Church Tech Camp

I had a chance to pop in and join the discussions at the first Church Tech Camp in LA yesterday.

So what is Church Tech Camp? From the website…

#churchtechcamp is a localized unconference for people of faith to gather and share their own best practices and “in the field” insights. More simply put – it is a place where we all are the expert, everyone has something to share, and we all have valuable experiences we can learn from.

It was great to see so many folks I’ve come to know online (okay, maybe more like stalk online) gathered in one place.  And sharing collective wisdom and insights helps everyone become better. You can find additional thoughts from these great folks:

Tony Steward: http://www.tonystewardblog.com/

Robert Yang: http://www.kindlejoy.com/

Rich Kirkpatrick: http://www.richkirkpatrick.com/

Cynthia Ware: http://thedigitalsanctuary.org/

Matt Singley: http://mattsingley.com

Even better, if you weren’t able to take part, you can still catch the conversations by clicking here.  It’s well worth the time, so make sure to visit when you get the chance.

P.S.  I would love to connect to others in the North Florida/South Georgia area who might be interested in getting together for something similar.  If you would like to take part, you can email me.  Look forward to it!

Christians and Politics

November cannot come soon enough.  The incessant commercials and talking heads are running continuously on TV.  Promises of change flood the airwaves on both sides.  But what has really pushed me over the edge? Christian folks.  

There are a lot of normally well adjusted, very gifted people who have a lot to offer others who seem to have been caught up in a vortex of political maneuverings and intrigue.  And they exist on both sides of the aisle. 

It is apparently en vogue for young evangelical believers to bemoan the current state of global affairs as the fruit of the current administration.  it seems an entire generation has discovered a new vocabulary with key words such as “social justice”, “change”, “environmentally aware”, etc.  

On the other side is the usual assortment of Christians who do not seem to understand that they are no longer king-makers.  Combine highly public moral failings and drastic missteps and misleadings from an administration that they were instrumental in putting into office and you get cultural irrelevance.  We need to understand that when our support of a candidate is used as ammunition against that candidate we risk alienating a large segment of the population in the hopes of gaining some political ground.  It’s just not worth it.

I am not saying believers should not be politically aware.  Research the candidates and make an informed decision.  

What does bother me is the tone that we have allowed to creep into our own dialogue.  It is contrary to the nature of love for believers to believe and hope for the worst in a person.  

Neither of these candidates, with their pluses and minuses, are going to redeem this nation.   

Let’s do our duty as citizens but not at the expense of character and compassion.

Essential Relationships for Worship Leaders – The Senior Pastor

Continuing thoughts on the relationships of worship leaders and their impact on corporate worship…

The connection between Pastor and Worship Leader is very important in regard to corporate worship.  Even in instances where they are related, there can be a natural divergence of focus and bridging the gap can require effort and commitment. 

The thoughts I share here are strictly from the perspective of a worship leader for the benefit of a worship leader.  I welcome thoughts from pastors.

• Worship Leaders must be committed to the vision as set forth by the Pastor. 

This can be incredibly challenging for “creatively” driven people, but the simple fact is a leader must view themselves as an extension of the pastor.  Countless pastor-worship leader relationships have been undone by subtle struggles over power and influence.  Whatever influence God allows you to have with people should be used to promote the larger agenda of the ministry and not to feed ego. 

 

• Change only comes through trust. 

No amount of cajoling, debate, and convincing can bring about change like trust can.  Particularly in cases where churches are changing/adding to their style of worship, a worship leader must have a well established track record of trustworthiness.   If you find that your pastor is resistant to new songs/styles/forms of worship, begin first by checking to see if you have the equity in your “trust account”.  Understand that you do not “earn the right” to do as you wish. 

 

• Communication is key to properly deal with expectations.

Seek time regularly to speak with your pastor.  Ask for his input into songs/styles and for an honest assessment of his satisfaction with the worship ministry.  For some pastors this may be intimidating because they feel that they do not have the necessary musical terminology to adequately express their thoughts.  For some worship leaders this can be intimidating because we don’t like having our shortcomings, or those of our team, confronted.  Regardless, your openness to input will foster trust and confidence. 

Additionally, this is a great time to set and adjust expectations.  Be honest about your ability to produce what he is after.  If he’s thinking mass choir, and all you’ve got is 3 altos and a pitchy tenor, it is important to acknowledge such.  Let the pastor know your limitations, including personnel, equipment, and environment, but also offer a “can do” attitude and confidence.  The greater the pastor’s understanding of the issues you are working with the greater grace you may have with him.