12:01 am
Joy.
We’ve all wanted it. Most of us have had it. We all need it. But what is it?
I think the term has a little ambiguity to it…The dictionary defines it as “Intense happiness”. But, what does that mean? Where does it come from? I recently had this conversation, or at least a piece of it, with a very good friend of mine, and that conversation sparked a deeper thought on the subject, and consequently, this blog. The premise of our conversation was that they (the person I was talking to) were having a hard time in a couple areas of their life, and that resulted in them not having fun in places where they should, and not enjoying the things that were supposed to be fun. In the midst of the conversation, this one comment brought to me a realization that, until they said it, I had never considered it.
“I once had joy….and I let something steal it from me.” A thought we have probably ALL felt before, at some point or another. But just as they said that, I instantly, without planning to, began to think about what they had just said. The sentence itself is actually very smart….to identify that you had something, and that you let something, or someone, or some circumstance take it away from you, is a very smart thought. The person I was talking to is EXTREMELY intelligent, so it didn’t strike me at first. But then my mind began to race, and that race brought me to this blog. Nehemiah said “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (8:10). It is in Him that we find our joy as Christians. Are there times when being a Christian is hard? Of course….in fact, every day that we live where it isn’t hard, means we may be too comfortable in being inactive, or complacent with living in the background. As Chris Moncus has said, we need to enjoy the “easy” times as Christians, because they are rare…but we have to make sure that we aren’t negligent to the point of keeping ourselves there. Trials are hard…they are no fun. But it is what you do with them that make up who you are. The Bible says in John “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (10:10). The devil is ALWAYS looking for an “in” when it comes to Christian and their lives…I think this is especially true for those who are really doing a great work, or have the potential to do great work, for God. The devil will use people, or situations, or circumstances that you can’t control, and try to make you lose faith in Christ. Not your overall acceptance of Jesus, but your faith that he is really running the show. In another conversation I had, with a different person, they were sharing how in the last couple of weeks, they had a hard time at work…things weren’t going well for them, because there were several problems that were beyond their control to fix, that were standing in the way in their job. To make matters worse, it wasn’t that they couldn’t fix the problems because they didn’t have the ability to….they did….it’s that they weren’t allowed the opportunity to. It was this stalemate that made their job so frustrating. They realized one day, that you can’t worry about things you can’t change. Sometimes circumstances just are what they are, and you have to accept them, and learn how to best utilize them. After that, they began to work with what they had…they did the best they could, and God’s glory was revealed, even in the midst of things not being “right”. They are now really happy in their job, because they realized it’s not about the details, it’s about Christ, and making an impact for Him, DESPITE the pitfalls of life. Was it, and does is still continue to be a journey? Yes. So, maybe it’s not so much that you had joy, and someone stole it from you….but maybe it was God’s Joy, and you stole it. It’s so easy to get into the human state of mind, where we fret about how things are going to turn out, or how things could be better, or whatever… But sometimes, God is putting us in the situations He is, because He wants to show us something….He wants us to stop worrying, focus, and find His joy that WE misplaced. He isn’t moving, He is leaving, and He’s not going to let us fall. We have to realize that our mission is to “Seek and Save the Lost” (Luke 19:10). The odds might not always be in our favor, but we have to know, that God has specifically placed us in the positions that we are in. We are here, to offer our talents, our skills, and our abilities to further His kingdom, and bring glory to His name. The Bible says “For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.” (Deut. 16:15). We can’t get caught up in the crummy details that Satan tries to put in our lives, because that is how he wins….We have to constantly remind ourselves that we, as Christians, are always in this together, hopefully giving it the best we can, all for one common purpose…to seek and save the lost.
Don’t let the Devil steal God’s joy from you…Serving Christ should be fun, exciting, and fulfilling every second we are in His presence. As soon as we feel obligated to serve, or that we have to serve, the Devil has won. "I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first." (Rev. 2:4-5)
Today’s Disambiguation? Joy equals Christ. Period. It comes from Christ. It IS Christ. And Christ equals Love….and Love equals Patience, Kindness, Thoughtfulness, and a host of other characteristics (1Cor. 13:4). There is nothing confusing about that. Keep God’s joy close to your heart, and guard it. He will bless you for it.
