We are excited to introduce you to a new member of our ACT Intl staff. Meet Melodie Tunney (also known as “Mel”). Melodie has been involved in the Christian music industry in multiple ways – as a studio singer, songwriter, and artist touring with First Call and also with her husband Dick. Together, they have won 10 Dove Awards, and received 3 Grammy nominations. We are happy to now have her on our team! Our Founder and President, Byron Spradlin, recently spoke with Mel and here’s their conversation.

If you receive a QCD (qualified charitable distribution) from an IRA account, you can donate your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) and it will be considered “Tax Deferred.” Here’s how.

While people may attempt to categorize worship as public or personal (corporate or private), all worship is personal. Musicians may lead a congregation in corporate praise but, that which goes on in the heart–communication between God and the worshiper–can only be experienced personally. And every person’s worship experience is different. This is because worship is experienced in the heart. 

God created the Sowing and Reaping Process (Genesis 1), and it is just that—a Process. As with any process, there is a predictable and tangible outcome that comes from following the guidelines or principles that process requires. 

If worship is to be central in all areas of our church life, then the question must be asked, “Who is God”? To answer this question, four major theological realities must be articulated: 1) God is supreme, 2) God is holy, 3) God is the Creator, and 4) God is hesed-love.

When it comes to personal evangelism, feelings of obligation, guilt, and duty have never been effective motivators for me. On the other hand, experiences of God’s provision, accessibility, love, and forgiveness naturally flow out of me in Gospel witness to others.

My life’s work and my passion are to motivate the Church toward thinking more deeply and seriously about the importance of creatives and artists who serve as “imaginative expression specialists.” And, toward these ends, my goal is for pastors and others in church leadership to treat singers, musicians, fine artists, dancers, and others as not just performers but as key strategists on their evangelism and outreach teams.

It’s important to have a biblical definition of imagination and imaginal intelligence. We know from Genesis 1:26, 27 that humans are made in God’s image. As such, we possess imaginal intelligence. Dogs, for instance, have instinct; people have imagination.