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Via mobap.edu:

MBU presents second annual free Worship Arts conference

August 1, 2008

Nationally known emerging church leader Dan Kimball is set to headline Missouri Baptist University’s second annual Worship Arts conference Sept. 27.

The conference, called “Abandoned: Worship as Life,” is a free event aimed at providing worship leaders quality workshops and the opportunity to network with colleagues in the worship industry. The event is specifically designed for students and worship leaders seeking to learn how to better engage congregations in an authentic, highly contextual style of worship.

“I believe that Dan Kimball is a modern-day ‘prophet,’ acutely examining how the church, corporate worship, and culture intersect at the point of theory and practice,” said Brad Andrews, MBU worship arts coordinator and planner of the event. “For many, he is charting an imaginative path, sending ripples of renewal to all within the worship spectrum. But perhaps his most important contribution to the worship landscape is the sense of missional urgency he is creating for those in evangelicalism.”

In addition to Kimball, the seminar will feature other local worship arts professionals; reveal practical ways to better lead or transition congregations in an authentic worship that engages cultural mediums; include an inspirational time of worship; and will offer an invaluable time of networking among fellow worship leaders.

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

About the headliner:

Kimball is a pastor, author and leading voice in the Emerging Church movement. He is the author of several books including They Like Jesus But Not The Church, The Emerging Church and Emerging Worship. He is on staff at Vintage Faith Church, a missional church planted in 2004 in Santa Cruz, CA. He speaks extensively around the country on emerging church, worship and culture issues. He is adjunct faculty at George Fox Evangelical Seminary and is married to Becky, has two daughters and drives a rusty 1966 Ford Mustang. His blog is www.dankimball.com

The Third Coast University Tour – featuring The Afters, Matt Maher, and Matthew Paul Turner – will close out the seminar. The concert is set to begin at 7 p.m. The cost for the concert for attendees of the seminar is $15.

For more information or to register for the seminar, go to www.mobap.edu/events or call Brad Andrews at (314) 744-5365. To buy tickets to the Third Coast University Tour concert, go to mobaptickets.com or call the MBU Box Office at (314) 392-2345.


Steve McCoy has been running a great concept on his blog over the last month. He asks us the reader for their “Top 5 Books” on a particular topic, i.e. their top 5 books on parenting, marriage, suffering, etc. I’m a big book guy so I love seeing what has informed others on issues related to their Christian worldview.

Yesterday’s subject: the top 5 books that changed your mind about ministry/doctrine. I thought I’d share with you my five:

1. The Emerging Church – Dan Kimball

Back in 2003, this book set me on my deconstruction/reconstruction of what the church should be about in the 21st century…

2. SoulTsunami – Leonard Sweet

Providentially led to soon after The Emerging Church. Turned me into a futurist. Never been the same…

3. Tie: The Shaping of Things To Come – Alan Hirsch/Michael Frost & Total Church – Steve Timmis/Tim Chester

Set me on my current spiritual formation and ministry philosophy continuum regarding “missional”…

4. Cheating here, but the entire Ancient-Future series by Robert Webber: Ancient-Future Faith; Ancient Future Evangelism; Ancient-Future Time; and Ancient-Future Worship.

Webber has been deeply influential. Gave me ancient roots and modern wings to my much of ministry philosophy…

5. Desiring God – John Piper

Clarified/still clarifying my life’s calling…

And, one more that I would add…

6. Chosen By God – R.C. Sproul

Not so much changed my mind, but further cemented my thoughts regarding the doctrines of grace


the 7

This is a special edition of The 7 on issues of worship in the church…

1. Dan Kimball uncovers our hidden assumptions about some long-held traditions in worship: the choir and the organ.

2. Speaking of choirs, Bob Kauflin ruminates on the pros and cons of choirs in worship.

3. Westwinds Church in Jackson, MI is one of the most innovative places in the country and J-Vo is one of the most creative worship pastors around. Here and here he unpacks their thoughts on what interactive worship looks like. Great stuff…

4. I love seeing the underpinnings of what drives a ministry’s worship philosophy, especially when I resonate with them. Check these from The Good Shepherd Band…

5. Worship as an event. It’s an oxymoron, right? Sadly, the oxymoron happens every week in churches all across North America:

6. Kauflin on why we sing:

7. And finally, N.T. Wright on art and mission:


1. Brian of Semper Reformanda Records has begun a series I’m really looking forward: the various elements that comprise the majority of Sunday liturgies. His first entry in the series: The Prelude.

