FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: December 21

The shortest blog entry ever! J

 

Choir and Orchestra begins again on January 10!

 

          I look forward to serving with you all again!  Jake and I are getting the music together.  I’m looking forward to the big concert on Sunday night, April 28 as well!

         

Value of the Month: “Invite Them”

 

          Christmas Eve is a great opportunity to invite your unchurched friends and neighbors!  The service is at 5:00.  We’ll have childcare for nursery and preschool.           

       

          Have yourself a merry little Christmas,

 

                   Phill

FCCN Worship Ministry Praise Team Schedule

Jake did a great job putting together the schedule!  Special thanks to him!

 

            A few notes:  We’re going to try to spruce up the classic service a bit with a vocal team and maybe a keyboard as well.  Since we’ll be adding a few more musicians, we’d like to have a practice from 8:00-8:45 on the Tuesday night before you are scheduled for the classic service.  If you are singing special music in the classic service, please come and run through your song with the media team at 8:45 on Tuesday night.

 

            Also, since Mike Claypool is much more passionate about the classic service than I am, he will be taking over the administration of the service.  He’ll be meeting with the worship leaders and helping to plan out the service.  I know he’s both passionate and talented in the classic style, so I think he’ll do a great job.

 

            I also look forward to being able to rock out in our modern services!  We’ll have lots of color from the electric guitars and lots of variety.  I’m so excited to see what God will do in 2010!  I’m glad you all are along for the ride!

 

            Let me know if you do not get the attached schedule.  I’ll send it another way!

 

            God bless,

 

                        Phill

 

 

 

           

FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: December 14

Praise team schedules for the 1^st quarter: due Today! (Monday, December 14)

 

          If you are on the praise teams, please send me your dates when you are unavailable to serve from January 1-March 31. Please let me know how much you want to serve: once a month, twice, more or less than that?  I’d appreciate your thoughts.

 

          Also, the high school ministry will be having a cutting edge worship experience in the high school room every Sunday at 10:45, so be thinking if you want to be involved with that.  They will be using some folks from the worship ministry to mentor and equip the high school students to eventually take over.  Sounds like lots of fun!  Obviously you can do both, but you won’t be able to serve in the 9:15 & 10:45 services on the same Sunday you serve up in the high school room.

Christmas Musical!

          Thanks for doing a great job!  I cannot list all the great comments about the musical.  I finally got through all of the encouraging emails, and it’s after 2:00 P.M.  You all are such a blessing to me.  I also was so excited to see so many unchurched people here this weekend:  2199 total people here last weekend.  I pray that they come back and become fully devoted followers of Jesus!

We’ll be showing the Christmas musical on Christmas day, at 6:00 P.M. on Fox 7!  My prayer is that people see the musical and decide to come here and worship Jesus.  It’s all about Him anyway. J

          Guy will have sign ups to purchase a DVD on Sunday morning at the missions counter.  You’ll need to pay in advance: $10.00.

Christmas Musical: 2010!

          It will be Saturday night, December 18 and Sunday morning, Dec. 19.  See, I gave you the date over a year in advance.  Would you mind to put the date on your blackberry? J

Goodbye Open House for Jake Miller! (Saturday, December 19, starting at 6:00 P.M.)

          Jake has done such a good job here as an intern, we want to send him off in style.  We’ll have an open house for him on Saturday, December 19 starting at 6:00 P.M. at the home of Renae and Larry Newton: 1133 Hunter Ridge Trail.  Directions: from FCCN: turn right (north) on 261.  Travel aprox. 4 miles on 261 toward Boonville.   Turn right (east) on Hunter Road.  Go ½ mile and turn right onto Hunter Ridge Trail.  Larry and Renae is the only house on the right, red brick, on the hill.  Please RSVP to Renae at 262-227-8770 or ldesco333@aol.com

          Please bring some finger food or desert if you can!  We’ll also have a basket at the door from him on Sunday, December 27 for cards and any donations as a way to say thank-you to Jake!  I will miss him around here in January!

Value of the Month: “Invite Them”

 

          You all did a great job with that last weekend.  Keep it comin’.  You never know what a simple invite might do for someone’s eternal salvation!           

 

          God bless you all!

 

                   Phill

FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: December 7

Praise team schedules for the 1^st quarter: due next Monday, December 14

 

          If you are on the praise teams, please send me your dates when you are unavailable to serve from January 1-March 31. Please let me know how much you want to serve: once a month, twice, more or less than that?  I’d appreciate your thoughts.

