I had an amazing vacation. On vacation I love to visit other churches for a time of reflection and worship without the responsibility to lead. I had visited two totally different churches in totally different cultures. Here are the churches that I learned and here is what I have learned.

Gateway Church - Saturday Night at 5:45, totally contemporary, in Southlake, Texas which is a high professional, middle class section of Dallas.

Gateway didn’t have a choir but a larger praise team. This team spanned the stage which is shaped just like ours leading the congregation that was in front of them. Gateway writes their own music which meant that Rachel and I didn’t know a song. But that was great. Because its not about you knowing the songs, its about giving your heart through music. There were times when I couldn’t carry on with the song, due to the immersion of God’s Presence.

The Sermon was well prepared and well thought out. The staff had created a devotional that the entire church was to work through, along with a fast for the first 30 days (the fast was not 30 days, just the devotional). Along with the devotional was cd’s that gave a time of worship everyday as well as a 5 minute devotional to help their members start the day. Rachel and I are excited about working through the book together.

Highland Terrace Baptist Church – Sunday Morning 9:30, totally traditional but with contemporary music, in Greenville, Texas which is a lower middle class workforce outside of Dallas.

This is where things became interesting. The previous night I sang my heart out with songs I’ve never heard, but then I come to this church where I actually knew the songs but I quietly sang. The night before, the congregation was actively involved in worship. Here, they were passing out gum.

I know what this music minister was going through. There is nothing worse then giving everything that you have into a worship service, were everyone is just staring at out with a look of complacency. People seem to have wanted to join in worship, but they held back.

I am leaving out a part of the story, but the question that I have for everyone is, why do congregations join in worship at times and not in others? There are a lot of reasons, but for the sake of learning, I need you to answer the question. What helps engage the congregation in worship?

“Now may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you agreement with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice.” - Romans 15:6

“Remember upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.” - Alexander the Great

Have you ever been in a church choir where the choir director and the accompanist were at odds with each other? It’s not a fun place to be. Before long, choir members begin to see the power struggle going on and they often are forced to either take sides with the director or accompanist, continually ignore the strife filled situation, or take a prolonged hiatus from the choir. Sometimes, the problems even grow so large that people end up leaving the church.

How must it grieve our Lord when there is intense disunity among His people who are supposed to be serving and glorifying Him. As we work together to serve and worship the Lord, let us equally strive to be in unity of mind and heart.

Lord, help us grow closer to each other as we grow closer to You.

It’s amazing to see the choir finally having those “ah hah” moments. You may know these moments quite well. Its one of these moments where you catch yourself singing the meaning of the song instead of just the words.

As one choir said, “For the first time I caught the meaning, and I got chocked up and couldn’t continue.” Have you ever had one of these moments?

Its amazing to see people who have sung by rote for so many years to finally break out of mold and begin to understand with their spirit what they are singing with their lips. this is not just an easy break-through. Now everything must be changed. All songs now will be song through the spirit. There is no turning back now.

We have had a moment or two where the choir was swept away, but what would happen if the entire choir or even the entire music team had an “ah hah” moment together? What would happen on the stage? What would happen in the team? What would happen in the congregation?

What if I were to say that the congregation will not have one until the choir has one?

I am very proud of the music team.

Here is a letter that I had received a long time ago. Some of the choir members had forgotten about the letter so I have decided to post it.

“I attended Faith Baptist Church this past weekend while visiting my Mother in Texarkana. I was so inspired and blessed by the song service. Thuly, the Faith Choir is developing into a joy. No longer just a group of volunteers but a true choir. Blended voices lifted in Praise to GOD ALMIGHTY (Bless His Holy Name). Lovely, that takes dedication and work.

“I noticed while reading the weekly Faith newsletter that Pastor Ross is calling for folks to dedicated themselves to GOD’s service. Since I love singing, I, personally, can’t think of a better service3 to commit to His Holy Name.

“Without a doubt, I felt the Holy Spirit in our presence!

“Presenting ourselves to Him in Service! Praise His Most Holy Name!” – Denice – Aug 19, 2006

“So God created man in His ow image; H created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.” - Genesis 1:27

“But hold up and let the river rush in, you can turn around and start livin’ again, Cause your life is a beautiful bloom in the image of the One that created you.” - Toby McKeehan

To my dismay, I was not selected to be a soloist with the choir at a conference I attended in college. Sitting in the choir, I allowed myself to feel miserable and defeated during the evening of worship. Following the service, an older lady approached me and said, “When the choir sang, I watched you. You are unique and loved by God. You were created in His image and you are valuable to Him.”

Do you ever feel worthless? Do you ever feel of little value? Remember that God made you in His own image. Remember that He made you for a purpose. Remember that you are unique and loved by God. You are valuable to Him.

Lord, I know that You adore me. Thank You for creating me in Your image.

