Worship Matters

Training children to put their hope and trust in Christ is one of the greatest privileges we have. Marty Machowski has devoted decades to helping churches and families do just that. Although my kids were grown before he wrote his materials, I read The Gospel Story Bible to my grandkids and can’t recommended his children’s ministry curriculum highly enough.

I’m excited that Marty will be teaching seminars at both WorshipGod West and WorshipGod East this year. He graciously took the time to answer a few questions about his life and seminar.

1. Briefly share your testimony of conversion with us.
I submitted my life to Christ I the summer between by junior and senior years of college. Every morning that summer I followed the same routine. I got up, got showered and dressed then ate a bowl of cornflakes while I watched the early morning news. One Monday, in the providence of God, the programming changed. Instead of the news, a televangelist was on, holding a crusade. Since I only got one channel on my small black and white TV, I continued my routine. That week I understood for the first time that Christ died for ME and each day as the preacher pointed to the television audience and called us to join him in prayer, I bowed my head and asked for God’s forgiveness. Sometime in that week, the Spirit of God filled my heart and rescued me from darkness.

2. Why do you think what you’re teaching on is an important topic?
The Bible is clear that the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Our children, meeting in classrooms during our Sunday worship services represent the largest group of gathered unbelievers across the world. It is critical that our teaching present the gospel. Helping pastors and teacher know how to partner with parents in the gospel work of reaching the next generation is something I’ve given the last 25 years of my life for.

3. What do you hope will be filling people’s minds and hearts as they walk away from your message?
Sometimes we need the encouragement to keep up the good work of the gospel and to be reminded that our labor to pass the gospel to the next generation is not done in vain. Many folks, converted later on, look back at their Sunday school days with fondness, recognizing God was at work in the lessons of their teachers, drawing them to himself.

4. Is there any passage of Scripture that sums up what you’ll be sharing?
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” That verse gives us all the motivation we need to make sure we are proclaiming the gospel to our children.

5. Can you expound on one point that you’ll be making in your message?
It is really important that we avoid teaching moralistic messages to children, particularly when we are presenting the Old Testament stories. It’s not that we can’t draw moral lessons from the Old Testament heroes, but God didn’t give us those stories to challenge us to grow in our courage or to tell the truth. David, for instance, fought Goliath as Israel’s representative head. He went into battle to answer the charge of Goliath for one Israelite to fight for all of Israel. The other soldiers were standing fearfully on the sidelines. David came as a picture of God’s salvation to deliver them from their sinful disobedience.

David was a picture of God’s salvation in Christ, who came to deliver us from our sinful disobedience and defeat our giant – death. While David did display great courage, that lesson is presented, like the others in the Old Testament, to point toward God’s gospel plan through Christ.

6. How has what you’re going to speak on affected your own life?
God has graciously given me six children. While I’ve been tempted to trust in my own work and look for a system to guarantee my successful parenting, God has allowed those efforts to fail, that I might be brought back to my knees in prayer, and then trust in nothing but the gospel and the Spirit of God to save my children. Ultimately, I now know any success in parenting I’ve come to know is by God’s grace and the power of his word.

7. Can you recommend any books, articles, websites, or materials on this topic?
If folks would like to get a preview of the materials I’ve put together to promote the gospel in both church and home, they can visit my website.  If folks would like a great book to read, I would recommend Gospel-Powered Parenting by William Farley.

8. What would you say to someone who is trying to decide whether or not to come to WorshipGod2013?
WorshipGod is all about showcasing the gospel in your church. Because you just can’t get a better message than the gospel, you can’t get a better conference than WorshipGod.

WorshipGod West 2013: Called to be Faithful is only a few weeks away, and on-line registration ends June 14. I’m excited about the opportunity to bring the conference to the West for the first time.

One of the seminar speakers will be Darius Fong, a Grammy-award winning audio engineer whose passion is the Church. He wrote Debtcibel and also founded Audio Must Preach, an independent consultation company that helps churches focus on ministry and stewardship by removing audio related obstacles. In his seminar he’ll be addressing questions to ask before you spend money on sound equipment.

Darius graciously took the time to answer a few questions about his life and seminar. 

1. Briefly share your testimony of conversion with us.
I grew up in Hong Kong with Christian parents. Although HK was a colony of England and a place with freedom of worship, churches are extremely weak and in many cases secular. Churches emphasized superficial morality and social activities. Lacking solid teaching, I couldn’t reconcile trying to be a good person and Christ dying for my sins. I sought HIS approval on my own terms and relying on my own strengths. Through my parents’ consistent prayer, faithfulness and discipleship, I began to change. I cannot pinpoint my exact day of conversion. But I can happily proclaim that today, Christ is my only love. To live is Christ, to die is gain. 

2. Why do you think what you’re teaching on is an important topic?
I believe that church sound is one of the most important supporting ministries. Churches should strive to proclaim the gospel through preaching and music with clarity. Sound can be a great partner in doing that when it is operated properly and when it is not presenting distractions.

3. What do you hope will be filling people’s minds and hearts as they walk away from your message?
My hope is that people will walk away focusing on the core needs of the church in serving the congregation, and in stewarding God’s money in the area of sound. Music and sound often come with baggage of personal preferences and subjectivity.

4. Is there any passage of Scripture that sums up what you’ll be sharing?
Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

5. Can you expound on one point that you’ll be making in your message?
Churches most often ask about what they should purchase to improve sound quality. This is the wrong question to ask because 80% of the time, sound problems in churches are not equipment related. Profiting parties (consultants, distributors, etc) have conditioned churches to purchase more gear knowing that there’s a lack of resource within churches. Buying better equipment might sound like a better solution, but in reality, it only amplifies the lack of skill in operating the equipment.

6. How has what you’re going to speak on affected your own life?
Addressing the fundamental problems of church sound has granted me personal relationships with many churches across the country. I have been very encouraged by their passion to serve Christ.

