crazy.

• Author: Brad
• Filed under: church planting, education, family, fatherhood, parenting
• Date: Aug 19,2007

“I remember when
I remember
I remember when
I lost my mind
There was something
So pleasant about that place
Even your emotions
Have an echo
In so much space

And when you’re out there
Without care
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn’t because
I didn’t know enough
I just knew too much

Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Probably”

-”Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley

Tomorrow will begin one the craziest times I’ve ever attempted in my adult life…

1) School starts at Missouri Baptist University – where I’ve been since July. If you’ve been following this blog, you know that I am the Worship Arts Coordinator for the new Worship Arts major offered at MBU.

This fall, I am overseeing one class called Worship Performance Workshop where students will be responsible for putting together a multi-sensory worship experience from start to finish.

The majority of my school time this fall though will be directing the ministry group SpiritWing. They already have many concerts booked on the weekends. They are a talented group of kids with tender hearts for ministry. I’m excited to see the impact they will have this year…

2) Tomorrow begins my first semester of master’s level work at Liberty Theological Seminary. I am pursuing a Masters of Arts in Theological Studies through distance learning. But here’s the kicker: I am taking 18 hours in all.

Most people say that 9 hours of master’s level studies is considered full-time. I guess this would be considered crazy sick-time.

The reason for the ambition is that to teach at MBU, I have to complete 18 hours of master’s work. This would allow me to teach in the Spring 08 semester. Your prayers would be welcome…

3) I am beginning a intensive church planting training program with the Acts 29 Network and The Journey in September with other folks like myself – full-time job, married. It is like an internship, but not.

This will be a bi-monthly training session with the pastors from The Journey. Somewhere down the road, God has called me to plant a church. I’m getting a head start this September…

4) My wife and I adjust to four kids. All under the age of 6. And the two oldest being homeschooled.

Whew…

word & way feature on mobap worship arts program

• Author: Brad
• Filed under: education, emerging church, news, worship
• Date: Jul 5,2007

In the recent edition of the Word and Way, a newspaper serving Missouri Baptists, they featured the new Worship Arts program at Missouri Baptist University that I am heading up. The writer, Jennifer Harris, did a great job. Kudos!

As a side note, the Worship Arts article is right under an article on the Gospel, Church, and Culture seminar that was held at the St. Louis Metro Baptist Association building on June 28. As I mentioned, I attended that seminar and intend to do a detailed breakdown and personal reflections. It is coming, I promise. Here’s a nutshell: It was great!

Back to the issue at hand, the article on MoBap’s Worship Arts program wasn’t put on the Word and Way’s online presence, so I’ve transcribed it for you here:

MBU will launch worship arts program
by Jennifer Harris
Word & Way news writer

Missouri Baptist University is kicking off a worship arts program this fall that is designed to prepare worship leaders for service in the emerging or contemporary church.

Brad Andrews, a graduate of MBU’s church music program, will service as the program’s coordinator.

“I have a passion to reach the emerging generation,” he said. “My head and heart is in the emerging culture. I care about what they do.”

The cutting-edge program takes elements of the traditional church music program and combines it with audio-visual, video, drama, and theology.

Special designed upper level course include worship history and leadership, which will follow worship history through present-day; a worship arts workshop, where students will pull together worship sets or planning of a worship service; emerging trends in worship, which will focus on what is happening currently and a weekly seminar, featuring guest speakers talking about various aspects of worship ministry.

Andrews has served as worship arts pastor at Grace Church in St. Louis. At Grace – one of the largest churches in St. Louis with more than 3500 people in attendance – Andrews acted as the primary worship leader, oversaw a staff of 12 ministry professionals and served as creative director.

Andrews wants to expose students to people in the field, not just theorists. “I want this program to be helpful to them.”

He said the program is trying to close the gap between college and the real world. Andrews referred to himself as a different type of college person. “I’ve been in the church exclusively the last six years,” he said. “I’m the local church guy whom God blessed and put in those areas.”

