Voice Coaches

I wanted to post a video that had some good instruction for Praise/Worship Team vocalists'. I'm still waiting for 'permission' from the one I want to use, so hang in there. I know a lot of people may get frustrated that we don't just use 'whoever' seems to be good. Here's what I deal with in trying to find quality, healthy/safe, relevant-for-our-ministry material:

• Vocal 'coaches' are a dime a dozen, especially in the secular market. While they exist in the Christian market, there just aren't that many that are good.
• In the Christian arena, most of what we get is how to sing with the 'choral' sound as opposed to how to lead with strength, power and clarity with the true natural voice.
• I look for instruction, not just from the Christian market, that will help our vocalists to have healthy habits as well as good practice technique.
• Our end goal with Praise Team is to be able to communicate Gods story through music. That needs to be clear, in tune, in harmony, and compelling to the point that you can't help but join in and sing along.
• Too many churches 'settle' for just Christian produced material. Sorry to say that some of it really sucks pond water! Poor technique, even to the point of dangerous on one I saw, poor quality, and so on. I don't know how that honors God!

Before we get all crazy, I'm not saying that singing with choral technique is bad. I majored in music (I.S.U.) and was in a choir or two myself. I even took voice lessons while there to hone my 'craft' and my skill. But answer me this: how many songs do you listen to in a given week that FEATURE choirs over group vocals? Not too many choir stations on the radio these days. So why do we focus so much on that when we're trying to reach a culture that doesn't even give a rip?

Okay, I'm off my high horse for now.
If you're in a church where you've found some stuff from folks such as Tim Carson (Vocal Artistry) and Steve Bowersox, you have found the resources that I think are proving to be of great value to the local church. If you've got someone you've found that's helped you and/or your team, please share it. I believe one of the 'habits' that churches have fallen out of is sharing resources, ideas, and information with other churches. I want to give away as much as I can when I learn something or find something that works. If it helps grow the Kingdom, then why not?

See ya in church!

Gloves Off!

Okay, enough with the kind, gentle approach.

I want to talk to those of you who have musical abilities. We have heard over and over again that people don't want to come to Tuesday rehearsals or feel they can't be a part of the team because we are too professional for where they are.

Hold on....HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!
I had to pick myself up off the floor cause I was LAUGHING MY BUTT OFF! Okay, I'm back now. Let me fill you in on something.

Do you know why we get labeled that way? Because the people playing and singing love God with all their heart, soul and mind and serve from that place...and then God blesses US! {If you would come on Tuesday at 6 pm you would see for yourself just how REAL we are.} We make mistakes. We don't get the music learned on time. We mess up lyrics (were you there last Sunday?). We play the wrong notes and even sometimes in a different key (that's mostly me). We are not studio musicians nor do we want to be. We just love God and worship Him through our gifts of music.

If God has gifted you, STOP THINKING YOU'RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH! You were given the ability to draw attention to HIM through those gifts. So, get off your seat, stop making excuses and being selfish, and get here on Tuesday, 6 pm in the worship center. Bring your instrument if you play. JUST COME AND SEE WHAT GOD DOES!

It ticks me off when we allow the deceiver to lull us into thinking we aren't 'good enough' to share! Tell him to go back where he came from and chase after God with your gifts. You wanna see God do something amazing in His church? Step up and serve and watch what happens.

Give me a shout if you have questions or if I just ticked you off. I'd love to hear from you.

See ya at rehearsal...Karl. Did I mention it's at 6 pm in the worship center, on Tuesday?

Disturbed!

Loved this past Sunday for a couple of reasons:

• I love it when Bill gets fired up about his passion for the lost and what our job as the church really is. To use his words, "...what disturbs me is when the church won't change the way it does things. What worked for great, great, great, great, great grandpa won't work for us today. We need to do a heart check and see what it is that God is calling us, the church, to do in order to reach a lost and dying world."
• Dude got PASSIONATE and EXCITED about Jesus and sharing Him with the community! That will get me fired up!
• The band clicked and worshiped from a great place. Love it when Jon lets go and worships through his guitar.
• The set seemed to connect both the message and communion. People seemed to be in a place where God could speak and perhaps even get a word in edge-wise! Some very humble, moving moments.

I have a passion to see God's people connect with Him in worship, using music, media, the spoken word, art - just about whatever. When that happens, there is a fire that burns so hot and bright that it is at times overwhelming! As the day wears on, it gets to be exhausting, but in a really good way.

