Open Mike

A Worship Leader for skeptics, spiritual explorers and followers of Jesus alike

We found a worship director! Here is a letter I sent to our congregation yesterday about a huge excitement factor for our church heading into the fall.  At the end, I've included an account of who we hope to be as a church when we gather for weekly worship - an overview of our worship leading role.

Dear Tribe- It is with great excitement and gratitude that I write the following sentence:

We've hired our new LFC Worship Director.
For almost a year now, we've been on the hunt for someone with a unique (and as we've discovered, pretty rare) mix of talents: 

• a passion and ability to create worship experiences for spiritual skeptics, spiritual explorers and
       believers, alike
• a talented musician who can coach our already awesome band and take them even further
• a creative mind and teachable spirit that understands our desire to learn even more how to worship with both ancient and future elements
• an effective leader and communicator who will collaborate well with our campus worship leaders at
       Davidson and WestLake
• a person who is a passionate worshipper and can skillfully bring the rest of us along into greater
       encounters with God
• someone who made our staff, elders and search team say, "Yep, that's the one." 

Harrison Gillming is that person for us. (He's the guy who led worship in Huntersville on July 14. If you missed it, you can check it out here.)

This morning, Harrison had the bittersweet privilege of leading worship and saying goodbye to the congregation of Next Level Church, a church we know and respect that is located in Matthews, NC. He's been the Pastor of Creative Arts there since June of 2006 and his family was part of the church's initial
launch. Harrison was hired to lead at Next Level one month after graduating from Liberty University, where he attended on a full scholarship to play bass and lead worship in the Campus Praise Band (approx. 3500 students attended the weekly campus services).

While with Next Level, Harrison saw the congregation dramatically increase in size and launch a second campus in Ballantyne. While he was there, he also wrote and produced a worship album. On Sunday nights, Harrison leads worship for Forest Hill Church's student ministry event.

Above all that, Harrison, a Florida native, is the proud husband to Emily and father to Jake, Ben and Zack.

Before I go any further, I want to stop here to say, 'Liz Butler - you've been an incredible gift to me and our entire tribe these past 10 months.' Your authentic and heartfelt way of leading our body into worship is so appreciated, as is the way you've organized the scheduling of the bands, the arrangement charts, and all the other behind-the-scenes pieces that lead to each Sunday. Thank you! And LFC-Huntersville, while I know Liz may shy away from the attention, be sure to tell her what she's meant to you, too. (FYI she's on vacation next Sunday so Erin Maynor will lead us but Liz'll be back on September 1.)

Other people who have stepped up so incredibly during this interim period are: the entire LFC Band (what a bunch of pros), Tracy Grubbs (Sunday morning producer) and Jerry Goedert (technical director). So grateful to serve with these folks each week. The Lord has seen fit to grow our church by 10 percent during this interim period - a fact that speaks for itself regarding the solid ministry and excellence our Worship Arts team has held itself to during this transition.

I also want to thank my partners on the search team: JT Taylor, Jack Cathey, Jesse McLeod and Wendy Penn. JT is an HR executive with an international firm and led us with his expertise. Also integral in the search process was Suzanne Powell, who organized every resume and music sample we received.  This team worked its tail off reviewing 130+candidates and prayed (and prayed) for the patience and discernment necessary to honor God's immaculate timing in this search.  

So, what's next? Harrison is finishing his time with Next Level this month and taking a bit of a breather, too. We hope to have him on-board to lead us in Huntersville in mid-September. You're going to like him as a worship leader and as a winsome man of God who, at the base of his very existence, loves Jesus and wants others to know Him.
 
Here are the top two core values Harrison leads his teams with:

• First and foremost, the worship music experience is designed to connect people to God.
• This is success: God takes center stage... everything points to HIM, not US!

I can't wait to have him here, he and I have made a quick connection and fit well together as leaders. Thank you again Lake Forest (especially Huntersville) for your patience and prayer. 

Your fan,
Mike Moses 

LFC Worship Arts Director: Position Overview

Overview

 Are you a worship leader who can create a worship experience for skeptics, spiritual explorers, and believers alike? Do you thrive in the practical and theological tension of a church that values both attractional and missional ministry? Do you dream about the opportunity to experiment, on a large scale, with rock-oriented worship that creatively reinterprets ancient Christian practices? Lake Forest Church (LFC) is seeking a Worship Arts Director with the vision and talent to help us meet our goal: to glorify God by transforming consumers into worshipers.

Who We Are

LFC is a 14 year old church of 1,500-2,000 people in four services between two campuses, with plans to launch a third campus within the next 12 months. Started in 1998 by Mike Moses, LFC is a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and is known for ‘reaching people who’ve given up on church, but not on God’, through a clear and engaging focus on Jesus, spiritual growth in small groups, and intentional deployment outward in mission. Our worship experience has been a key element in our growth and discipleship. We seek a person with vision and experience in leading the people of God to worship Him in ways that include the following:

 Worship Participants: We take Paul’s instructions for worship in I Cor. 14:18-25 as normative. Gathered Christian worship should always take into account three different persons: the believer (Christian), the inquirer (whom we call ‘spiritual explorer’), and the nonbeliever (whom we refer to as a ‘skeptic’). Thus we envision, plan and lead worship services intended to edify Christians, as well as engage skeptics and spiritual explorers.

