FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: March 29

Easter is this Sunday!

 

          It was great to have so many in the choir at practice Sunday night!  We had to set up another riser, praise the Lord!       

 

The choir, rhythm section and media team will be parking at Castle High School.  The bus will start running at 6:30 A.M.  Please drop your kiddos off in the nursery and be in the worship center by 6:45 A.M.!

 

          Listen to that CD for “There Will Be A Day.” J

 

No Choir & Rhythm Section Practice this Tuesday Night (March 30) or Sunday Night (April 4)

 

          We’ll catch you all again on April 11!

 

Concert for the Principal: April 25 (6:00-7:30 P.M.)

 

          I hope you all are practicing hard for whatever song you’re playing/singing!  Remember that we won’t be able to go over every song 5 times the week of April 25, so I hope you’re getting ready now!  Choir, we’ll be doing “Sing, Sing, Sing” for the concert!

 

Value of the Month: Excellence

 

          Excellence is probably the most important on Easter Sunday!  With all the people who will be here: some are searching for something deeper, we’ll need to do the very best with what we have!

 

          God bless you all!

 

                   Phill

 

 

FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: March 24

Praise Team Schedules are finished! (April 1^st-June 30^th)  They are in your boxes

 

Reply to me if you want an electronic copy.  I’ll be happy to send you one! 

 

Modern service schedule is finished from April-June, the classic service schedule is only finished through April.  We’ll fill out the May and June classic schedule later.

 

Choir, rhythm section and media team Practice this Sunday Night! (March 28, 6:00-7:30 P.M.)

 

          Come on out and join us, even if it’s your first time!

 

          This is the big practice before Easter Sunday!  I hope you all can make it.  All the songs are in your spring choir packet and CD: “Our God Saves,” “My Savior Lives,” “Hosanna,” “There Will be a Day,” “From the Inside Out.”

 

          5:15 P.M.  We’ll set up the risers if you want to come a little early.  

 

          6:00-6:10 Opening prayer and 400 pound gorilla wrestling match J

 

          6:10-6:45 Practice with the media team on stage

 

          6:45-7:05 Prayer groups, 1^st-5^th grade choir practice in the chapel

 

          7:05-7:30 practice with media team on stage

 

Easter Sunday is a week and a half away! (April 4)

 

          It’s my favorite holiday.  The reason for everything!  I’m looking forward to worshipping with you all. 

 

The choir, rhythm section and media team will be parking at the high school that day.  Garey Patmore will be driving the bus for us.  Thanks Garey!

 

          God bless you all!

 

                   Phill

 

 

FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: March 15

Welcome New Worship Ministry Intern Brian Walker!

I had a great time serving with Brian this weekend! He did a great job playing guitar at the women’s conference and on Sunday morning. God has done a great job molding this young man. He is very Christ like, a talented guitar player, singer, and Mac user. J I look forward to serving with him starting the end of May/beginning of June. Feel free to send him an email of encouragement at brian.walker@ccuniversity.edu He’ll be with us until Dec. 31, 2010.

Praise Team Schedules (April 1^st-June 30^th) due on Monday, March 22!

Is it that time again already? Didn’t we just do this like 3 months ago? J

Please let me know what Sundays you can’t be involved in praise team. It’s such a pleasure to work with all of you!

NO Choir Practice this Sunday Night! (March 21)

You all did such a great job last week I’ll give you the day off! Or maybe because of spring break. Maybe a little bit of both?

We’ll practice again on March 28: the big practice with the media team for Easter Sunday! We will also NOT practice on Tuesday, March 30. You all sound great and I feel good about where we are right now. My love tank is full. J

541 concert, 6:00 P.M. at Immanuel Baptist Church: 540 Second Street, Henderson, Ky 42420 (Google your map, it’s right on!)

We'll be doing a concert this Sunday night at 6:00 P.M.! You’re all welcome to come and join us! We’ll be singing our standard new country and Klove tunes, plus a few new surprises. J

Value of the Month: “Excellence”

We define excellence as “doing the very best you can with what you have.”

I enjoyed sharing Genesis 1 with the choir Sunday night. We noticed that when God starts creating, He does not say that it was “good” until the 2^nd day. Then he does not pronounce it “very good” until the 6^th day. Maybe God is setting an example for us: excellence takes hard work over time.

Notice when God finally calls His creation “very good.” It’s not until we (humanity) show up on the 6^th day! Wow! It’s good, but not great until He makes man and woman in His image. As Brad said Sunday, you are God’s masterpiece. Genesis 1 says YOU are created in His image. YOU were created with excellence in mind! Not just good, but very good.

Random Blog Thought

Goin’ to Olive Garden tonight for Jenn’s birthday! But NO 300 calorie breadsticks for me! Salad instead.

Phill

FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: March 10

New Worship Ministry Intern Interviewing this Weekend

Brian Walker, who is a junior at Cincinnati Christian University, will be interviewing this weekend! Brian is a very talented guitar player and vocalist. (Indy is his hometown, so he roots for the Colts too). J He’ll be playing guitar at the women’s conference on Saturday and in the modern worship services on Sunday morning (9:15 & 10:45). Please be in prayer for the elders, the worship ministry equippers and for me while he’s here this weekend: pray for wisdom for us and for Brian!