 

          Also, the high school ministry will be having a cutting edge worship experience in the high school room every Sunday at 10:45, so be thinking if you want to be involved with that.  They will be using some folks from the worship ministry to mentor and equip the high school students to eventually take over.  Sounds like lots of fun!  Obviously you can do both, but you won’t be able to serve in the 9:15 & 10:45 services on the same Sunday you serve up in the high school room.

 

Christmas Musical Practices

          Only a few practices left!  I’ve had lots of fun serving with you all.

            Monday night, Dec. 7 (NOT a dress rehearsal)

            Wednesday night, Dec. 9 (dress rehearsal) (with 1^st-5^th grade choir)

            Taping for T.V.: Friday night, Dec. 11 6:00-9:00 P.M. (1^st-5^th grade choir from 6:00-7:30)

            Christmas Musical: Saturday night, Dec. 12 at 7:00 P.M.  Call time at 6:00 P.M. in the chapel

            Sunday morning, Dec. 13, 9:15 & 10:45.  Call time at 8:00 A.M. in the worship center

Taping for T.V. schedule on Friday night

          We’ll have pizza in the gym for you all when you’re not on stage.  Here’s the schedule for the taping on Friday night.  We will not do the musical in order:

 

          6:00 Opening prayer and directions

 

-          Welcome and thanks for watching, promo (with everyone on stage)

 

-          (drama people go and eat pizza)

 

-          “A New Hallelujah”

 

-          “Christmastime”

 

-          (1^st-5th grade choir can go home or eat pizza)

 

-          “Orphans of God”

 

-          “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”

 

-          (Sign choir can go home or eat pizza)

 

-          “How Great our Joy” with Brad’s welcome & Kelly

 

-          (choir and orchestra eats pizza)

 

-          Drama scenes 1-5

 

-          “God speaking”

 

-          “Christmas Makes me Cry”

 

-          “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”

 

-          “Coming Back to Life”

 

-          (Choir and orchestra can go home except for the rhythm section and Laura Kierspel)

 

-          “Joseph’s Lullaby”

 

-          Finish any extra drama scenes (rhythm section and Laura can go home)

Christmas Musical Open House, Sunday, December 13 (6:00-7:30 P.M.)

          I want to say thanks to everyone for serving in the musical!  We’ll have a Christmas open house at the home of Cleo and Carol Holder, 10690 SR 662 in Newburgh.  No practice, just food and fun!  Please bring some finger food or desert if you can.  No RSVP, just swing by when you want!

Good by Open House for Jake Miller! (Saturday, December 19, starting at 6:00 P.M.)

          Jake has done such a good job here as an intern, we want to send him off in style.  We’ll have an open house for him on Saturday, December 19 starting at 6:00 P.M. at the home of Renae and Larry Newton: 1133 Hunter Ridge Trail.  Directions: from FCCN: turn right (north) on 261.  Travel aprox. 4 miles on 261 toward Boonville.   Turn right (east) on Hunter Road.  Go ½ mile and turn right onto Hunter Ridge Trail.  Larry and Renae is the only house on the right, red brick, on the hill.  Please RSVP to Renae at 262-227-8770 or ldesco333@aol.com

          Please bring some finger food or desert if you can!  We’ll also have a basket at the door from him on Sunday, December 27 for cards and any donations as a way to say thank-you to Jake!  I will miss him around here in January!

Value of the Month: “Invite Them”

 

          Come on and invite that person who God has placed on your heart.  You’ve got a great opportunity with the musical this weekend, December 12-13.  We have cards available at each welcome center. 

 

          God bless you all!

 

                   Phill

FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: December 1

Praise team schedules for the 1^st quarter: due on Monday, December 14

 

          If you are on the praise teams, please send me your dates when you are unavailable to serve from January 1-March 31. 

 

Also, please let me know how much you want to serve: once a month, twice, more or less than that?  I’d appreciate your thoughts.

 

Christmas Musical Practices

 

          I will be showing my favorite Christmas movie scenes for us all to enjoy!  Wednesday night is “Charlie Brown Christmas.”  We’ll also practice a little bit too. J

 

   Here’s the schedule for the rest of the Christmas Musical practices.  Childcare is provided for every practice.  All practices are from 6:00-7:30 except for the T.V. taping on Friday night, Dec. 11.

