http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/ praise and worship forums, worship discussion, worshiptalk, worship forum, praise forum, church music forum, chuch audio, church lighting, worship leading, church web design, church web hosting en Tue, 21 May 2013 18:35:04 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/images/misc/rss.png http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/ http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8088-Looking-for-advice-insight?goto=newpost Tue, 21 May 2013 17:30:33 GMT Hey everyone,

I wasn't sure where would be the best place to post this thread, so I'm putting it here. I'm looking for some advice/insight into something I'm going through personally. Short story; in less than a month the divorce I'm going through will be final. I never expected to find myself in this situation, but here I am. I don't have the time to really go in to detail right now, but to give you a little bit of a background, there were things on both our parts that didn't make the marriage go well, however getting a divorce was my wife's decision. I wanted to reconcile, fix what needed to be fixed, and make the future different. We were doing counseling, but ultimately she didn't want to fix things.

In college is when I felt a true leading from the Lord to pursue music ministry. About a year and a half ago I left my part time position at a church due to leadership issues and feeling like God was bringing my time there to a close. So it's been that long since I've led worship in any capacity. I'm to the point now where I'm needed to make some big decisions in my life and one is regarding career. I've been doing a bunch of part-time jobs and I'm just not fulfilled in them. What my heart still truly desires is to be involved in full-time music ministry. I'm just wondering how my current divorce fits in with that. I don't believe that the divorce nullifies the calling I felt the Lord give me in college. I realize this may complicate things though.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience with this, insight into what direction I should be heading, etc. I'm just looking for whatever advice people might be able to give me. I don't have any answers really, so thought I would throw it out there to a larger pool of people. Thanks for listening/reading.

Ryan ]]> Random Fellowship and Babbling ryanrotman http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8088-Looking-for-advice-insight http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8087-Looking-to-Connect?goto=newpost Thu, 16 May 2013 15:11:48 GMT Hi, my name is Becky. I am 27 and was asked a few months ago if i would be the worship leader at a church that friends of mine are starting in inner... Hi, my name is Becky. I am 27 and was asked a few months ago if i would be the worship leader at a church that friends of mine are starting in inner city York, PA. I said yes of course and am SUPER excited about what God is going to do. On the flip side i don't have a lot of experience. I mean i sing and play guitar and have done both for a long time. I played on a Worship team for a few years and have been leading at Bible Studies etc but have never been "the leader". We are still really small and meet on Friday nights in space we have rented from another local church. I attended Day 3 of the NWLC in Lancaster PA yesterday and was blown away.... it was awesome and I came away with tools and a confidence i didn't have before. I guess i am here to network and learn from others who have been doing this for a while. ]]> Getting Aquainted - Introductions Becky@OpenFloodgates http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8087-Looking-to-Connect http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8086-Created-for-Worship?goto=newpost Thu, 16 May 2013 09:31:07 GMT Man didn’t fall from the sky neither did he develop from a monkey, what makes you so sure that we developed from a monkey? Man was created by God in his image and likeness not only to take dominion, subdue and multiply but He was also created to worship God alone and to give him all the glory.

What God is looking for is communion with men, “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden”, Genesis 3:8 KJV. What God looked for was communion and fellowship with Adam and Eve, he would come everyday and take time with them. God still wants that and He wants that with you.


What else do you think Jesus did on the cross, just to triumph over the devil alone? He ripped the curtain into two to allow man, access to God and his presence. God wants us to enjoy, enjoy his presence and his beauty as his children.


Worship is one such blessing that allows us to have fellowship with the Lord our God, worship is the one thing that automatically prompts response from God, its stops him dead in his tracks as the saying goes. Worship is meant to allow us to connect with God and also for God to communicate with us and thus allowing communion and fellowship with God.


“This shall be written for the generation to come; And a people which shall be created shall praise Jehovah”, Psalms 102:18


“Every one that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yea, whom I have made”, Isaiah 43:7


“The people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise”, Isaiah 43:21.


