What a Blessing!!!

For those of you who don't know it I turned 30 on Friday. My wife let me know that we were going to have a get together on Sunday with some friends and family. Boy was I surprised...here's what happened today.
We started the day off with 2 new songs to learn and 3 we knew. It went okay....and those of you who lead worship know what I mean. Nothing completely broke down. Every song and transition minus one (false start on the wrong song) went pretty well. I just was not overjoyed with how I lead today and how the band connected. We don't practice which has no doubt caught up with us and that will change soon.
Anyways at the end of the service Brien a worship leader at my church disappears and my wife walks up. She cues a video of embarrassing pictures of my childhood which makes the crowd erupt with laughter. Fun times, then Lisa says some nice words and Brien walks in with my dream guitar. I could not believe it. All of my friends and family had united coordinated by my wife and bought me a Gibson Songwriter Deluxe. Amazing!!!! I am still on cloud 9 about it. I played it tonight for a few hours and loved every minute of it.
God used all of my family and friends to encourage me in the ministry He called me to. You know, sometimes when worship does not go how you plan and you feel discouraged about what God has you doing, it's important to look back on the times when He has encouraged you in his worship. That was today for me.

Transitions and Flow of Worship

We all know how important sharing a song perfectly is. The band has to hit hard and together. The singers and band have to commit to the truth being shared. The Leader has to know when to and where to move during the worship. But how important is the transition to the flow of worship? Is it distracting when a capo is moved or a hard 1234 count starts off a new worship song?

I think that transition is what makes an amazing worship leader and not just a willing song leader. When I have sat in worship services where I was not at all focused on transition from one song to the next are the times where God built my faith in Him. I am not a master at transitions but here are some tips to help:

1. Think about key transitions. You may find that songs in close keys are very naturally buddies. They work well together and can help protect the flow of service.
2. Using transition devices. Prayers which is the most common because the worship leader only has to understand the transition. The band can set during the brief moment or focus deeper on God themselves. Videos are great transition tools too. Videos that impact for Jesus are a powerful tools and can help with flow. Scripture is an amazing transition tool as well. Hiding God's word in your heart helps to lead people into a deeper worship experience with God.
3. Having band members that have a clue. One of the best things that ever happened to my worship leading is another worship leader in the band. He automatically fills holes in the worship set, and is thinking ahead to what would make the flow smoother.
4. Training the band. Sharing with the band the importance of transitions and take their input on how to make amazing worship.
5. Lastly, Evaluate. Talk with your pastor, wife, friend, or mentor (if you're lucky enough to have one) about transitions and see if they are ever distracted during your leading. What do they notice and then how can you change that. If your service has video that is great!!! Watch it and see if you are distracted.
   

Thanks and remember...step away from the ledge...you are not alone.

10 Awesome Moments at DPC 2009

God has blessed me with an amazing church. Perfect...well no, but amazing yes. This month has reminded me that we are a church that is not satisfied with where we are at....I remember last Christmas and what DPc looked like then. 50-80 on Sundays, loud muffled music, curtains on the roof, kids in teacher's classrooms, set and take down each week, lighting was a struggle, volunteers were a struggle...but it wasn't all down in the dumps. Lives were changing, and Jesus was being worshiped but we all knew we needed to take some risks in order to reach more people....you see that's one thing we will never be satisfied with. We can never reach enough people. And if you look at our world you would see that most people need to have an encounter with God, so there is a seemly unlimited number of people to reach...(sorry to ramble)

This year has been amazing....we moved locations, and I have started seeing lives changed...which is the reason we are here as a church...

I am going to be sharing some awesome moments that I felt were huge for us this year!!!!

1# Philip's leadership to get us into the Parker Road Campus!!!!! You may not know this but He almost singlehandedly searched for locations to move to and prayed hard over each possible location. When Parker Road came on the scene we went to the Rockdale county zoning committee to get a special use permit....well a few of us showed up and expected a quick yes...thanks. We got a big fat recommended "no." (not enough parking)...we were all floored and Philip probably the most. We had a little under a week before the final city counsel meeting where the recommendation would be taken or not. Philip spoke with every city counsel member, he spoke with business around us, he worked up papers, worked out parking issues and shared it with all involved. He gathered a large group of church members to come and sit in at the meeting. Mayor Randy Mills and the rest of the guys saw that we worked it out and saw fit to not take the recommendation and thus we were able to meet where we are now!!!!! prayer and an attitude that didn't say no God couldn't over come that....Good job dude.

More coming!!!!!!

What kind of work??? Team work

An important lesson a worship leader can learn is to work well with others. This revelation in worship leading is a freeing practice. It also seems simple. Play nice boys...that's how it was put when I was younger. In a worship band situation trusting and listening to the other members that have an instrumentation idea, practice idea, or really any idea is very important. We are all working toward making an impact for Jesus. Are we as worship leaders to think our opinion is the only valid one???
Nope. I want to make a side note here and say that you should have a clear vision about the direction of your team. And team includes alot in today's production worship services. Lighting, Media, Computers, Video, Live Sound guy, Recording sound guy, Monitor sound guy, programmers, and everything else I can think of (that God has not blessed me with yet).

It's important to work well with those God brings together. When all those creative minds work together the outcome is......IMPACT. That's our goal. Life change for Jesus. We can't do that if we are on our own. God did not design us to be on our own. I was watching Wonder Pets yesterday ( I have a 2 year old okay...) and I was reminded of this Title of the post. It's true. There is no better more productive work...than team work.

Communion

Setlist today
Everlasting God in B
King of Glory in E
Hallelujah, Jesus in C

I stand amazed in G
Hosanna in A

When DPC shares the lord's supper we take the entire service and focus on it. This Sunday was interesting because Jeff our admin pastor, me, and Philip all shared a different perspective on what Jesus was going through.

• I shared about the separation he would shortly face from his friends, and God and how glad he must have been to share the passover with them.

• Jeff shared how Jesus told them to let their hearts not be troubled because they believe in God and should also believe in Him.

• Philip shared how the early church was persecuted for being a Christian and how taking this table could have cause severe persecution and even death.

It's great to be a part of a church that gives the Lord's supper the focus it deserves.
Thanks for reading.
www.discoverpointchurch.com a new website coming soon.

Setlist from Sunday (Brien Duke WLeader)
3. 1. 1 service format

Marvelous Light (B)
I Want To Love You C
You Saw Me C

How He Loves C

Not To Us (B)

www.youtube.com/discoverpointchurch

Are you ready for God to show up?

That's the question that has been popping into my head since the summer. So often we come as lead worshippers and are not ready for God to really show up. I think sometimes I would be surprised if I saw people's lives getting radically changed and those people following after Jesus Christ. Please tell me I'm not alone is this... but at the same time seeing those changes sparks a fire in me to keep leading, and working.
Are we ready for God to show UP?
The idea was brought up by a church member of mine at a men's bible study. Are we ready for the growth that God desires for us? Are we thinking with the attitude that hundreds will be influenced by our worship or by our church? Are we truly seekly to meet with God on Sundays? It's easy to get unfocused and fall into the routine of church. But we must remember that there is something spiritual when followers get together and shout out the name of Jesus.

I don't know if we are ever 100% ready for what God desires for us. He says who will go, we say send us...and Alot of times what He gets us into, gets us ready (if that makes any sense at all.)
So are we ready for God to show up this Sunday? Are we ready to see life-change occur?