7. Can you recommend any books, articles, websites, or materials on this topic?
I would encourage everyone in ministry to read Debtcibel. I wrote Debtcibel because I have found no other resource available that addresses sound for churches in a non-technical way and focuses on ministry and stewardship. It clears up many common understandings among churches. If someone is looking for an easy to read technical book , I recommend buying the Yamaha sound reinforcement handbook by Gary Davis/Ralph Jones. It is not too complicated to digest, and it has many useful resources and tips.

8. What would you say to someone who is trying to decide whether or not to come to WorshipGod2013?
I walked away from WG11 refreshed and encouraged. I was also amazed by how many insightful and practical seminars there were to help me navigate the world of music ministry. And of course singing and worshipping together with thousands of fellow music pastors is an experience not be missed.

Darius will also be participating in a sound panel along with Doug Gould, whose interview appears here. And if you’re still unsure about attending WorshipGod West, check out my 12 reasons you should come.

Earlier this week I offered the opportunity to win a free registration to WorshipGod West: Called to be Faithful.

Thanks to everyone who took time to comment on why you or someone you know should get a free registration. Got some great responses. Although I wanted to give a comp registration to everyone, I picked two based on the situation and two using a random number generator.

#1) Brian Ehline gets a free registration thanks to his friend, Jeff Seavey. Jeff wrote:

I would LOVE to send our worship leader, Brian Ehline. Brian has served us at LW for nearly 10 years without ever receiving a dime of compensation. Not only has Brian lovingly, willingly, joyfully and sacrificially served as our Lead Worshiper, but he has also currently serves the church as an elder\pastor. Brian works a full time + job, loves his family well and serves LW with his whole heart. He is a true Christian Hedonist and overflows with joy in all his service. His worship team consists of about 30 people (3-4 teams) which keep him very busy. Brian is married, has 4 children, one of whom was born with Multiple Sclerosis. Nathan is now 14 and loves Jesus and wants to be a worship leader like his dad one day. I hope you’ll choose Brian!! Thank you! Many Blessings!

Apparently, Jeff loses track of how many words he writes, but I’m not going to hold that against Brian. Brian exemplifies the kind of person that the conference is hoping to encourage. Someone who labors regularly, joyfully, and sacrificially to serve God’s church for the glory of the Savior.

#2) Janet’s husband will also be getting a free registration. She wrote:

My husband is a worship leader and drummer for our church in Orange county and I would love to surprise him with a ticket to this conference. I just know that he would learn a ton from this conference and be blessed as well. I also hope that he’d find encouragement from other worship leaders and musicians who will be attending the conference, as our church is small and he does not get much interaction with other Christian musicians.

Again, Janet’s husband, who I’m sure has a name, is the kind of person I think WorshipGod will greatly encourage.

The next two were picked “randomly.”

#3) Nina’s friend and her husband (in a slight change to the rules, they’re both getting a free registration):

My friend and her husband have sought to glorify God in everything they do and serve their church sacrificially in worship. Nothing brings them more joy than expressing their heart for Him in leadership and song writing.

#4) Matt Hoage (and yes, because I have a gift of mercy, Matt gets two comps as well):

I am one of the worship leaders at my church in Wisconsin, and the person before me went to WorshipGod 2006 and couldn’t stop talking about it. I’ve always wanted to go to one since, but it never worked out. It would be a great opportunity for my wife and I to go!

Someone will be contacting you with details on how to register for free. If you don’t hear from us in the next week, contact me.

If you didn’t win a free registration for you or your friend I hope you’ll still consider joining us. After all, with Kevin DeYoung, Enfield, Don Whitney, Craig Cabaniss, Matt Papa, West Coast Revival, Steve & Vikki Cook, and a few others,  I’m expecting we’re going to have a great time singing our hearts out, exalting Christ, hearing great teaching, and being equipped to be faithful.

Also, I’ll be offering some free registrations to WorshipGod East in a month or so. Keep your eyes open.

WorshipGod2013 West: Called to Be Faithful is a little over five weeks away (June 27-29) and some of the seminars are beginning to fill up. We have a great list of teachers lined up this year, both in the main sessions and the breakouts. Kevin DeYoung, Craig Cabaniss, Jon Payne, Donald Whitney, John Martin, Steve & Vikki Cook, Sherri Gould, and more.

In addition, Enfield will be leading us in song for a session, and Matt Papa will be joining us to share a few songs. As always, there will be a few surprises, a lot of laughter, and rich times of worshiping God through song, preaching, and fellowship. I’m especially excited about this year’s theme, which focuses on seeking to be faithful to proclaim the gospel with the resources God has given us, however big or small our church may be.

We’ll also be introducing some songs from our new album, Grace Has Come: Songs from the Book of Romans, which we’ll be releasing later this summer (you can watch a demo of Grace and Peace here). If you’re needing more reasons to come, I shared twelve of them in a previous post.

But it may be you want to come and just don’t have the money. Well, I’ve got good news for you. You have the opportunity to win a free registration. That’s right. Free.

Here’s the deal. Leave a comment below and share in 50 words or less (that’s right, 50 words…not looking for a magnum opus here) why I should give you the free registration. By the way, you can also enter for someone else. If you leave more than one comment, each comment has to be for a different person. I’ll pick two of the best answers and two names at random (knowing nothing is really “random” Prov. 16:33).

You have until 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, May 23 to leave a comment. I’ll announce the winners this coming Friday, May 24.

The clock is ticking…

Recently I posted on Twitter:

The fact that Psalms doesn’t include a soundtrack or notation clues us in to what God values most in our worship songs.

I find it fascinating that God gave us a “songbook” with numerous musical references, but no actual music. It’s not that music is unimportant. Badly played or written music can make great theology sound obscure or unappealing. Great music can make shallow lyrics sound profound and incredibly moving. Which is why when we’re deciding what to sing congregationally, we want to give the greatest attention to the lyrics we’re singing.

