The Most Common Mistake Church Sound Engineers Make

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Being a church sound engineer is sometimes a thankless job.

Most people only notice these committed members of the worship team if they’ve made a mistake (or if the system malfunctions).

And, oh, people love to point out sound mistakes and malfunctions.

They never get a break.

And they’re not about to now. (Sorry, guys)

The most common mistake, in my opinion, that church sound engineers make is only focusing on the music.

Very often, musicians receive pristine treatment while the speaker’s mic and pack receive little or no attention. In many churches (and conferences and camps), the sound engineer leaves his post when the speaker begins in order to chat with the musicians.

Worship services are often designed, from beginning to end, to lead to a common goal, which are most often communicated in the sermon. If that’s the case, isn’t it obvious that the words spoken in a worship service should be as clear as the music that is played?

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Meet Challenges Together, Celebrate With Bacon

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I looked across the kitchen and thought, “I’m not sure we’re going to pull this off.”

While on our annual staff retreat, the worship ministry team had the responsibility for cooking breakfast for the rest of staff. We had grandiose plans of preparing 72 eggs, 120 pancakes, 72 biscuits, a variety of fresh fruit, assorted yogurts, prepackaged granola bars, milk, juice, coffee, and (cue the music) 10 lbs of bacon.

We were prepared to knock it out quickly with the retreat center’s oven, stove top, microwaves, and electric griddles. Sounds reasonable, right?

However, when we arrived, there was no oven, there was no stove top, and the microwaves were broken. Our alternative equipment was a Crock Pot, two older electric griddles, and two coffee pots.

So, an hour before breakfast, we started cooking, using every outlet we could find, which worked well for about five minutes, when we threw a breaker.

Quickly, we rearranged the kitchen, borrowed a few cooking items, started cooking bacon in the dining hall, moved the coffee to the meeting room, found the breaker room, reset the breaker, and continued cooking.

We spent the next hour working as a team, taking care of issues as we found them and resetting the breaker from time to time. Right on time, our delicious meal was presented to the rest of the staff. As they enjoyed their meal, I felt a surge of satisfaction and munched a piece of bacon to celebrate.

At the end of the retreat, when we were asked to share our best memory from the retreat, I said that mine was making breakfast with our team. We’re used to overcoming the odds (and the clock) in worship services, but this was a real team building exercise for us, with better results than a professional ropes course.

Working as a team through difficult situations will either tear you apart or bring you closer together. Why not use them (or even create them) to bring you closer together.

Solomon, the wise son of King David, once wrote, Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

My advice to all of us is this:

  • Do hard things together.
  • Create challenges.
  • Work together.
  • Be victorious.
  • Celebrate with bacon
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Baptism vs. the Brain-Eating Amoeba

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This summer, the campuses of the church where I serve have been emphasizing the importance of baptism. As a result, we’ve seen an overwhelming amount of people respond with a desire to be baptized. However, in order to continue our emphasis at one of our campuses, we had to go to war against a brain eating amoeba.

Recently, the residents of St. Bernard Parish have been undergoing a 60 day chlorine flush in their water system because of a dangerous amoeba found in the water. As you can probably imagine, this created a huge problem for campus pastor Patrick Eagan. How could he immerse people in water when there could possibly be a poisonous amoebe in the water? This problem was heightened by the fact that parish officials had warned St. Bernard residents not to let the water go up into their noses.

So, Pastor Patrick had to make a decision. He had scheduled baptisms for Sunday. He didn’t want to prevent people from taking their next step with Jesus, so, knowing he would have the full support of our church, he purchased 102 gallons of Kentwood water to fill his baptistery, plus a few more for coffee and public consumption.

That same Saturday evening in St. Bernard, a man came to the service and said, “I’m tired of being a Jesus Fan. I’m ready to be a Jesus Follower. Can I be baptized tonight?” He was baptized that very day in pure Kentwood water.

I’m proud to be a part of a church where creative solutions can be found to help people take the next step in their faith development.

