD, and it’s annual sequels, will shape the local church music scene in the coming years.

The 2006 TWIST conference

Each year hundreds of music leaders from across Australia converge on Sydney to attend the   TWIST music ministry conference.

TWIST stands for "The Word in Song Together', a unique opportunity for musicians to encourage one another, to hear great Bible teaching about music, to praise God with one voice and to refine and enhance their gifts for serving the church.

This DVD showcases highlights from TWIST 2006.

For more information regarding the TWIST conferences visit the TWIST web site.”