Choir Practice this Sunday Night! (March 14)

Anyone 8^th grade or older is still welcome to join us! Here’s what the evening will look like:

6:00-6:10 Opening prayer and value of the month (excellence)

6:10-6:30 Prayer Groups, 1^st-5^th grade choir practice in the chapel

6:30-7:00 Sectionals: “There Will be a Day,” “Our God Saves” and “Sing, Sing, Sing”

7:00-7:20 Everyone in the worship center: practice “There will be a Day” and “Our God Saves”

7:20-7:30 Pray for the Concert for the Principal

Value of the Month: “Excellence”

We define excellence as “doing the very best you can with what you have.”

It was 15 years ago that Jars of Clay came out with their groundbreaking 1^st album. I’ll never forget it. In the first track they sampled Gregorian Chant over acoustic rock, violins and great harmonies. Not a big deal today, but it was VERY creative and excellent back in ’95. Check here to listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-Ys0mksl_k The single “flood” got a lot of air play on radio station stations spanning many genres: Pop, Country and Christian stations. Kevin Banning, one of the FCCN sound guys, still plays the 3^rd track “Love Song for a Savior” in between services sometimes. J

I remember listening to their CD in my car on my way to school and being blown away by Jars of Clay’s creativity. However, notice their talent level: the lead singer is not the greatest vocalist in the world: I would say he’s pretty average. The band (at that time) was not the most accomplished group of musicians. But they did the best they could with what they had, and God blessed their efforts in amazing ways!

God is calling us to use our talents in the same way: do the best we can with what we have. How has God uniquely talented you in worship? Refine that skill and make it the best for God’s glory! One of my favorite verses is Psalm 33:3: “Sing to him a new song, play skillfully, and shout for joy!”

Grateful to be here,

Phill

FCCN Worship Ministry Blog: March 4

I was sick with a cold yesterday, but I’m “back in black” today! J

Concert for the Principal Tryouts

Thanks to everyone who tried out Tuesday night! It was fun to hear so much talent! Here are all the groups and such that will be performing at the “Concert for the Principal.”

Adult Choir and Rhythm Section

XP & Sammy 5

Sandy Schooler & Randy Johnson: “My Temporary Home” with video

Unity Choir

Cameron Vaughn “New Canadian Waltz” (violin)

Joel Wisley “Forever Enough”

TJK

Lars and Laura Kierspel: “Joy for the Journey”

Elementary Choir “Inside Out”

Paula Lemmer “When I Speak Your Name”

541

Damaris Matchem: “I Look to You”

Louis Rose: “What Have I Done”

Drama

King’s Kids Choir

Jenny Wampler w/ Joel acoustic guitar “It’s Your Life”

Whew, that’s a lot of music! I hope we can cram all of that into an hour and a half! We’ll get a set order together in a few weeks. Thanks again to everyone who auditioned!

Choir leading worship this Sunday! (March 7)

“Days of Elijah,” “Forever” and “From the Inside Out!” We’ll also be singing “Hosanna” in the classic service at 8:00 A.M. & the modern services at 9:15 and 10:45.

The risers were full of people at practice Sunday night, so I hope you all come back on Sunday morning! Remember to park in the back, observe the dress code, drop any kids off in the nursery and be in the worship center by 6:45 A.M.! We will have childcare available until after we’re finished singing in the classic service (around 8:15 A.M.)

Choir Practice this Sunday night! (March 7)

Anyone 8^th grade or older is still welcome to join us! Here’s what the evening will look like:

6:00-6:10 Opening prayer and value of the month (excellence)

6:10-6:35 Sectional practice: “There will be a Day”

6:40-7:00 1^st-5^th grade choir practice in the chapel, choir and rhythm section in the worship center: practice “There will be a Day” 7:00-7:10 Pray for the “Concert for the Principal”

7:10-7:30 Prayer Groups

Value of the Month: “Excellence”

We define excellence as “doing the very best you can with what you have.”

Notice the phase “with what you have.” In other words, we do the very best with the talent that God has given us. Are you a 10 talent person? Are you a 5 or 2 talent person? I’ve always considered myself a 2 talent person, and I try every day to give Jesus back “2 more” (Matthew 25:22). I try to exemplify this for you all every week. I’m not the greatest musician in the world: I have to practice hard every week to be ready for Sunday morning. And practice is what I do: every Tuesday morning, Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, Thursday morning, Saturday afternoon and Sunday mornings. I’m not one of those guys who can “get by” without practice: I’ll choke like your grandpa’s John Deere. J So I put in the time to play guitar, piano and memorize a gazillion words to be ready to worship God with excellence. And He’s the One that I do it all for anyway. So I’m “do the best with what I have” for Him. Consider the psalms: Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy (Pslam 33:3).

Random Blog Thought

My son Luke’s 3^rd birthday is coming up. Today I asked him what he wanted for his birthday. He said “go to Cmoe, have a white cake, and eat at church.” I had no idea a “church potluck” was a preschooler’s 1^st choice for a birthday meal!

March 3 blog

If you got a blog today “labeled March 3,” it’s not finished yet. Just delete it. I’ll have the final version for you when it’s actually March 3. Got to be less trigger happy. J

Phill