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Brazil Nuts

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“I have a surprise for you,” said my mother as she entered my room with her hands behind her back.

“What is it?” I asked as I looked up from my bed.

I was ten years old and was taken aback. Seeing my mom in my room was unusual for me. And I didn’t understand why her hands were behind her back.

“Well,” she said, “Today at work, someone gave me something to eat and I thought of you.”

“You did?”

“Yes,” she replied, “And when you eat these, you’ll dream of other countries and distant far away lands.”

She had my full attention.

“What is it?” I asked.

She then tossed a package of Brazil nuts into my lap.

We both laughed, but that memory came to me this past week when one of our Brazilian Mission Team members offered me a Brazil nut.

“Huh,” I mumbled as I munched on the nut. “I’m actually eating a Brazil nut while in Brazil.”

Manaus, Brazil is a city of roughly two million people. Like most cities, there are wealthy people and poor people and lots of other somewhere in between.

While in Manaus, I had the opportunity to work with Pastor Edson Fernandes from the Igreja Batista Agape. Agape means Unconditional Love. Pastor Edson, his wife Neide, and the congregation of their church live up to that name very well. They show unconditional love to the people of their community and to each other.

They took a risk in welcoming us into their church. Over a week’s time, we were able to minister to the children of the community during the day, visit with many people in the city and in schools during the week, present a special dramatic presentation to a packed house, and see many children, teenagers, and adults commit their lives to Jesus Christ.

I was honored to spend several days ministering alongside them. We left them with many supplies, clothes, and other items they could use for themselves, for outreach, or for their ministry. One of our team members even purchased lots of supplies to help them begin their own food bank ministry. As we were leaving, the Pastor and his wife said to us, “We will take many of the items you have left and use them to reach out to a mission church we support. It’s 20-30 minutes by boat down the Amazon River.

Seeing the love they have for others and their willingness to share what little they have to share the love of Jesus brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. I thank God for my time with Pastor Edson and Neide Fernandes and Igreja Batista Agape. I pray I can live up to the standards of love they demonstrate in and through their church.

Thanks, Mom, for tossing me that package of Brazil Nuts so long ago and sparking my interest in the nation of Brazil. Your investment has given me great joy on this day.

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The Absolute Best Worship Style

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Almost everyone has an opinion about worship style. Interestingly enough, most people do not refer to (or even care about) biblical worship, but comment more about music style, sermon methodology, tradition (or the absence thereof), and permissible clergy (and laity) clothing.

When Isaiah saw the Lord in Isaiah 6, he experienced the greatness of God, realized the extent of his own sinfulness, and witnessed his sin being atoned for. However, the end result of his worship experience was Isaiah saying, “Here am I, send me.” God wants our ultimate worship. He formed us after Himself so we could experience His presence and accomplish His purposes. When we realize who He is and all He has done for us, our only reasonable response to Him is worship.

The Apostle Paul, in Romans 12:1, shared these words: Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice to God; this is your spiritual worship.

Fully surrendered worship of all that we are for all that He is.

That is the absolute best worship style.

Related Posts: 

I Am Greater Than You 

Leading People Into God’s Presence Is Not Enough

Night of Worship Outline based on Isaiah 6:1-9

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Night of Worship Outline Based on Isaiah 6:1-9

Sometimes people ask me how we put together an outline for a night of worship. For Celebration Church, we often base it around a scripture or a theme and then pray about what needs to be included. On these nights, the worship leaders and scripture readers have the freedom expand on what is written and said. Here is our concept outline from last night’s service before it was entered into planning center. I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Night of Worship and Prayer Based on Isaiah 6:1-9

Opening 4 Song Praise Set – 20

Freedom (Bethel) 

We Believe

Holy Spirit, You Are Welcome Here

You Make Me Brave

Welcome and Explanation of Service/Optional Offering – 2-3

Adoration Section

Scripture Reading – It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending Him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.  –  Isaiah 6:1-4 NLT

