Worship Panel

I had a busy lunch.  I talked with Rick for a while and then Steve Komanapalli. These guys are amazing. I'm inspired.

The panel speaking on Worship was comprised of Gregg Surrat (Seacoast), Tommy Kyllonen (Crossover), Dave Ferguson (Community Christian), Marcus Witt (Lakewood) and Ken Foreman (Cathedral of Faith). There was remarkable variety on the panel.

Here are some quotes for you to ponder:

I would go to church and ask, "Where are people encountering God?" The Lord gave me Isaiah 29:13-14  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. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish." After reading that I knew we had to do something to give people an opportunity to respond to God in worship. So, for the last 15 minutes of the service we have an altar God for everybody.  It's wonderful.  - Greg Surrat

In 2002 we began to integrate some hip-hop music into our worship. God began to do some amazing things.  We use a life DJ in worship. We have poets. We try to be very creative with the worship style, and many times people connect. - Tommy Kyllonen

People experience a thousand ideas in a week in the normal church. We try to take the whole experience and communicate one big idea. We want to be a community of transformation. Working on one big idea each week helps people focus. - Dave Ferguson

Every Sunday our people are challenged to apply one big idea and live it out. - Dave Ferguson

The hour-and-ten-minutes service is a journey we are all on together. We try to engage the senses. We try to drive the theme, the one thing we want people to get. - Ken Foreman

We try to think of ways to keep people involved and participating all through the service.  We use culture as a starting point to engage folks and bring them in.  We've seen God use those bridges in culture to really connect with the heart of people. - Ken Foreman

We're about 15% Asian, 15% African-America, 35% Anglo and 35% Hispanic. We did the song, "On Christ the Solid Rock" and we did it traditional at the start of the service and then did a "Delirious" version at the end of the service.  It connected with everyone. - Ken Foreman

The lead pastor has to be a worshiper. - Tommy Kyllonen

When pastors and worship leaders have the friendship and respect that allows the worship guy to go and do what he needs to do, the worship pastor will bring all his friends back to help the church with him. - Marcus Witt

The artist, by the very nature of what they do, is a risk-taker.  But the church tends to be risk-averse.  So the pastor needs to know he can trust the artist and the artist needs support for the risk he's taking.  There needs to be reciprocity. - Dave Ferguson

If the musician doesn't have a great relationship with his pastor, he can take the loyalty of worshipers and betray the pastor's trust. That results in a split.  So, the pastor needs to make the worship leader his friend. - Marcus Witt

I have lunch with my worship pastor every Friday. - Dave Ferguson.

We have 13 sites. - Greg Surrat

Our people don't even bring their Bibles because they all have them on their PDAs.  So we start every service lifting our ipods saying, "This is my Bible..." - Greg Surrat

It doesn't matter how big your "box" is, chances are, someday your "box" will limit your vision.  Technology removes the box.  Who made the rule you can only reach out to people within 20 minutes of the piece of property you purchased? - Greg Surrat

If you have a very large church at all, you have lots of people in your church who will never get on the weekend stage, but God has gifted them and called them and they could help people worship at all your sites. - Greg Surrat

If we want a church that is diverse, every song can't be about me, my favorite and my style. I think there is a healthy tension there. The service isn't all just about me. It's about God and about us being together. - Ken Foreman

Study the worship leaders in heaven and you see the different styles of worship for the Church.  There are worship leaders like Lions, always roaring. There are worship leaders like a Calf, happy and leaping in the field. There are worship leaders like a Man, always needy people. Focused "in" always singing, "I need You, Oh I need You. Every hour I need You." Selfish. Self-centered. The fourth kind is the Eagle flying, soaring, oblivious about time. Forgets the people who've been standing for hours. A lot of times this guys is so spiritually minded he is no earthly good.  So you need to identify which of those styles you most identify with.  Then realize you need to be more well-rounded as a worship leader.  Also, develop a sensitivity to the congregation so you know where they are, and where we need to go today. Become sensitive. Become "sheep-shaped." - Marcus Witt

What does the Revelation model say about "seeing where we are and where we're going." Be conscious of those who are behind you, backing you. Who is beside you? If they can't play in G-flat, be sensitive to your teammates. Eyes inside mean you should be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Notice those before you. You can't be all things to all men so if people don't like your "style" of worship it's OK. - Marcus Witt