Setting Up A Kick Drum

New Pedalboard Demo

Worship Tools Part II – Leading A Rehearsal

After reading Part I of my Worship Tools series, my bass player, who plays with many other bands, suggested that the next episode focus on some of the aspects of leading a rehearsal. I touched on a few things in Part I, but we’re going to go deeper here. As a band leader, it’s your job to see the big picture of the song and of the set list. You are the one responsible to fine tune how each musician contributes to the music and adheres to the “100% Rule”; which I’ll explain in a bit. Lots to write about on this subject, so I’ll try to get through it quickly. And by the way, none of this stuff is rocket science, just a few things I’ve picked up over the years.

First things first, an efficient and effective rehearsal is directly linked to your preparation and your ability to lead and direct people. I’ll begin with preparation. I usually spend 10-15 hours during the week with the music in addition to rehearsal. That time is generally spent:

• Writing charts and arrangements.
• Listening and identifying parts of each instrument and picking out vocal parts. Knowing the song inside and out.
• Playing through each song multiple times start to finish.
• Creating tracks if desired for each song.

A few details on each:

Charts. I default to basic chord charts. If you want to have a growing base of volunteers, you need to play to a common denominator and most of the musicians you’ll meet don’t read music. In any case, your band needs good charts. The less experienced musician is in big trouble without them and the more experienced musician will be frustrated if they’re incomplete or difficult to follow. If you’re capoing, take the extra time to make charts for all the musicians who aren’t. Everyone should be able to look at the music they’re supposed to be playing. Include a “road map” at the bottom of the chart (i.e. Intro – V – CH – V2 – CH – BR – CH – inst. – CH x2 – Outro) The road map is incredibly helpful for each musician to know where the song is going while they play. Sometimes, I’ll include a set list with the road map under each song title for musicians who have memorized the music and just need to make a few notes. It’s also good to include the key, bpm and any other arrangement specific notes on your charts.

Listening. I can’t overstate the value here of simply listening to what’s going on in the music. Identify what’s happening with each instrument and how they’re working together to communicate the essence of the song. This understanding will be invaluable when rehearsing your band. As I said before, it’s your job to fine tune the band and vocals into a unit that functions and communicates as one. So take notes, listen for drum & bass grooves, keyboard parts, guitar parts, vocals, etc.

Play each song multiple times. I’ll play each song 3 – 5 times from start to finish before rehearsal to freshen up my chops, analyze how I’m executing my parts and alow room for inspiration – the way you play your parts should develop over time. For new songs, I’ll play them 10-20 times before rehearsal. That’s right, 10-20 times. It’s about muscle memory and repetition. For some, that may seem like a lot, but the difference between pros and pretenders is HUSTLE, not simply talent. Do yourself, your band and your church the service of putting in the time to do what you do well.

Tracks. We play each song to a click, which I’ll discuss in a later episode. You might be surprised to know that much of the music we listen to makes use of extra tracks to achieve in a live setting some of the sounds on the recording. Drum tracks, keys and other electronic sounds. The more instruments you have on stage, the less room there is in the mix for tracks. But, if you have a 3 or 4 piece band, there are a lot of things you can do to spice up your arrangements. For example: A few years ago, I was right by the monitor console at the Glasshouse watching Jimmy Eat World. They had a laptop plugged in running tracks from ProTools throughout the set. Drum loops, and electronic sounds, all very subtle, but with a huge impact on the live sound. When programming tracks, I’m going for that kind of subtle effect. Just some basics to underscore what’s happening on stage and add a little creativity beyond what we’re capable of live. If done right and mixed right, the band sounds bigger and more interesting. The most commonly used software for programming is Ableton, Reason, Logic and ProTools. I use Reason primarily, and ProTools secondarily. A good rule of thumb here: Less is more.

