Sunday Blitz

> This morning was great! Pastor Tom did a great job talking about the arts and relating it to the Artist of the universe and our lives. GREAT audio file he found somewhere of some dude telling the creation story!

> I've been inspired by Tom's "Arts" sermon...more to come soon!

> I am tired...this back and forth thing to Durham may sound like a picnic, but it's draining.

> The METS are a HUGE disappointment...worst late-season collapse in MLB history. Curse the phillies...

> Our church picnics are the best ever, every time, and today was no exception! Today included time spent playing football, soccer and softball (Chad tried to kill me on the softball field...I may have to amputate my left pinky finger).

> When I asked my friend (yeah, we've never met outside of the internet, but I like him and I'm sure he'd like me if we did meet) Gary Lamb the other day why he doesn't allow comments on his blog, he told me it's because he'd get non-stop comments from people who hate him and his church. I'm kinda jealous...

> I somehow managed to get all of the boring NFL games on TV today...no Payton, no Favre.

> TrunkOrTreatOBX.com/ is up and running! I really hope we're still around for this!

> Softballs are NOT soft... (did I mention Chad tried to kill me?)

> I've been asked to "lead" (which I guess means I've not been asked to "preach", which is cool with me cause I'm not a preacher) our worship services on October 21. We're going through a series that's all about vision, and that Sunday will be all about worship. My brain is turning with some creative ways of communicating Biblical worship.

> This giants/eagles game is the most dull football ever...

That's all for now.

Nate

Leading From the Rear?

There are two separate but similar discussions going on at two of the worship leader forums I frequent. One is titled “The postion of a worship leader or lead worshipper” and asks the questions: 1) What did the role/responsibilities/actions of a worship leader look like in the Bible, and 2) What does that mean for those of us leading worship today? The other is titled “Congregation seating” and simply introduces the topic of how and where the band/worship leader(s) should physically lead during a corporate worship service and asks for any positive/negative comments (you may be able to view this conversation Here).

The latter discussion has brought up some incredibly sarcastic and close-minded comments (which is not unexpected on this particular forum) from a few who do not see any value in taking a deeper look into why most churches always place the band/worship leader(s) in the front of the worship space, usually on a stage, facing the congregation/audience. Their basic arguments are: 1) There is nothing in the Bible to support anything other than having the worship leader in an up-front, easy to follow (visually, musically, etc.) position, and anything else must be unbiblical, and/or 2) This is just the latest “fad” of churches who are trying to do whatever they can to be modern and edgy for the sake of being modern or edgy.

I see great value in these discussions (or this discussion as I think they can be one and the same), as do several others who are trying, despite the attempts otherwise, to have an honest, open conversation. I am led to believe that there is nothing unbiblical about moving the band away from the front/on stage position. I also believe that a church should be able to participate in this conversation with more motive than simply being cool and hip. And, I understand that not every church should to do anything differently because either a change is unneeded, or the resulting problems/issues would outweigh the worth (“change” in a church always causes some level of stress for somebody).

So, here is my attempt to unite these two discussions in an effort to take an unashamed, unbiased look at answering a few questions: 1) Is there anything in Scripture that should dictate how our corporate worship space should look and function (layout, stage, lights, etc.) in relationship to a person or persons leading worship? 2) Is there anything in Scripture that should actually hinder or encourage us to consider changing things up (relating to the topic in question 1) if we feel we might be able to better fulfill our church’s purpose (whatever your church’s purpose may be)? 3) Would the culture of your church and community allow your church do make some seemingly “radical” changes? 4) What does/would this look like, practically in your church building?

As always, make sure that you understand the purpose of this discussion and of this blog before jumping into the discussion. I really hope you can help me come to a clearer understanding of this topic. Thanks!

Nate

Leadership Principles as Illustrated by Michael Scott

If you’re a fan of NBC’s “The Office”, grab a copy of Today’s USA Today Newspaper and check out the article titled “The World’s Greatest (Inept) Boss”. It’s a humorous, sincere and somewhat insightful look at the real-life influence that Michael Scott is having on corporate America. Some very good leadership principles such as honest relationships and transparency are discussed.

Good stuff!

Nate

Worship As Evangelism

Sally Morgenthaler's book "Worship Evangelism" was one of my text books in college a few years back. I even met her when she taught an intensive. The book really helped to shape me into the believer and worship leader that I am today.

Read Sally Morgenthaler's Related Article from Rev Magazine and tell me what you think.