2. Harold Best was recently the keynote for Sojourn Community’s Cultivate Beauty Festival and if this post was any indication, he brought a breadth of insight on how art and the church intersect. Check out these snippets via Bobby Gilles for an idea of Best’s genius from his talk entitled, “Art For The Church; Art From The Church, Art Facing The Church.”

3. How do we define the local church in light of the missional conversation headed up by the likes of Hirsch, Timmis, Chester, Fitch, etc.? Jason Allen provides some insight here and here, although I think it bears some fleshing out. Jason is a friend, so I feel like I can play devil’s advocate with him. What can the local church do that a smaller missional community – that may have a larger gathering – can’t? Where is the true biblical mandate? If life is meant to be lived in community, why is that community necessarily the local church and not smaller communities? Isn’t the majority of life lived outside of the one hour we are “at” church? I have some ideas on how to answer these questions. What are yours?

4. Via Ed Stetzer a very creative post title – Questions for McChurch – and an even better push-back on some of the negatives on the multi-site concept. A must-read for anyone considering the option…

5. Shaun’s recent series on living simplify was such an encouragement [see here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3] .I don’t feel like my family is so weird after all. We are doing many of things and hope to do more as we grow in simplification…

6. Don’t put together a church planting prospectus? Strong words from Jonathan Dodson of Austin City Life in Austin. He highlights the futility that is sometimes involved in man planning a work of God rather than God working His plan through man by quoting Augustine. Very convicting…

7. And finally, maybe my favorite post of 2008 from Soma Communities’ and Acts 29 Board member, Jeff Vanderstelt. Do me a favor and just read it: The Beginnings of a Missional Church Plant.


the 7

1. Bob is one of the best “heart-on-the-sleeve” pastors blogging today. I so appreciate his public wrestling of things like how to handle church growth and gracefully lose control in the process.

2. If you haven’t read Peppermint-Filled Pinatas: Breaking Through Tolerance and Embracing Love by Eric Bryant, navigator at Mosaic in L.A., you are missing a gem, particularly on the topic of Christians and their interaction with homosexuality. Recently, on his blog, he unpacked his thoughts on the recent California Supreme Court decision to allow same sex marriage: Why Homophobia is So Gay. It is a must read.

3. Proactive. True. Bob Roberts disciple, Aaron Snow, who is leading intentional missional communities in Vegas, hits the mark on why Christians suck at reaching the lost.

4. Zach Nielsen helps us think deeply about the true placement of our worship as musicians. Is it in the music or the music Giver?

5. Prayer. It is a mysterious thing. Yet for some, it becomes a “cookie-cutter,” lifeless ritual. Loved this post from John Voelz. Especially the challenges for “pray-ers” at the end…

6. Brian’s recent trip to New Orleans reminded him the old days when musicians could make a decent living making art, like, you know, in the Baroque era. He says that in dumbing down worship, we have created a non-culture of indigenous art springing up from within our churches. Anyone can play the music that is being written today…

7. One of the coolest missional stories I’ve heard in a while: Homeless Running Club. HT: Mark Riddle


It is with great excitement that I announce that Dan Kimball, pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, CA, conference speaker, and author of The Emerging Church, Emerging Worship, and , They Like Jesus, But Not the Church and co-author of Listening to the Beliefs of the Emerging Church, has agreed to be our keynote speaker for the Abandoned: Worship As Life Seminar on Saturday, September 27, 2008!

Dan will speak in four sessions on various issues such as the emerging church, emerging worship, the future of worship in the church, etc.

I must say that Kimball’s book, The Emerging Church, absolutely changed my life. It set me on a course of deconstruction and reconstruction in my ecclesiology and Emerging Worship did the same for my worship philosophy. It is an unbelievable honor to have him come.

If you remember, last year Sally Morgenthaler and Shaun Groves were with us. It was a time of great challenge and encouragement.