Before moving on, I want to say this: Whether you’re trying to match the recordings or forge new creative territory; there’s an important tension you need to keep. As I said before, your job as the band leader is to pick the songs, write the arrangements and fine tune how they are played. A good band leader will eventually craft a style or a “sound” for their band. However, you have musicians playing with you who each have skill, influences and experiences. These influences and experience can be road blocks to achieving unity. But, if harnessed, they can be critical to your success and up everyone’s game! The drummer who has spent time on the road can bring professionalism and presence to the stage. The seasoned vocalist can be instrumental in shaping the skills of others. The skilled music theorist can add great depth to your arrangements. And so on… Therefore, your task is ultimately to arrange songs in a way that expresses a unique style of your own, stays appropriately faithful to the intent of the songs and is a reflection of the players on stage.

It’s also very important to cultivate an environment of risk. Too often I see vocalists get embarrassed when they have trouble with their part. Instrumentalists, frustrated when they can’t play the groove. REHEARSAL IS THE PLACE WHERE YOUR SOUR NOTES ARE WELCOME! It has to be, if you want creativity to thrive. Your musicians need to be able to offer one another grace as they work out their parts. One of the best things you can do for your band is give them an environment where they feel the freedom to try things. I often remind my band “Rehearsal is the place for sour notes. Don’t be frustrated or embarrassed. The purpose of rehearsal is to get them all out here so we can relax and play well on stage!”

Ok, now here’s the quick and dirty on what is called The 100% Rule. Probably the most valuable thing I’ve learned about playing in a band! If you’ve spent any time leading a band, you’ve spent time encouraging musicians, even good ones, to “play less”, “not step on each other’s toes”, etc. Enter the 100% Rule. Like Texas Hold ‘Em, it takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master! Take the number of musicians on stage, divide that number into 100%. The answer is the amount of music each instrument is responsible for. Say, for example, you have drums, bass, two guitars and a keyboard. Five musicians divided into 100 means everyone is responsible for 20% of the music. That simple? Well, not quite. Those numbers aren’t static. In fact, they’re very dynamic. There’s give and take happening throughout the song. Peaks and valleys are created by the ebb and flow of what each instrument is doing. When vocals are present, each instrument needs to give way so as to compliment what is happening globally on stage. Someone takes a solo, the other instruments function so as to give that solo the spotlight. It’s not so much about playing less as it is about playing what’s right at any given moment. Examples. Listen to Sting, Mutemath and the David Crowder Band. U2 is also a great example of a 4 piece band using keyboard and drum tracks to fill out the mix. Here’s a great song by Mutemath, set up on youtube so that you can solo and mix all 6 parts: guitar, bass, drums, keys, lead vocal and backup vocals. Listen and mess around with it so see how each instrument sits in and out of the mix in order to compliment the song. Mutemath – Odd Soul

Finally, and this is a big one. PRACTICE MAKES BETTER. It’s not ever going to be perfect; but it can always get better. The reality is, we’re all charity cases in light of the truth of the Gospel. The very best we could ever bring is still flawed, because we are flawed. So, let’s be careful not to take ourselves too seriously. My philosophy is this: The last thing I want is for the band to feel pressure to perform or stress on stage. If that’s the case, then when things go wrong, our focus shifts away from God and onto ourselves. I’d rather put the pressure on during rehearsal, work hard, and then ENJOY our time together on stage, doing the best we can. We’re serving Christ and His bride the Church by leading people in worship of Jesus – it should be enjoyable! So, be diligent, work hard, then enjoy the fruit of your labor and engage God and his people as both servants and leaders!

Governing Values

A few years ago, the pastoral staff I was a part of wrote out our own “Governing Value” sets as an exercise in definition. Defining who we were at our core as individuals would serve to help us define who we would be as a team. The relationships on staff were pretty tight. We spent time together socially, communicated well with each other and there was an open door for critique. So, I don’t think it contributed much to our growth as a team, but the exercise was a great experience for me and it’s something I think everyone should do.

The concept of defining one’s Governing Values presents an opportunity to dig deep, evaluate priorities and paint an ideal picture of the life you are called to live. A concise, culmination of your experiences and convictions. Free of the tyranny of the urgent. Outside of the pressures and stresses that so easily misalign your perspective. Clear, focused and resolute; your values can serve as a thermostat to set the temperature for your daily, weekly and monthly living; as well as a thermometer to gauge how you’re well you’re adhering to them.