            Wednesday night, Dec. 2

            Friday night, Dec. 4

            Sunday night, Dec. 6 (with 1^st-5^th grade choir)

            Monday night, Dec. 7

            Wednesday night, Dec. 9 (with 1^st-5^th grade choir)

            Taping for T.V.: Friday night, Dec. 11 6:00-9:00 P.M. (1^st-5^th grade choir from 6:00-7:30)

            Christmas Musical: Saturday night, Dec. 12 at 7:00 P.M.  Call time at 6:00 P.M. in the chapel

            Sunday morning, Dec. 13, 9:15 & 10:45.  Call time at 8:00 A.M. in the worship center

Survey: we need your help!

 

          Please contact Jake miller at 858-5000 (ext. 211) or e-mail jmiller@fccn.org if you would like to help!  I was there last evening at the par research and had fun doing the survey.  If you like to talk, this is the job for you! J  The dates are:

 

Thursday, December 3

Tuesday, December 8

Thursday, December 10

Tuesday December 15

Wednesday, December 16

Thursday December 17

 

The times for which we are able to use the phones at PAR are 4-9 PM.  This does not mean that if you decide to volunteer to help us that you have to be there for 5 hours, nor does it mean that you have to be there by 4.  We do need for anyone who is able to be there at 4 to go ahead and be there at that time.  In other words, anytime that you find available to help us in this effort is greatly appreciated and needed.  See the last blog for more information or contact Jake Miller.

 

Value of the Month: “Invite Them”

 

          Research is clear: people are more open to spiritual things during Christmas than at any other time of the year.  Use this opportunity to invite your unchurched friends to FCCN.  You’ve got a great opportunity with the musical on December 12-13.  We have cards available at each welcome center. 

 

          God bless you all!

 

                   Phill

 

           

 

 

FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: November 24

Christmas Musical Practices

 

          The choir and orchestra will not be practicing this Sunday night due to “turkey hangover.” J  Here’s the schedule for the rest of the Christmas Musical practices.  Childcare is provided for every practice.  All practices are from 6:00-7:30 except for the T.V. taping on Friday night, Dec. 11.

          Wednesday night, Dec. 2

            Friday night, Dec. 4

            Sunday night, Dec. 6 (with 1^st-5^th grade choir)

            Monday night, Dec. 7

            Wednesday night, Dec. 9 (with 1^st-5^th grade choir)

            Taping for T.V.: Friday night, Dec. 11 6:00-9:00 P.M. (1^st-5^th grade choir from 6:00-7:30)

            Christmas Musical: Saturday night, Dec. 12 at 7:00 P.M.  Call time at 6:00 P.M. in the chapel

            Sunday morning, Dec. 13, 9:15 & 10:45.  Call time at 8:00 A.M. in the worship center

Christmas Musical Invite Cards 

                        They will be available at each welcome center this Sunday!  This is a great opportunity to invite your friends, neighbors and coworkers to a great Christmas celebration.

Christmas Musical Song Order

 

          I’ll have this for you on paper during the next practice, but here’s the order ahead of time:

 

          “How Great our Joy”

          “God Speaking”

          “Christmas Makes me Cry”

          “Christmastime”

          “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”

          “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”

          “Coming Back to Life”

          “Joseph’s Lullaby”

          “Orphans of God”

          “A New Hallelujah”

 

A Volunteer Opportunity!!!

 

The Worship Ministry is currently conducting a survey of both the church and the local area in order to increase our awareness of necessities and desires.  The anticipated result is that we can use this information to better serve the community through our efforts as a Worship Ministry.  We have already made headway on the church survey, but now we have come up on the community survey. 

 

We have a local marketing research firm (PAR) to assist us in survey implementation, and data collection and interpretation.  However, we need to provide the man power for the actual surveying.  The survey will be conducted by phone (i.e. volunteers will have a script by which they will talk to the survey taker [no need for extemporaneous talking] and then they will enter the data from the survey taker's responses into a computer).  We have projected that we will need around 200 man hours of surveying in order to get a reliable sample set.