Have you read the book?

Is your church described in this article?

Have you ever thought of worship as evangelism?

Do you share any of Sally's current feelings/thoughts?

Nate

Trunk Or Treat Posters

Here are a few more posters we're hanging around church this week. I'm working on a few more designs to place in the community.





Nate

Sunday Blitz

> Our Youth & Children's Pastor, Andy, did a great job this morning of reminding us what a consistent life looks like and why it's important. We showed part of This Video. Good Stuff.

> The MilePost13 Band did a great job in practice on Thursday without me...I know because they were obviously prepared when we got together at 7:30 this morning. I just may not show up at all one week...

> BTW, the band and the audio and video techs are my heros...they come in every Sunday at 7:30 and stay until about 12:30. That's commitment!

> Skins lost...but, Jason Campbell is looking more like the quaterback we've been needing for the past 10 years.

> Back to Durham again tomorrow morning...keep up to date with that part of our lives Here.

> Getting geared up for Trunk or Treat, our biggest outreach/bridging event of the year! We're aiming to reach 600 unchurched in our community this year.


> Barbara Kay is my NHC Hero of the Week!

> We can see the light at the end of the tunnel with our office space getting completed. We've been out of any real office space for nearly a year (I haven't had an office since I came to NHC), and it will feel wierd to have a place all my own...

> That's all for now...I'm really tired. Shooting a video tomorrow at 7am. Good night.

Nate

Sunday Morning Questions #1

Here are some questions that our staff/elders are currently asking oursleves. We have asked many of these questions before, but we're a church in transition, and it's never a bad thing to ask them again. Out of these questions, we'll be asking some more questions and looking at making some changes.

> What is the purpose of our Sunday mornings (which of NHC’s 5 purposes should this fulfill)?

> Are we achieving our purpose?

> Who is our target audience (who do we want to reach? – describe this person)?

> Are we reaching our target audience?

> What is our objective (what is the desired response, short and long-term)?

> Are we seeing the fruit of this response?

> What are our values (what do we want it to look, sound, feel like - concerning music, sermon, lighting, time, atmosphere, etc)?

> Are we coming short with any of our values, and what can we do about it?

> What are the elements that we want to include every week (prayer, singing, etc.)?

> Are there any elements that we are not including but would like to?

I understand that some of these questions may appear a little surface, but as I said, hopefully these questions will lead to something deeper.

Have you ever asked these or similar questions of your church? How would you respond?

Nate

4 Helpful Blogging Tips

Courtesy of Inc.com:

1. Bare it all

You don't have to give away trade secrets, but effective blogs require a certain amount of candor. There's nothing more boring than a blog that pulls its punches.

2. Update frequently

Content gets stale fast online, so refresh the blog at least three times a week, if not more often. And mind the spam in the comments section--business blogs get tons of it.

3. Be interactive

Encourage visitors to post comments. And join the conversation. Visitors to business blogs generally want one thing--to be heard by the business.

4. Stay cool

If commentators get nasty (and if your blog is any good, they will), don't go on the offensive. Engage them in conversation. And wait it out: There's always a new controversy around the corner.


I figured out #2 & 3 pretty quickly, although I'm not sure if it's making a huge difference. Of course, I have a little different spin on #4, but that's just me.

Nate

New Blog on My List

I met Pat Dryburgh at the Willow Creek Arts Conference this past June. Pat and I are members of an online worship leader community. Pat's Canadian, so please forgive him if he's uses a few strange words. Pat's Church seems pretty cool. Here's hoping he blogs often so I can keep him on my list!

Nate

Hail!

Nate

MNF on ESPN

Is it just me, or is Monday Night Football on ESPN the most obnoxious weekly 4 hours of sports in the history on TV?!? What a joke...

Nate

Discussion: Talent?

Here's a recent post on one of the Christian forums I participate in:

"Our choir has a very talented group of singers and musicians, and I am thankful to be a part of it. However, our music minister consistently overlooks most of the singers in the choir and when there are solos in songs, it's always the same 3 or 4 people (which includes himself). This has been an ongoing problem for a couple of years, and it breaks my heart when I see those who are overlooked for whatever reason. These people take their time and talent to be a part to minister, and are never given an opportunity to even try out for a part they feel led to do. I know that most of the decisions in a choir have to the leaders, but we never have tryouts, we have no communication (other than what time to show up), and those who I love as fellow christians who do sing those special parts I am starting to resent just for this fact. I don't know what to do. PLEASE HELP"

Here are a few of my responses so far:

"It appears that the issue really isn't the soloist thing. The issue is the lack of communication. There may be a very good reason for only using a limited number of soloists, or there may not...regardless, it's never been explained to the choir.