Unlike Scripture, which provides whole counsel for life and godliness (2Pet 1:3), which remains static and constant and which ultimately defines us; the values you define for yourself are dynamic and can be adjusted when appropriate. For example, my values as a single 20 year old were much different than they are as a married 30 year old with a family and career. My advice would be to limit your number of values to no more than 10 and if you can, trim it down to no more than 5. Say more with fewer words and work to illustrate with your values the most basic of necessities.

Hope you’ll give it a try, and I hope it helps! Here are mine…

Nathan’s Governing Values

Gospel: I believe that everything I am, have, and will ever do is a result of God’s design, calling, His sacrifice for me and all of it is for His glory alone. Therefore, in response, I will pursue a life that is centered in the timeless truth of the Gospel, recognizing that “He is most glorified in me, when I am most satisfied in Him”.

Discipleship: I believe God has uniquely gifted me to understand, long for and exercise discipleship in my life. Therefore, I will consistently pursue it in my own life as well as those closest to me, beginning with my wife and children and then to the small number of people God has specifically called me to pour into.

Balance: I believe that the most vibrant, creative, relevant and Christ centered work and ministry I do, will always come from a place of balance. (spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, financially etc…) Therefore I will pursue a surrendered life in this area by valuing balance as much as I value excellence and success in my endeavors. I will rely on those God has put in my life, beginning with my wife, to help me set up and adhere to boundaries, and accept with humility their suggestions and critique regarding my efforts. I will be good at and willing to say no to things, people and opportunities that will create imbalance in my life.

Footprint: I believe that God has uniquely gifted me to glorify Him through music and art. I believe this calling is first to the local church, and then outward on a more global level. Therefore, I will position myself to learn, grow, create and innovate at all times with the goal of exhausting my potential and using my gifts as much, as often, as strategically as I can.

Nourish: I believe I am called by God to consistently be learning. Therefore, I will consistently and actively seek out people, situations and resources that will further my growth and development as a husband, father, pastor, artist and Christ follower.

To learn more about me, my family and my passions, CLICK HERE.

Worship Tools Part I – Playing Out

 

For a few years now, I’ve made a regular practice of playing at other churches, conferences, camps etc.; both with my band and as a guest, playing with musicians I’ve never met. As a worship leader, I think playing out continues to be an incredibly valuable asset for shaping how I do what I do.  We’re all creatures of habit and as worship leaders, we get into our routine and often it’s easy to stay there. Your musicians are in a routine because they’ve figured out how to work with you – they’ve learned your musical language. And your congregation loves you, so they give you a whole different level of grace than a group of strangers would. Playing with musicians you don’t know and for people who don’t know you, is a great privilege and can really trim the fat, so to speak, off your routine.

My dad has often said “Pray like it all depends on God and work like it all depends on you.” In other words: Cover it in prayer, start with an open acknowledgement of God’s strength at work in you and DON’T BE LAZY! So here are a few practical things I’ve learned over the years that I think will help you on the road or on your home court!

Before The Gig

As a leader, the battle is won or lost with your prep. So here are a few suggestions…

1. You can’t ask too many questions. Find out who you’re playing for. What they’re used to. Service format and flow. How many songs. Ask about familiar songs. Find out what gear they have so you can determine what you’ll need to bring. If you use a laptop on stage and require a special cable – bring it. Extension cords – bring em! When we do a week or weekend camp or conference, we bring the kitchen sink! They have vocal and instrument mics, cables and a few D.I. boxes – ask what kind? You might be thinking SM58s and 57s and the person you’re talking to might be thinking “Radio Shack special”. And even if you can find out what they have, you don’t know how well it’s maintained. Bring whatever you think you may need, within reason.