In response to my tweet someone asked:

@bkauflin Is it not possible to worship without words?

Briefly, the answer is yes, especially when we think of worship in the “all of life” sense. We can worship God, or anything for that matter, without words. We do it all the time. The sight of a sunset over the ocean, a newborn baby, or a loved one can leave us speechless in wonder. But in my tweet I was specifically referencing the songs in our gatherings. While we can certainly worship God while listening to or playing instrumental music, here are a few reasons why it’s crucial to keep the connection between congregational worship and words strong.

Words are the primary way God has revealed himself to us and relates to us.
We use words because God is a speaking God. From the garden of Eden, words have been God’s primary means of interacting with us. At Mount Sinai, God met the Israelites with thunder and lightning, thick clouds, and an ear-splitting trumpet blast. Quite the worship experience. But the most significant aspect of that encounter was God giving them the “Ten Words” (Deuteronomy 4:2–12). God has always wanted us to know more of him than can be conveyed through impressions, images, or sounds, as powerful as they may be.

David was a skilled musician of profound emotions. But when it came to worshiping God, it was his words, not his music, that God chose to preserve for us in Scripture (the point of my tweet).

When Israel returned from the Babylonian captivity, Ezra sought to reestablish temple worship. So he and the other priests stood on a platform and read “from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8). God’s Word provided the foundation for the repentance, gratefulness, praise, and celebration that followed.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and scribes for basing their worship more on traditions of men than on God’s commands (Matthew 15:3–9). The early Christians devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). Paul encouraged Timothy to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture and commanded him to “preach the word” (1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:2). We are to “let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly” as we sing” (Colossians 3:16).

God means for words, especially His Word, to be at the heart of our engaging with him.

Words are what we use to define God, ourselves, and our world.
Among other things, words tell us how God has acted in history and what God is actually like. Words inform us that we are sinners who deserve the wrath of God but that Jesus has come to suffer the wrath of God in our place, purchase our forgiveness, and reconcile us to God. Words also tell us that creation was once in harmony with God’s will but through our rebellion became subject to decay and futility. We are not evolving into something better but experiencing the damaging effects of the fall until the day when Jesus returns for his bride and makes all things right. Words also enable us to distinguish between experiences rooted in musical emotion or eternal truth.

Worship is more than words, but it’s not less than words.
Encounters with God are sometimes difficult to define. But wordless worship is not somehow better than worship with words. Worship without words can never communicate objective truth and God is the defining, objective reality in which we live and move. Experiences, whether audibly through music or visually through art, are in large part subjective. The ultimate goal of our worship is not to reach a state of feeling without thinking. And Revelation indicates we’ll be using words (without sin!) in the new heavens and earth.

Words enable us to worship God together.
Words enable us to think and say the same things together, rooting our unity in the gospel and not simply in a shared experience. A hundred people listening to a song being played can have a hundred different thoughts about what is happening. As my friend Jon Payne has said, “A picture is worth 1000 words. The problem is, the viewer gets to decide what those words are.” There will be some variation when we hear/proclaim words together, but there’s greater potential for unity in our understanding and expression. It’s one of the reasons God has us sing together and not simply hum or whistle.

Words complete the act of worship.
I can’t make this point better than C.S. Lewis, who wrote in Reflections on the Psalms, “But the most obvious fact about praise — whether of God or anything — strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise…I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.” My love for my wife leads me to say something. Again and again and again. I want her and others to know my feelings. So it is in our relationship with God. Worship works its way out into words.

So by all means, let us thank God for music and treasure those times we’re dumbstruck as we consider the unparalleled greatness, holiness, beauty, and mercy of God in Jesus Christ. But let’s also remember that God redeemed us to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

Patrick Anderson will be teaching guitar workshops at both WorshipGod West (June 27-29) and WorshipGod East (July 31-Aug. 3).

I’ve known Patrick for a number of years now and have always been encouraged by his humble heart, love for the church, and superb musical skills, all stemming from his love for the Savior. He played on The Gathering and was a member of Enfield until he moved away from California.

He shares a little about his life and the workshops he’ll be teaching below.

1. Briefly share your testimony of conversion with us.
I came from a loving, though broken, home. Church involvement was minimal in an ELCA Lutheran church and I was convinced that being a pastor or involved in the church had to be the most boring occupation possible.

Eventually, in high school, I met a strong Christian family. Through their witness and friendship I became curious about why they were so different, had such a particular joy, and what it really meant to be a Christian. For a year I tried to mimic their example, switching churches, getting involved in a youth group, faithfully reading the Bible, and, with much failure, trying to act like a Christian. I remember one day in my reading, I ended up in Romans 6 where Paul wrote about being a slave to Christ and no longer a slave to sin. I could plainly see as I tried to act like a Christian in my own strength that I was shackled to my sin and an utter slave to it. Soon after, again through the faithful example and encouragement of a wonderful Christian leader in our youth group, I yielded to God through Christ, by grace alone, for salvation.

2. Why do you think what you’re teaching on is an important topic?
The guitar is a popular part of modern church music ministry and society in general. Many guitarists have a passion for the instrument but not much training, or are always hungry for more. I am an avid learner myself and love to equip guitarists and musicians to greater excellence for the glory of God in service to the church and in our culture. As Christians, we should strive for the utmost level of excellence that we are capable of in a grace motivated desire to serve and magnify our God and Savior.

3. What do you hope will be filling people’s minds and hearts as they walk away from your message?
I want people to walk away equipped with practical, useful and challenging tools for becoming better, deeper musicians, and in service to the church, more ready and humble servants. I want leave them with the confidence and necessary tools to do this.

