I was reading Dave's post Everybody's A Critic of Going to 11 based on Perry Noble's post Dealing With Critics... and it got me to thinking of how blessed I have been over the past couple of years to not hear of something being too loud or just plain not sounding good in one of our venues. As a church we call it the Christian Outreach & Activity Center which is basically a gym with a stage on one side. A big block building with horrible acoustics is what it is to me. As we outgrow our Sanctuary this room is being used more and more. I have had to do some serious reconfiguring of the sound system. I have not had the luxury of replacing equipment so a re-installation was my only option. However I have purchased in addition two portable speakers for a couple of pole mounts for better coverage and a whole package of Shure microphones and cables. Other than that is was a total rewire and optimization. One immediate move was to take the amplifiers off the same electrical phase with the horribly installed lighting system. I have heard noise from dimmer packs but this was unbearable and they had used it like that for years!
So over the past couple of years I have been accomplishing a rework of this sound system. A couple of weeks ago it was finally at a position whereas I thought it may sound decent. I was not happy with the sound and I'm still not (I'm a perfectionist) but after a recent choir cantata (yes, we still do those) a gentleman that operated sound for 15 years in that church come running back to FOH with a big smile on his face and shook my hand and told me that it was amazing how it sounded in that room now. I was really pushing that system on the finale and God made it stick. Folks I didn't do much and I did it with nothing but I believe that if we are putting forth the effort to make better with what God has given us that He will bless that. And even though it is not a new state of the art installation that you read about in all of these magazines it is probably a whole lot better than you think.
Showing posts with label Ministry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ministry. Show all posts
Friday, April 13, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Perry Noble-Playing For An Audience Of One
WOW! What a great post by Perry today. It is so true that often we get wrapped up in what other people think or we get wrapped up in "serving" God that we are not "seeking" God. Our entire life should be playing for an audience of One. That is worship!
Check out Perry's post Playing for an Audience of One
Check out Perry's post Playing for an Audience of One
Friday, March 16, 2007
Unleash Conference
WOW! I believe that is how Perry started out his post last night about the Unleash Conference and I would most certainly agree. I would have loved to post last night but I had some things that needed to get done before this morning. I’m also sure there are many reviews of the Conference already this morning seeing that Todd Rhoades, Gary Lamb, Chris Surratt, Pete Bishop, Steven Furtick and of course Tony Morgan and Perry Noble were all there. Also an anchor, Tonia Bendickson, from the channel I prefer to get my local news from was there with the Elevation crowd. All of the aforementioned guys have blogs that I read on a regular basis and the only one I had to chance to talk to was Tony Morgan and that was brief. I would have loved to seen a blogger meet and greet since so many of us were there but I believe that it would have needed to be the night before or something like that. Oh, yeah, this is about the conference.
I decided a few weeks ago that going to this conference would also be an excellent time to take a night and spend with my wife away from the house and kids so that is what we did. We arrived Wednesday evening after approximately a 100 mile drive. We had dinner and decided to go over and take advantage of the early check-in and find our way before the big day. The volunteers were nice and told us to take a look around and so we did. It was then that we met Sydney. She engaged us in conversation and was great to talk to and drew out a shortcut for us to take between our hotel and the church. That was a great help.
The next morning we arrived and after being directed to our parking place we departed our vehicle and were greeted by no less than 5 volunteers in the parking lot. I would say probably another 15 greeted us before we made it to the area of breakfast foods and drinks. I thought that was awesome but maybe a little too much for someone like me who had not yet had their first cup of coffee. Throughout the day the people of Newspring Church were outstanding. I have never seen a group of volunteers that excited about serving. One that keeps standing out is Sydney whose path we kept crossing. She was as helpful each time as the first time.
