Sunday, August 24, 2008

Worship leading as an offering


As worship leaders its really important that we treat our service as an offering.

Like the man who is on his knees with his hands stretched out in front of Him presenting a gift for the Lord, our worship leading is an offering to Him, a good and pleasing gift.

Personally speaking, when I treat it as an offering I have found that I am more open to be moulded and shaped by God and also my leaders. I become more flexible. I am more open to feedback to make what I do the best I can and I become less defensive, because its not about me its about what I offer to God and the group, it becomes more about what I can give, rather than ‘my ministry’. The goal is to do my best for the group and for God. I will seek the opinions of my leaders and those I trust to ensure that I did an effective job. If something isn’t quite right or hasn’t gone right, then I will listen to the feedback given and put it right so that its better for next time, no hassle, no worries.

The most important thing is the offering.

This single-mindedness to bring this offering to please the Lord, and to do a good job brings a renewed emphasis on doing the best I can. Narrow-mindedness is stripped away and I become more teachable and humble. More able to be the kind of servant the Lord seeks.

You can apply this principle to any area of service and indeed most areas of life. It works!

Chris Perkins

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Vineyard Key Value: Accessibility


Our songs are often simple, and very melodic, as we are trying to make a way for everyone gathered in a room to find their way to God through the songs we sing.

Our musical goal is not to impress people with the capabilities of the band, or worse yet, with the capabilities of an individual, but rather to beautifully create a musical space for people to meet with God.

We have one goal ever before us as a team. We are playing so that the congregation might find a clear way to lay down the burdens they walked in with at the feet of Jesus, and to meet with Him in worship through the vehicle of the music that we make. We are poised as a worship team to serve, to use all our musical giftings to get out of the way, and to make a way, for people to get to that place of encounter.

Dan Wilt
www.danwilt.com (a blog on emerging worship)