Have you discovered that passion in your walk with God yet? Is there something that God has put on your heart that just gets your pulse racing? Have you found a way to connect that to serving God? Remember, Jesus came to serve, not to be served. If He is our model, we better get on with following His example! Whether you're at First Baptist, Pocatello, or in a church in Ashburn, Virginia, God expects that you will be SERVING in some capacity. What gets you 'disturbed' to the point of excitement, what gets you passionate? Find a way to plug into that NOW and see what God has for you. One things for sure - it will be filled with blessings! (Read Psalm 112)

See ya in church...

The 'After Party!'

We just wrapped up our prayer series with a night of prayer, praise and thanks. So why has it taken me this long to blog about it? I think part of it is that it all is just sinking in.
Pastor Bill provided opportunity for people to respond to the greatness and goodness of God by sharing their praises with us. There is some INCREDIBLE stuff happening in the lives of the people of First Baptist Church. Everything from financial freedom to healthy marriages and more. We have a lot to be thankful for!

Why don't you take some time, right now, to stop and do this right where you are:

1. Who are you thankful for in your life today? Say the persons name out loud and thank God for the blessing they have been to you.
2. What are you praising God for today? Has he blessed you? Saved you from something? Healed you? Say it out loud to the Creator!
3. What group of people are you thankful for? Who is it that you are glad are in your life today? Take time to say their names out loud and thank Him for them.

I'll tell you what, when you get God's people together and they start sharing what it is that He has done in their lives, you can't hold back. You want to do something! You gotta DANCE or something! (You won't catch me dancing - it'd be UGLY!) But I will get excited and I'll be up for hours because I know what that feeling is like. And I want EVERYONE to experience it. And there are a lot of people that do experience after events like this. It's what I call the "After Party". Once our service(s) is done, I watch the people who hang back and visit, catch up, share, and so on. This happened at our prayer night at a whole different level. The past two, people just said hello and left. Not this time! The majority - and I do mean the majority - of people stayed and shared, caught up, PRAYED - in a church? - it was AWESOME! We're supposed to share what God is doing in our lives with other people. When we're called to be a light, it's more than just sharing Jesus. It's sharing what He has done in us and through us. That's what it means to share. People need hope - and to many people in your circles, you are it! So let them know what He's been up to. Let them know if they are one of those people you thanked Him for. It'll make their day, as well as yours!

When we have people 'hanging out' after services and events, that tells me that God is up to something, and I believe it's something BIG! I hope you're all ready for whatever is coming. I know I am, and I'm starting to get 'happy feet'!

Join us Sunday and see what I mean. I believe God will be at the After Party!

See ya in church...

WOW!

We wrap up our prayer series this Wednesday night with our final Night of Prayer, 6:30 in the Worship Center. And I'm getting excited for it because it will be an overflow - we pray - from this past Sunday's focus, the WOW! part of prayer.
Paul (Austin) did a great job of pointing us to the incredible opportunity that is there for us when we enter into God's presence in our prayer life. The fact that we CAN is in itself a WOW! We don't need a priest or someone to approach God on our behalf. We can have open, honest and direct communication with the Creator Himself and experience His great love, compassion, discipline and grace first hand! I don't know about you, but if I didn't have that, I would not be here today. I know that I need to have that access in order to connect and communicate with Him.
And I have to say I really appreciate Paul's honesty and transparency. It's not easy to get up in front of people and 'confess' your struggles with God and with the stuff in your life. But Paul did it, and I believe he was being sincere and honest. That is an encouragement for many, me included.

Here's a couple of quick observations from Sunday:
* There was a definite desire to want to sing worship to God. And it showed in the participation and excitement in many of you!
* It was the first time we have heard applause after the video announcements! Not sure what
that was all about, but it got the energy going in the room. Thanks Terry for doing those.
* We introduced a new song, Take Time To Pray by Rick Muchow, that seemed to settle well
with both crowds. A great reminder as we wrap up the series to DO what we've been talking
about for almost a month!
* Again, Paul really drove the point home and folks got it. I know of one conversation that took
place after second service where Paul was approached by someone who doesn't really agree
with or like 'church'. Yet he took time to tell Paul that he liked what he had to say and it was making him think a little differently about God and his life. Praise God!
* The 'after service party' is cracking me up! What I mean by this is the amount of people that
stick around and visit in the Worship Center. Week after week this crowd is growing in number and staying longer. To me, that's a sign of a welcoming, comfortable church.