2. You can’t over think your arrangements. I see too many band leaders show up to rehearsals knowing their part, but giving little thought to what the drums, bass, keys, guitars and vocals are supposed to do in a song. The more thought you’ve put into the songs the better you can lead the band and get everyone on the same page. Ask yourself questions like:

• Are the bass and drums in the same pocket?
• Is the guitar player (or players) layering parts well or just playing the same chords?
• Are the guitars and keys or keys and bass occupying different sonic space?
• Are the right guitar effects being used?
• Are your singers blending well throughout the song or just “going for it”?

3. Transitions: The difference between a seasoned band and a rookie one is often made evident by how they handle transitions – intros and outros. Think through key changes, tempo & meter changes and creative ways to make your set list fit together well. Then talk them out with your band, get input, and get everyone on the same page. Then practice them as much as you need to so they’re tight.

4. Charts and set lists: Make sure everyone’s got charts. If you’re capo’d, take the time to make separate charts for the rest of the band with their key. Putting two sets of chords on a chart saves you time, but makes your chart messy and more difficult for your band to read. Print set lists for your band – trust me, it’s helpful. Sometimes I’ll even type out the roadmap for each song under it’s title so the band can make short hand notes to look at on the fly.

The Day Of…

Early = on time. Make sure you’ve clearly spelled out your expectations for load in, set up and sound check. I’ll usually simplify by telling the band and FOH engineer what time I’d like us to be on stage, instruments in hand ready to set monitors and leave it to them to decide when to arrive. If you’ve asked for a 7:00AM down beat, you don’t want the drummer pulling into the parking lot at 7, you want everything set up, sticks in hands.

Tip I: You need to model the degree of preparedness and punctuality you want your band to adhere to and they need to know you’re on your game. I’ll stand on stage, phone in hand and make a “friendly” call to whoever’s missing at 7:00 just to say “Hey, it’s Nathan. We’re looking for you.” It’s friendly, but it gets the point across. Tip II: Reward your band by being at least as prepared as you ask them to be. Also make a point to verbally recognize their work ethic and once in awhile, show up with coffee or breakfast.

Enjoy it! And don’t sweat the small stuff. Hey, I want things to go better than great when it’s time to execute; but I also want to authentically enjoy playing the music and leading people in worship. So my perspective is this: It’s never going to be perfect. Let’s work hard together in rehearsal and individually to get our parts down; then let’s enjoy the fruit of our labor and focus on enjoying God and leading His people in worship. There’s plenty of room for fine tuning on Sunday morning, but the key is to keep stress levels at a minimum. Another key is to know your players individual thresholds for last minute changes or add-ons. Too many tweaks can raise stress levels and equal more mistakes. So, don’t sweat the small stuff!

Stay alert and be attentive. Keep a watchful eye and ear on how the band is doing during the set. If you’re doing multiple services, take time in between the first and second to evaluate how everything came together and give any needed reminders. Observe how folks are responding to the music and the environment. Sometimes, just a little verbal encouragement or an honest thought about the content of a song can be enough to draw folks in and engage them. Most of all, your job is to make much of Jesus by authentically worshipping Him and leading others to do the same.

Pruning The Rose Bush and The Church

If you’re not up to speed…

We’re living in our house in Victorville after leaving Olive Drive Church at the end of December. Long story short, we came to ODC to help the church’s “re-plant” after a successful season here in the desert with High Desert Church. Our intent was to stay for the long haul and work to build something here for the Kingdom. After 3 years, it was clear to us that God would be moving us elsewhere, largely due to the fact that ODC was tremendously over-extended financially and could no longer support its full team of pastors. With 2 interns training under me at the time, it was an easy call for me and for the elders to let the Baldwins go, among others and along with the Sr Pastor’s resignation, and to hire one of my interns to lead the church in worship in the season ahead.

Fast forward…

I’m in my back yard, (which has been fairly unkept) with the girls doing some yard work and decide to take on the task of our giant mess of a rose bush. I wish I’d taken a before picture, but I thought about posting this about 3/4 of the way through the project. As I was battling the thorny beast, I had a few general reflections on how my restorative efforts mirrored our ministry at Olive Drive.

