Pastor's Page

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I understand that inviting a worship leader or songwriter to your church can be a challenging task.  After sharing my music with over 200 different churches in 18 states, I can tell you the most common question pastors and music leaders ask when considering hosting me is this:

“What exactly do you do?”


The answer is very simple and is divided into 3 parts.

  • I play acoustic guitar and sing songs that I’ve written 
  • I lead congregations in corporate praise and worship
  • I tell stories about my life and the songs I've written

 

It can be a time consuming task to research guest speakers and musicians that you invite to your church. My hope is that this page will make it easy for you to get the information you need to make the best decision possible.

Thanks for taking the time to consider me.  I am so glad you did.

 

An Overview of this Page

This page provides an overview of everything I have to offer, as well as what you can expect.  You can click on the links below to take you directly to the relevant sections.

 

What You Can Expect

If you choose to work with me, it is my goal to offer my talents and abilities to your church or organization with professionalism and integrity.  I will answer all phone calls and email messages promptly, and I will make sure and treat each opportunity with equal enthusiasm.  I hope that through working together we can not only bring short term benefits to your church, but that we will also develop a friendship that will last for many years.

 

A Little Bit About Me

I am a professing, born-again Christian who was raised in a loving family in North Alabama.  I am a long-time member of a local Southern Baptist church.  During the school year, I lead the worship for the high school students of First Baptist Church in Oxford, MS every Wednesday night.  I travel on the weekends and share my music ministry with churches all across the country.

Music and worship leading is my full-time job.  My wife and I rely solely on the income we receive through honorariums and love offerings given to us by the local churches that I share my music with.  I devote most of my time throughout the week calling and emailing churches and pastors in hopes of securing new opportunities to share my music.  I also spend a good deal of time preparing the music for my upcoming performances as well as honing my crafts of songwriting and recording new music.

I have independently composed and recorded 3 full-length albums of contemporary Christian music, and have been touring churches full-time for the past 3 years.  In that time I have had the opportunity to share with over 200 different congregations in 18 states.

I have been happily married to my wife, Colene, for 2 years.  Colene is a full-time graduate student at the University of Mississippi and she is currently in the third year of a doctoral program.  She is expected to graduate in May of 2013 with a PhD in Economics.  She wants to be a professor at a university.  We live in Oxford, Mississippi, and in my free time I enjoy golfing, playing basketball, and of course, songwriting.

 

Endorsements

I don't send referral recommendations often, but we recently had a young man visit our church that is truly worthy of recommending to others.  His name is David Ashley and his music is fresh, his voice is pure, and his passion for Christ is evident. He was such a blessing to us, and I am confident he will also be a blessing to you. He is an amazing musician and vocalist, and he has a very sweet spirit – which made working with him a joy. So whether you are looking for someone to lead your people in worship or someone to present a time of original music and stories, David is your answer. I know that he will certainly be a blessing to you and your church. 

-- Dr. James L. Nichols, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church Greenville, Mississippi

I was blessed to meet David in Green Bay, WI when we shared the stage together and instantly became a fan of his intelligent, sensitive, and infectious songwriting. Off-stage I was grateful to meet such a kind, passionate, and humble man who is serious about his calling and pursuit of Jesus. I recommend David as an artist with a gift for ministering with warmth, intelligence, conviction, humility and a light touch that is refreshing and inviting. 

-- Jason Gray Centricity Music EMI CMG (www.jasongraymusic.com)

 

What Does A Typical Sunday Look Like?

[I use the term “Sunday,” only because a vast majority of my appearances are either on Sunday morning or Sunday night.  I am available on any day of the week.]

Sunday Morning is usually a combination of corporate worship, original songs, and a message from the pastor.  The music portion of the service might start out with me leading the congregation in a couple familiar songs followed by one or two original songs. 

I will usually ask you for an order of worship, and then I will fill in the music slots with the appropriate song choices.  I will give you the authority of deciding if and when to play original music versus congregational worship. 

When I visit a church on Sunday morning, my focus is to be respectful of the congregation.  If I choose songs for the congregation to sing, I want to make sure they are songs that they know and love.  If I am performing original songs, I want to take into consideration the demographic of the room.  Obviously my song choices will not be the same for an audience of youth vs. an audience of 50 and 60-yr-olds (or a contemporary service vs. a blended or traditional service). 

If there is one thing that I pride myself in, it is the ability to relate to an audience, regardless of age or worship style preferences.  If you choose to use me in your Sunday morning service, I will work hard to give the people an enjoyable and comfortable experience.

 

Sunday Evenings are usually reserved for a more complete presentation of music in the form of a concert. The pastor usually will refrain from giving a message in order to allow more time to present.  A typical worship concert will usually consist of 45 minutes of music.  This allows 10-15 minutes to do beginning announcements, closing prayers, love offerings, etc..  Sunday evening concerts are usually more relaxed than Sunday morning appearances, but everything mentioned in the Sunday morning section about understanding and respecting the audience still applies.

 

Do You Do Youth Events?

Yes! I lead the music and worship for youth retreats, youth camps, back-to-school rallies, parties, and concerts.  I have worked with hundreds of groups and I lead a group of students in worship every week during the school year.  Let me know what you have in mind and I’d be happy to help with your next youth event!

 

My Upcoming Events

Click here to see a full schedule of events

 

The Next Step

Thanks again for considering me for your event. You can take the next step checking my availability. Just click on the link below that says, "contact." I will get back with you right away.

CONTACT