4. Is there any passage of Scripture that sums up what you’ll be sharing?
Prov. 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
I Cor 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

5. Can you expound on one point that you’ll be making in your message?
Diving more deeply into music with theory, chord voicings, scales, etc. can seem daunting or even boring. However, so much of this stuff is so accessible and possible for you if explained effectively. And, beyond just becoming better guitarists, we have the opportunity to become more humble, effective servants as we strive to become better musicians. As we more deeply understand the guitar and are better players, we can make room for others, prefer one another, respond more creatively and make more selective, musical, even humble choices in our playing. We even gain a greater ability to train others by doing so. It’s so necessary, and this stuff is all explainable, doable, and enjoyable. You don’t have to be a shredder but we do have the responsibility to be as excellent as we can be.

6. How has what you’re going to speak on affected your own life?
Everything I’m talking about comes from my experience, training, and things that I’ve found invaluable in my growth as a musician.

7. Can you recommend any books, articles, websites, or materials on this topic?
So many! I’ll include more in the session, but a few:

• truefire.com (lots of lesson resources. Some of their guitar gym stuff are good workouts. Can be a little more advanced though)
• proguitarshop.com (great demos of lots of gear)
• patrickandersonguitar.com (My site – soon to launch! This will have much of the content I develop and use)
• guitarforworship.com (An interesting blog of a worship leader who has a creative interest in gear and ambient, textural guitar playing.  He also seems to have played through every piece of guitar equipment imaginable)

8. What would you say to someone who is trying to decide whether or not to come to WorshipGod2013?
Sign up! It is such a wonderful, encouraging time! The two I’ve been to have had a profound impact on me as a musician and a worship leader. Besides that I’ve met so many great people involved in worship/music ministry whom I’ve been able to keep in contact with and learn from. I was just talking about the conference with a friend and he described it well, “What I appreciate the most is that it is driven by the rich content…not the flashy show. It actually feels like a conference for the church.”

At WorshipGod East Patrick will be teaching a pre-conference intensive called “Essential Skills for Guitarists” on Wednesday, July 31. You can check out the details here.

Doug Gould will be presenting seminars dealing with sound and tech topics at both West and East WorshipGod conferences this year. Doug has been a veteran of the Pro Audio and Music Technology Industry for almost 30 years, serving in management roles at Shure, Tascam and E-Mu Systems. He has also been a worship leader, musician and tech at various churches for almost as long.

At WorshipGod conferences this year Doug will be covering sound basics, lowering stage volume, mixing, and more. His clear, personal, and knowledgeable workshops have served many WorshipGod attendees in the past. I expect this year will be the same.

Doug graciously answered a few questions about himself and what he’ll be doing at the conferences.

1. Briefly share your testimony of conversion with us.
My parents divorced when I was 12 and although our family went to church, I had never really had a relationship with the Lord and I believed that if there was a God, He wouldn’t have allowed my parents to fight and to separate. I was angry, my whole life. After high school I joined the Navy and I remember seeds of the gospel being planted there. After discharge I played in bar bands and sold stereo equipment simultaneously. I did many abusive things to myself and it was at the stereo shop that I met an Episcopalian priest who had been filled with the Holy Spirit. To this day this man who witnessed and demonstrated the love of Christ and the joy of our salvation more than in any person I have ever met. He would always tell me how very close to the Lord I was and that if at any time I wanted to know more about Him, that he wanted to be the one to introduce me. He gave me his card and said to please consider him when ever I came to a place where I wasn’t sure of where I was, where I was going, here or in the future, in the physical or in the unseen.

Two years later, I was playing in rock bands and had become totally despondent. I found his card, ran to his church the next day, and was introduced to Jesus Christ, my Savior, my redeemer, my healer, my King, my Creator, my provider, my guide and trusted friend, my high priest. My life is now His.

2. Why do you think what you’re teaching on is an important topic?
Whether you are serving on a creative or technical team, chances are you don’t do this for a living. Our worship and tech teams rarely practice their craft for more than an hour a week before the service every weekend and yet are expected to sound as polished as a professional touring band. My aim is to be a launching pad to help them find ways to strengthen the team and to improve their skills. There are many common sense approaches to accomplish this but because our teams have never done this professionally, they don’t know what they don’t know. I want to illustrate these things to them and show them some very practical exercises they can do to facilitate a more satisfying experience for them and the church.

3. What do you hope will be filling people’s minds and hearts as they walk away from your message?
Wow! That was helpful. I can do this!

4. Is there any passage of Scripture that sums up what you’ll be sharing?
“Faith comes by hearing.” Also: 1 Corinthians 14:7-9

5. Can you expound on one point that you’ll be making in your message?
Build relationships outside of the church walls with the people you are in closer contact with in church. Strong relationships will build trust and confidence in each other. A worship leader and musician need to know that the audio guy has his back and that they both want what’s best for the church. This doesn’t happen or get strengthened 10 minutes before a service. It takes time. Spend time, over coffee or a lunch.  Get together as often as possible, talk things over, record your services and listen to them together. Set benchmarks and take note of your progress.

6. How has what you’re going to speak on affected your own life?
The things I will be sharing are the result of a lifetime of doing it the wrong way and my hope is that I will be able to spare some years of trial and error and to help them to establish some better ways to accomplish their goals without wasting any more time.

7. Can you recommend any books, articles, websites, or materials on this topic?
The Ultimate Church Sound Operators Handbook by Bill Gibson
Live Audio Basics DVD by Ron Davis

Critical listening development:
Quiztones for Mac
Train Your Ears (Link on my website)

8. What would you say to someone who is trying to decide whether or not to come to WorshipGod2013?
Don’t miss an opportunity to build strength and fellowship with your entire team and with others who share the same calling and at the same time learn new ways to accomplish your goals, in very practical ways. You’ll be inspired, you’ll be motivated and you’ll have fun. WorshipGod is one of the most real and authentic events of this nature and it’s affordable enough to bring your entire team, which is rare in this world of profit-centered events.

