Music: MP3s, split tracks, sheet music database and source?

[HFC-Columbus]

Help!
I'm looking for split track accompaniment music (mp3s, preferably) to support our instrument-challenged praise team. We have three or four singers, but no "band."

Our congregation is small (down to 60 or so from 120 or so before the lead pastor left), with a large proportion of seniors - in fact, we have two families with school-age children (including "college" in "school age"). None of them play piano, organ, or any other instrument.

I am suddenly in charge of the production side of music ministry at "my" small church. Until May, our lead pastor and his wife were also worship leaders. She played a WICKED piano, he sang and arranged the music, and we had a bass player, a guitarist and four singers. I played drums.

Then the pastor and his wife left, the guitarist deployed to Iraq, and the bass player isn't willing to solo.

As Interim Pastor, I used iWorship videos for the music portion of the service.

Now the new lead pastor is here, and I'm back to being Associate Pastor. Together, he and I pick the music, and then I go to lifewayworship . com to download the listening demo, split track, and singer's sheet music.

Using Audacity, I tweak the music and then burn demos for the singers to listen to, and split tracks for the Sunday morning service.

We're slowly building a library of songs, but the process is very slow and (for me) not user-friendly. For example, I have to re-name every file I download since the web site uses file numbers like 30127-A.mp3 instead of helpful titles like "God of Ages - Eb - Split track.mp3"

I have to download at least three files for each song, and if the arrangement features a solo, I have to dub in my own melody/lead vocal track from the listening demo onto the split track to get the melody.

I'm not a musician... like I said, I play drums. I'm competent with computers, though.

What I'm really looking for is a database/worship planning software package that will track what we play and organize the files.... and if it can help me develop and print the order of service, that would be great too.

Any suggestions?

[hoosierdraft]

Take a look at Planning Center Online and try out there demo. One of the best around IMHO. Will handle your planning as well as your media and practice files.

[[Director] drew ryan]

I will second Planning Center Online.

[HFC-Columbus]

Are there any alternatives to LifewayWorship dot com that provide split or performance tracks, piano charts, singers' sheets, chord charts, etc. for download at a reasonable cost? Many of the songs I'm looking for aren't in there, and many of those that are have... well, "soft" arrangements.

Compare their version of Thank You Lord II to the Don Moen version of the same song.

[[Admin] osborn4]

We get all our charts (song sheets, chord charts, lead sheets) from CCLI SongSelect.

I haven't shopped around for split track accompaniment.