To be honest, we have about 30 people involved in our vocal ministries (band, worship choir, etc.), but I only consider 4 of those people for "solos" because the rest simply are not shaped for this part of our ministry. Every church is different, but every church should be clear on the how's and why's concerning involvment in ministry. Again, this seems to be the major issue here.

If I were you, I would approach the worship leader and ask him if he has any policies/strategy concerning the soloists...if so, would he consider explaining those policies to the choir as a whole so that everyone is aware, if not, would he consider thinking about those things so that he can begin to communicate. Try to keep your personal emotions out of it for the time being...simply focus on finding out why there is a lack of communication. Again, he may have a good reason, he just needs to work on his communication."

And (after another poster agreed that limiting solos to a select few was "wrong"):



""Talent" is sooooo subjective. The "talent" standard should be set by your leaders, and as long as that standard has a purpose and is communicated well, what can you do? If I allowed everyone who said they had "talent" or was recommended (by people who really believe they know what "talent" sounds like) because it was thought they had "talent", our Sunday mornings would look/sound like an American Idol audition...


Every member of the body has it's place...my feet can do a lot of things that my hands can do, but none of them nearly as well. I can clap with my inches, and I can walk on my hands...but, if I'm going to have a hand clap solo, or if I'm going to walk for more than a few feet, I'm going to choose the part of my body that's going to get it done the best, and I'm going to expect that my feet and hands don't get jealous or hurt because I didn't choose them. They should know better...

I guarantee that every member of your choir who may never get asked to sing a solo has been created by God to fill another role in your church in a better way than anyone else can. Every member of the body can shine and feel the satisfaction and purpose that comes with serving in ministry, but only if they're allowed to find out what part they are and are given the opportunity to shine."

What say ye?

Nate

Sunday Blitz

> It's been a long weekend, thanks in part to the huge success of our Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis. This is the reason I haven't posted much in the past week.


> This morning launched a new sermon series called "Get It! Got It! Good!"...all about vision and purpose. Today we talked about "Getting Off The Shelf". Check out the video below...


> A worship leader friend and his church are hosting a worship conference in November called the Worship Summit. Looks like a high quality & cheap event (not common)...I don't think I'll be able to make it because I should be in Durham full-time by then, but I'm trying to talk some of my worship people into going.

> Buffalo Bills player, Kevin Everett is doing "miraculously" better according to his doctors. Thanks for praying.

> I appears that I'm getting some OK traffic on my blog, but not much of the interaction I was hoping for...maybe I should host a free iPhone contest or something... :)

> I'm putting together a new ministry team that should really help us do lots of stuff more gooder...I'll let you know more soon!

> We added a sixth song, Chris Tomlin's "Let God Arise" to the second service for two reasons: 1) We ended the first service a few minutes early, and 2) The second verse fit too well with a part of the sermon for me to ignore. It worked well, and we always love the opportunity to play this song.

> I still can't figure out what kind of pattern, if any, there is to our attendance numbers. Last week, as expected was way down after the BIG Labor Day weekend that usually marks the end of the busy summer season for us, and then this week was almost as full in both services as the middle of July...not that we're complaining.

Nate

Never Forget

Nate

Sunday Blitz

- Sunday mornings over the past two months have included some of the most honest and and free times of worship I've ever been a part of at any church.

- This Sunday morning was no exception. Two new songs (yeah, we've done that several times 'cause that's how we roll), "Kingdom Come" by Hillsong United (Buddy's a beast on the electric guitar) and "At the Cross" by Pocket Full of Rocks (Bonnie's a beast on the keys) really added a lot.

- What does one church with 275 in attendance do with 300+ doughnuts? Eat all we can in the morning, eat some more during NHCU in the afternoon, send some to the firestation, put some in the fridge for First Appointment in the morning, freeze some for a doughnut drought. (Thanks to Grits Grill for the doughnuts every week)

- Pray for Kevin Everett, footballer for Buffalo...just came out of surgery for a spinal injury...doesn't look good.

- Next week begins a new series with a promise during the service from our lead pastor that he'll be doing some very different things...wish he'd discuss that with his worship leader sometime...