DISCLAIMER:

1. No bitterness here in regard to our situation or the events that led us here.

• We are sure that God has us exactly where he wants us to be.
• We want to be where we are.
• We feel honored by the fact that our leaving made room for the guys who are there to be there.

2. What follows are simply the musings of a guy getting his butt kicked by a rose bush in almost real time. Upon further reflection, I may completely disagree with what makes sense to me at the moment. (note to self: may not be wise to post content I’m not even sure I agree with.)

3. I’m a guitar player, not a gardener. Please alert me if it’s clear I’ve done something to kill my roses.

*****

Thoughts While Battling the Beast…

There was nothing easy about this task, nor did there seem to be a minute’s rest along the way. It was messy. During our time at ODC, one of my most trusted allies was a clear view of what the finished product or even just the next step was supposed to look like. Even more important was the confidence that it was God, not man, who had called me to ministry at ODC as a builder, architect and shepherd. As a leader, I’m learning that our job is to lead people. To be shepherds and caretakers and to expose them to the Gospel so that God’s Spirit can convict their hearts and turn their affections toward Him.

*****

We weren’t watering it, how’d this thing get so out of control in the first place? As far as the bush goes, I have no idea. The church however, I think there’s much to speak of (and again, only from my perspective). My observation during our time, was that neither the elders nor the body were receiving consistent water. They were fed a steady diet of “vision” – This is what our church should look like/ will look like when it’s awesome! This is what we need to be doing in order to be the next big thing, etc. While seemingly starved of regular Gospel teaching, discipleship, accountability and conflict resolution. These to me, are major aspects of a healthy church, therefore even more vital for one in a season of heavy pruning.

*****

The more overgrown the more pruning is required. Just to get started on this project, I had to get in and clear out a lot of dead branches and leaves and cut back much of the newer growth that was out of control. This reminded me of our work at the church in a few ways: As I went in deep with the shears, I noticed that some of the branches that looked dead and dry at the trunk, were actually alive and producing good steady growth while others were exactly what they looked like – dead, dry, just sitting there wasting the nutrients of the vine. This was a big learning experience for me at the church and it’s why I think the nurturing, shepherding heart of a pastor is extremely vital during the re-plant of a church. I pray I’ll have the humility and teachability my ministry for God to teach and grow me much more in this area. I also noticed that the younger branches, while green and beautiful, had grown way out ahead of the rest of the bush. At 7 or 8 feet in length, they had drooped down to the ground because they lacked the strength and thickness that comes from years of growth. I was sad to cut these beautiful branches back, but it had to be done and they needed to be propped back up and bound to the lattice or wrapped next to a stronger branch.

*****

As I continued to work, trim, clear, prop up and get the snot poked out of me by thorns I was stuck mentally in John 15 and so overcome by the phrase that repeated itself in my mind for the next hour: “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” Writing this post has certainly been helpful for me, I pray you’ll take time to read and reflect honestly on John 15; how it relates to your life, your family, your ministry and those entrusted to your care in training in the Gospel.

*****

So here’s my humble little rose bush project. The lattice and plant stand were both part of the set my wife designed for our wedding 12 years ago – pretty cool that we still have and use them! I’ll try to remember to post another pic as I make progress and when it blooms.

And yes, I know the picture of my finger is pretty weak – it was the only one that still had blood on it when I got my camera.

2 weekends with Passion City

During our time in Atlanta, we had the great opportunity to visit Passion City Church, the new church plant venture of Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin, Nathan & Christy Nockles and crew. This was huge for us both as the Passion movement has been a significant influence in our lives for the last decade. To say the least, Kim and I were super excited to participate in an early phase of the next season of their ministry!

For full details of the ministry, you can check out PassionCityChurch.com. Here’s some quick thoughts on what we experienced…

Our first weekend was March 13th. Passion City has been meeting in a few different venues around Atlanta. Each week is a different. The 13th was held at Greater Atlanta Christian School’s Forum Arena. GACS is a massive city block sized school complex housing elementary thru high school buildings, so their Forum venue was well suited for the 3+ thousand in attendance. The staging and set were understated, majoring on the images projected on the landscape screen overhead and complimented by a pretty basic but adequate lighting rig with LED 64′s and such.