Go here to check out the details on WorshipGod West or WorshipGod East.

At WorshipGod East (July 31-Aug. 3), Derrick Jeror will be joining Doug Gould to teach a workshop on “Sound Systems for the Portable and Small Church.” We used Derrick’s company, Housetop Media, for Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the efficient, effective, and excellent way Derrick served us. He worked within our budget constraints and was quick to respond to changes we requested.

Derrick took some time to answer a few questions for me so you can get to know him and his topic better.

1. Briefly share your testimony of conversion with us.
I came to Christ at 5 years old. An elderly woman in my church gave me a small tract that clearly shared the gospel. I knew I needed a savior.

2. Why do you think what you’re teaching on is an important topic?
Church planting is extremely effective at reaching new people with the gospel. Most church plants need to rent a facility and have to be mobile. I’ve always been passionate about both technology and church planting.

3. What do you hope will be filling people’s minds and hearts as they walk away from your message?
I hope they will be more at peace and have a better understanding how to work through the complexities of being a portable church.

4. Is there any passage of Scripture that sums up what you’ll be sharing?
Luke 12:13 “Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” Spread the gospel to the public from strange places using whatever tools available to you!

5. Can you expound on one point that you’ll be making in your message?
Technology advances over the last 2 years have really completely changed what portable church systems look like from a technology standpoint. You can be much smaller, cheaper, simpler and better quality than was possible just 5 years ago.

 6. How has what you’re going to speak on affected your own life?
I’m part of a portable church and I’ve helped probably 100 other portable churches start over the past 3 years. It’s a part of my life every day.

7. Can you recommend any books, articles, websites, or materials on this topic?
Wow, there’s not. Guess I need to write a book…

8. What would you say to someone who is trying to decide whether or not to come to WorshipGod2013?
Attending this conference is truly a worship filled experience. It’s not just about sounding and looking good. It’s about worshiping our amazing savior and leading others into the presence of God.

Matt Mason has been a good friend for over a decade now. He faithfully served in the Sovereign Grace church in New Orleans until last year when he took a position at The Church at Brook Hills with David Platt. I’m grateful God is now using Matt to provide gospel-centered, theologically informed, pastorally wise musical leadership for the folks at Brook Hills.

At WorshipGod East (June 27-29) I’ve asked Matt to lead us in song for one session, and to teach a seminar called “The Great God and His Beloved Church.” Matt graciously took time to answer a few questions about himself and his seminar.

1. Briefly share your testimony of conversion with us.
My dad was the founding pastor of a church in New Orleans and my mom played the Hammond B3 organ. Our parents taught us biblical truth and lived godly lives. Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth, once said, “I don’t know when the sun came up, but I know it’s shining.” That’s my story too. Even though I can’t locate the exact day of my conversion, I can look back and see vital signs from an early age. I vividly remember many moments where Christ’s glory in the gospel hit home for me – times of singing to God alone in my house as a young boy, and together with the little church on Pontchartrain Boulevard – many experiences of God’s convicting, sustaining, and preserving grace. The more I reflect on how God has worked in my life, even from childhood, the more convinced I am of the fact that the gospel never has to get old or familiar. Grace continues to be amazing.

2. Why do you think what you’re teaching on is an important topic?
In our culture, once you get used to something, you leave it aside and look for something else. The evening news is changing. Apps and screen sizes are changing. Fashions are changing. And then there’s my church. It kinda just sits there. So, why do we continue to do this? Often churches respond by trying to draw people by keeping things in constant motion. They’ll never expect us to start the service this way. This will light up Twitter. This topic is important because we need to be reminded that there are more than just two options: 1) engaging in the local church because we’re supposed to, even though nothing happens, and 2) participating as long as the creative team stays on their A game. God loves the Church and he is present to do deep and life-transforming things in our lives as we join our lives to one another and as we gather in his name.

3. What do you hope will be filling people’s minds and hearts as they walk away from your message?
I hope our hearts are filled with faith. I hope we come away convinced that we need fellowship with God’s people. And we need the Sunday gathering. I’m praying for an increase in joyful, faith-filled engagement with the local church – hearts and minds that are convinced that when God calls us to the fellowship of the saints and to gathered worship, he does so fully intending to do vital work in our souls.

4. Is there any passage of Scripture that sums up what you’ll be sharing?
Two of my favorite passages that speak to the dynamics of God’s gathered people are Psalm 48 and Hebrews 10:19-25. I’ll be focusing on Ps. 48.

5. Can you expound on one point that you’ll be making in your message?
One of the greatest outbursts of gathered praise in the entire Old Testament is found in 2 Chronicles 5. The temple of Solomon was completed. The Ark of the Covenant was set in its place. Countless sacrifices were offered. There was plenty of music as well. And the thematic center for corporate worship was”for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (vs. 13). In a real sense, this has been the thematic center of gathered worship ever since. Granted, worship is no longer confined to the Temple or any sacred meeting place. But, it is still our great privilege and calling to see that the people who gather with us Sunday after Sunday can say, “We have thought on your steadfast love, O God.” We certainly aren’t gathering to celebrate how steadfastly we have loved God. That’s a depressing theme. We gather to celebrate how steadfastly he has loved us, and that changes everything.

6. How has what you’re going to speak on affected your own life?
I believe, down in my bones, that there is unique grace from God that is experienced in the fellowship of a local church and in the Sunday gathering. I’m convinced that God’s week is planned in advance. On Sunday morning, he’s coming to church. And he’s not coming passively. He’s coming eager to bless, save, strengthen, convict, and comfort.