We were created to worship God with all our strength and might, not so because God isn’t worship thirsty, bloodsucking God, He already receives perfect 24hr worship and compared to the worship we give which like filthy rags. So why does He still want our worship, its because we are his children, he loves us and he wants us to enjoy him and his presence allowing to have fellowship and communion with Him.


We were created to worship for God’s glory, to give honor and glorify Him; it goes beyond our understanding or comprehension. Worship is the avenue of God infusing his love in our hearts, adorning us with beauty for ashes, power for pain, peace for the torment and at the same time a place for us to declare our love for God.


Worship was never made so that we enjoy it (worship the worship) but it’s meant for us to enjoy God and who He is, enjoy his love and presence. Not for us to enjoy the presence not the God of the presence. We were created to worship Him and enjoy who He is, worship is our privilege and honour.


What were you created? It’s our first calling, to worship God with all your heart, mind and soul.


Worship Him in the Beauty of His Holiness” ]]> For Leaders and Teams bishop http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8086-Created-for-Worship http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8085-Ragamuffin-Movie-HOW-AWESOME-IS-THIS!?goto=newpost Wed, 15 May 2013 13:54:43 GMT I SO can't wait to see this movie. I take some good-natured grief these days over being a Rich Mullins fan and being influenced by him so much. It's a kinda shame he isn't considered relevant and cool anymore because when it comes to folks we look up to who passionately share Christ, live out what they say, confront the establishment, and are creative, we could do a lot worse. In fact, I think we do. Anyway, check this out: ]]> Random Fellowship and Babbling Moosicman http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8085-Ragamuffin-Movie-HOW-AWESOME-IS-THIS! http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8084-Chords-for-quot-The-Spirit-and-the-Bride-Say-Come-quot?goto=newpost Wed, 15 May 2013 05:38:08 GMT Hey All! My first post in these forums. Be kind.

I'm not as good as I should be at picking up songs by ear, and Matt Maher's "The Spirit and the Bride say Come" refreshingly breaks out of the I-IV-V chord progression we all know so well. But as a result, I'm struggling to play it and the only chord chart I've found online doesn't sound exactly right either. Can anybody advise me on how to play it? ]]> For Leaders and Teams Matt Kennedy http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8084-Chords-for-quot-The-Spirit-and-the-Bride-Say-Come-quot http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8083-Ivo-the-voice-from-behind-wide-ocean-D?goto=newpost Mon, 13 May 2013 15:01:34 GMT Hi

I'm Ivo and I'm from Poland.

I found this forum thanks to Uncle Google, and because I'm involved in worship in my church (I'm a member of one band and a leader of the other one ;) ) I was really interested in this place.

I'm a member of a church which in my contry is simply called "Pentecostal Church".

I'm playing the guitar and I like to read. And at last but not least - I'm 18 :)

And I think that is all of my introduction :)

God bless You, people :) ]]> Getting Aquainted - Introductions Ajevo http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8083-Ivo-the-voice-from-behind-wide-ocean-D http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8082-The-justice-God-is-seeking?goto=newpost Sun, 12 May 2013 22:02:23 GMT I was handed this book by one of my members and told how I should be "remembering the poor" during the time I lead worship. I've skimmed through this book by David Ruis and I don't see this as my role.
Anyone read this and have thoughts on this.
Confused ]]> For Leaders and Teams cajunchick http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8082-The-justice-God-is-seeking http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8081-Songwriting-Exercise?goto=newpost Sat, 11 May 2013 18:22:36 GMT Hey worship songwriters!!!! It's been a long time since we did our monthly songwriting challenges. If you're like me, the songwriting freshness has worn off a little bit, and you could use a boost! Soooooo, I thought I might present a songwriting exercise to hopefully spark that desire to write again and more often. Here we go:

* Take a few minutes to look around you, and focus on ONE object that catches your attention.
* Got that object in mind? Think about all the attributes of that object: color, weight, size, purpose, design, etc.
* Ask the Father to share with you attributes of that object that relate to your relationship with him. Ask him questions like: What do the attributes of this object say about me? What do the attributes this object say about you? What do the attributes of this object say about our relationship? Etc.
* Think about metaphors, similes, allegories, colloquialisms, etc.
* If you are willing, share them here. Who knows, songs may come out of this process. NOTE: Simply share the name of the object and the list of attributes and/or functionalities that apply to accumulate ideas.