- Redskins won today (still waiting to see the highlights). Eagles lost (have seen the highlights 3 times now). Cowgirls and giants playing each other right now...at least one will lose.

- Taught NHCU Discovering Magnification today. Had 23 "students", which is HUGE. Got off to a rocky start because of some technical glitches (seriously), and never felt totally comfortable the entire 4 hours. But, God can work through my poo.

- My tongue gets swollen every time I teach NHCU...I don't talk much on average, and talking for 3+ hours makes my tongue swell. I'm not kidding. Don't ask me why.

- I've received two encouraging emails from my church family in the past hour. That's so appreciated, especially after a long, draining day like today. You guys ROCK.

- Traveling to Durham again on Tuesday morning. Should be back on Thursday. Doing some video/movie editing stuff for my bro-in-law while I'm there.

- I hope Bonnie doesn't mind me calling her a beast...I think she'll understand.

Nate

What Would You Do?

Sometime in the near future, I'll be spending probably at least a few months in Durham fulltime and away from the church, including Sunday mornings. I've been working on some stuff lately to try to do what I can to get the ministry teams that I lead as ready as possible to do stuff without me (which is NOT something I'm worried about 'cause they're the greatest people in the world).

So, if you knew you'd be taking a short hiatus, and you had one month to do whatever to get whoever ready to do ministry without you, what would you do?

Nate

I Actually Hate Oreos...

But this is the funniest commercial in the history of the world...is it just me?



Nate

Mixing Things Up

Many church bands love to learn a new song while adding their own unique flavor to it. I'm all for that (although I've tasted some really BAD flavors over the years), and we tend to do some of that as well. But, our main goal in learning a new song is to try to replicate it as exactly as we can, unless we have to make a change because of limitations. In doing this, we're forced to really focus on the song as a whole and listen to how each instrument and vocal works together. It's also helped us, as a group of self-proclaimed amatures to learn some new techniques and stretch ourselves musically.

But, once we get a song down to where we can play it inside and out, backwards and forwards, we usually start having fun with.

For example, a few weeks ago I got an early copy of Casting Crowns' new CD, and noted how the drum beat at the end of the first track went from what I call "double time" to "half time", giving the song a totally different feel for a few measures. I've heard several other bands do this (Building 429 does this a few times in their newest album as well), and we've even tried it a couple of times with a few of our songs. But, for some reason, this instance of hearing this one song really inspired the creative juices to flow.

So, a few nights later, as some of our band was praticing for our young adult service, I had them run through Chris Tomlin's "Let God Arise", and then told our drummer to change to the "half time" beat for a minute. It was fun to watch everyone's faces as the heard the totally different but cool sound and adjusted their playing to match. To say the least, we were all excited to try this out, so sure enough, I put "Let God Arise" on the setlist for that next Sunday. We just added it for a few measures in a few key spots, just enough to make it interesting without overkill.

We (and our other band members who weren't leading that week) may be the only ones in the entire room who conciously recognized the change.

So, what kinds of things have you done recently to keep things fresh and new?

Nate

Vision?

I forgot to mention the coolest part of our experience at C3. Pastor Fry opened up his message by telling everyone that he was going to be talking about vision, and that the vision was going to be so bright that we'd need some shades...so, everyone in the building got a free pair of SPF/Vision protecting sun-glasses. :)


Nate

C3 Church

Tricia and I had an opportunity this past week to visit Cleveland Community Church in Clayton, NC, about 20 miles SW of Raleigh. C3 was planted by Pastor, Matt Fry in the fall of 1998 and has grown to over 2000 attenders, being named #100 in the "Top 100 Fastest Growing US Churches" by Outreach Magazine in 2006. The church is in the middle of a building project, expanding their space from about 25,000 to close to 100,000 square feet.

The first Wednesday night of every month is reserved as a vision-driven, members-oriented service, and the first Wednesday of Sept. is reserved especially as a kick-off for the new school year/end of summer. I suppose we picked as good a night as any as our first experience at C3...the atmosphere was high energy as the band rocked for at least 40 minutes and the pastor gave a very clear picture of where the church has come in the past 9 years, and where it is headed in the very near future. With the help of a cool video of clips from past church highlights, Fry especially focused on the the opportunities that the new facilities will give the church to reach their community.

I really appreciated hearing the pastor's heart, and it seemed as if I was having a bit of deja vu as much of what he said is stuff we've been talking about at NHC over the past few years through our building project. It's exciting to see a church much like ours doing bigger things...it gives me excitement to imagine that God is going to do some bigger things with us as well.