I want to leave you with the lyrics to a Shane Barnard song, “Received”. I encourage you to find it somewhere, and listen to it. I hope you enjoy.
you can only go so far, until the bottom falls out
all my singing, smiling, pleasure finds me, I’m all right
pretty melody, dedicated to God
to be called by one Almighty God and take it for granted
heard a rumor I guess, but I wanna know who told me so
told me serving You replaced me knowing You!
Can I be received?
unclean oh Lord am I
find me in my shame
You are all I need
please don’t pass me by
I call upon Your name
You whispered to Your child today
but I haven’t got a minute to listen
Your child is busy with the work of God and taking Him for granted
got a lot to do today, kingdom work’s the game I play
Lord my serving You replaced me knowing You
can I be received?
unclean oh Lord am I
find me in my shame
You are all I need
please don’t pass me by
I call upon Your name
10:06 pm
Ok, it’s that time again….time for a blog….but, because I’m not all that original, I am again going to rip something off from a book that I wrote a while back….Send your complaints to 888-465-9177….
It is important to realize that you must have a set philosophy in your technical ministry. Just as your church has an overall mission statement and philosophy, I believe each ministry area should also have individual goals set in order to accomplish the overall goal. This is just as true for the technical ministry as it is for Sunday School. Having a philosophy and a set of values that covers what you want to accomplish will help give your volunteers something to work towards every week. Otherwise, they are just stuck in the monotony of doing the same thing over and over, with no clear vision…and they feel that they are merely “Button Pushers”. Even technical crews that aren’t in the church arena have a mission and philosophy about what they do. I had the pleasure of taking a backstage private tour of the Coliseum at Caesar’s Palace where Celene Dion performs in Vegas. That is the largest grossing and most popular show on the strip right now. And as you can imagine, they aren’t singing any hymns. But after talking with their technical guys and the producers, I realized that they too have a very strict philosophy about what they do. They demand excellent quality gear, and excellent quality people to run it. The show has to be flawless, and the audience can never think about any of the technical aspects of the show. Now granted, when you see a flying dancer zipping across the stage, your wheels will start turning, but the grassroots level of technology is never an issue. They want to make sure you get the message seamlessly every time.
Now while we aren’t putting on a show, and we aren’t charging admission, we are conveying a much more important message than Celene Dion ever does any night of the week: The message of Salvation. And for that reason, if nothing else, we should have as strict philosophy about what we expect from ourselves. In almost all venues, whether it is churches or not, the Technical Director for that particular venue will tell you that the philosophy of the technical department is to provide seamless and transparent technology. Transparent is not a word that is used a lot in the world of technology, but I think it is one that should sum up the entire existence of technology within the church. If you go to a rock concert, they want you to see the huge stacks of speakers, and the cables running everywhere. They want you to see the lights moving in patterns, and the pyrotechnics. But when people come to church, they want to hear God speak through message and song. Our job in the church sound booth is to bring that experience to them as efficiently and clearly as we can- maybe even using the same stuff they use in the rock show, but with more tact and grace, so that we don’t hinder or cover up what God is doing.
There is a church that I worked with doing some audio stuff a few years ago, and I call one of the congregation members every once in a while to see how things are going. Since I was there, some teams have rotated out, so it’s almost a completely new team from what started when I was there. I asked how the technical things are going there. I always get one of the following two responses: “It wasn’t as bad as it normally is” or, “It was even worse than usual”. While on of these statements sounds better than the other- the fact is that the church is only varying from one degree of insufficiency to another. It’s not that any of their technicians are idiots (I don’t think); it’s that they have nothing to strive for there. They don’t realize the negative impact on a first time visitor when the singer walks up and their microphone doesn’t come on until about 45 seconds into their song. When this happens, everyone in the room has turned their thoughts from enjoying the song, to “what is wrong with them!?” In an instant, the transparency is shattered and the mood that was set is long gone. Having a philosophy of Transparent Technology, and giving forth the due diligence could have saved that moment.