7. Can you recommend any books, articles, websites, or materials on this topic?
Yes! Some books that have impacted me greatly along these lines are:

• When God Comes to Church (Ortlund)
• Why We Love the Church (DeYoung/Kluck)
• The Church (Clowney)
• Stop Dating the Church (Harris)

8. What would you say to someone who is trying to decide whether or not to come to WorshipGod2013?
No conference has done more to instill in me what I believe are biblical convictions concerning what corporate worship is all about. The main sessions are theologically-charged and gospel-rich and applicable to anyone’s life, musician or not. The breakout sessions address a huge range of things that will enable attendees to go back and serve their congregations more effectively. This has kept me coming back for the past 13 years.

Last week, I traveled to South Africa for the first time and had the great joy of participating in Rezolution 2013, a series of conferences that took place in Johannesburg, Durban, and Capetown. I was there with 5 other guys from the States, CJ Mahaney, Ligon Duncan, Kevin DeYoung, Mark Dever, and Brad Wheeler. The event was led primarily by Tim Cantrell and Al Schuster from Antioch Church in Midrand, although a number of other pastors and churches were involved as well. I participated in a pastors’ conference in Capetown on Monday and Tuesday, another pastors’ conference in Johannesburg on Wednesday and Thursday, and the Rezolution 2013 conference on Friday night and Saturday. The messages were outstanding and can be downloaded here. I also had the privilege of serving two different congregations the first and second Sundays I was there. Through the week, I led 92 songs, which I think is a record for me, trumping my time at New Word Alive.

It was an exhilarating  edifying, eye-opening, and exhausting time.  Here’s a few thoughts on my time there.

1. South Africa, like every other country, is in great need of the gospel.
South African history is complex, to say the least. Apartheid has left serious scars on millions of people. Twenty years after Nelson Mandela came to power, the country still faces many significant problems – extreme poverty, political corruption, racial tension, and more. But while many wring their hands in despair and fear the worst Christians are offering hope for genuine transformation through the gospel. I was encouraged to hear of efforts being made by Christians to combat racial division, care for orphans, and provide for those in need.

2.  Technology amplifies our impact.
One of the more encouraging conversations I had while in South Africa was with Paul Karstens, a professor at the Bible Institute of Capetown. He said I had no idea how much Sovereign Grace Music had impacted the reformed churches there. I told him he was right – I had no idea. He said it was largely due to how accessible our music is. A couple years ago we redesigned our website to make downloads a one-click process, and last year we made all our sheet music free. In addition, you can purchase downloads of Sovereign Grace Music pretty much anywhere in the world through our Bandcamp site. I was thanking God for the how the Internet has made disseminating our music so much easier throughout the world.

3. Physical expression while singing can be hindered and encouraged by culture.
I’ve spent a good bit of time thinking through what we do with our bodies when we sing together, and have shared my thoughts in a seminar called Worshiping God Mind, Soul, and Body. Bottom line, I think we should strive for natural physical expression as we meditate on God’s glory and the amazing news of the gospel. In South Africa the singing was loud and passionate, but most of the people I led in song were fairly conservative in their expressiveness. Actually, they were really conservative. (There were a few exceptions, like the older couple who had a Pentecostal background.) But over the weekend we were led by the Rezolution band, which combined native African songs with English songs. The choir and vocalists were very expressive, and at different times led us in motions related to what we were singing. I watched the responsiveness of the crowd and noted that this was the same group that hadn’t used their hands or bodies much as they sang earlier in the day. Which made me wonder why we so often stifle the response that seems to be so natural in other settings.

4. A lot of people want to know what it means to be a reformed charismatic.
Sovereign Grace churches hold to an essentially reformed theology with a continuationist understanding of the gifts of the Spirit. While we were in South Africa we ran into a number of pastors who wondered how that worked. Both CJ and I had conversations along those lines and were encouraged by the humble and practical questions guys were asking.

5. It’s easier to lead songs for great teaching.
I got to hear some great messages in South Africa from men I deeply respect. While I listened, I planned the songs for the next session. I see my job as emphasizing and building on the truths from God’s Word that have been communicated in the messages. When the messages are gospel saturated, thoroughly biblical, insightful, and moving it just makes my job a lot easier.

6. Rich fellowship makes for rich ministry.
A highlight of the trip was conversations with the speakers that began and ended most days, often led by Mark Dever. We laughed, discussed theology and contemporary issues, evaluated meetings, prayed, and ate together. Okay, “conversation” might be too generous. I listened a lot. In addition, our hosts regularly engaged us in substantive questions and encouragement as we traveled around. Those times of fellowship are memories I’ll carry with me a long time and made my time in South Africa even more enjoyable.

7. Jesus is building his church in the midst of heresy and deterioration.
While statistics imply that South Africa is a largely Christian country, much of what passes for  Christianity is the health & wealth gospel or a diluted nominal  Christianity. But I met many pastors who are faithfully proclaiming the eternal gospel of Jesus Christ and want to be equipped to do it better. Many were the fruit of John MacArthur’s ministry and the Master’s Seminary. Others were Baptist, Church of England South Africa, or independent. I thank God for all of them.

It was a great privilege to be part of Rezolution 2013 and pray the seeds we sowed will serve those who are faithfully continuing to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel in South Africa.

(Kevin DeYoung shares his thoughts on our trip in this post. You can download the messages at the Antioch Bible Church site.)

Maybe you’re thinking there’s plenty of time to register for WorshipGod2013. And there is. Kind of.

Registration for WorshipGod West doesn’t end until June 14. You can register for WorshipGod East all the way up until July 19.

But here’s a few reasons you might want to sign up soon.

1. People who sign up early get first choice for seminars.
Some of the seminars have capacity limitations. So bottom line, if you don’t sign up early you may not be able to go to the seminars you want.

2. Rates are going to go up.
For WorshipGod West rates go up on May 1. For WorshipGod East they increase June 1. I mean it’s fine if you want to pay $30 more to come to the conference. We’ll put it to good use.

3. One less thing to do.
You know too well how putting things off only adds anxiety to your life. Once you’ve registered you can turn your attention to all those other things that you’re not doing now.