  • Prayer acknowledging the Holiness of God – 2
  • Revelation Song – 5

Confession and Thanksgiving Section

Scripture Reading – Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” – Isaiah 6:5 NLT – 1

  • Lead time of corporate confessional prayer – 4
  • How Can It Be? Song with lyric video.  Example –

    – 5

Scripture Reading – Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said,”See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” – Isaiah 6:6-7 NLT – 1

Story – In 1860, a lady named Susan Warner became friends with a Christian teacher and learned of a sick boy who was in serious condition. She was so concerned for the boy that she asked her sister Anna to write a song that would bring comfort to him. The song did bring a smile to his face and continues to bring smiles and comfort to children and adults alike today. But more than the comfort and smiles, it reminds us of the assurance that Jesus, God the Son, loves us so much that He gave His life for us to cleanse us of our sin. – 1

  • Jesus Love Me – Hymn acoustic Verse 1 and Chorus 2x (last time a cappella) – 2

Scripture Reading – Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” And He said, “Yes, go…”  –  Isaiah 6:8-9a – 1

In committing ourselves to go and follow the Lord, we must be willing to do whatever He wants for us to do. That includes going to the ends of the earth and walking across the street from our house. It includes giving to advance the kingdom of God. And it includes being willing to pray for the nations and our neighbors. Tonight, we’re going to have that type of prayer.

Supplication

Campus Pastor or representative to lead people through the following times of prayer.

  • Praying for the Nations – Ask people to pray for the nations of the world. Direct them to choose a particular nation and pray for God to work there – 3
  • Praying for our Neighbors – Direct people to pray for the needs of those in their oikos. – 4
  • Personal Prayer – Direct people to take time praying for themselves. – 4
  • Pastoral Prayer – Directs people to lift their hands in the air as you pray over their needs. – 2

Prayer Song – Here’s My Heart, Lord – 5 – 

Repeat Scripture Reading – Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” And He said, “Yes, go…”  –  Isaiah 6:8-9a – 1

Spoken – In submitting ourselves to go, we must be willing to go wherever He leads us. As we prepare to leave this evening, we must remember that we are His ambassadors sent into a lost and dying world to share the good news that Jesus loves us so very much…
Closing Song – Upbeat – 5 (Suggested Song – Live With Abandon, Newsboys)

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Why People Skip Church on Father’s Day

the inside of a rural english church

Father’s Day worship services can be lots of fun with special giveaways, man-centered services, funny videos, and cool testimonies. Unfortunately, Father’s Day Weekend is very often a weekend when people skip church.

Father’s Day most often means “Dad’s Choice” Weekend

Let’s be honest, on the top ten list of what most men want to do on Father’s Day, going to church doesn’t usually make the cut. Moms and children often tell dads, “This is your day, Dad! We can do whatever you want to do today!” Given this option, most dads won’t set aside their breakfast in bed and say, “Ok. Everyone up, get dressed, and get in the car! We’re going to church!”

Men Are Afraid They’re Going To Be Lectured

Think about it. Churches often use mother’s day to shower love on moms. Often, these same churches use father’s day to tell men to step it up and be a man. Writer David Murrow, the Director of Church For Men, in his article The Futility of Father’s Day Services*, has reported that only 4% of pastors consider Father’s Day as a high attendance weekend. Murrow attributes one cause to the pastoral beating up of men on Father’s Day. He writes “Can you imagine a pastor standing up on Mother’s Day and saying, ‘Women, I know you’ve messed up your families – but it’s never too late to become a great mother.’ Any minister who said these things about women would be out of a job by Monday morning.”