I am so very proud of our choir. There was a lot of work and a lot of extra rehearsals that everyone put in just so they could freely worship this weekend. Faith, you have a great choir and music team. They didn’t perform, but they worshiped. They didn’t fight over solos or try to out-sing others, but they sung together.

For the last few months, we went from one rehearsal per week to two. During the last two weeks we had additional rehearsals. I appreciate all the additional work that these volunteers put in. They gave up their time from their busy lives and from their families. There was a lot going on behind the scenes as well from people whom others never saw. From the lights, to the sound, and to the videos. I’m proud of everyone who was involved.

“It is good to give thanks to the lord, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, accompanied by the harp and lute and the harmony of the lyre. You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done” (Psalm 92:1-4). God searches for those who will worship Him (John 4). I believe you made your Father proud. He delights us singing to Him and ministering to Him.

Great Job this weekend.

“But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!” - Romans 5:8

“Jesus loves us as we are and not as we should be, since none of us is as we should be.” - Brennan Manning

Even though it was rated “R”, I went with a group of friends to see Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ. I’m not sure why but I was determined that I was not going to become emotional during the film. However, when Jesus, played by Jim Caviezel, struggled and fell under the weight of the cross and said to Mary, “See, Mother how I make all things new,” my determination meant nothing. I cried mixed tears of joy and humiliation. I thought of how much Jesus had done for me. I thought o how little I had done for Him. I thought about how much He does for me everyday. I thought about how much I must disappoint Him everyday. I thought about His faithfulness. I thought about my faithlessness.

Lore, I love You. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for dying for me.

Have you ever been in debt? I mean a lot of debt. Not just a house mortgage either. I found out that last year the majority of Americans spent %110 of their paycheck. That means that they spent more, way more, than what they actually made. Do you know what you call someone who makes financial mistakes? “Older than 12″. In the words of Dave Ramsey, I’ve done stupid with 0’s at the end of it.

Now Rachel and I are finally climbing out of the whole we created and we have been put in places to teach others how to get out as well. One person that we have been coaching has come back and said how different their overall look on life is. It’s like a breath of fresh air. And all the principles applied is biblical.

Here’s the deal. I have never been more disgusted than a politician that states that his faith will not be issue with his presidency (different post that I’ll write after the rage is gone). We have bottled our faith with only our spiritual life. THIS IS WHY YOUNG ADULTS WILL NOT COME TO CHRIST! Christ did not come to ease your conscience. He came to give us life and life more abundantly. He wants all of your life.

So lets define it like this. Luke 10:27 states to love the Lord your God with all your 1) heart, 2) soul, 3) mind, 4)strength. This is the greatest commandment.

In each of us lies our emotional side, our spiritual side, our mental side, and our physical side. We have this idea that Christianity only involves our spiritual side. But it also effects every side.

1. Heart - This is where our emotions lay. Feelings such has hatred and greed only lead to sin. More I can say, but I regress. Surrender to the Lord your God your emotions.
2. Soul - Once you have given your life to Christ you cannot lose your soul. However, the soul controls your will. Will you or will you not (fill in the blank)? Give the Lord your God your will.
3. Mind - This is where the finances come in. The Bible says that a person cannot serve two masters. Proverbs it also states that a borrower is slave to the lender. Therefore, by being in debt you are forcing yourself to become a slave to someone other than Christ.It is with your cognitive thought where you plan. Planning is very important. Many people do not plan because they believe in living by faith. However, this is stupid faith and not the faith that is promoted in the Bible. Planning is very important to our faith. It is also very important to your life. “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3).
4. Strength - This is pretty easy to understand. Give thanks for all circumstances. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23).

Okay, we need to do:

• one song
• Welcome
• one song
• Offering
• Cantata

Joe recommended that we don’t keep our instrumentalists from getting up and down and up and down. I do like the idea of giving them a full service off.

One thing though is that we have no songs that are congregational. I would like to add in at least one song or medley that the congregation could get into.

Here’s what I am thinking.

We have the praise team lead a medley with the congregation with the band before the welcome. During the welcome, David and I come out and do something acoustically. Then the offering. During the offering possibly a CD (Joe) while the offering is being taken up and the choir comes out. We will have to do some nice things with the lights so that it draws attention away from the movement. Easily done.

Let me know what you think.

Okay guys, help me plan the party.

1. When? - Here’s what I am thinking. I am not a big fan of doing Christmas parties during the Christmas holidays. Why? Because I have asked so much of the band members and the choir members, that I hate to take up another night that most people don’t have free anyway. So I like doing it afterwards. Okay, so if we have a party in Jan. we can either have a party before choir practice resumes or we can have a party after choir practice resumes. If we do it after practice resumes it come be a big drawing card to get more people involved in the choir. If we do it before practice starts, I imagine that it will only be current choir members. I wish to use the choir party to draw prospects into the choir.
2. What to eat? - I’m game for anything
3. What to do? - Yeah, not creative either.

Help me plan this out.