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Biography (courtesy of CCM Planet )

2002-09-21 -

JAMI'S JOURNEY

Jami Smith is a worship leader from Oklahoma. She began traveling around the country and leading worship with college students, adults, and kids about six years ago after graduating from Oklahoma Baptist University. She has been blessed to lead worship around the country and overseas. One of the questions that people continually ask Jami is how her ministry began. Her journey goes something like this...

I began leading worship in college. My campus minister at Oklahoma Baptist University, lead by God, came to me one day during my sophomore year and asked me to be a part of the worship team on campus to plan the worship services for our school. I reluctantly accepted the call because our meetings were at 7:30 in the morning. After a lot of donuts and Coke we began to plan how we could get students on our campus involved in discovering the joy and pleasure of adoring the Lord through song and prayer. I learned a great deal from that experience.

In the years to follow I began to see our campus start to embrace corporate contemporary worship and it was exciting. I had also begun to work for the Baptist Sunday School Board during the summers of '92, '93, and '94 for a fabulous program called Centrifuge. This program allowed me to learn worship leading by experience. It also was a time of deepening my worship since I was constantly being challenged by my staff to grow in my commitment to Christ. I learned so much and God really taught me a great deal through the Centrifuge leadership, my staff, and the students; I wouldn't trade those summers of growth for anything.

When I graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University in the spring of '93 I was extremely concerned that my parents would not understand what I felt God was asking me to do (After all, they had just paid for my entire college education!). My concern was that they would want me to get "a real job." However, God had already prepared the way.

With my parents' approval, all I needed now was the opportunity to lead worship. God blessed me with several opportunities. I was thrilled to be able to go to retreats, churches and college campuses all across the country leading worship or giving concerts. I remember the excitement in going to new places and in meeting new people; however, it was very difficult to be such a loner and I struggled with always being in a different place with different people constantly. I longed for some security and a strong community of Christian friends.

With hindsight, I realize that God was teaching me things that were eventually going to strengthen my relationship with Him. I will never forget all that I learned in those first 2-3 years. God brought me through to a better understanding of what He was/is calling me to do. I am still learning. He taught me that He is my sweetest company and my truest companion. What a good lesson! He also blessed me with new friends who challenged me both spiritually and musically. I thank God for these times.

In the fall of '94 we recorded my first CD in a day care center that some friends of mine had turned into their home. Some of you may know these guys. They are the Band MercyMe!! I learned a ton from these guys and from several other musicians in the OKC area. We then recorded my first worship CD (Come Unto Me) in the summer of '96. Around this time is when I really began to dive into worship deeper than I ever had before because God was revealing to me that worshiping Him brings a truer sense of freedom than I had ever known.

What a freedom I have found in being able to express myself to God in this way. I have enjoyed singing to God and being challenged to live the words that I sing. I have been extremely blessed along the way to meet God-seekers and to play alongside them in my band. I have been allowed the privilege to work with such ministries as Student Life, Awe-Star, WMU, Hot Hearts, Super Summer, Youth Ministers' Conclave, Youth Evangelism Conferences, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Passion, Baptist Student Ministries and of course churches of several denominations. I have also been able to go overseas three times in the last five years (Germany, Russia, Turkey, and Africa). These trips were very humbling and made me evaluate my commitment level to God many times.

In the winter of '96 and '97 we put together a concert CD titled "Mysterious Love"(released January '98) along with another praise and worship CD titled "Soul Thirst" in June '98. I want to show students the love of God. I want to help them realize He is our creator and He has made us to be worshippers. We get so confused; we often worship everything and everyone else. I have found satisfaction for my soul in worshiping God. It is better than life! (Psalm 63) I want life to be rich for us all. God is rich! He is asking us to die to ourselves to experience this abundance. This is difficult, as you may well know. I pray that God will raise up a generation of obedient Christ imitators and worshippers.

Thanks for reading my journey. Please pray for this ministry. God Bless you.

Jeremiah 29:11

Jami