Father’s Day For Many Is A Day of Grief

As Father’s Day approaches, not everyone is wondering about whether to get Dad a goofy tie, golf club, baseball cap, or fishing equipment. Many dread the approach of the day, the entire day itself, and the commercialism and celebration that is connected with it because of difficult circumstances. Here are just a few issues people deal with on Father’s Day:

  1. Widows
  2. Widowers
  3. Orphans
  4. Children (of all ages) who have lost their Fathers (and Grandfathers)
  5. Parents who have lost their Children
  6. Single Men
  7. Single Women
  8. Wives and Children of Abusive or Dysfunctional Fathers
  9. Men and Women who are Childless
  10. Recently Separated or Divorced Men and Women
  11. Children of the Recently Divorced or Separated
  12. The Critically Ill and Their Families
  13. Father’s estranged from their children
  14. Children estranged from their fathers

A Few Practical Ways The Church Help Make Father’s Day Better?

  • Make it fun! Why should the day we celebrate dads be boring.
  • Use discernment and be sensitive to those who might be hurting on Father’s Day.
  • Don’t beat up on men in your Father’s Day’s Services. Honor them, challenge them respectfully, and move on.
  • If you have Fathers stand to be prayed for, consider having all men stand instead of only Fathers. You can still pray for the fathers, but you can also pray for all men present to be godly examples to the next generation.
  • If you show a Father’s Day video, make it a funny one. It helps break the tension. Save the sap for Mother’s Day.
  • If you give a gift on Father’s Day, give it to all men and not just those who are dads.

There are lots of reasons for fathers, men, couples, singles, and children to skip church on Father’s Day. It’s our job as pastors and church leaders to give them positive reasons to come to worship services on these days. Let’s be the church to those in need on Father’s Day.

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Great Websites For Church Video Resources

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Some churches are blessed with great video departments who can crank out quality ministry videos quickly. Others have small departments who produce quality work, but are limited on personnel and equipment resources. Most churches have no video department, but would often still like to use quality video in ministry.

Wherever your church fall, sooner or later, you’ll find yourself searching for a quality video for worship music, sermon illustration, or teaching tool. Below is a list of great websites which may help your video ministry needs.

http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/ – Worship House Media is often my first go to site when searching. They provide mini-movies, worship tracks, countdowns, worship stills, motion backgrounds, and resources for small groups and church software.

http://www.sermonspice.com/ – Sermon Spice offers pretty much the same resources as Worship House Media, but they include extended video illustration resources, many of those created by individual church ministry teams, meaning the quality sometimes varies.

http://www.danstevers.com/ – Dan Stevers creates quality creative videos for church worship services. You won’t find countdowns or worship tracks on his site because he sticks to creating quality mini-movies of the highest quality. This is one of my favorite sites because he also offers his videos in various languages, which is a blessing for churches with multilingual venues.

http://www.wingclips.com/ – Wingclips offers movie clips that illustrate and inspire for worship services and teaching environments. It offers you the opportunity to search clips from hundreds if not thousands of movies by movie title, scripture, category, or theme. This is a good site with prepared ready to use downloadable clips, but I often find that where they begin or end clips are slightly odd.

http://skitguys.com/ – Eddie James and Tommy Woodard, better known as The Skit Guys, have been around for years, providing entertaining yet thought provoking drama for worship and ministry use. Their website features ministry videos and motion backgrounds, but also downloadable scripts for churches who wish to perform their mini-dramas live. I’ve found this site extremely useful for seasonal emphases.

https://www.bluefishtv.com/ and it’s sister site http://www.rightnowmedia.org/ – These websites focuses much more on teaching resources than the other sites listed. On these sites, you’ll find great children’s resources, full Bible study videos by well known Bible teachers plus full Bible study teaching kits as well as great testimonies from students and adults alike on a variety of topics. I’ve used illustration and testimony videos from this site before for worship, but it’s often taken extra time to find because that’s not the main purpose of the sites.