 

 

 

They did a great job with “pre-slides”, letting us know about a small number of important things. (Again, simple and understated.)

*The new Passion record that was available that night.

*The series & topic for the evening.

*A reminder about 515 (which you can learn about on the website – it’s pretty rad!).

*The vision of PassionCity.

Worship through music kicked off on time with Chris and the band. They did a lot of songs from the new record, which was rad! I’m definitely the guy who likes a song more after I’ve experienced it live. For me, there are a few songs on the record I would’ve been less interested in playing had I not heard them played here. I’m particularly excited to play Set Free, Lord I Need You, Forever Reign and All My Fountains, which has a rad “Lovers In Japan” feel.

Overall, the vibe was so authentic and organic! For a group of people who really specialize in Events and Conferences, it felt nothing like that. It really felt like the beginnings of a church! Louie spoke as a pastor, leading his church and pressing in on us with the values that would run deep to the heart of Passion City and keep the church centered on the glory and sufficiency of Christ. I couldn’t help but notice the chemistry between Louie, Chris, Daniel Carson and the Nockels. Obviously, there are many more names in the picture here, but I was struck with the fact that these guys have more than a decade of close knit history together. I think one of the key stumbling blocks for so many church planters is misfit relationships or unseen character issues that come up along the way. What an opportunity to venture into church planting with people who you’ve already shared so much life with! It caused me to feel a deep sense of optimism for the future of Passion City and the movement of the Gospel through them that could radically change the face of Atlanta!

I also reflected again on how much I want those kind of relationships in the ministry God plants us in next. We’re not looking for the quick in and out ministry position. We’re really looking to plant out roots deep with people who are looking to do the same. People with whom we can take risks and with whom we can share joy and suffering alike as we work to see the Gospel alive in the city. People with whom great trust can be built as we reorient each other’s affections back to Christ. If nothing else, 2 weekends at Passion City was yet another wake up call to me to say “Yes. That’s what I want to be a part of.” as we look and pray about the ministry God will call us to next!

So, if you’re in HOT-lanta, GO to Passion City Church! And if you think of it, pray for our family. God has provided so much for us and in so many ways, reminded us that he’s preparing us to be part of something great. Our time in Atlanta reminded me that ministries that so closely represent who Kim and I are actually exist, though there are few. Wherever “there” is, pray that we’ll have the courage to get there. And just as God is already at work in the place we will go, pray that He will be actively at work in us as we prepare!

Below is a shot from our second weekend, held at the Cobb Energy Center. Rend Collective opening the night. (we arrived a little late)

 

My First Multi Site Worship Experience

For a couple of years now, I’ve been reading about and have become interested in the prolific trend of large churches doing multi site campuses. I have a lot of experience with multiple venues on one campus at both High Desert Church and Olive Drive Church, but until this weekend I hadn’t had the opportunity to participate in a multi site venue.

Recently, we moved back to our house in Victorville while I look for work. We have a lot of great relationships here in the desert, so I asked and was thrilled to be added to the playing rotation for High Desert Church’s SEVEN Community as well as their new Apple Valley campus before we’d even moved back into town. This weekend was my first opportunity to be a part of an off campus venue. We loaded into Sitting Bull Elementary School’s gym at 6:30am. What a great campus! Clean, well kept and designed with a cool esthetic, streamlined access points and ample parking! There was already a full crew of volunteers setting up the stage, sound system, lighting rig, chairs, coffee area and more! Lots of work, but it seemed to be made fairly light by many hands. The team was headed up by Campus Director Brian Haney. I’ve known Brian casually for about 10 years. He’s a great man who loves Jesus, brings a humble authenticity to HDC’s team and has a no nonsense personality that really resonates with me. It was cool to see him do his thing on stage and off.