Andrews is working with Sally Morgenthaler and Dan Wilt, leaders in the emerging worship movement, to design curriculum.

For more information on Andrews or the emerging generation, visit his blog at relevintage.com

changes…

• Author: Brad
• Filed under: apologetics, blogging, education, emerging church, theology, web, worship
• Date: Jun 18,2007

To everything, turn, turn, turn
There is a season, turn, turn, turn…

-The Byrds

After months of prayer, conversations, interviews, etc., God has called me to leave Grace Church – where I am worship pastor – and join the staff at Missouri Baptist University as Worship Arts Coordinator to help them build the brand new Worship Arts program starting July 1. I will be teaching upper-division classes on worship history and leadership and emerging worship trends, traveling/speaking at regional events in the Midwest on behalf of MoBap, giving oversight to all of the ministry groups, as well as directing some of the ministry groups.

It is truly an honor to have been considered and ultimately offered the job. This new major is unprecedented in the Midwest region and I believe will be a trendsetter for the region. We are going to be intentional about being progressive – yes, we are going to talk about the emerging church – while at the same time being grounded theologically.

One thing that I have begun to work on is putting together a state-of-the-art website that will include this blog, Worship Arts student’s blogs, as well as podcasts and vodcasts of personal interviews with local and nationally-known worship pastors/leaders/experts. This will serve as an internal communal tool at MoBap as well as an external promotional tool.

Additionally, this summer, I will be going back to school and beginning a Masters of Arts in Theological Studies from Liberty Theological Seminary via long distance education. I’m really looking forward to more school in this new season – I know, that sounds crazy…

In many ways, this is a major shift for me, away from the local church and into academia. But my affiliation with the local church will continue. Holly and I will be calling The Journey our home church. And I will still be leading worship frequently at Missouri Baptist, as well as at local churches as I’m asked.

Stay tuned in the next few weeks. I might have a major announcement to let you in on for the fall.

Above is the amazing postcard that MoBap’s publication department put together – kudos Lisa and Bryce – and below is the press release about this new major.

MBU appoints Brad Andrews as Worship Arts Coordinator

June 11, 2007

After a yearlong nationwide search, Missouri Baptist University has appointed Brad Andrews to lead the University’s newly created Bachelor of Arts in Worship Arts major.

As MBU Worship Arts Coordinator, Andrews will be responsible for the overall cultivation and recruitment of this unprecedented academic program, which seeks to prepare students to lead emerging congregations in meaningful, highly contextual worship. Andrews will assume his position on July 1.

“I have a passion to mentor young people to reach emerging generations for Christ and to see worship and the arts as vital catalysts in the church to do so,” Andrews said. “I believe we are living in a transitional time in the life of worship in the church, where the look of worship is morphing into an experiential and more organic encounter.”

Andrews, a 2000 graduate of MBU who is pursuing a Master of Arts in Theological Studies at Liberty Theological Seminary, is a vastly experienced worship leader, songwriter and recording artist.

Since 2005, he has worked as the Worship Arts Pastor at Grace Church in Saint Louis. At Grace—one of the largest churches in Saint Louis with more than 3,500 people in attendance every weekend—Andrews acted as the primary worship leader, oversaw a staff of twelve ministry professionals and served as creative director.

Andrews has written, recorded and performed original music with Dove-award winning producer Joey Candaday. He has regularly sung background vocals and assisted with pre-production work on a number of Christian albums. In addition, he has showcased for Christian music labels Sparrow and Rocketown Records.

About MBU Worship Arts
The Worship Arts major—the first of its kind in Missouri—interweaves a host of practical courses in music, communication, and theology disciplines, giving students a solid platform to lead congregations in contemporary and emerging music trends.

Worship Arts students receive practical training through seminars and internships from some of the most dynamic worship leaders in Saint Louis.

For more information about MBU’s Worship Arts major, contact the Office of Admissions at 877.434.1115 and visit www.mobap.edu/worshiparts.