4. More time to tell others that you’re going.
Conferences are best when you can share them with people you know and love. The sooner you sign up the easier it will be to invite others to join you for what is sure to be an exceptional time of equipping, encouragement, and encountering God in his people and his Word.

If you you need more reasons, check out my post on 12 reasons you should come to a WorshipGod conference.

Do we really need one more worship conference?

That’s the question I ask myself every other year as I start planning for the next WorshipGod conference. And since WorshipGod2013: Called to be Faithful is on the calendar twice in 2013, my answer to the question is obviously yes. WorshipGod West is less than three months away and will be June 27-29 in Orange County, CA. WorshipGod East is a little under 5 months away and will be here in Louisville, July 31-Aug. 3.

I did a post in January describing why I chose this conference theme. Basically, I hope to accomplish two goals. First, I want to encourage, equip, and inspire the leaders and churches who will never have the resources, gifting, or gear to replicate the bands and technological marvels that characterize so many bands on YouTube and at conferences. Let’s be honest. That’s about 90% of us. I realize this more than ever as I participate in planting Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. That doesn’t mean we can’t grow (as I said in my Salute to the Average Worship Leader), but we want to grow in the right ways – being faithful. And we certainly don’t want to live in frustration or disappointment that videos of our meetings don’t look quite as spectacular as what we find on the Internet.

On the other side, I want this conference to encourage those who excel in musical excellence, communication skills, and the latest technology to do what they do even more effectively and to be sure all they’re doing is pointing to the greatness and glory of Jesus Christ. Production and musical elements can be means to an end, helpful means, good means. But at the end of the day, they are merely means. Useful in God’s hands, but not ultimately necessary. When all our comments after a meeting have to do only with tight arrangements, nailing lighting cues, the “worship atmosphere,” and what the musicians were wearing, we’ve wandered away from the purpose for our gathering and potentially into the land of idolatry.

So, in an act of shameless self-promotion, here are twelve reasons why I think you (pastor, worship leader, musician, vocalists, songwriter, techie) should come to WorshipGod2013:

1. Biblical, practical, engaging preaching. Guys who love to preach God’s Word and serve local churches will be explaining in what ways God has called us to be faithul. We’ll have the opportunity to hear from Kevin DeYoung (West), Mike Cosper (East) Craig Cabaniss (pictured), Russ Moore (East), Don Whitney, Kevin Twit (East), and more. I’ll be there, too.

2. Skilled church musicians who love God, his gospel, his Word, and his church. Everyone who leads at the conference may not be a household name (although Enfield and Sojourn Music should be), but that’s okay. They’re leading because, like you, they know what it is to serve in the church week in and week out, with volunteers who want to serve the church more faithfully. And they do it really well.

3. Senior pastors can come for $75. You might not be a senior pastor, but you most likely have one. And you can let him know about this deal. The congregational worship leader is, humanly speaking, the lead pastor, so we want to do whatever we can to get them to the conference. Too often people get home from a conference charged up with fresh ideas and perspectives only to have their thoughts minimized or ignored altogether because their leaders haven’t received the same teaching.

4. Lots of free stuff. in 2011 we gave away a midi keyboard, a $300 Sweetwater gift certificate, a copy of Sibelius, a guitar amp, some iPods, and a bunch of other stuff. Who knows what we’ll give away this year? Besides free, we also do cheap albums and books pretty well.

5. It’s probably closer than it used to be. Over the last decade we’ve held WorshipGod conferences in Maryland where Sovereign Grace Ministries was located. Since moving to Louisville last year, we decided to have one in Louisville and one on the west coast. Louisville just happens to be within a day’s drive for 2/3 of the US population. And the West Coast certainly makes it easier for those who have been crossing three time zones over the years to join us.

6. One responsibility: take it all in. Enjoy 3 whole days where you don’t have to arrange any of the songs, lead any of the rehearsals, practice any of the riffs, or show up early for any of the sessions. Of course, if you’re a conference junkie, you can come early to watch the rehearsals and stay up till 2AM hanging out.

7. Twenty-eight seminars and at WorshipGod East, four pre-conference intensives. You get to pick four seminars, and can download the rest later for free. Grow in your musical chops, become a better leader, learn how to fight trials with worship, grow as a vocalist, understand your relationships better, grow in your prayer life, etc. At East we’ll be offering four intensives on Wednesday for pianists, guitarists, sound personnel, and choir members. More info can be found here.

8. Theology, character, and skill. That’s what we focus on at each WorshipGod conference. Because all three matter.

9. There is a time to laugh (Eccl.3:4). And we make sure we find it at WorshipGod. We take worshiping the Savior very seriously. Ourselves, not so much.

10. Focused Gatherings (East). I’m working on having two informal meetings geared towards those who would like to see more gospel-centered, theologically informed songs and leading in Hispanic churches and African-American contexts.

11. It’s cheap. Right now students can come for $120, groups of 5+ are $145 each, and individuals are $170. That price includes lunch both days, a binder with all the outlines, 5 sessions, and 4 seminars. Did I mention the snacks and drinks? And the giveaways? We’re practically paying you to come!

12. Encountering God. If you’ve attended a WorshipGod conference in the past, you know that it’s about much more than receiving solid teaching, singing great songs together, and growing in your skills. God never fails  to change, inspire, convict, and encourage hearts as we behold his glory together (2 Cor. 3:18).

So there’s my pitch. If you’ve been to a WorshipGod conference in the past, feel free to leave a comment as to why someone should think about coming this year. And if you want more info, visit the WorshipGod2013 website.

Hope to see you there.

If you don’t speak Spanish, you might not be interested in our latest release, El Dios Que Adoramos (The God We Worship).

But then again, it might not make any difference. It’s that good.