I’m sure by now you can see how Due Diligence and Excellence are both key players (right up there with the organist) in the church. You may ask why they are so important. I have had many people tell me that having such high standards gives the appearance of being too rehearsed and showy; or even too fake. To that I say this: There are many people out there in the world who don’t care about church, or don’t take it seriously because they expect second-rate ‘performance’. Churches for decades have been given that bad rap (worse than vanilla ice), with the accusations covering everything in the church from second-rate music, to poorly executed dramas. In order to get people out of that mindset, you actually have to do something that will question their stance. You will never see a box office smash filmed with a Radio Shack camera, and costumes made out of bed sheets. So why should you expect to see that at a church? You never go to a concert to hear a poorly assembled band. So why is that many times the case in church? Are we not conveying a much more important message? Are we not trying to somehow convey the excellence and perfection of God through what we do? Of course we are! And YES, that might mean you have to fork out a little more money to buy nicer stuff, or put more time into an event to ensure its success, but you will never find a lost soul walk into the church with a price tag around their neck (Minnie Pearl is long gone)…and I don’t think it’s our job to put one there. The days of the church producing second-rate material are fast fading. I pray that we never let ourselves get in the way of what God is doing. He has always provided, through the rough times and the good. He’s not about the stop now……
10:06 pm
I am intimately involved with the construction program at our church, which is going along quite nicely. I would dare to say that I know more about many of the inside details than most anyone else….this comes from my involvement in the design of all of the Audio, Video, and Lighting systems for the project. This isn’t my first design job though, I have designed AV system for churches all over, probably 25-30 total. My old church is again, starting to build another building, and I am just waiting for the call…..but there are so many church that have the whole PURPOSE of this building thing wrong. If you care nothing about WHY churches are built the way they are, feel free to disregard this blog….but know, it’s not called "The Rant" for nothing. This comes from recent annoyances as i work with other churches….because I see what we are doing, and I know it can be done right…
I call it Architectural Oblivion. Many churches almost seem to worship their building more than anything else. I know of a church that was built for about 2 years before there were ever allowed to put nails in the wall or even bring drinking water in the building. They went as far as to lock rooms that weren’t being used just so the carpet wouldn’t get footprints. In a sense, I get the idea. The church is supposed to be God’s house, and we should respect the reverence and beauty of the building. But where do you draw the line? When is it protecting the building, and when is it prohibiting ministry? If you have to nail something up to help aid in teaching someone about Christ, who’s place is it to say “No” to that? The church exists to Seek and Save the Lost, so by hindering a ministry from using all of their potential, you are hindering the very thing that we as a church are here to do…and the very reason the building was built in the first place…..And if it’s all the same to you, I don’t want to be the guy explaining to God why we couldn’t put a nail in the wall. At that same church, the music minister almost got fired for putting an additional monitor on stage for the band to hear better. The other staff and deacons said it was too messy looking, and demanded that he take it down. To me, this is such a sad place to be. Technology is a ministry all its own, but it exists to facilitate other church ministries- especially a music ministry. The church building itself wasn’t built to be worshiped, nor even dare I say for God to live in. God lives in the hearts of people; the building is merely a place for Christians to come together and worship, learn, and fellowship with others. For that reason, worship centers should be built with one thing in mind- an optimal hearing and seeing experience- So that nothing can distract from what is happening in the service. Having said that, consider this- is it more important to have one less monitor on stage, so that everything looks tidy and proper, or more important that the musicians hear themselves, so that they play better, and don’t take anything away form the worship experience? To me, the answer is obvious. Even if the answer is a compromise, keeping the monitor, but bringing the band closer to shorten cable runs. Yet unfortunately, some people are still more concerned about their pretty carpet. This is one of the technical obstacles you come across in some (dare I say many) churches, and it’s sad…
Doug Parks and the Construction Team have done a tremendous job making sure that every square inch of our campus says Love… It is truely going to be a palce to have un-inhibited encounters
with God. I am so excited for those of you who are from Vegas, to see this place when it’s totally done….Functional, Fun, and safe for everyone…it’s going to be great…..I am proud to say that because of these guys, we AREN’T going to be one of those churches above….