HDC chose a Venue console as part of their sound system, giving their FOH engineer, Paul,  every advantage to dial in a great sound; which to me is an important factor in a venture like this. We also used Sansamp GT2‘s for our electric guitars to reduce stage volume. My In Ear mix was great, so even though I failed to dial in a guitar tone I really liked, I was a happy camper. Drums, vocals, the whole mix sounded good! Additionally, they had a modest but well designed lighting rig, large rear projection screen, portable stage and side curtains to help frame in the feel of the larger room.

After a quick soundcheck and run through, we grouped up to talk through the morning and pray together with Campus Pastor Kurt Theilen. Kurt is also a long time friend who’s humor, authenticity and passion for Jesus have been a key part of the Apple Valley campus’s success! Got a chance to chat with a few volunteers and it’s clear that everyone on this team is excited to be a part of what God is doing here!

I snapped a quick one before we got started….

and one towards the end of Pastor Tom Mercer’s message via video at the 8:30 service…

The Apple Valley campus is currently hosting 2 services; one at 8:30 and one at 10:30 Sunday morning. Both services were well attended, with what seemed like around 500 each. After being away for 3 years, it was rad to see a lot of familiar faces at each service! One woman, who Kim and I have known for many years, expressed her enjoyment of the smaller venue and community feel after being part of large churches most of her life. I even talked to some who continue to volunteer at the Victorville campus while attending the AV campus! I was also encouraged to hear from Pastor Kurt that in the last year, they’ve seen many come to Christ and call HDC home though the ministry of the AV campus. Part of what I think will produce lasting success here, is that many long time members and “stakeholders” of the ministry are choosing to help grow and participate in the new venue, which for many reasons is probably more accessible and less threatening to some who wouldn’t want to check out the Victorville campus.

From start to finish, I had a great time! The service was well done but not pretentious. Well designed and generously resourced, but not overkill for the amount of work it takes to set up. More importantly, it’s evident that the Gospel is alive and at work in the ministry of High Desert Church!

Family Worship

For a while now, our family has been working on the concept of weekly times together in prayer, in the word, engaging in theological teaching and discussion, and responding to God in worship through music.  Family Worship has been an important goal for us and we hope it will become a vital part of how we train our kids to know and love Jesus. It is our responsibility, not the church’s, not anyone else’s, to train our children to know Jesus, understand the Bible and have a Biblical world view. We aren’t perfect and we don’t have it down for sure, but we’re taking our job seriously and trusting God to give all that’s required of us to do it. We try to do Family Worship once a week, but aren’t always consistent. And it’s not always a home run either. Sometimes it’s short, sometimes we make it all the way through. Sometimes I’m in to it but the girls aren’t and sometimes it’s the other way around. But tonight was rad!

There are a ton of great resources available out there for doing family worship and I’ll give you a few links at the end. Here’s a quick run down of how tonight went.

We started by reviewing questions 1-8 of a catechism we’ve chosen to lead the girls through. If you’re unfamiliar with what a catechism is, it’s basically a set of theological questions and answers. We’ve been working on these for a couple of years and the girls did great job both answering and discussing. Here are the questions:

CATECHISM

1. Who Made You? 

2. What Else Did God Make?

3. Why Did God Make You and all things?

4. How can you glorify God?

5. Why should you glorify God?

6. Are there more gods than one?

7. In how many persons does the one True God exist?

8. Who are they?

Story

Story is a big component as far as I’m concerned. I want the girls to not only know the many stories in the Bible, but also understand how they serve to articulate the over arching theme of the Gospel throughout scripture. The Bible is about God, not about us; so as we talk about a story, we aim to discover what it tells us about who God is, why we need him and why the fact that we have him is cause for worship.