It's also fun to see how churches with similar music/worship styles as ours can do things so differently than we do and yet do it just as well. The worship leaders did a great job of leading the people into an exciting and celebratory place of giving thanks to God. A few of the songs were new to me, a few were a little familiar, and a few are songs that we do at NHC. The highlight of the worship for me was watching about 25 people get baptised at the front of the worship center as the rest of the congregation sang to God...every time a person came up out of the water, the place errupted in cheers and applause. Few things make me want to cry more than seeing the joy of a new believer being baptised.

And, to boot, I got to see a few classmates from LU and meet the pastor and his wife.

As Tricia and I spend some more time in Durham over the next few months, we're looking forward to checking out some more churches as well as spending some more time at C3.

Nate

My New Blog

I've begun a New Blog. This one is very personal, and I'd really appreciate it if you would check it out. Thanks!

Nate

I'm Church Hopping

Not really, but Tricia and I had an opportunity to worship with and experience C3 Church in Clayton, NC tonight. I'll post more about what we experienced ASAP...

Nate

New Look

Cause it's late and I'm bored...

Nate

Church Consumerism

How are/do we as worship leaders, on Sunday mornings or at other times add to, encourage, challenge, break down the kind of consumer mentality that my pastor is talking about Here with his "Ed & Edith" posts?

Nate

Music Review: Jackson Waters "Come Undone"

Hailing from Arkansas, Jackson Waters is a mix of Third Day southern rock and the alternative rock sound of Building 429. And, while you may think the last thing we need is another one of "those" bands, these guys are actually a cut above the usual new-kid-on-the-block sound. From what I can tell, this is their first release with a major record company. (I did some listening on iTunes, and they've made HUGE leaps since their 2004 release, "All That I Know".)

It usually takes a lot to get me interested in a new group, and this group apparently has got "it" for me, because I was thoroughly impressed from the first listen, and they've been the most played group on my iPod over the past month. From listening to their 2004 release, it seems that much of their musical "maturity" has been helped along by some good producing, but good music is good music. Solid guitar riffs and licks, friendly melodic hooks, strong vocals, and enough musical diversity among the album’s 11 tracks keep this project interesting from start to finish.

The overall message of the album is basically one of encouraging dependency on God. Not that any of the songs have a weak message, but I’m always looking for something new. This may be the only weakness of this album, but I’m hoping that they’ll get another chance to do more. While “Give Me Amazing Grace” may be the standout track, I really can’t identify any song as being a filler. If these guys can get some serious radio play, I think they’ve got the musical and lyrical abilities to be something big. I hope they are, because I’d love to hear some more!

Nate

Just for Fun: Greatest "Christian" Albums of my Lifetime

This is my list (I think it will be short) of greatest "Christian" albums of my lifetime. This is completely based on my own likes and opinions, mostly from an entertainment and influential standpoint.


"The Great Adventure" by Steven Curtis Chapman (1992)
If for no other no other reason than the title track, which is, IMO, one of the greatest CCM songs ever written. Just about every song (and what do you expect from SCC?) is great songwriting. This CD was the one that realy got me interested as a 10-11 year old boy in CCM. I have loved SCC ever since.


"Jars Of Clay" by Jars of Clay (1995)
This album was so incredibly different than anything else going on in CCM at the time. Poetic, raw, and such a radically different sound than everything else out there. "Rain" is still being played on a daily basis on one local "secular" station. This was one of the first albums I ever bought with my own money. Although not considered to be a "worship" album, I consider this album to be one of the foundational projects for the worship music explosion of the late 90's, early 2000's. Everything else until their latest release, "Good Monsters" was a huge frustration, but let's not go there...


"Jesus Freak" by DCTalk (1995)
Beyond the fact that we're all LU dropouts... Released just one month after the Jars of Clay debut, this is one of the few Christian albums that can stand up against the best of the "secular" world. This album took DCTalk from goofy, somewhat creative Christian rappers to seriously good, thoughtful and impacting artists. I can remember exactly where I was and what I was thinking as I listened through this album for the first time. Incredibly rare to have three lead vocalists mesh with such great sound. The break-up broke my heart.


"SonicFlood" by SonicFlood (1999)
IMO, the best of the best of the modern worship era. Groundbreaking and still just as good today as the first time I heard it, this is the album I learned to play the guitar with and the album that inspired me to become a worship leader. Every song, whether an original or a cover is spotless. It's an incredible disappointment that the original band did not stay together and continue with the same sound and focus.


