Go here and read these two articles and ask are we innovative or imitative?
http://www.collidemagazine.com/article/126/innovation-is-easier-and-harder-than-you-think
http://outreachmagazine.com/library/features/jf07ftrmostinnovativechurch.asp
We are in a great place with some profound freedoms in sharing the gospel.
We are finding that we are not tied to forms and traditions in the way "church" is "done".
So what can we do to share the message of the gospel that will compete with Elle, People, Law and Order, Lost, Newsweek, the inter-web, boredom, apathy, hate, pain, loss, gain, and ___________ (fill in the blank)?
If we came in one day and fired ourselves and promptly walked back in as the 'new guard', what would we do different?
Why aren't we doing that now?
The one with no answers,
LM
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Awesome Resource
http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/Events/WorshipConference.aspx
This is from the Worship God Conference from just a couple of months ago.
Awesome!!! What an amazing gift from these guys.
Check it out.
lod
This is from the Worship God Conference from just a couple of months ago.
Awesome!!! What an amazing gift from these guys.
Check it out.
lod
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Worship Team Mission Statement
The Worship Team’s mission is to serve by cultivating a culture of authentic corporate and personal worship in the Northcrest Community Church congregation through acts of service, ministry, and musical excellence.
1. It is not about us. We are already on our journey to become worshippers, which is why we have gravitated to seek an opportunity to serve on this team. It is about the God we serve and his people to whom we minister.
As a worship team, we must have a set of primary goals in order to achieve the vision of the worship ministry. The first is this;
It is not about us.
Luke 10:25-37
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself. "
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.
The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
What does the Parable of the Good Samaritan have to do with worship? Well, just like the in the story, it is a heart issue. The Samaritan did not consider himself, his journey, or his resources helped a man who was in a dire need. He stopped, bandaged his wounds, carried him to a hotel, and paid for his stay. It might be said that the story is not about the Samaritan or the wounded traveler, but it is about the selfless sacrifice. As worship musicians, we must always be thinking about those we encounter on our journey. Do they need to be cared for, bandaged, or put up someplace safe to recover? Do they need a kick in the pants, encouragement, a shoulder, or friend? What needs or desires do we need to put aside in order to be the hands and feet of God as we lead worship.
Ananias and Sapphira wanted to play pretend. They wanted to look like all of the other believers who had sacrificed everything they had for the church. They wanted the accolades, the pats on the back, and the “atta-boys” from the apostles and the other believers. They were playing dress-up and their “regular” lives did not match up with their pretend “church” lives and such they paid with those lives. God will not be mocked.
We too must know that as teachers (and lest you believe you are not a teacher, we are teaching the congregation how to worship) we will be judged more harshly (James 3:1). And our lives will always be under the microscope. How we deal with each other, how we relate to other members of the body, how we raise our kids, how we react to adversity, how we handle prosperity, and even if we obey the speed limit, everything is being critically scrutinized by those we would presume to lead. And they are searching for the slightest disconnect between what is being modeled and said on stage and how we pursue our daily lives. If we are to maintain our credibility to teach and lead the congregation, our lives outside the church walls must be lived as if we are inside the church walls.
3. We exercise our most public of gifts in a very dangerous place. Rebellion sparked by pride was instigated by the former worship leader of worship leaders and it is easy to fall into the same trap and see our service and ministry confined to 3 hours of practice and 40 minutes of performance. If we turn our backs to needs in our community or church then we become like the Priest and Levite from the Parable of the Good Samaritan and our effectiveness as worship leaders is adversely impacted. And conversely, when the life that is lived matches the life that is professed, the worship of the individual is demonstrated as being authentic, rising from a profound and genuine faith. This is a powerful kind of encouragement to one who might be weaker or younger in their faith will go a great distance in strengthening the observer’s walk with Christ.
