Conflict is never fun.  Most of us avoid it at all costs, especially if we are in ministry.  But in a creative ministry it is inevitable.  I had an experience with conflict that really opened my eyes to the brighter side of interpersonal entanglements.  It allowed me to view conflict as a tool to healthy growth instead of something negative. Our worship team was really growing.  Lots of people getting involved,...

I was going through some old files the other day and came across a bunch of notes from some worship conferences I attended a few years ago.  As I leafed through all my chicken scratch and half legible note taking, I started to laugh.  Nothing I had written down had to do with my growth as a worship pastor.  It was all about what worked and what failed in various churches that were participating in the conference....

Isaiah 29:13 says: ” The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” This passage sure makes me think.  It reminds me that it is so easy to fall into the typical routine on Sunday morning.  Show up… greet a few people… grab a bulletin…...

Growing up, I was always taught that worship was an activity that happened on the stage.  People with musical and vocal abilities would stand and lead us into a place where we can see and experience God.  Sure people can spend time with God during the week in devotions, but real worship only happened if it was led from the stage.  This was evident by how people would respond with a sincere and authentic desire...

I tend to think differently about most things.  If something has been done one way for 100 years, I think to myself “how boring doing this over and over and over the same way”.  My first instinct is to want to make changes. In a traditional environment, this kind of thinking can get me into trouble.  But in this setting, I think I’m safe… All that being said… I’ve been thinking...

I often hear about individual church ministries like small groups desiring to start their own worship gatherings.  I think this is a great idea.  We typically associate a worship team or gathering with the team that stands on stage Sunday morning.  The reality is that the “main worship service” is only a part of a church family’s worship experience.  Children have their own services. ...

The attributes of God are true This world is full of things that are stylish…we are daily bombarded with the latest and greatest things…things that quickly become popular and then become forgotten, but we have a God who doesn’t change his mind.  He doesn’t lose interest in us.  His word says He loves us… it says we are saved by His grace…and that He is forever faithful. Psalms 57:7-11 My heart...

What does it mean to make an impact?  Does it mean ‘making a difference’?  A change?  Does it mean having a reputation or a legacy?  It can be so many different things to people.  What if it meant something like this: When you throw a stone into a still pond what happens?  The stone strikes the water and creates a perpetual effect that eventually impacts the whole pond?  What starts as a small...