12:26 am
I have mentioned my book, that will be finished about 2059, in my blogs before. I was looking through it earlier, and came upon this. So, I am going to rip it off, and insert it here for today’s blog…
" Now I would like to take a few paragraphs, and talk about something that many churches are guilty of, both high and low, big and small, fat and skinny- I call it “The Art of Almost Doing Something”. I find this to be most prevalent in two major categories: small churches, and uneducated churches. As I say that, I don’t mean uneducated in the sense that they are all 4th grade drop-outs, but in the sense that they are trying to accomplish something without receiving the proper training or guidance they need in order to accomplish it well. Let me start this chapter by spelling out my Technological Motto, and then we will dissect it from there, with examples, bar graphs, and photo illustrations. “If you cannot do it with complete excellence, don’t do it.” This may sound very harsh, and non-forgiving, but you have to ask yourself, is there anywhere else on earth where what is being said inside the building is as important as what is being said inside the church? With the obvious answer looming over our heads as a constant reminder, you now have to ask yourself this (this book is a joyride for all you bi-polar readers), how could we accept anything less than pure excellence? We are trying to convey the most important message on earth- the message of Christ; and whether it is through music, video, drama, or teaching, we need to strive for A+ quality (just like USDA) all the time. Assuming that 9 out of 10 doctors agree, let me show you some real life instances where the standard of excellence was not upheld, and where it would have better off not even existed.
I can think of one conference I was at, where there was probably 30-40 churches represented, with about 2000 people attending this weeklong music conference at a nice conference center/auditorium. This conference was supposed to be the pinnacle of worship leading and technology. However, they PowerPoint operator was consistently 2-3 slides behind where we were actually singing during the entire 6-song worship set. By the end of the set, about 90% of the people had repositioned themselves facing the tech booth, trying to figure out which astrophysicist was operating the PowerPoint. By then, the entire mood of worship at this major conference was totally gone, and it was obviously apparent that it was hard for everyone to refocus, even after the pastor had begun to speak. And this was at a conference of total church staff! Imagine if there were newcomers! To me, this was a classic example of “Due Diligence” not being given. Everything has its “due diligence”, or the diligence that it is due, or required, in order to achieve excellence. Because excellence was not the standard, even at this conference that was supposedly trying to set the new standard, roughly 2000 people lost the spirit of worship.
Another musical example comes out of a church I worked with, where the interim music minister (of about 8 months) kept trying to put new (and weird) songs into the set that were very hard to sing, and nearly impossible to keep up with. Because of his inability to connect with the congregation (and the lack of a creative planning team, that probably would have halted the idea), the entire congregation gave up singing the 3rd song (out of 5), and all sat down and just looked at him. The band couldn’t keep up with him, and they too ended up falling apart and stopping. Imagine someone walking into church for the first time ever, and walking into that service. Again, because excellence was not the standard by which they programmed and executed their services, the entire mood took a dive that really never recovered until that Music Interim was relieved of their duties at that church. I could go on forever with stories that range from a Pastor forgetting his sermon notes at home, and trying to remember by turning around to look at the PowerPoint, to walking in to see microphones DUCT TAPED……..yes……..DUCT TAPD to broken microphone stands, dangling in front of the choir.
It all comes down to one simple fact- Your outcome reflects the work you put in, and the level of excellence you maintain. If you keep a high standard in everything, even in the small details, it will be evident it your outcome. Give everything its Due Diligence, and you will see the difference. Transparency IS Success….."
11:56 pm
So, again, it has been quite a while since I have put anything on here…..every time, I say I am going to do better about blogging more often, and every time, I fail…..so, I’m not going to even bother saying that this time….. I am writing this blog, after having just returned from a trip to Willow Creek in Chicago for the Willow Arts Conference. This trip was AWESOME this year….the relationships that we all got to build during that trip was AMAZING….a truly talented group of people. It was this trip that helped me realize how CRCC is blessed in a way that sadly, many other churches aren’t. I have been working with a few churches in town, helping them to become better at what they do by raising their production value, their technical transparency, etc. In all of these churches, they are all very talented people, and many of them have tons of potential in the area that they serve. The problem, in almost every church so far that I have worked with, is their relationships with each other. The band members think they are right every time….so do the sound guys…..so do the vocalists…..so does EVERYONE in the group….and they spend all of their time together arguing about how it SHOULD be done, instead of just doing it, or finding a middle ground. At one particular place, I am pretty sure that the drummer and audio guy actually HATE each other….. The sad thing is, out of about 5 churches I am working with, this is true for 3, and sometimes 4 of them…..and that is just in Vegas…..so what does that mean for ministries and churches nationwide? Could it really be that 3 out of 5 churches are dysfunctional, because of their team member’s relationships? Sadly, yes.