Any takers? ]]> Songwriter Tips and Encouragement WorshipVanguard http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8081-Songwriting-Exercise http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8080-worship-leader-or-lead-worshiper?goto=newpost Fri, 10 May 2013 18:35:28 GMT Good day forumites,

I was reading an article from Kenneth Copeland's newsletter (at least I think it was his...) from one of his worship leaders.

The author was discussing examples of people in the Bible, such as David, who would go to great lengths to seek out God's 'hidden' songs. For example, David would hang his harp above his bed and around midnight the 'north' (in the context of his reference, it was noted the Hebrew word used for north also means 'hidden') wind would blow in his room and vibrate the harp strings. David would be up all night writing psalms to these tunes.

The article went on to talk about the modern day church being strong at having worship leaders, but suggests what God is seeking is lead worshipers, like David, who would invest prayer, time, and patience to really press in and experience Spirit-led worship

The implication is that we spend a lot of focus on leading worship as far as logistics of picking songs, arranging rehearsals, auditioning contributors, coordinating the SongShow slides, but the bigger part of the role should be setting the tone for engaging in worship- not just for Sunday, but beyond.

It was a 'light bulb' moment for me. It's up to all of us, being a leader or a contributor, to not only be 'worship leaders' but 'lead worshipers'. ]]> For Leaders and Teams Mike on Bass http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8080-worship-leader-or-lead-worshiper http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8079-Writing-a-Bridge-for-Your-Worship-Song?goto=newpost Thu, 09 May 2013 16:50:52 GMT Over years of songwriting I've encountered many schools of thought on what to do with the bridge or middle "C" section of a song and have come to the conclusion that bridges are simply misunderstood. Some songwriters I know avoid bridges in their song at all costs; others use them liberally like it's a requirement. I find that especially in writing for the church there lies incredible opportunity- it's a great place in a song to take your congregation to soaring heights of praise or refocus after an energetic chorus/refrain. Of course, one size does not fit all but let's take a closer look at a few options in our arsenal…

1. Change the energy. Go big. Try making it an even bigger section than your chorus and make this the energy peak of your song. Choose strong chords, open up the instruments and let your melody lift and soar…swing for the fences! In this approach, lyrically I find it to be a great time to expand on the chorus subject and prepare for a final one. Often I can get carried away with high melodies which work great in some songs but for worship we have to be cautious that everyone can still sing along.

2. Throw on the brakes. Sometimes after a busy or repetitive chorus the best thing to do is refocus and bring everything to a halt; songs at one intensity or energy level start to bore the listener and an energy change can bring something new to our ears. A sudden stop in instruments and a spotlight on the lyrics with an acapella (just voices) is one great method. In "Faithful" after a huge chorus and an energetic instrumental/solo section we bring the song back down to the vocal for a refocus on the important bridge lyric - "He rose from the grave, no darkness remains…" Then, as we repeat bridge lyrics the tension and intensity build for a last chorus- the celebration of resurrection grows.

An advantage of dropping out the instruments is that I find the congregation responds together powerfully without distraction. Great responsibility lies here in the opportunity to write lyrics for a bridge section that each worshipper can respond to, and it's an effective time to strip away fancy prose for a more personal reflection. On a listening level it's also great to give a break to anyone who's been hearing pounding drums and wailing guitars for a solid chunk of time.