The first main session was titled “Go For It”. After an awesome time of worship through song, Perry jumped right in with both feet. If you have never heard Perry speak you can almost imagine what it is like if you read his blog. He writes just like he speaks. His four points were to establish creative environments, look beyond ourselves, pay attention and focus on what matters. Let me tell you that these four things apply to what ever area of ministry you are leading and not just senior pastors. I strive to create an environment that people want to serve. I preach looking beyond ourselves because what we do in media ministry is an offering to God. I don’t know how many times I have told my team to PAY ATTENTION. It is crucial in technical arts ministry to know what is going on. Of course that is made much easier with planning, preparation and practice. The last point was focus on what matters. In media ministry as in all ministries that is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the reason we are serving at all. I have said it before and I will say it again, if you are serving in a technical role just because you have an aptitude and feel obligated then you there for the wrong reason. Focus on Jesus!
The break out sessions were in a question and answer format. Not my favorite but I could deal. I attended the Newspring Experience and then Blogging in Communications. Our worship leader attended Leading Authentic Worship and told me that Joel Yates (audio engineer) was answering questions. If I had only known I would have been in there. As a group we tried to cover all of the sessions provided so it worked out.
Perry Noble from time to time states that a lot of times he feels like he has no idea what he is doing. I got that same sense from his staff in these break out sessions. And you know what? That is OK! These guys are not supposed to have all the answers for your church. They were good on telling what their experiences have been, where they have struggled in the past and where they are struggling now. It is up to us to glean from that and incorporate into our own ministry. I gained some tidbits that I can use and I appreciate that. I thought they did an excellent job!
The second and last main session was amazing. You know it has been a while since I had a chance to not have to concern myself with production or operate sound, video or lighting and just enjoy what was going on. Let me just say that I let all of the encumbrances of my hectic life just melt away and I praised my Lord. I want to thank Lee McDerment (worship leader) and the band and all of the singers and all of the people making it happen behind the scenes to allow me to have that precious time. THANK YOU!!!
Perry’s second session was titled “The Leadership Challenge” and he let it rip. I can’t remember the last time or if ever I heard someone tear into the institutions established by the church like I did yesterday. And he was right.
Perry’s four points on this session were Moses simply listened and obeyed, Moses didn’t compromise the vision, Moses didn’t try to do it all and Moses was willing to attempt anything. If you couldn’t tell he was using Moses as an example of leadership.
A quote that really stuck to me was when Perry said, “Leadership is as easy as listening to God.” I know that I have been struggling on what to do in some areas and I now realize that I have not been listening close enough. After some time with a friend this morning I realize that I’m in the will of God. I have just wanted to see too far ahead. My friend reminded that God will be a light to my feet and a lamp to my path but He is not going to illuminate the whole way for me to see. It all comes down to me trusting God. That is where I’m at right now. I need to trust God completely.
On the next point Perry points out that powerful people will try to altar your vision and that is so true. Don’t compromise what God has given you!
Thirdly, don’t try to do it all. Perry was all over my toes on this one. I want to be needed but I’m not. I need to let go and allow members of my team to grow. I use to be more diligent on asking my pastors what I could do for them and how I could help them better prepare for services but that has faltered. I’m going to get back to doing that and allow my team to do that as well.
The next and last point is a sticking point. Be willing to attempt anything. In other words, THINK BIG!!! I know that I have no idea what God is capable of doing through our church and ministries but I’m willing to let Him lead me. So many have God stuffed in a box and He is in there broke too. We as a church need to stop stifling the vision that God has given to the men and women He has chosen to do His work. You have all heard the old adage “Lead, follow or get out of the way!” That is the way that I feel about church and ministry right now. If God has given you a vision then you need to lead. If you can understand the vision that God has given someone then you need to follow. If you don’t fall into one of those then you need to get out of the way and start searching for where God wants you to be. I know that I’m going to be in a struggle because I serve in a committee led impaired church. Where do I plug in the vision that God has given me for using media and technology for His glory and purpose? I don’t know yet but I’m going to let God light my steps as I continue to follow the charge He has given me in 2 Timothy 4:5
2 Timothy 4:5(NLT) 5But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at bringing others to Christ. Complete the ministry God has given you.