The church I came from was in a similar situation at times…people who had no business serving where they were serving where left untouched, because nobody wanted to "hurt their feelings"……new ideas or church plans never happened, because it might make someone upset….staff members kept secrets from each other…..volunteers didn’t like working with certain other volunteers……yet, the church continues in the same path today, because the majority refuse to even recognize a problem (whether out of ignorance or stupidity, who knows), and because nobody wants to hurt anyone’s feelings.
We seem to have it all wrong.
Sure, I understand that we shouldn’t be out to get someone, or do things just to hurt their feelings……but at the same time….it really isn’t about them….it’s really not about any of us. Being a church is about growing the Kingdom, and reaching the lost…..it is about catering to peoples NEEDS….NOT their needy-ness. See, the moment you let your feelings get hurt because someone else is trying to advance the Kingdom, you are making it about you….saying that what YOU want is more important that was everyone else wants….or even what is best overall. Even for the over-achieving, gung-ho volunteer who has a vision for how things "should be"….if someone tells them otherwise, and they make it a personal attack, they have missed the point. Serving in the church is just that….serving. It’s not about self-advancement, or getting the spotlight, or even doing a task…..it is about using the gifts that GOD GAVE YOU, to help bring HIM honor. It’s amazing, as I look at these churches, and the one I came from, many people serve, because they think the church "needs them", or that they have something amazing to offer….No offense….but we don’t need you….We are providing a place for you to say "Thanks" to God for giving you what He has given you. On more than one occasion, my boss has come up to me and told me to do things a different way than I was doing them…whether it be mixing sound, the way I built a particular set, the way I put a microphone on someone, WHATEVER…my first reaction is usually the urge to punch him in the face (I say that half jokingly, because I see that he has subscribed to this blog)….but I have to remember that he isn’t doing that to be a complete jerk…or just to screw up my day….he is doing is because like myself, he cares about the whole experience, and knows it can be done better. If I were to dwell on the fact that he thought I was wrong, I would be missing the point. It’s not about what I think is right….it’s about me doing my very best, and taking direction from those above me.
I say all of that to say this I guess…there are SO MANY churches out there who are struggling; not because of finances or membership drops….but because they are too caught up in petty things to have the freedom or ability to move forward. "Playing church" is not acceptable folks, neither is a church that isn’t going anywhere….. small churches aren’t bad…..but a church staying small because of their lack of mission IS.
I was so proud of my team in Chicago…..as we were all playing volleyball together, I took a moment a looked….we had staff, volunteers, old, young, actors, musicians, technicians, vocalists, producers, writers, programmers, leaders, etc…..we even had a tag along from another church, that nobody (except for 3 of us) had met before…..and there we all were……playing together…..having more fun together in that one week than many church staff’s have over 10 years. There were no age lines…..no official title lines…..no experience lines……just a team who actually loved each other. I think we take that for granted sometimes, but it is, disappointingly, a rare thing in churches across America. Way to go guys…..I know I built some AMAZING relationships out of this trip that will last a lifetime…..
I will soon be posting some pictures of this trip on this page…..stay tuned…
2:15 pm
Hey everyone!
I just wanted to post a quick blog, to tell you all to sign up at the right ———>>>
to recieve an email when I add a new blog here. I have talked to a lot of you who say you read it, but I don’t have many of you on the list to recieve the automatic update. Feel free to put in your email, that way you don’t have to continue to check back only to find nothing. If you don’t sign up, I will take it very personally 
Also, feel free to look back through the old blogs. There might actually be something worth reading in there…..