"40 Acres" by Caedmon's Call (1999)
Caedmon's Call is one of the most talented CCM groups, and this was their defining album. This was the popular choice of groups and albums to be a fan of during my years at Christian colleges...any Christian of my generation will agree with me here. This album is musical storytelling at it's best, and "Faith My Eyes" and "Table For Two" bring back incredible nostalgia for me. I'm glad to hear that the prodigal band member, Derek Webb has returned to the group.


"Offerings" by Third Day (2000)
The album that made me into a Third Day fan, this is the one that took Third Day and Mac Powell from an ok band to the premier CCM group of the past decade. I have used just about every song from this album in corporate worship at one time or another. For whatever reason (I think it's because this was their first true studio album), I still can't listen to much of anything Third Day recorded before this album, and I love everything since. I also considered placing "Come Together" on this list...


"The Beautiful Letdown" by Switchfoot (2003)
The breakout album for this group (and IMO, the last real album before their "fame" went a little to their heads), this project can stand up musically against anything from this era. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to this album. "Meant To Live" (not even the best song of the album) is one of the few, if only songs from the past 10 years that the majority of people in and outside the walls of the church can recognize and sing along with.


"Downhere" by Downhere (2004)
My favorite Christian band ever, this was their first major release. While I believe this is the most overall talented group in the industry today, unfortunately, they're also the most unkown. Musically, lyrically, vocally, these guys are incredible, especially when you consider there's only four of them (in the studio and on the live stage). I love this album, and they've only gotten better since.

I could probably also put a few Chris Tomlin and Hillsong United albums on this list as well as Lincoln Brewster's "All To You: Live" album, but I wanted to try to stay away from "worship" albums as much as possible because I have a hard time listening to those albums from an entertainment point of view.

Anyway, let me know what you think of my choices, and feel free to post your own list.

Nate

Discussion #6: Corporate Worshippers

This is an extension of my previous post about Distractions in Worship.

As I was reading and thinking through this issue, I came to the conclusion that there are typically three types of corporate worshippers. (note that I am talking about believers…a seeker cannot worship a God he/she does not know)

The first corporate worshipper says/thinks/acts: "I'm not into singing. I don't have a good voice. I prefer to worship by listening to those around me sing." This is not Biblical as the Bible is full of commands (not suggestions) for believers to sing.

The second corporate worshipper says/thinks/acts: "I love singing with all that I am. I have my own worship style, and it's unique. I know I'm loud, energetic, etc., but that's just how I am. I don't care what others around me think about my energy and volume because it’s all about God." This is not Biblical either as the Bible tells us to put each others needs above our own, as well as that our time of corporate worship should be about serving God AND serving others, and that corporate worship should not be a time of chaos.

The third corporate worshipper says/thinks/acts: "I'm here to worship with the body. I'm here to add my unique voice/style to the unified song. I'm here to glorify God and edify the body by worshipping." This is the Biblical approach.

Corporate worship is about worshipping together. Just as a renegade minister can distract and derail a ministry team, an insensitive worshipper can move the focus of a worship service from God to themselves. Just as a lazy individual can frustrate a mission team, a quiet worshipper can suck some life out of a worship service.

We can say what we want about hurting feelings, limiting someone’s worship style, whatever, but none of that should keep us from taking advantage of a teaching opportunity…leading worship is only part of the responsibility of a worship leader/pastor. Teaching about Biblical worship and helping others to grow and mature in their understanding and passion for God is something we can’t afford to sacrifice.

Nate

Discussion #5: Distractions in Worship

This discussion stems from a few developing threads over at worshiptogether.com.

The Scenario: A smaller church; A contemporary worship style; A woman who sings with lots of volume and heavy vibrato, and who has told the worship leader that she knows everything about worship; Lot’s of regular attenders in the congregation who find this woman to be distracting during worship, so much so that few want to sit near her.

The Question: How do you decide that her worship is too distracting to others? And how would you handle it if it was?

My advice was pretty straight forward…as worship leaders, pastors, etc., part of our responsibility is to help limit distractions that may keep people from participating in our corporate worship times, no matter if those distractions are coming from the stage or the congregation. There are always exceptions, but this specific example is a great opportunity to teach somebody about corporate worship, about being sensitive to those around us.

I seem to be in the minority with my thoughts about this issue. What say ye?

Nate