God is up to something around here. Would you do me a favor? Would you continue to pray for me in this time of excitement and opportunity? I don't have any idea what God is up to, as I don't think anyone really does. But for me, it's a tough time because I'm phasing myself out of the out-front-lead guy (over the next 3-4 years) and not sure what the next phase looks like. I AM NOT LEAVING THE CHURCH OR QUITTING! In case you haven't noticed, I'm not getting any younger. In order for us to connect better with a culture that is younger, I think we need someone who is closer to that age demographic to lead. I have to figure out what that looks like and who that needs to be. I am just trying to plan ahead. (In case you didn't know it, this has been in the works for the past two years.) What I'm doing is looking for that next WOW moment in ministry that God has already planned for me. I believe I need to do this work now so that I can be ready for the next chapter, whatever that may be. I appreciate and count on your prayers.

Let's pray together for the next WOW! moment for First Baptist and for the Creative Arts and Worship Ministry.

See ya in church...

Night of Prayer Round 2

Once again, God has shown up in special and powerful ways. Last night our elders led our time of prayer, and helped us to focus on the community, our schools and our leaders in our church. It was a time of open, honest communication with the Creator at a level I've been hoping to see for some time.
Our numbers were a little more than last week, and one significant increase was in the area of our youth. They not only attended, but they participated in prayer as we broke into groups. What a blessing!

I have to say, though, that I was very grateful for the direction and sacrifice that our elders took in taking on this role. Especially Gary. If you were there, you heard how he is NOT an up front person. To quote him, "In my mind one's company and two's a crowd, so you can imagine what this is doing to me!" Which got a great laugh. But he stepped up and did what he believed God has called him to do. He sacrificed his comfort and his reputation to glorify God. That takes courage and commitment, but it also takes obedience. Thank you, Gary, for being all of that and doing so with a humble and willing heart. And thank Jon and Terry as well for doing the same thing. You men are being great examples for us all.

For us as a church, our challenge is similar to that taken on by our elders. To make a difference in this church, in this community and in this valley, we need to ask ourselves if we're willing to LIVE OUT the words of our prayers from last night. As Pastor Bill reminded us to pray, "Yes Lord, this is what we want!" So let's get after that which we are praying for. Let's support our leaders in the city and in our schools by praying for them and finding out how we can work alongside them. Let's support the local church community by praying for them as often as we can. Let's support our schools in prayer but also find ways to come alongside and help them as they teach our kids. Let's look for opportunities to partner with the schools in service opportunities such as helping with lunch duty, assisting with classroom, office or library work. And let's support the church that we call home by praying for ALL of the leaders, not just the staff. ALL of our leaders need to be lifted up as we move onto the next steps that God has for us.
To our church, let me challenge you. (I know you love it when I do this!!) If you aren't serving and you have the ability to do so, it's time to stop being selfish and get off the seat and serve. Don't be afraid! (Your fear is of man, and you're not giving God a chance to bless your socks off by putting man ahead of God.) Trust God - from the bottom of your heart. If you believe what you/we prayed last night, and agreed that "Yes, God, this is what we want", then let's get moving. Let's get after that which we've been called to and celebrate. I'm looking forward to it. I hope you'll join me. See ya in church...

A Holy Moment

I didn't start out, or finish, feeling really good due to a massive headache. It was one of those headaches where light hurts, sounds hurt - everything just makes your head hurt. So what do I do? I put myself right in front of my daughter as she pounds out the beat on the drums. Brilliant!

And if I had it all to do over again, I wouldn't change a thing.

We're going through this prayer series and God is working on a TON of people, including me. He is showing many of us where we need to continue to move closer to Him and further from the things of this world. Pastor Bill today reminded us that God is our source of help and provision and that's where our lives need to be focused on. When you were a kid and you got hurt, who made your pain go away, who made you feel better? For most of us it was our mom or dad, or both. We found comfort in the hands of someone who loved us and wanted to make us feel better. That's just what God wants to do with us, as Teresa reminded us in singing "In Better Hands Now" by Natalie Grant. And it seemed that God got through all the mess that we all brought into Worship today and He got through to us.

Our song set this morning included a couple of slower song that just seem to help people connect with God in ways that other songs don't. There was a moment when we just let go and worshiped God with all that we had to offer. We encountered a loving God who wanted to take a moment to remind us how much He really does love us. I hope we didn't miss it. In those moments when we are at our end, I think God uses those to continue that good work He began in us not so long ago. Those are the holy moments.

My hope is that we - rather I, don't miss out on what God has for me, and for us. I know that when I don't feel 100%, I don't always want to give my best, even if it is for God. (Just being real.) But when I push through with His strength and His power, it's a Philippians moment! "I CAN do ALL things through Him who gives me STRENGTH!"

God, here's my prayer for the rest of this year, let alone the rest of this series: please continue to pour out your Spirit in us, and allow us to encounter those holy moments with You, both in Your sanctuary and in our daily lives.