 

This is where you all come in.  PAR is providing a training evening for volunteers to prepare them for whichever dates they decide to volunteer.  The training evening will be Monday, November 30 at 7 PM and will most likely last an hour (and then from 8-9 PM we can use the equipment to start).  Although the training night is not required for volunteers, it is highly recommended.  After the training night the dates that we will use PAR's facilities are as follows:

 

Thursday, December 3

Tuesday, December 8

Thursday, December 10

Tuesday December 15

Wednesday, December 16

Thursday December 17

 

The times for which we are able to use the phones at PAR are 4-9 PM.  This does not mean that if you decide to volunteer to help us that you have to be there for 5 hours, nor does it mean that you have to be there by 4.  We do need for anyone who is able to be there at 4 to go ahead and be there at that time.  In other words, anytime that you find available to help us in this effort is greatly appreciated and needed. 

 

Please, please, look at these dates and times to see if you are available to help us in this endeavor.  If you are available to help please call 858-5000 (ext. 211) or e-mail jmiller@fccn.org to confirm.  We do expect that the results will truly help FCC to better serve our community.

 

For the Kingdom!

 

Random Blog Thought

 

          Turkey: dark meat please.  Pumpkin pie, and the cranberry sauce that is still shaped like the can.  My favorite. J

 

                   Phill

 

FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: November 16

New music for January

 

          After hearing some feedback from all of you, here are the songs I’m starting to narrow down to in the choir and orchestra for the spring.  Take a listen and let me know what you think.

 

          “Sing, Sing, Sing” www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdX79fEsmtk

 

          “From the Inside Out” www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-afZJ9_TIM

 

          “Hosanna” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we4t0fAnGBA

 

          “Our God Saves” www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b35E8zzASk

 

          “There will be a Day” www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ijXwHoKeAY

 

          “My Savior Lives” www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_SB-SpNm00

         

Choir & Orchestra Practice This Sunday Night

      

          We had almost 100% attendance last Sunday night!  What a blessing to be with all of you.  Thanks for skipping out on the beginning of the Colts game.  All you really needed to see was the end anyway. J

 

          6:00-6:10: Prayer and value of the month

 

          6:10-6:30: Prayer Groups

 

          6:30-7:00 Choir in the chapel, orchestra on stage: Practice everything, especially “God Speaking” “How Great our Joy,” and “Christmas Makes me Cry” I’ll join the orchestra/rhythm section on stage at some point during this time to run through “Joseph Lullaby.”

 

          7:00-7:30 everyone in the worship center to practice together.  We’ll especially work on “God Speaking” and “Christmas Makes me Cry”

 

Value of the Month: Memorization

 

          Another trick for memorization is to move around the room while you try to memorize something.  Don’t just sit and stare at the page: move around, shoot some hoops, jump rope.  You’ll have those words before you know it. 

 

          Phill

 

FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: November 9

Choir & Orchestra Practice This Sunday Night

      

          6:00-6:10: Prayer and value of the month

 

          6:10-6:45: Choir in the chapel, orchestra on stage: “How Great our Joy,” “God Speaking,” “Christmas Makes me Cry,” “Christmastime” & “Coming Back to Life”

 

          6:45-7:05 Prayer groups

 

          7:05-7:30 Everyone in the worship center to practice the songs mentioned above.

 

Value of the Month: Memorization

 

          One of the best tricks for memorization is to read through something right before you go to bed.  Read through it; put it on your night stand, and go to sleep.  Your brain will work on it while you are sleeping.  It’s like an auto-pilot.  You’ll wake up in the morning and you’re there!

 

          I’ve done this many times with wordy worship songs.  Like “How He Loves” that we sang last Sunday.  Yikes, LOTS of words in that song.  “He is jealous for me, love like a hurricane, I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.  When all of a sudden, I am unaware of His afflictions eclipsed by glory, and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.”  That’s a modern worship song!  No 7/11 there, and I lot of memorization for us guys. J

 

          So look at something right before you go to sleep.  Your subconscious will work on it for you while you are sleeping.  You’ll be surprised how easy it is.

 

Random Blog Thought

 

A concert, Sunday night, April 28.  The best of the choir/orchestra, 541, XP, 1^st-5^th grade choir, drama, King’s Kids.  Hmmm, what do you think?

 

          Phill

FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: November 3

Choir & Orchestra Practice This Sunday night: the November Memorization Extravaganza!

 

        Come on out and join us, this is the last chance to join us for the Christmas Musical!  We practice from 6:00-7:30 and childcare is provided for every practice.