Recently, I’ve also found great video resources produced by other churches and ministries by searching the following websites:

http://www.lifechurch.tv/churches/ – LifeChurch.tv, the largest church in the United States, offers most if not all of its resources to other churches for free. Create a username and browse.

http://www.sermonsearch.com/ – Centered around sermons and preaching resources, but continually offer a wider variety of video illustrations

http://store.centralchristian.com/Central-Videos-C109.aspx – Video store of Central Christian Church in Las Vegas, Nevada

https://seeds.churchonthemove.com/resources/video – Free resources from Church on the Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma

https://vimeo.com/ – Great place to follow high resoluation quality video ministries of churches. My favorites are Hillsongs and Elevation Church.

https://www.youtube.com/ – More and more, churches are sharing great video resources with others directly on youtube. Other for profit sites will share their products here with links to their sites for purchase. Most often, the quality is not as good as vimeo.

http://www.godtube.com/ – Sort of like drinking Christian resources from a fireman’s water hose. Great resources can be found, but the organization of the site seems a little scattered.

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I learn about more resources everyday, so I’m sure I’ve missed a few great ones. If you can think of some, please share in the comments section.

 

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How To Not Be Obnoxious During Hospital Visitation

Bad Visitor

Unfortunately, my mother’s health over the past month has granted me the opportunity to spend some extended hours in hospital waiting rooms and in hospital room makeshift beds. While I am pleased to report that my mother is doing so much better physically, the incessant beeping from various machines, the uncomfortable accommodations, and the lack of sleep have caused me to reevaluate my own hospital visitation practices and to therefore create the following hospital visitation tips that may help well meaning people from becoming unknowingly obnoxious during their visit.

5 Hospital Visitation Tips

  1. Don’t make the hospital visit about you. Some people are so uncomfortable when they visit, the patient or family feel as if they have to comfort them instead of the other way around.
  2. Pray. Unless absolutely prohibited in some way, pray with the patient. If you can’t because of hospital staff or family, then pray briefly for the patient as you are leaving the hospital. Some people say that the least they can do is pray. Honestly, it’s really the most.
  3. Observe door etiquette. If the door is closed when you arrive, close it when you leave. People who have lived in the country understand that if a gate is closed and you open it to go through, it’s considerate to close it behind you. If it is open when you arrive, leave it that way as you go through. The same is true of the hospital room door. Often, the patient or family has the door open or closed for a reason.
  4. Don’t talk about what you just had to eat. Many hospital patients are not able to consume liquid or solid foods or may be somewhere in between. Some patients may have been fasting in preparing for a procedure. Others are recovering from surgery and the sight, smell, or mention of certain foods make them nauseous. Unless they bring it up, don’t talk about food.
  5. Let sleeping patients lie. Because of constant interruptions, incessant machine noises, and routine checks from the RN, LVN, CNA, PT or (amazingly enough) the MD, It is incredibly hard to sleep in the hospital. Therefore, when visiting someone in the hospital who is asleep and who does not wake up when you enter the room, let them sleep. Instead, pray over them and ask God to help them rest and recover, and then consider leaving them a handwritten note or at least a business card.

Believe it or not, it is good for people to visit others when they are sick and believe it or not, most of them do appreciate your visit. However, using simple etiquette can help your visit be more beneficial than harmful.

If you can think of other tips, please comment below.

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Leading People Into God’s Presence Is Not Enough

The purpose of a worship leader is not just about leading people into the presence of God.

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The Presence of God is not a fix that only comes over someone when they’re overcome by some song (although music can certainly help us develop a greater awareness of the presence of God). Christians have the presence of God within us through the Holy Spirit who lives within us once we express our faith in Jesus.

Jesus said in John 15, I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

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The purpose of a worship leader is not just about leading people into the presence of God. It’s about doing something much deeper. It’s about remaining in the presence of God, listening to His voice, hearing from Him, and living a fully devoted Christian life. It’s about studying and obeying God’s Word, tithing, and giving sacrificially for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. It’s about making disciples and caring about the spiritual well being of those you lead. It’s about taking up our cross daily, dying to ourselves, and allowing Jesus to be the one that everything’s about. It’s about cooperating with other pastors and leaders to accomplish the purposes God has called your specific church or campus to complete.

Leading people into God’s presence is not enough. Worship Leaders have to live His presence.

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