My vision for Abandoned remains focused on the emerging worship conversation and educating, encouraging, and spurring on MBU Worship Arts students, as well as the local church worship community. The mission for the event is:

1) Simply put, Romans 12:1. We are ‘abandoned to worship as life’ because we have been commanded to offer our bodies of living sacrifices. Living – as in all of the time. That means our spiritual act of worship, or our spiritual lifestyle, never ceases. It’s not a something we clock in to do when we go to church and then clock out. Because of the cross the ‘temple’ of worship is now our own hearts. We don’t go to church, we are the church. And that means worship can and should happen everywhere, including the church.

2) ‘Worship as life’ eludes to the idea that as we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, it impacts the people around us. This is the missional aspect of worship. In other words, as we personally worship God, we have a conversation, a connection, an intimate exchange of love between Father and child. After we’ve experienced this love in a time of worship, how could we not share the love we have been so freely given with others? Why wouldn’t we want those around us to experience what we have? If not, our worship has terminated on ourselves. We have to remember our salvation doesn’t end at the point we receive God’s free gift of grace. We have been saved to continue to redeem the world. So our worship should propel us outside the four walls of the church.

Soon, I will have an announcement regarding the artist[s] that will be here to close the day out on that Saturday evening. Be looking for more information regarding the seminar in the months ahead!


Photo by luz

I think this is the most helpful description of the practicality of leading worship that I have come across. Great thoughts on the “when we’s” of worship…

Adapted from “Principles and Practicals: Cue cards for a crash course in leading worship” from Reformed Worship, Issue #63.

When We Pray . . .
* As a community: using “we” instead of “I.”
* For a variety of reasons: to adore God, to confess sin, to give thanks, to ask God for something.
* At a thoughtful pace (more slowly than we normally speak), and with space for attentive, reverent silence.
* Without using verbal filler (“just,” “um”).
* To God, who is Three-in-One. Though we sometimes address the Spirit or the Son directly, we pray most often to God the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus the Son.

When We Work with Technology in Worship . . .

We strive to be unnoticed, sacrificing a small bit of our full participation so that others may worship fully.

Overheads

* Make sure the projected light fits properly on the screen.
* Make sure all the words that are being sung are visible.
* Anticipate the next line or verse, moving the transparency with enough time for people to see ahead.
* Move the transparency as few times as possible.
* Move the transparency smoothly and discreetly.

Sound/Lights

* Anticipate the speaker and have the microphone turned on; turn speakers’ mikes off during singing.
* Keep listening and adjusting the sound levels as needed.
* Set lights appropriate to the mood of the service.

When We Sing or Play Music . . .

Our primary work is to support the congregation.

Players

* use a consistent tempo, a clear bass line, and room to breathe.
* give obvious cues for when God’s people are to begin singing.
* make the melody stand out, especially when introducing new songs.
* allow the text of the song to guide the accompaniment.
* drop out occasionally so that the people can sing unaccompanied.

Singers

* sing with expression of face and voice.
* be aware of body language; make eye contact.
* avoid idiosyncratic embellishment that a congregation can’t sing.

When We Speak in Worship . . .

We don’t instruct people what to do next, we invite them to participate in the act of worship. We:

* give a foretaste of the next text, or refer to the one preceding, when introducing a song or a reading.
* let people know how each act fits into the dialogue of worship and the theme of the service.
* attend to the emotional contours of the service—what’s happening in our heart and in the congregation’s hearts.

We read Scripture with intelligence, passion, and hospitality, keeping the following principles in mind:

* Prepare: practice the reading ahead of time.
* Pace: read slowly, but use some variety.
* Space: allow time for the text to be heard and absorbed.
* Grace: read with expression that makes Scripture come alive, yet not with so much drama that it calls more attention to the reader than the message.
* Embrace: whenever possible include both genders when referring to people (the NRSV translation does this automatically).


cherishing, not worshiping, tradition

Great article from Brian Thomas, owner of Semper Reformanda Records, on the importance of tradition over traditionalism in planning deep, rich worship here:

Tradition?: A Place at the Table.

I particularly like this quote:

…get online, go to used bookstores, church libraries and wherever to gather up all the old resources we can: prayer books, hymnals, liturgies from multiple traditions. We engage them with the hope of learning how they prayed, sung, chanted, preached, baptized, catechized, and distributed the bread and wine, etc. This is pretty easy as not too many people are really interested in these dusty books today, which makes the prices very easy on the pocketbook.

Check it out and let me know what you think…


[HT: Mark Riddle]



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