The third primary goal is this;
Amos 5:21-24
"I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
This passage from Amos reveals God’s anger at Israel’s treatment of the aliens within their borders, the fatherless and widows. In response to God’s anger, the Israelites turned again and again to God with sacrifices, feasts, songs, and gatherings but they were doing the window dressing of religion with no substance. They got away from what God wants from them and us, which is…
Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.
God wants us to do mercy and walk humbly with Him, and to be His hands and feet here on Earth. Jesus’ ministry was marked by public teachings and feeding of large crowds but beyond his very public ministry, he did ministry both alone and accompanied by the disciples along the roads that he walked daily where he performed private healings, he meet needs of those he met and he performed service to those that were considered outcasts or undesirable such as lepers, the Samaritan Woman, the demon possessed, and the infirmed.
For our purposes as a worship team, secret ministries can be large or small, require daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly attention, and be done with a group or alone. But they do require intentional participation and forethought. Examples of secret ministries are; building maintenance at Northcrest Community Church, small group leadership, facilitating, or hosting, foster care, sanctuary decoration, going to a retirement community to play scrabble or Wii bowling, creative team participation, upkeep on an elderly neighbor’s lawn or home. The bottom line is ministry is intentional and involves anything that meets a spiritual, physical, psychological, or social need and is done in Jesus’ name.
Two last thoughts on service and ministry.
I Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Galatians 5:6b
The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself in love.
As worship team members, we must be at the very minimum available and enthusiastic to join in church or local ministries without being asked or cajoled, however we should be counted as a regular committed participant in a secret ministry. Take the dedication that you have shown to music ministry and share it with a ministry that is starving for champions.
4. Music is fun. Music is really fun when you can count on the people around you to be proficient. In order to be proficient, you must be diligent in your practice. And in order to be diligent in your practice you must be intentional in the way you approach your practice time.
Items that must make into our regularly scheduled practice are; 1) timing, working with a metronome, 2) scales and chords, having the ability to play fluidly through a song, 3) rudiments, having the correct position as you play or sing, and 4) ear training, take a song and figure out the chord changes or melody.
Exodus 31:1-11
Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you:the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent- the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand- and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you."
Psalm 18:32-35
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.
When the children of Israel were told to construct the tabernacle, craftsmen were selected by God to perform the most intricate and artistic work. These men, whom God said are “filled with the Spirit of God,” were certainly trained by the Egyptians in jewelry making and other fine arts but it was, certainly, the Spirit of God that made their art so exquisite. And in a Psalm of David, he says that God strengthens him and trains his hands for battle. God provided David with the opportunity for training and did not send David out into the fray unprepared. As a shepherd, David was schooled in battle training by defending his sheep from the various wild beasts that would seek to devour Jesse’s herd. I am certain that once you have fought off a couple of lions and bears, then you would find fighting with a man is a walk in the park.
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but it is against spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12) that would seek to destroy us and the church we serve. This battle is no less pitched or important than any battle David was involved in as a warrior or king. So if God chose the artists for his tabernacle and David submitted to God’s training for battle, then how much more should we as worship musicians submit to God’s calling and discipline to train ourselves for spiritual battle.
Further if we have submitted and dedicated ourselves to practice, we will not find ourselves being a distraction to the congregation during worship by making mistakes or playing poorly. And the fruit of that practice is the ability to play more complex pieces and have more fun within the conversation that is music.
If your sacrifice means nothing to you, why do you expect it to mean something to God?
1. It is not about us. We are already on our journey to become worshippers, which is why we have gravitated to seek an opportunity to serve on this team. It is about the God we serve and his people to whom we minister.
As a worship team, we must have a set of primary goals in order to achieve the vision of the worship ministry. The first is this;
It is not about us.
Luke 10:25-37
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself. "
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.
