Monday Morning Quarterbacking...

• I'm glad it wasn't snowing this week although attendance was about the same.
• Brien led worship this week and did an amazing job.
• Our sound has changed over the past few weeks and it kinda sucks. Alot more echo and when you have a full band in a concrete box it gets a little loud.
• Time change hit the band hard as everyone was extremely late minus Brad...just a little late.
• Greg played this week and did a friggin great job.
  
• Philip and I co-taught which I think went pretty well.
  
• We spoke on the lie that "you're not good enough" which is crazy because that's how I feel whenever I speak.
• A church member shared that they connected with God which is very cool.
• Dave played a good song at the end of the service which was much better than last week.
• The band started back practice which was in a little room and loud but a needed adjustment.
• Had dinner with Philip and a good friend and went home to be with my wife and kid.
• Discover Point Church is such a cool church.
• I can't wait to see where and how God uses it.
  

Monday Morning Quarterbacking...

• I played my new guitar this week at church while I led. The guitar sounded amazing the songs went amazing. I think our church connected with the truths we sang and were impacted for Jesus. That is my goal is to lead people closer and deeper with Jesus. A strange thing happened during the worship set....my left hand went completely numb. At first I thought I was so happy playing my new guitar that I was having a heartattack!!!! After inspecting my new guitar and checking with my old one I realized that the gibson's neck is much wider and will not allow for me to rest my palm on the back. That's a lazy way to play anyways but a habit that I have embraced.

• Philip and Jeff shared some strongholds and gave some practical solutions!!! Good job
• 10 visitors on a snowy icy sunday!! Now that is proof there is a God.
• Burt's new look....no need to say anything else.
• Dave playing a crazy country song at the end of the service.... not cool.
• The band hit hard...maybe too hard I saw ears bleeding. jk
• Lisa and I going to Macon and back on the biggest snow day of the year was not the smartest thing we have ever done.

God has amazing things planned for DPC in the next few weeks!!!! I can't wait!!!!!!!!

To be excellent in what we do?

Now wouldn't this be amazing to be a part of. This level of professionalism focused on leading toward a stronger commitment to Jesus. I pray for God to use me in such a way that reaches alot of people. I am always conflicted about what it takes to be excellent. What do I do to further his Name?? Can I make changes, or hard decisions because it's better for what He's doing? What is he asking me to change that just may take DP's worship arts ministry to a "whole nutha level" (to quote Ed Young jr?)

Is any one person's desire more important than making a larger impact for Jesus?

What Do Guests At Your Church Experience?

This is a post from one of my favorite leadership pastors.....

from Nelson Searcy - Renegade Pastor - Church Leader Insights - Church Growth and Evangelism by nsearcy

If you have read Fusion or listened to the Assimilation Seminar, you know that we send out a brief, 30-second survey to each of our First Time Guests every Sunday. It provides good feedback to leadership and helps to reinforce a positive Sunday experience to the guest. And from time to time, these surveys remind me of why we take such care in how we treat the new people God sends our way each week.
Here’s a response I received this week from a first timer at The Journey last Sunday:
What did you notice first?How happy the band was! It was great.
What did you like best?The message. I liked how the pastor moved quickly and really analyzed text, bringing in lots of examples. Having us write along was great too! I’ve never seen that before. It kept me with him; it felt like being in class, but better!
Overall Impression?Loved the message itself. It was great. Also, when I’ve went to new churches in the past, everyone makes such a big deal about you being new (meaning well, no doubt), and I’ve felt like I had to explain WHY I was new. Also, I felt a pressure to promise I’d be back and/or to say that I liked the service after. I didn’t feel that on Sunday; I just felt close to the Word. I felt welcomed but in a very relaxed, not forced way. No one was “in my face” and that’s one of the main reasons I can’t wait to come back next week. : )
How can we pray for you?I’m about to make a big decision with regard to an amazing opportunity to go to Ecuador this summer. I’m just not sure what I should do. I see SURE reasons that I should and SURE reasons that I shouldn’t. I’m confused! The opportunity came out of nowhere, so I didn’t have a chance to think about it before the offer was on the table. Thanks for praying about it.
This young lady’s responses confirmed a lot of what I shared a while back in a series of posts about “What First Time Guests Want” - here are the links:
What First Time Guests Want #1
What First Time Guests Want #2
What First Time Guests Want #3
If this is what First Time Guests want, what are they getting at your church?

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!!!!!!