Sign up Today!!! ——————————————>>>>>>>>>
8:06 pm
OK, so I was reading my newest edition of Church Production Magazine, when I came across a piece that I found both inspiring, and thought-provoking. The article was written by Karl Moraski, Music Director for Hope Community Church in Raleigh, NC. The entire article was great, but the part that made me stand and applaud was the following:
"Should we really invest that much money in AV equipment? If we expect to reach our culture we must keep up with them technically. Our neighbors and friends who are far from God are used to surround-sound movies in HD and state-of-the-art lighting at concerts and shows they attend. We want our congregation to bring their friends and not have them turned off because we seem antiquated in our methodology. I would beg the leadership not to skimp in the area of AV equipment."
And then, my favorite part:
"Extravagant? Yes. As extravagant as the perfume that was poured on our Lord’s feet…and Jesus said to her "…wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be talked about in her memory" (Matthew 26:13) Don’t be frivolous, but why not be extravagant for God? He deserves our best."
Wow. I finally have a Biblical answer for the times when people ask me why we spend so much on equipment, or set pieces, or whatever. If we keep the fact that technology isn’t God in perspective, and that technology only exists to help convey the message of God, we can’t be wrong. Having poor audio in a church doesn’t just mean they don’t have the best audio….it means there is a distraction…something that can prohibit the Word of God from reaching every ear in the house as cleanly as it should. Churches shouldn’t go into debt just for the sake of technology. But remember that seekers or new church-goers tend to look for things that will discredit the church…..as Karl said above, if we "look" or "feel" antiquated, they disengage, and we have lost our chance. So, for those who say we spend too much on technology, or furniture, or marketing, or anything, consider the verse above. There are unfortunately hundreds of churches nationwide that spend no money on anything, and it is apparent in every service they hold. People’s salvation doesn’t revolve around the church budget, and it shouldn’t. Any money spent, for even one saved soul, is worth the cost.
If you are interested in this topic, check out Chris’ Website for another story on this same idea of when is it OK to be Extravagant for God?
5:44 pm
Well, I figured it has been a while since I have posted on here, so I thought I would catch up. If I follow my normal routine, I will add about 3 entries today…and then no more until June or so. Sorry, that’s just the way it is. Things have settled down a little bit now that the Easter rush is finally over. We had EIGHT Easter services that weekend….1 Friday, 3 Saturday, and 4 Sunday. Our numbers were lower than we expected….onlt 9,112 people on campus. Still, that’s not bad. We also had over 100 people baptized that weekend, around 40 of which were not registered….which means they decided to get baptized AFTER they arrived at church that weekend. VERY cool. Chris is out here, and is getting settled in nicely. He bought a new car, and is zipping around all over town now. In his first week, he put in almost 80 hours…..way to go Chris! This past week around the Ridge has been a little slower…which has allowed chris to start working on the other part of his job….web design for the church. Check the Church’s Website often to see some of the changes he is making…..coming soon….Podcasting @ the Ridge. I can already see the dilligence and work ethic that Chris is going to put into all of the projects he works on. I am really excited to have him here.
On a completely different subject……how do you deal with personal conflict? Whether it be sin in your life that you are dealing with, or personal struggles with decisions, or trying to always do the right thing….How do you keep in check? I have realized that having an accountability partner could quite possibly be one of the best thing that could happen to someone’s personal walk. Having someone you can talk to, tell them everything that’s going on in your life (the good, bad, and questionable), and someone that can help keep you going in the right direction seems priceless to me. I don’t currently have one of those people…..but I know others that do, and it’s helping them a ton. For the rest of you who don’t have that person like me, I encourage you to find someone. Someone you can trust, who you can talk to, and someone you can take guidance from. I think you will see the difference.