I believe that Unleash is going to become one of the premiere conferences and I look forward to attending again next year. Thank you so very much to all of those involved in this conference for the experience.
I decided a few weeks ago that going to this conference would also be an excellent time to take a night and spend with my wife away from the house and kids so that is what we did. We arrived Wednesday evening after approximately a 100 mile drive. We had dinner and decided to go over and take advantage of the early check-in and find our way before the big day. The volunteers were nice and told us to take a look around and so we did. It was then that we met Sydney. She engaged us in conversation and was great to talk to and drew out a shortcut for us to take between our hotel and the church. That was a great help.
The next morning we arrived and after being directed to our parking place we departed our vehicle and were greeted by no less than 5 volunteers in the parking lot. I would say probably another 15 greeted us before we made it to the area of breakfast foods and drinks. I thought that was awesome but maybe a little too much for someone like me who had not yet had their first cup of coffee. Throughout the day the people of Newspring Church were outstanding. I have never seen a group of volunteers that excited about serving. One that keeps standing out is Sydney whose path we kept crossing. She was as helpful each time as the first time.
The first main session was titled “Go For It”. After an awesome time of worship through song, Perry jumped right in with both feet. If you have never heard Perry speak you can almost imagine what it is like if you read his blog. He writes just like he speaks. His four points were to establish creative environments, look beyond ourselves, pay attention and focus on what matters. Let me tell you that these four things apply to what ever area of ministry you are leading and not just senior pastors. I strive to create an environment that people want to serve. I preach looking beyond ourselves because what we do in media ministry is an offering to God. I don’t know how many times I have told my team to PAY ATTENTION. It is crucial in technical arts ministry to know what is going on. Of course that is made much easier with planning, preparation and practice. The last point was focus on what matters. In media ministry as in all ministries that is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the reason we are serving at all. I have said it before and I will say it again, if you are serving in a technical role just because you have an aptitude and feel obligated then you there for the wrong reason. Focus on Jesus!
The break out sessions were in a question and answer format. Not my favorite but I could deal. I attended the Newspring Experience and then Blogging in Communications. Our worship leader attended Leading Authentic Worship and told me that Joel Yates (audio engineer) was answering questions. If I had only known I would have been in there. As a group we tried to cover all of the sessions provided so it worked out.
Perry Noble from time to time states that a lot of times he feels like he has no idea what he is doing. I got that same sense from his staff in these break out sessions. And you know what? That is OK! These guys are not supposed to have all the answers for your church. They were good on telling what their experiences have been, where they have struggled in the past and where they are struggling now. It is up to us to glean from that and incorporate into our own ministry. I gained some tidbits that I can use and I appreciate that. I thought they did an excellent job!
The second and last main session was amazing. You know it has been a while since I had a chance to not have to concern myself with production or operate sound, video or lighting and just enjoy what was going on. Let me just say that I let all of the encumbrances of my hectic life just melt away and I praised my Lord. I want to thank Lee McDerment (worship leader) and the band and all of the singers and all of the people making it happen behind the scenes to allow me to have that precious time. THANK YOU!!!
Perry’s second session was titled “The Leadership Challenge” and he let it rip. I can’t remember the last time or if ever I heard someone tear into the institutions established by the church like I did yesterday. And he was right.
Perry’s four points on this session were Moses simply listened and obeyed, Moses didn’t compromise the vision, Moses didn’t try to do it all and Moses was willing to attempt anything. If you couldn’t tell he was using Moses as an example of leadership.
A quote that really stuck to me was when Perry said, “Leadership is as easy as listening to God.” I know that I have been struggling on what to do in some areas and I now realize that I have not been listening close enough. After some time with a friend this morning I realize that I’m in the will of God. I have just wanted to see too far ahead. My friend reminded that God will be a light to my feet and a lamp to my path but He is not going to illuminate the whole way for me to see. It all comes down to me trusting God. That is where I’m at right now. I need to trust God completely.