Jesus - how I love you!

Night of Prayer - Moving Day!

I know, it's late. I just have to share something from our first of many nights of prayer. Pastor Bill started us off by sharing that he felt God saying it's time to move the line. Time to step up and step out and start really living, both as a church and as individuals, the way that God really intended us to live. If we move the line closer to God, we trust God more and see more of what He is doing. I love that! I love a challenge, especially if it moves me closer to God!

As I sat there in my puddle, God reminded me of something about that dreaded 'moving day'. When I was a kid, we moved a lot. Dad was a project manager for an international firm and we moved about every 2-3 year, so I got real familiar with moving day. And every time we moved - without exception - something got left behind. We either sold it, gave it away or it just flat out got forgot! There just wasn't room for it on the truck. Something got left behind somehow.

When God asks us to move closer to Him, we need to leave some stuff behind - on purpose. We need to off-load some junk that we've been hanging on to for far too long and leave it at the curb. I sat there tonight and really had to struggle with what I was willing to leave behind to follow Christ to this next level. Am I willing to leave anything? Everything? What is it that I need to, specifically, let go of in order to go that next place with Jesus? I have an idea of some things that will get left. I have a real clear idea of what needs to go into the trash, so that I can have more room for the journey.

How about you? Are you willing to leave the things you think you need, the comforts of your old self and old habits behind in order to risk something new for the King? I sure hope so! If you want to be a part of what God is doing at First Baptist, Pocatello, stop right now and ask God to show you what you need to leave behind. Trust me, it will be worth it!

I'll see you in church and at our next night of prayer on the 27th of August.

Rewind

Interesting day on a couple of levels:
* It was exciting and inviting to be a part of a family that worshiped from a seemingly 'deep place' on Sunday. Not only did the sound get me, it was the look on your faces and your expressions that seemed to say, "Here I am God, we love and praise you!"
* Pastor Bill was back in the saddle after his study leave and gave us a solid reminder that prayer is about being real before God. While that may sound elementary, I would argue that, as church goes, we've gotten away from REAL prayer and more into ROUTINE prayer (repetition for repetition sake). Thanks, Bill.
* We added a song that wasn't originally on the set list, I Surrender All. It was a wonderful time of prayerful reflection and confession that God used to get us looking in the right direction. Way to go GOD!
* The Arts Team did a GREAT JOB getting images about prayer in front of us. I have to say I really like the faceless paintings, simply because I can put my face in whichever one I'm most connected to on a particular day. Thanks, Tawna and Lana.
* Several people just hung out in the sanctuary after the second service. More than we've had on a 'normal' day. Seemed like an air of excitement and enthusiasm. It was Great!
Have you stopped to thank God for what He's doing in HIS house lately? Have you taken the time in your prayer time to let Him know how much you appreciate and love Him? If you're paying attention, you'll sense that something is coming, something big. And God wants to use YOU and me to make it happen.
Take time to pray. It IS what matters.

Developing Artists - messy work!

Anytime you deal with artists of any kind - musicians, painters, sculptors, actors, dancers, videographers, etc. - you deal with the natural beast, the ego. In some folks, it's very small and kept under control. In other folks, they have their own 'little world' that requires much attention, attention, and more attention. I thank God every day that we don't have any of the latter. We have more of the 'under control' variety, and that makes it a little easier to manage from my end. But the challenge is really on my ego, because the people whom I have the pleasure of serving in ministry with, are requesting more training, more education. What? I'm the head guy! I should be the ONLY one that does any training, education...how dare they! (Sorry, my ego got out of his cage for a minute!)

We desire to hone our skills for the glory of God, and Him alone. The only way to do that is to look for additional resources to train, educate and encourage. There are some really good resources out there, and like anything else, there is also a lot of crap out there. I have to be very careful in what I choose to use to equip the team, or else run the risk of letting the 'crap' get into the service of Worship. That would be bad!

What we'll be doing on this blog a little more is sharing some of those sites, those resources and events that are upcoming that my people will be challenged to go to. If you are reading this and you serve at any capacity in church, I BEG you to get some training for you and your church. Don't get stuck in the past because of a church ego. Every church has one. It disguises itself as, "We've never done it that way before...That will never work here...Fine, do that and we'll leave..." The list goes on and on and on and on...you get the point. The Psalmist was very clear in Psalm 33:1-3, particularly when he said, "...play skillfully and...with joy." That requires teaching, training, encouraging, risking and failing and risking again, and on-going training. So get after it! If you find resources that work for you and your church, please feel free to share them. After all, sharing helps keep that little ego fella under wraps!