Tonight’s story was a parable of Jesus found in Matthew 20 about the owner of a vineyard and workers he hired to work his vineyard for a day. He hired workers from the city early in the morning and for their work, they agreed to receive a days wage. As the day carried on, the man hired more workers from the city at different times going on into the evening. When it came time to settle up, the man paid all the workers the same amount to the frustration of those who’d worked the longest. Though they’d agreed to a day’s wage, when they saw what those who had only worked a few hours were paid, they expected more. The girls understood the frustration of the workers. We talked about the fact that we need to be thankful for what we have regardless of what others have been given. But more importantly, we talked about the fact that everything belongs to God and He is free to give at His discretion. Moreover, regardless of differences that distinguish us in life, we are all equally leveled at the cross. Not one of us is in need of any more or less of God’s grace than another.

Specific Prayer As we go through this season of unemployment, we’ve begun to pray together as a family about the kind of church we want to be part of. Tonight we talked and prayed about wanting to be part of a church that has a heart for loving our neighbors and taking the Gospel into the city in tangible ways. It was rad to talk about that with the girls before we prayed and discuss some ways we can be doing that now from our house in Victorville.

Worship through Music

We ended our time by responding to God in worship through music. As a worship leader, I’ve got a few hundred songs at my fingertips, so I generally play it by ear and choose songs that fit what we’ve talked about. You might want to think ahead and if you don’t have or play an instrument you can easily play a few songs from an iPod. Tonight’s songs were inspired by the discussion surrounding the catechism questions. We talked about God’s greatness and glory. We talked about the fact that all things were created by Him and for His glory – Kim read Romans 11:36 “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” We talked about how God made us for His glory and we’re made alive by his grace through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. It was so rad to hear Emily (who is 7) add to the conversation the fact that we can love others because God has loved us. Our songs were: Every Move I Make and How Great Is Our God.

Finally, Alison closed our time in prayer. The whole thing lasted about 15-20 minutes.

Ok, I promised resources…. First, remember that the goal will be accomplished though small wins. If you’re not ready to do what I’ve just talked about, start doing what you are ready to do. Pray with your kids at night and come up with some specific things to pray about. talk with them about what they learned in church on Sunday. Let them see you in the word and see that it’s important to you. Anything that gets the conversation going and shows them that you value a growing relationship with Jesus is a win!

Here are a few things you and your spouse should check out….

Pastor Dad – a great ebook by Mark Driscoll about the Biblical role dads are called to play, with some great practical applications

Family Worship – A session at the Desiring God 2011 Conference taught by Joel Beeke

Family Worship Guide – Sojourn Community Church (a church Kim and I love – they’re gettin’ it done in some cool ways!)

The Resurgence/ Education – Huge resource here for all things “Family Ministry”

Outsourced: a message by Pastor Jeff Gowling of The Bridge Bible Church in Bakersfield – Kim and I attended The Bridge after we left Olive Drive and fell in love with these guys because of their vision and values. Enjoy!

DECEMBER HYMNS Vol.1

Every year at this time, I get to arrange and perform some of my favorite Christmas songs for our church and other local events. Christmas music holds a somewhat sacred place in my mind. It’s full of rich tradition and memories of years past. Like many, I love the beautiful language of old music, but not so much the musical language it’s often presented in. So, as a musician I’m continually challenged to rearrange the music in a way that expresses my tastes, influences and experiences and for years, I’ve been growing that catalogue of arrangements and performances. This year, I began what will be a 3 volume series of EP’s called December Hymns. The recordings will feature timeless Christmas classics, originals and instrumentals. I approached this first record with a desire to capture a raw, earthy and intimate vibe. No frills, no flawless production and no Auto Tune. My goal was simply to arrange imaginatively, play creatively and sing passionately.

 

One of the tracks on the record Our King Has Come, is an original I wrote for the record and for our church. We performed the song on the first Sunday in December after teaching the congregation the chorus and recorded it live for use on the record. You can hear the crowd singing at the end of the song. I felt it would be a great way to include the church, the people who have so impacted my life over the last 3 and a half years on the project; and I think it came out great!

 

I hope you’ll check out the record and add it to your playlist this December & maybe even recommend it to friends as we celebrate the advent of the Messiah, Jesus; who came earth to be the greatest expression of love we will ever know!