On the next point Perry points out that powerful people will try to altar your vision and that is so true. Don’t compromise what God has given you!
Thirdly, don’t try to do it all. Perry was all over my toes on this one. I want to be needed but I’m not. I need to let go and allow members of my team to grow. I use to be more diligent on asking my pastors what I could do for them and how I could help them better prepare for services but that has faltered. I’m going to get back to doing that and allow my team to do that as well.
The next and last point is a sticking point. Be willing to attempt anything. In other words, THINK BIG!!! I know that I have no idea what God is capable of doing through our church and ministries but I’m willing to let Him lead me. So many have God stuffed in a box and He is in there broke too. We as a church need to stop stifling the vision that God has given to the men and women He has chosen to do His work. You have all heard the old adage “Lead, follow or get out of the way!” That is the way that I feel about church and ministry right now. If God has given you a vision then you need to lead. If you can understand the vision that God has given someone then you need to follow. If you don’t fall into one of those then you need to get out of the way and start searching for where God wants you to be. I know that I’m going to be in a struggle because I serve in a committee led impaired church. Where do I plug in the vision that God has given me for using media and technology for His glory and purpose? I don’t know yet but I’m going to let God light my steps as I continue to follow the charge He has given me in 2 Timothy 4:5
2 Timothy 4:5(NLT) 5But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at bringing others to Christ. Complete the ministry God has given you.
I believe that Unleash is going to become one of the premiere conferences and I look forward to attending again next year. Thank you so very much to all of those involved in this conference for the experience.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Give It Away with Excellence
HT to MMI for both of these links. Today are two posts that speak to what my last post was about and about giving our best. I have written many times about striving for excellence and I could not have written any better than the post Christian Excellence. This is a blog that I have not read in the past but after reading this post I subscribed because Nathan Rice is dead on in his analysis.
Check out How Much Can We Give? by Craig Groeschel, Senior Pastor of Lifechurch.tv
Check out Christian Excellence by Nathan Rice.
Check out How Much Can We Give? by Craig Groeschel, Senior Pastor of Lifechurch.tv
Check out Christian Excellence by Nathan Rice.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Random Announcements & Thoughts
Well, I have been wanting to post several times over the past week but time has not allowed. So today I just wanted to throw out some random announcements and thoughts.
- The NSCA Expo has announced that they will host Fits and Starts Production's HOW-TO Church Sound Workshop at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando FL on March 16th & 17th. All information can be obtained by visiting this page. You have heard me announce this workshop on several occasions. It is some of the best training you will receive for the money.
- We completed week 17 of Quest for Authentic Manhood at our church this morning. This life changing experience is part of Men's Fraternity developed by Robert Lewis, pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, AR. I know that I have never been through anything that has challenged me week after week like this series has. If you are looking to get a men's ministry off the ground at your church then this is an excellent option to consider.
- I wrote a post almost a year ago to the day titled Church Media Consultation. What brought it back to my attention was that I received a comment on it this year from none other than the church media consultant guru himself, Anthony Coppedge. Anthony has been low key the past few months so it was great to hear from him. Also judging from some conversations that I have had recently at my own church and some other blogs that I have read this is still a hot button issue. Take time and review this post and check out the good comments and there is a hint that Anthony may having something coming soon as well. Wouldn't that be great?!
- I've been hearing a lot about innovation in churches here lately but what about innovation in conferences. I received an e-mail from Doug Gould of Shure yesterday announcing that he will be conducting seminars at a conference. OK, nothing new there. What caught my attention is where the conference will be held and that is a Royal Caribbean cruise liner. Now I may just be out of touch here and they have been doing this but this is the first time I have heard of it and to me it is a great idea and innovative. Check out Worship at Sea for all the details.
- Speaking of innovative, I'm sure everyone has heard by now that Perry Noble's church Newspring are hosting there very own conference called Unleash. The price is right and the location is just a jut to the left. I'm up to hear what they have going on over there.
Have a great weekend!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