 

          Here’s what practice will look like:

      

          6:00-6:10: Prayer and value of the month

 

           6:10-6:30: Prayer Groups

 

          6:30-6:45 Sectionals: “Coming Back to Life”

 

          6:45-7:00 Choir in the chapel, orchestra and rhythm section stays on stage

 

          7:00-7:30 Everyone in the worship center to practice “Coming Back to Life,” “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” & “How Great our Joy” if we have time.

 

Value of the Month: Memorization

 

          It’s a whole lot more fun to have your music memorized and prepared on Sunday morning, right?  I’ve been able to focus on God much better when I have the music memorized, and I don’t have to think about, “what’s that next word?” or “What’s that next note?  I think I’m a better worship leader and worshipper of God when I’m ready to go.  That happens with one key: repetition.

 

          One trick I’ve learned is a daily run through of all the music I’m leading for Sunday.  For me, it’s one of the first things every morning.  If I can consistently run through each song every day throughout the week, then Sunday morning is usually no problem.  So, I usually don’t do much singing on Monday (I rest the voice: 3 services on Sunday morning and choir/orchestra practice tires out the pipes).  So I run through the music Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning and Thursday morning.  Friday is my day off, so I usually run through it again sometime on Saturday. 

 

          Believe me; memorization for the “man in black” does not happen by accident.  My tested IQ is only 134, so I’m no genius.  In fact, in college and graduate school I had to work really hard at it.  Same idea for tests: I worked on the memorization every day.  It was a daily ritual that paid big dividends. 

 

          So my point is that memorization has very little to do with how smart you are, and A LOT to do with how hard you work at it.  But repetition is only one key.  I’ll be sharing more tricks with you next week.  As Han Solo said, “it’s all a bunch of simple tricks and nonsense.” J

 

Random Blog Thought

 

          I’m no Vikings fan, but hats of to Bret Farve: 40 years old and still throwin’ the pigskin with excellence.  I respect that.

 

          See you all “in color” on Sunday!

 

          Phill

FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: October 28

Classic and Modern worship begins this Sunday! (8:00 A.M. Classic, 9:15 A.M. & 10:45 A.M. Modern)

 

          I hope you all are exited as I am!  I pray that lots of people get saved and become fully devoted as a result of this!  I met with the worship leaders and piano players for the classic service last night, and they did a great job in leading worship!  I’m also exited about how worship will move forward in the modern service. 

 

Choir and orchestra leading worship this Sunday!

 

          I’m stoked about leading worship with you all!  A New Hallelujah, All Because of Jesus and Agnus Dei! 

 

          Remember, this is time change weekend, so we’ll “fall back.”  Set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed.

 

          Remember to observe the dress code, park in the back of the parking lot, drop off any kiddos in the nursery and be in the worship center by 6:45 A.M.!  We’ll run through the modern service from 6:45-7:45.  The classic service will start at 8:00.  I’ll be leading the classic worship from the piano, and I would like you all to sing in the pews and worship with me.  Then choir and orchestra will do the special music “Orphan’s of God” at 8:15 in the classic service.  Then you can pick up your kids in the nursery at 8:20, get a donut or whatever.  Then we’ll start the modern service at 9:15. 

 

Choir, orchestra AND rhythm section, you’ll be free to go home at around 11:15 when we finish “Orphans of God” in the modern service.

 

          Rhythm section: we won’t be doing “In Christ Alone” this Sunday.  Mike has asked to do “Amazing Love” for the decision song instead, so Jake will lead that on the piano by himself.  So you all can go home at 11:15 as well.   Jake and I will finish the closing song by ourselves: I’ll play acoustic guitar while Jake plays piano.  Ty, Do you mind if I play your acoustic guitar?

 

Choir & Orchestra Practice This Sunday night: last chance to join for Christmas!

 

        Come on out and join us, this is the last chance to join us for the Christmas Musical!  We practice from 6:00-7:30 and childcare is provided for every practice.

 

          Here’s what practice will look like:

      

          6:00-6:10: Value of the month and prayer for Garry Bradley for his mission trip.

 

          6:10-6:35 Sectionals: “Christmas Makes Me Cry” & “Christmastime”

 

          6:35-6:50  Choir in the chapel, orchestra and rhythm section stays on stage

 

          6:50-7:10 Everyone in the worship center to practice “Christmas Makes Me Cry” and “Christmastime”

 

          7:10-7:30: Prayer groups

 

            God bless, see you Sunday!

 

          Phill