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I am curious about using new or different lighting ideas for worship services. I am doing this in hopes of discovering some new ways to enhance the worship experience and time with our church. Try to eliminate the distractions that we have some kind of control over.
I need some new ideas and some creative ideas to lighten the stage and room. As of right now, we just use a simple rack attached to the ceiling with lights mostly focused on different stage spots. Most of the lights aren’t colored, but just emphasis the stage. We keep the house pretty normal, not dimming them very much at all.
anbody with any new ideas?
God,
For so long i’ve tried to do this whole “life” thing on my own at times. i have completely forgotten your promises and your faithfulness to me. God, tonight i was reminded of how much i desperately need you. you reminded me tonight of how desperate my need is for someone greater than i. sometimes, my actions don’t measure up to my words and sometimes, well a lot of the time i fail. but you do not. you are everlasting from one year to the next; your love does not stop flowing to me, even in my deepest sins and darkest times. in my most greatest moments of needing something, too often i do not choose the only thing that can fulfill. too often i run into my “secure” places where i find rest, or at least temporary rest. but god, i’m tired of chasing this “temporary” thing. i’m tired of finding myself only temporarily secure and realizing that the thing i need the most, has been there the entire time. so god, i’m asking you to be my beautiful rescue. be the thing that creates in me beauty and glory given to you and NOT TO ME! give me the strength and the humility to step out of the way so you can continue your kingdom work in me and through me, i can share you with other people who need a beautiful rescue. show me how to do that. this beautiful rescue may not always be “beautiful”. there will be bumps in my road and i will hit them. but god, in my heart, in my soul, in my mind, and in my strength, make me your beautiful rescue.
for those of you reading this, can you share with me the last time you really had a “red letter” talk with God? a talk in which you simply poured out everything that you know god is putting on your heart. ya know, maybe you don’t even think God listens to you, but he really really does. more than anything, he wants you to talk with him and to have a relationship with him. this “beautiful rescue” i speak of isn’t just for me. thats the thing that makes it beautiful! this love God has for you and i is not seclusive. you don’t need to belong to a club or to have gone to church for a year or gone to confession. these things, are all secondary and important, but more than anything in the world, god wants a relationship full of love between he and you. have you ever had a conversation with God? what has he told you?
You matter to God. God desires you. The creator of the universe, the breather of all stars, the God of love wants a relationship with you. How freakin awesome is that? if you don’t remember anything from this post, i beg you, please, to remember this: God desires you and wants a relationship with you.
” It”
– Craig Groeschel
So, I began a book series last month for “Crazy Love” by Franchis Chan. However, my intern needed my book for a study so I am without it. I have decided to continue this by reading “it” by Craig Groeschel, pastor of LifeChurch.tv in Edmond, Oklahoma.
I’m gonna post as I read this book. I want to know your thoughts and comments and to discuss with you what Craig says in this book. I must be honest, I was a bit skeptical about this book. For some reason, I anticipated that Craig was going to give us a formula for “it” or a pattern that a church must take. Fortunately, I’ve only read a few chapters but it is obvious that this is not his intent. Made my heart rejoice!
-the good news: if you don’t have it, you can get it.
– the bad news: if you have it, you can lose it.
Okay so this is what I’m doing. I’m taking the discussion questions at the end of each chapter and just kinda sharing my thoughts. I am praying for God to open my eyes and show me what he has for his Kingdom’s work. I am excited to be a part of it.
okay so i can’t really sleep. so funny me, i decided to blog about today’s conference. tonight, we had a lady speaking about what i thought was a great thing to think about. Here’s a question for you to ponder and get back to me.
Question: When you accept Jesus as your savior, do you not give your life wholly, and completely to Jesus Christ? Which in turn, does that mean you and Jesus become the same person?
Personally, i believe that yes, when you accept Jesus and ask him into your heart (salvation), your life becomes melded with Jesus and you become one. Now, the hard part is allowing yourself to give your life to Jesus and allow him to take you where he wants you. My struggle, and obviously others’ around, is that I continue trying to take that ownership back. I give it to Jesus and then I take it back. Instead, we should continually be giving everything we get to God and asking, okedoke God, what do you want me to do here? And I think eventually when you become disciplined enough to do this on a daily basis, it almost becomes non-existent because your thoughts and your desires are catered to and centered around the desires of God. When we can make it there, the struggle between our flesh and our spiritual nature is conquered (as much as it can be) and it becomes somewhat of a natural thing for our lives. What is to stop us from becoming like Jesus?
Let’s take a look at the company Jesus kept:
Paul – he was a tax collector before he became a Disciple of Christ. He would be considered a terrorist during that time period because he persecuted people.