The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
What does the Parable of the Good Samaritan have to do with worship? Well, just like the in the story, it is a heart issue. The Samaritan did not consider himself, his journey, or his resources helped a man who was in a dire need. He stopped, bandaged his wounds, carried him to a hotel, and paid for his stay. It might be said that the story is not about the Samaritan or the wounded traveler, but it is about the selfless sacrifice. As worship musicians, we must always be thinking about those we encounter on our journey. Do they need to be cared for, bandaged, or put up someplace safe to recover? Do they need a kick in the pants, encouragement, a shoulder, or friend? What needs or desires do we need to put aside in order to be the hands and feet of God as we lead worship.
One of the maddening things about being artist or musician is the constant urge to restate, rephrase, re-craft or recreate the subject of the art. And we must give each other permission to pursue our art both as individuals and as individuals within the group. However, within the freedom to develop our individual or collective art, we must subjugate our own desires as artists to the mission of who we, as a group are trying to reach. When the focus of the artist becomes consistent shameless self-promotion, then the individual has lost sight of group’s first tenet. It is not about us, not about our individual gifts, performance, stage time or role. It is about God, loving Him, and humbly leading His people into a greater knowledge of Him and a deeper relationship with Him.
2. We are called to lead worship but if people do not know where they are going or how they will get there, we are just out for a walk. To communicate what really amounts to only a small fraction of worship, we must model authentic corporate worship from the stage and a have genuine off-stage personal walk with Christ in our everyday lives. We must remember that the microphones are never off. If your day to day does not match up with your hour on stage, then your witness is lost and God is cast in a poor light.
The second primary goal;
There must be no difference between the way we
2. We are called to lead worship but if people do not know where they are going or how they will get there, we are just out for a walk. To communicate what really amounts to only a small fraction of worship, we must model authentic corporate worship from the stage and a have genuine off-stage personal walk with Christ in our everyday lives. We must remember that the microphones are never off. If your day to day does not match up with your hour on stage, then your witness is lost and God is cast in a poor light.
The second primary goal;
There must be no difference between the way we
live our “church” lives and our “regular” lives.
Acts 5:1-10
Acts 5:1-10
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.
Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."
When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?" "Yes," she said, "that is the price."
Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also."
At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."
When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?" "Yes," she said, "that is the price."
Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also."
At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
Ananias and Sapphira wanted to play pretend. They wanted to look like all of the other believers who had sacrificed everything they had for the church. They wanted the accolades, the pats on the back, and the “atta-boys” from the apostles and the other believers. They were playing dress-up and their “regular” lives did not match up with their pretend “church” lives and such they paid with those lives. God will not be mocked.
We too must know that as teachers (and lest you believe you are not a teacher, we are teaching the congregation how to worship) we will be judged more harshly (James 3:1). And our lives will always be under the microscope. How we deal with each other, how we relate to other members of the body, how we raise our kids, how we react to adversity, how we handle prosperity, and even if we obey the speed limit, everything is being critically scrutinized by those we would presume to lead. And they are searching for the slightest disconnect between what is being modeled and said on stage and how we pursue our daily lives. If we are to maintain our credibility to teach and lead the congregation, our lives outside the church walls must be lived as if we are inside the church walls.
3. We exercise our most public of gifts in a very dangerous place. Rebellion sparked by pride was instigated by the former worship leader of worship leaders and it is easy to fall into the same trap and see our service and ministry confined to 3 hours of practice and 40 minutes of performance. If we turn our backs to needs in our community or church then we become like the Priest and Levite from the Parable of the Good Samaritan and our effectiveness as worship leaders is adversely impacted. And conversely, when the life that is lived matches the life that is professed, the worship of the individual is demonstrated as being authentic, rising from a profound and genuine faith. This is a powerful kind of encouragement to one who might be weaker or younger in their faith will go a great distance in strengthening the observer’s walk with Christ.
The third primary goal is this;
We must be involved in ministries that
are not associated with being on stage.
Amos 5:21-24
"I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
This passage from Amos reveals God’s anger at Israel’s treatment of the aliens within their borders, the fatherless and widows. In response to God’s anger, the Israelites turned again and again to God with sacrifices, feasts, songs, and gatherings but they were doing the window dressing of religion with no substance. They got away from what God wants from them and us, which is…
Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.
