So I've been attending The Village Church for a little over a year now. I have grown so much in worship, and my understanding of it since back in my college days with my roommate who is one of the most gifted worship pastors in the world. Because of my past staff experiences with "Seeker Sensitive" churches, I feel like I have been on a coorporate worship dry land so to speak. My soul is growing and I am healing from really bad and abusive church experiences in my life. I wanted to share a song that has really struck a chord in my life. This song is not complicated, but the lyrics are just healing for my soul.
Here are some of the lyrics:
Bring restoration Bring restoration You taken my pain You’ve called me by a new name You’ve taken my shame And in it’s place, you give me joy
You take my mourning and turn it into dancing You take my sadness and turn it into joy You take my weeping and turn into laughter
Chorus: You bring restoration You bring restoration to my soul
Bridge: Hallelujah, Hallelujah You’ve make all things new
So, as I sit here a type and ponder the words of this wonderful song, I seek restoration in my heart. I seek forgiveness for my own stuff. I pray God will use more worshipful times like this to mold my character into a lover of Jesus.
So, what is this all about? Why do we have the University? Why is it not just called Sound Lighting and video or something? Where is it going to go? Who might benefit from it?
Well, all these are good questions that I've been asking myself lately. There is lots of great technology out there that only 5% of churches get to take advantage of. Everything from Digital Consoles to wireless microphones to the latest in video production to lighting. It is all very unfamiliar in the church world because it's been too expensive or just not a priority.
The Church as a whole has let technology pass them by, for the large part. They have not had the need to focus on technology in the past. Well, the computer generation is now the primary membership of churches, and they have begun going to churches that embrace technology. The churches that have been slow to embrace technology on some level, are the churches that have been dying off in membership or attendance as the younger generation either doesn't go to church or attend technology savvy churches.
Please don't misunderstand me. I do believe the Gospel of Jesus is the thing we all need to be focused on. Technology is just one piece to the puzzle that helps aid moving the message. Jesus is who people are drawn to and not the fancy pants console you have at Front of House. So, everything I write is intended with that outlook on keeping Jesus as the focus and technology as the supportive medium for reaching and teaching and growing people into being Christ followers.
I pray that we can look at technology and the people that use it as a highly important aspect of how the church reaches people into today's day and age. I am not talking about a "show". Although some might misinterpret it into being about that. That couldn't be further from the truth. A show is not meant to draw people into Jesus per-say. Some shows may do that, or there may need to be a special event that has the elements of a show to it. I'm talking about using all the resources we have in our arsenal to give our best to God and lead out in the corporate sense of worship to our creator in a way that draws people in because we use technology as a tool to show that we take God seriously that we are giving our all and best.
I believe when we do that, people that attend or visit take notice of that. They see that worship is a high priority in that we aren't just up there singing songs. We are using tools to create worship environments that set the tone and the mood for worship. It's kind of like a date with your spouse. You wouldn't take them to a highly lit hospital like restaurant and call it romantic. You might be showing romance to your spouse, but wouldn't it be more effective if that dinner were by candle light? The environment sets the tone for the worship just like a candle light dinner sets the tone for romance.
I am going to blog about things that I as an advocate of technology to enhance our worship environments. This is an attempt to put that into words.
Worshipers all over the globe need technology professionals in some way to assist moving the message during coorporate worship. My mission is to love Jesus, love people, love the church, and help equip servants and staff to having effective technology ministries.
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Back in October, I attended the "Together for Adoption Conference" here in
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