Words can not really express the depth of gratitude we feel for what the King has allowed us to accomplish in 2009.  You, our customers, now number just shy of 30,000 – and if every one of you just touched 34 souls with your music this past year, that would number those affected by great Christian music at over a million lives.  Moreover, if 1, or 5, or 10 or 20 lost souls were pointed to Jesus Christ through songs you sang, and subsequently came into a personal relationship with Him, the year can certainly be counted as a complete success.

As stewards for the King, we count it a necessity to continue hunting, searching, signing, contracting, displaying and purveying products from the present and the past that uniquely convey the Gospel message to the lost, and encourage the hearts of believers everywhere.  Our service has met with both tremendous acceptance among the body of Christ, and (not surprisingly) enormous resistance from secular bodies.  We contend that the music is the Lord’s, and He will have His way, ultimately.  (Well, you just have to open your Bible to know that!)

As we stand at this moment, we have the rights to sell 21,369 Christian music products.  We also know that over 4,000 albums and 1,400 accompaniment tracks still exist with labels that are in the process of considering proposals from us to again make these available to you.  And there are probably just as many that we have yet to unearth or contact.  Would you please speak this prayer to our Father, who is always listening, on behalf of the entire Christwill operation and customers everywhere?

Father, for the good of the Body that remains in these last days, would you loose the minds and hearts of those who stand in the way in Nashville and beyond, and demolish Satanic strongholds worldwide that have undue control of these products that are yours, and make a way for this music to again reach the hearts of this world? In the name of Jesus, our Creator and King, Amen!

Thank you for your patronage in 2009 and we encourage all of you to continue to use your gifts for His glory and the growth of His kingdom this coming year.

-Andrew and Valerie Criswell
For the entire Christwill team

We’ve (Andrew and Valerie) just returned from a business trip to Nashville where God allowed us to solidify some great relationships in the interest of continuing to provide you with the widest Christian music catalog available.

One of our meetings was with the Dottie Leonard Miller and Ed Leonard at Daywind who our family has had a relationship with for two decades. While there, we were able to tour their facility in Hendersonville, Tennessee. It’s amazing to see the rows and rows of CDs all organized by number, ready to be dropped into boxes for shipment. We also viewed one of their sound-proof recording studios where many of the tracks you sing are produced.

We want you to know that the folks at Daywind are committed to providing you with the latest and best quality tracks and Christian Music possible and we appreciate their cooperation with us to make them available to you at Christwill Music.

Who would have thought that behind this small unassuming house there is a large warehouse and distribution center?

Rows of in-stock CDs and cassettes await ordering and shipment

One of three recording studios at Daywind Music Group, where some of the backup and demonstration vocals are recorded for the tracks you sing.

Andrew and Valerie of Christwill Music with Dottie Leonard Miller, founder of Daywind Music Group

Andrew Criswell of Christwill Music with Ed Leonard, president of Daywind and GMA chairman.

I’ve discovered something unique about shopping at Christwill Music…

I have discovered that the Holy Spirit can use the samples to remind me about His truths, someone to pray for, or just to lift my mood and give me peace.  Sometimes I use the website as a retreat.  Yes, the sample ends  abruptly, but then I’m free to click on another and continue my exploration.

You know what else?  I’ve revived a love of classic hymns and instrumental music.  I told Andrew a few weeks back that I’ve discovered that I like Southern Gospel.  And he  told me that he’s grown a fondness for Gospel.  By listening to the samples, sometimes for work, sometimes for pleasure, we’ve expanded our world of music.

We’d love for you to shop the website and buy something.  We are running a business, after all.  But we’d also love for you to have a place of relaxation and refuge too.  If we can provide some encouragement for you, then we are blessed to do that.

Did you know that we have over 200,000 song samples for you to listen to?  That number doesn’t even count our Accompaniment Track samples.  So cuddle up in your pajamas with your ice cream bowl sometime, pray for the Lord’s guidance, and click something you’ve never heard before.

Dare to try the sample below to get started?

[pro-player width='530' height='35' type='rtmp' rtmp='rtmp://media.christwill.com:1935/71']mp3:00100671_01_02[/pro-player]

Find this selection here

~Val Criswell

My last thought for this week is simply this: please share our site with a friend. The benefits are threefold:

1. Your friend gets introduced to a great Christian music resource, and
2. When we do a good job serving them, we keep a new customer, and
3. The stronger Christwill grows, the more we’re able to invest in finding music for you; there is so much out there just waiting to be unlocked!

Sincerest Thanks,

Andrew and Valerie Criswell
For the Entire Christwill Team

Hello, everybody! We’re back from our business and vacation trip, summer is just about over, and everyone is getting in the groove for an amazing fall season ahead. The new website is running well, though we continue to tweak code where necessary. (We’d like to thank those of you who have taken the time to report a bug.)

After less than a month, Christwill.com has already surpassed several of our previous site’s benchmarks. We’re delighted that so many of you are pleased (as reflected in your comments on orders), and are finding titles you didn’t know we had. The search tool is powerful, and continues to evolve. The more you use it, the better you’ll become at finding exactly what you need.

We encourage you to look for opportunities to shine the Light and Hope that only come from One, Jesus Christ the Son! As always, thank you for your music and ministry business.

Andrew and Valerie Criswell
For the Entire Christwill Team

This has been a huge (stressful) week, between our content team rolling out the amazing new batch of titles (1,088 total), our service team taking transitional calls (questions about new site, what’s going on, bugs), and our development team (coding and programming, machine maintenance and setup, chasing “bugs”). 

So, we are going to take a week off from adding new content.

Order fulfillment continues as normal, as does customer service, so have a big time finding great music this week.

We are so excited with the positive feedback, comments and calls from so many of you. We’re glad you are enjoying the new site! On the technical end, we’ve squashed a few last bugs, and are only chasing one or two… perhaps they’ll be gone soon. Then we’ll start adding new features!

Thank you for visiting, and commenting on your orders and in the web form. It encourages our hearts.

As we open our doors for business today, I think of my Lord Jesus.  He has been gracious to give us the vision, the energy and resources to put it together, and assisted us by guiding our minds and hands along every step of the way.  And while it’s not been without attacks from the enemy, human discouragement, and weariness, we’ve tried hard to persevere through and remember who it is we work for and to what end.

So with that in mind, I awoke this morning with the song Jesus, Lover of My Soul on my mind.  Specifically, the lyrics:

It’s all about you, Jesus.
And all this is for you, for your glory and your fame.
It’s not about me, as if you should do things my way.
You alone are God, and I surrender to your ways.

We dedicate this website today to the Lord Jesus, whose glory and fame we promote.  May His people find great Christian music to play and sing to bring more of those He loves into a saving knowledge of Him.  May His people also use the music to encourage one another and know Him more.

Welcome to Christwill Music.

Valerie Criswell,
Executive Vice President