3. Don't feel it? Move on. As I've said your mileage may (and should) vary- for instance with many song forms such as a hymn-style or A-B song you won't usually need a bridge. Other times the last thing you want is a new set of lyrics or ideas, and often we make the mistake of getting carried away in a long musical tangent (beware). If your bridge feels musically unnecessary, more like a songwriting convention than an exciting addition then it's worth ditching, and be wary of a long, drawn-out section when you've got an important chorus to get back to.

As songwriters all we can do is write what we feel is best for the music and words, and though endless options may exist it's good to keep writing until each section is excellent on its own within a cohesive, flowing song. With a well thought-out bridge covering new ground or changing song energy you can add a brilliant new set of colors that inspires and encourages meaningful worship…and that's what we're writing for! ]]> Songwriter Tips and Encouragement Jcobia http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8079-Writing-a-Bridge-for-Your-Worship-Song http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8078-Josh-Cobia?goto=newpost Thu, 09 May 2013 16:46:10 GMT Hey folks!

My name is Josh and I'm brand new to the worship community. Excited to be involved with this awesome resource.

I am a worship pastor at California Community Church in southern California. I have been on staff there for about 3 and a half years now. My heart and passion is to see music move forward in the church.
I founded Reverentworship.net with another worship leader earlier this year. It's full of new original songs for the church that I would humbly ask you to take a listen to, if you have the time.

Looking forward to getting to know you all!

-Josh ]]> Jcobia http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8078-Josh-Cobia http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8077-Church-Media-and-Visual-Worship?goto=newpost Thu, 09 May 2013 15:51:55 GMT Where do you guys get your media for visual storytelling? We go with Playback (http://www.playbackmedia.com) and TripleWide Media... Where do you guys get your media for visual storytelling? We go with Playback and TripleWide Media. They have some solid moving or motion backgrounds for environmental projection. ]]> Worship Arts and Songwriting JimOrange http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8077-Church-Media-and-Visual-Worship http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8076-Jim-Church-Media-Guru?goto=newpost Thu, 09 May 2013 15:48:31 GMT Hey everyone! I'm glad to be here and hope I can even offer some insight as far as media in the church and visual worship. That's where my passion is. I'm a diehard fan of Playback Media and TripleWide Media. Hit me up if you have questions :cool: ]]> JimOrange http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8076-Jim-Church-Media-Guru http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8075-Intro-Mike-from-Jacksonville-FL?goto=newpost Thu, 09 May 2013 00:53:55 GMT I am a guitarist in a church praise band in Jacksonville, FL. I have been playing guitar for 21 years and singing since I was 6. I have a Les Paul... I am a guitarist in a church praise band in Jacksonville, FL. I have been playing guitar for 21 years and singing since I was 6. I have a Les Paul Standard and a Martin Acoustic and have an RP90 effects pedal, which is an awesome pedal if you are looking for one.

We perform Michael W. Smith, Hillsong, Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns and more. My favorite band is Casting Crowns, because the bassist and guitarist in that band are awesome, IMHO.

I lead the band from time to time, but really, Jesus leads us all. ]]> Getting Aquainted - Introductions tlclespaul http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8075-Intro-Mike-from-Jacksonville-FL http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8074-Does-Your-Church-Use-Their-Own-Hymnbook?goto=newpost Wed, 08 May 2013 17:30:57 GMT Have any of you had experience in developing your own physical hymn/song book for your church? If so, what are some of the practical details of your... Have any of you had experience in developing your own physical hymn/song book for your church? If so, what are some of the practical details of your process? In particular:
Who was on the "planning team" other than the music leader? The pastor? Elders?
What type of binding do you use?
Was it difficult to get permission to print the music?
Are they difficult to keep the books/bindings in shape and in order?

What are the general pros and cons from your experience? ]]> Worship Planning Jeremy Taylor http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/forums/showthread.php/8074-Does-Your-Church-Use-Their-Own-Hymnbook