The album came about as a result of our relationship with Miguel Nunez, pastor of  Iglesia Bautista Internacional (IBI) and host of the Por Su Causa conference. For the past few years Miguel has been a dear friend and supporter of Sovereign Grace Ministries and Sovereign Grace Music. His church has been translating and singing our songs for a while now, and musicians from his church have attended the WorshipGod conference. They’ve also been a great encouragement to our Spanish speaking Sovereign Grace churches in Juarez and elsewhere.

Last September, I had the joy of being invited, along with C.J. Mahaney, Jeff Purswell, and Mauricio Velarde, to participate in Por Su Causa. It was an amazing time, in spite of my mere three years of high school Spanish. Everyone we met of the 7000+ attendees was welcoming, encouraging, and seemed passionate for the gospel of Jesus Christ and his church.

The highlight for me, though, had to be Sunday night. The musicians from IBI, ably led by Luis Nunez, held two back to back events where they sang 16 songs for corporate worship, 13 of them from Sovereign Grace Music. Jonathan and Sarah Jerez contributed three more that were so good I started thinking maybe it was time for us to start translating Spanish songs into English. Among the Sovereign Grace songs on the album are Before the Throne of God Above (Ante el Trono Celestial), All I Have is Christ (Mi Vida es Cristo), Behold our God (Contempla a Dios), I Will Glory in My Redeemer (Me Glorío en Jesucristo), and Let Your Kingdom Come (Venga Tu Reino).

El Dios Que Adoramos is the result of that night. Produced by Steve Cook, it’s a partnership with our friends in the DR, combining the resources of our songs with their skilled musicianship and artistry. If you know any hispanic churches or Christians who are looking for gospel-rich, theologically informed, skillfully played and sung songs for praising God, this album doesn’t disappoint. In fact on hearing it, one of our pastors asked if we could start making our English albums sound like this.

To give you a taste you can download their arrangement of Ante el Trono Celestial (Before the Throne of God Above). 

We discovered a problem when all the songs were mixed and we were about to go to mastering. There was too much music to fit on one CD. We ended up tidying some of the transitions and leaving off Allí en la Cruz, a beautiful song by Mauricio Velarde from our album of the same name. Fortunately, it’s included as a bonus track on all downloads and will be on the DVD.

Guitar charts and samples are available at the Sovereign Grace Music website. You can download the album at Bandcamp or Amazon. CDs will be available soon from the Sovereign Grace webstore.

For those who didn’t know, this is our 4th Spanish CD. If you haven’t heard them yet, check out Sea la Gloria Solo a Ti, Allí en la Cruz, and Eres Dios.

For years, I heard C.J. Mahaney reference a John Newton hymn that began with the lines, “In evil long I took delight.” Newton imagines the Savior looking down at him twice from the cross. The first look communicates our guilt and responsibility for the death of Christ. The second look assures us that this sacrifice forever secures our forgiveness before God. The two looks together fill us with a “pleasing grief and mournful joy.”

“Pleasing grief and mournful joy” describe well the proper response to Christ’s death on the cross. I can never grieve long over what it cost the Savior to redeem me before my heart wells up in joy that his death has brought down the blessings of heaven on my life. I can never rejoice too long in my forgiveness and reconciliation to God without remembering with sadness the infinite cost required to achieve that reconciliation.

A while back I was so affected by the lyrics to Newton’s hymn that I set an adapted version of the text to music, and added a chorus that gives us an opportunity to respond in joyful praise to this demonstration of “pure atoning grace.”

You can download or listen to it here.

Here are the lyrics:

I saw one hanging on a tree
In agony and blood
Who fixed His loving eyes on me
As near His cross I stood
And never till my dying breath
Will I forget that look
It seemed to charge me with His death
Though not a word He spoke

My conscience felt and owned the guilt
And plunged me in despair
I saw my sins His blood had spilt
And helped to nail Him there
But with a second look He said
“I freely all forgive
this blood is for your ransom paid
I died that you might live”

Forever etched upon my mind
Is the look of Him who died
The Lamb I crucified
And now my life will sing the praise
Of pure atoning grace
That looked on me and gladly took my place

Thus while His death my sin displays
For all the world to view
Such is the mystery of grace
It seals my pardon too
With pleasing grief and mournful joy
My spirit now is filled
That I should such a life destroy
Yet live by Him I killed.
Original lyrics by John Newton. New and alternate lyrics and music by Bob Kauflin. © 2001 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

You can find the original lyrics here, and can download the guitar chart, lead sheet, piano score, and string arrangement at the Sovereign Grace Music site.

Keith and Kristyn Getty (along with Ed Cash) have a new song that celebrates the resurrection of Christ. Great lyrics, accessible melody, and reminders of how the resurrection affects our lives today. I’ve posted the lyrics below.

And thanks to the generosity of Keith and Kristyn, you can download the MP3 and various charts (choral, rhythm piano, hymn) by clicking here.

Verse 1
How can it be, the One who died,
Has borne our sin through sacrifice
To conquer every sting of death?
Sing, sing hallelujah.
For joy awakes as dawning light
When Christ’s disciples lift their eyes.
Alive He stands, their Friend and King;
Christ, Christ He is risen.

Chorus
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!
Oh, sing hallelujah.
Join the chorus, sing with the redeemed;
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed.

Verse 2
Where doubt and darkness once had been,
They saw Him and their hearts believed.
But blessed are those who have not seen,
Yet, sing hallelujah.
Once bound by fear now bold in faith,
They preached the truth and power of grace.
And pouring out their lives they gained
Life, life everlasting.

Verse 3
The power that raised Him from the grave
Now works in us to powerfully save.
He frees our hearts to live His grace;
Go tell of His goodness.

Bridge
He’s alive, He’s alive!
Heaven’s gates are opened wide.
He’s alive, He’s alive!
Now in heaven glorified.

Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, and Ed Cash; © 2012 Gettymusic and Alletrop Music (BMI) (adm. by MusicServices.org)