Peter – he denied Christ three times to save his own hide, not to mention he’s a quick tempered, sword-toting burst of fire. Don’t forget that Jesus also had to take Peter’s sword down and correct the outburst of his actions.
Thomas – he doubted everything everyone told him, including Jesus! He would not believe that his savior had been resurrected until he saw the holes in his hands and his feet in the upper room
Judas – he totally betrays Jesus for the price of 30 pieces of silver. A traitor? Amidst Jesus Christ? And Jesus Christ allowed him to stick around? He didn’t ask the “traitor” to leave? Hmmmm I think our church today could definately take a lesson from the company Jesus kept…
Remember: The church is a place for the sick. and who exactly is sick? You and I, including those other people. So what does this mean for the church?
Okay so another ADD post. My apologies. Give me some thoughts on what you’re thinking. ADD’ers are encouraged to be themselves as well.
Top Random, Unexpected Things Heard the First Day of NYWC
1. Hearing a speaker for the General Session say “Sphincter”. Not really sure if I spelled that correctly though…
2. Franchis Chan yelling that poop was more valuable than flavorless salt.
3. Andrew Marin describing a situation in which a teenager dropped f-bombs at him for a straight hour.
4. Watching Mark Yaconelli disco dancing with a disco ball.
5.Being part of the “Slow Club”.
6. Listening to Andrew Marin practically yell at the audience for using the term “homosexual” to describe gays and lesbians.
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alright alright. so the first day of the conference was incredible! I don’t know how to put it into words so i won’t at this exact moment. But Francis Chan spoke to my heart on Friday morning/afternoon. He spoke about what the church is today and what the church looked like in the book of Acts. He made some really good points with regard to the use of our finances and the efforts and the things that the churches seem to find so extremly important. I think it’s something that we, as God’s bride and God’s body, need to look at as a church and see where we come up short or where we put too much value into….It was an amazing thought-provoking talk. More on that later…
But the conference is incredible. Getting some great time alone and some time to rest. it’s needed for me right now. this has been a great experience. I look forward to getting back to ministry and being able to wrestle with all the things i’m Hearing this weekend. I will have adequate time to actually dissect stuff and think through what i’ve heard.
I’ll be back soon. Buh bye.
So I have had a rough couple weeks. I’ve just felt very overwhelmed by many different things that have been pushing on me lately. I cannot seem to shake any of these things. and by shake i simply mean to be able to get all of them off my mind and be able to focus solely on one thing. So many things are just consuming my mind and consuming everything that I am doing. I feel like I’ve pushed God completely out of all of these things because of the pressure and the “belief” that I have to get these things done today, right now, immediately! I am so sick of feeling like I always place God on the outside, thinking, well I’ll have time for him later. I think I need to take a retreat and get by myself for a few days. I need some time to regather myself and allow these “to-do items” to just pass by. I don’t mean not do them, but allow them to be there but not my focus. My focus needs to be my Savior and my Father cause he’s the only one who can make these “items” successful or somewhat worthy of his blessing.
>> Father God, please abide in me this week. Please become everything I do, everything I live for. Permeate my mind and my soul. Give me your spirit of rest and love. May I love as you did and always will. <<
I was shown this video the other day by a friend.
This video reminded me again of God’s unfailing love and grace that he freely gives us. It makes me wonder how much bitterness we hold up inside of us. And we use this bitterness against God, to gain leverage, or try to gain anything, over him when we know good and well he doesn’t want to use this against us. Our failures and stumbles are the last thing he wants from us. God wants to see our lives prosper and grow and begin to reap a harvest of his blessings.
This video also reminds us that we’re not alone. We are not alone in our struggles of the flesh. There are people all around us that are fighting the exact same struggle we are, and yet we think we’re alone.
God is here. Don’t wait another day.
What does it mean to be “Christ’s church”
What is Christ’s bigger vision for “my church”?
How often do we consider ourselves part of a much bigger, much more expanding “church”?
What does it mean to lead worship? i’ve taken the courses, i’ve read about the different styles and movements, i’ve heard the talk. but what does it mean to be a biblical worship leader? a biblical leader doesn’t take admonishment, but rather points to the one who makes all things possible. a biblical leader prays for God’s spirit to lead his church. i had a conversation with a friend a few months ago and we were talking about the “american” idea of a leader and we both agreed that although it is somewhat good, is the meaning of an “american” ideal “leader” biblically founded?
if christ is our priest who has gone through all for us and has suffered everything for us, then he is our example for what a biblical leader must be. if christ is a perfect example of a leader, we’re way off.
a leader is one who serves. in all capacities. and sometimes serving means thumping people (which doesn’t feel like serving, but you’re serving the person for the betterment of their being). and sometimes serving means takin the heat.
so, in the grand scheme of things, how do you lead a church? lead a youth ministry? lead a worship ministry?
creative canvas 