God wants us to do mercy and walk humbly with Him, and to be His hands and feet here on Earth. Jesus’ ministry was marked by public teachings and feeding of large crowds but beyond his very public ministry, he did ministry both alone and accompanied by the disciples along the roads that he walked daily where he performed private healings, he meet needs of those he met and he performed service to those that were considered outcasts or undesirable such as lepers, the Samaritan Woman, the demon possessed, and the infirmed.
For our purposes as a worship team, secret ministries can be large or small, require daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly attention, and be done with a group or alone. But they do require intentional participation and forethought. Examples of secret ministries are; building maintenance at Northcrest Community Church, small group leadership, facilitating, or hosting, foster care, sanctuary decoration, going to a retirement community to play scrabble or Wii bowling, creative team participation, upkeep on an elderly neighbor’s lawn or home. The bottom line is ministry is intentional and involves anything that meets a spiritual, physical, psychological, or social need and is done in Jesus’ name.
Two last thoughts on service and ministry.
I Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Galatians 5:6b
The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself in love.
As worship team members, we must be at the very minimum available and enthusiastic to join in church or local ministries without being asked or cajoled, however we should be counted as a regular committed participant in a secret ministry. Take the dedication that you have shown to music ministry and share it with a ministry that is starving for champions.
4. Music is fun. Music is really fun when you can count on the people around you to be proficient. In order to be proficient, you must be diligent in your practice. And in order to be diligent in your practice you must be intentional in the way you approach your practice time.
Items that must make into our regularly scheduled practice are; 1) timing, working with a metronome, 2) scales and chords, having the ability to play fluidly through a song, 3) rudiments, having the correct position as you play or sing, and 4) ear training, take a song and figure out the chord changes or melody.
This may all sound a little too close to the nagging you received from your first piano teacher, choir or band director, or mom who complained about the cost of lessons and the racket you made as a neophyte. But in truth, having good practice habits will likely extend your career as a worship musician. For example, having good hand position will reduce the probability of a repetitive stress injury to your wrist. Singing with good posture will reduce the strain on your vocal chords. Working on rudiments will strengthen your muscle memory and allow you to play for longer periods of time without the worry of stressing your body or having a sudden injury. The ear training allows you to become more proficient at your instrument and increases your confidence in your ability to play almost anything that is thrown your way. All of these things add up to a longer and more enjoyable career as an artist to the King.
The fourth primary goal is this;
We must all be dedicated through practice and
We must all be dedicated through practice and
diligence to the craft of our art.
Exodus 31:1-11
Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you:the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent- the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand- and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you."
Psalm 18:32-35
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.
When the children of Israel were told to construct the tabernacle, craftsmen were selected by God to perform the most intricate and artistic work. These men, whom God said are “filled with the Spirit of God,” were certainly trained by the Egyptians in jewelry making and other fine arts but it was, certainly, the Spirit of God that made their art so exquisite. And in a Psalm of David, he says that God strengthens him and trains his hands for battle. God provided David with the opportunity for training and did not send David out into the fray unprepared. As a shepherd, David was schooled in battle training by defending his sheep from the various wild beasts that would seek to devour Jesse’s herd. I am certain that once you have fought off a couple of lions and bears, then you would find fighting with a man is a walk in the park.
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but it is against spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12) that would seek to destroy us and the church we serve. This battle is no less pitched or important than any battle David was involved in as a warrior or king. So if God chose the artists for his tabernacle and David submitted to God’s training for battle, then how much more should we as worship musicians submit to God’s calling and discipline to train ourselves for spiritual battle.
Further if we have submitted and dedicated ourselves to practice, we will not find ourselves being a distraction to the congregation during worship by making mistakes or playing poorly. And the fruit of that practice is the ability to play more complex pieces and have more fun within the conversation that is music.
If your sacrifice means nothing to you, why do you expect it to mean something to God?
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