I am priveledged enough to be working with two of the high school kids right now, on a slightly deeper level than normal, to help them become what they want to be. A mentor of sorts. Both of them have tons of potential, although in very different areas, and i am excited to be able to help them grow into what they want to be. I firmly believe that one of them will be a dynamic, renowned worship leader within the next 10 years. I tell you this because I have seen two things within my own life since I have started working with them. First, in order to fill others, you have to be filled (back to the last paragraph). Secondly, it is an amazing feeling to have someone, who isn’t THAT much younger than you, look up to your for asnwers in all kinds of subjects…life, church, music, whatever. Sometimes I feel like I just live my life, getting nothing out of it, and giving nothing to it. But as I talk to these kids, I realize: I am using my own life experiences…..the very ones I thought didn’t impact me……to lead these kids. Not only that, but as I talk to those kids, I am making an impact….no matter how small. That one student is going to be who they are because of their talent, their character, and their heart….that has nothing to do with me. But knowing that I did even just one little thing to help steer them in the right direction, makes it VERY exciting to me. (not to mention the name recognition and free concerts later )
This may be one of my most random blogs to date. They are all just things that I am thinking right now….now being an interesting time in my life……some things are going better than I could have ever expected….some things aren’t……and some things are going, whether I expected them or not. I am excited to see what is in store.
Stay Tuned…..
11:43 pm
Well, after many months of convincing Chris that CRCC is where he needs to be, he is FINALLY coming out here! His official start date is April 10th. He will come out for 7 weeks, and then go back and get married to his lovely wife-to-be Amanda, and then they will both come out for good sometime in mid-June. He will be working on our web-development stuff, as well as be the AV Manager for the new youth buidling….which basically means a second ME, which will leave me to work in the Auditorium. This is an exciting time in my life, his life, and the life of our church. Visit his blog page to see HIS account of the last few months, as well as the church’s website that he will be working on!!
2:56 am
When I first moved out to Vegas, people in both Las Vegas and Brunswick (the city I came from) began to ask the same question, mostly as small-talk chit chat, but i never knew how to answer it. For a long time, I just gave the people the answer I knew they were looking for, because I didn’t have a better answer formulated in my brain. Finally, after over 2 years, and talking to other people at CRCC who had the same issues, I am ready to come clean:
QUESTION(S): "So, did you feel called to Canyon Ridge?", "So, did you know Canyon Ridge was where you were meant to go?"
ANSWER: "NO"
Surprised? I think most people would be. The truth is, I never heard the voice of God say "GO TO CANYON RIDGE IN LAS VEGAS….". This may shock, surprise, and even offend some Southern Baptists I know. But the truth is, I’m not sure that anybody ever really has heard that (with some exceptions I understand). In my case, i believe it happened like this: The early years of my life were spent developing my spiritual walk, as well as my talents and abilities. At a relatively young age, I realized that I was being called to do Full Time ministry SOMEWHERE, doing SOMETHING for God. At the time, I thought God was "calling" me to specifically be a worship leader, or heavily involved in music. I thought this, mostly because that’s what I was doing at the time, and I liked it, and thought I could do it forever.
What I understood much later, was that God didn’t call me to SPECIFICALLY perform a task such as worship leading, or even run a sound board. He called me to do His will, and to help spread His word. It took me a while, but I finally came to terms with the fact that maybe God doesn’t call us specifically to do a thing. In my case, He gave me a set of skills and talents, and free will. Then, when I mistakenly thought He was telling me to lead worship, he was ACTUALLY telling me to take my gifts, to take my free will to choose my path, and to explore any opportunities that would allow me to use my gifts to glorify Him. Those open doors could have led me anywhere on earth, and they are what ultimately led me to Las Vegas. Now, after being here, and being able to identify what my calling really was, I can see that CRCC is exactly where I needed, and still need to be. Was I specifically called to Canyon Ridge Christian Church? No. But there is no doubt in my mind that this is exactly where I am supposed to be. My JOB as Technical Director is to oversee the Audio, Video, and Lighting Systems at the church….my calling is to use those systems to help, in any way I can, spread the Word of God, and show the Love of God through service.
I encourage and challenge anybody who is in a season of discernment in their lives. Maybe…just maybe…you aren’t going to get the neon sign falling out of the sky pointing in the direction your life should go. Pray up; and then look and see what God has given you, and use them to the best of your abilities, to show the best of His, in whatever situation God sneds your way. He knows what He is doing, even if you don’t.
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