 Musical Style: LFC pursues and expects excellence in musical instrumentation and voice because it honors God and powerfully expresses God’s beauty to both the redeemed and the seeking heart. Adult contemporary rock is the primary musical style in our local culture, so it is our worship style at LFC-Huntersville (LFC-Davidson's style is primarily acoustic indie rock-ish).  We also experiment along a broad spectrum of musical genres.

 Creative Worship Elements: At LFC, worship is more than words and music. We use a wide variety of art forms including: short film, ambient lighting, specific musical genres (blues), unique stage/set design for each new sermon series, original poetry, participatory rehearsal of truth (ex. use of fingerprint ink pads at communion stations for all to rehearse their identity in Christ), painting, sculpture, lots of humor, and more.

 Ancient/Future Worship:  While LFC is a ‘today’s musical style’ church, we continually explore how early Christian worship models can be applied to the postmodern church, for the dual purposes of deeply rooted discipleship and effective worship evangelism. Whether celebrating the season of Lent, setting up and praying the Stations of the Cross during Holy Week, or singing hymns, ancient/future is an emerging element of our worship approach.

Acts of Kindness Flip the Happy Switch in our Brain, studies show (and other things that make me happy today)

Here are some things making me happy this week:

1. Our summer series is an extended meditation on Jesus' teaching that 'it is more blessed to give than to receive.'  Well, thank you Time Magazine for validating Jesus' statement empirically in last weeks' cover article.  In an article titled 'The Pursuit of Happiness,' the following tidbits are asserted by researchers:

"Acts of kindness (we've called it giving servanthood, time, attention, 'being rich in good deeds') flick the happy switches in our brains; studies have shown that people who volunteer are more satisfied with their lives and are less likely to be depressed.  Happier people, in turn, are likelier to help others.  Just over a quarter of Americans volunteered in 2012, a slight decline from 2011."

2. God is so gracious to send us people that represent our highest aspiration at LFC, even fresh this week, who are so far out of church culture (but hungry for God, for the Real) that they swear repeatedly in conversation with me, having no idea that's not something people coming to church normally do around their pastor.  I consider it a peculiar honor, and I bet you know what I mean by that.

3. Jesus' prime motivation for his life, death and resurrection was joy (Hebrews 12:2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross...").  He offers to lead each of us into joy, life, or (our series theme) 'blessing.'  So check this out - in the same Time article this is frankly stated:  "Nearly half of regular worshippers say they're very happy, compared with 26% of those who seldom or never attend religious services." God really did make human beings to function best and happiest when we worship one out of every seven days.

4. In response to my sermon last Sunday (which I will deliver in Davidson this Sunday - can't wait to see all y'all up there), one of our Ministry Partners named David emailed me this tidbit today: 

"Pastor Mike, I just read a survey (linked below) that was recently conducted by Gallup re: financial margin.  It is apropos to your message from Sunday.  It is an interesting juxtaposition to see that adults making as little as $24k/yr generally have enough to meet financial necessities, yet 49% of adults making $180k+ somehow still feel that they lack enough money to do what they want.  I suspect that a failure to build margin into their finances goes a long way toward the explanation." http://www.gallup.com/poll/163319/enough-lack-cushion.aspx?utm_source=email&utm_medium=072013&utm_content=titlelink&utm_campaign=newsletter 

5. Matt Glass (our LFC-Davidson worship leader) is helping a bunch of talented young guys record a CD this week at LFC-H's facility on stage - and it sounds KILLER.  I can't wait to hear the final, and will let you my friends know about it.

6. In our all-staff meeting for the church this week, we were asked 'what do you like about being on staff at Lake Forest Church,' and the answers blew me away - this is a unified, encouraging, excellent-work-doing staff team we have right now who deeply appreciate one another and the value of what we all get to do as our job.

7. I drove all around the E. Lincoln County/Denver/WestLake Norman area yesterday - and I am so excited for the launch of Lake Forest Church - WestLake I can hardly stand it (target date: January 2014).  So that LFC folks who commute to church from there can do Christian community and mission more hyperlocally, and so that more 'people who've given up on church but not on God' may be introduced to abundant life in Christ.

8. Work is starting to progress on the pergola over the LFC-H patio - to make it more usable and beautiful space during all sorts of weather.  Provided generously for by generous people giving over-and-above their tithe to our LOVE 10 vision.  And there is a great new item enhancing our Sunday worship at LFC-H that was generously given anonymously. Wow.

I could go on, but I won't.  I just wanted to tell you a few reasons why my heart is full today of things bringing me joy, making me happy, opening my eyes to the blessedness (=good life) Jesus offers at every turn when we abide in Him and His Word abides in us. 

The Poultice of Lament: with Psalmists, Tambourine Gospel Solos, Bluegrass, Newgrass & Pschodeltic Blues

It's Wednesday, and I have already sat with more than my normal weekly share of hurting, suffering people.  That's why I tell you today, my favorite time of the year is here - not Christmas, not sending the kids back to school (anyone remember that Staple's commercial?).  Its our 'Hope in a House of Blues' series at Lake Forest the next four Sundays.  Where we do something very biblical -apply the poultice of lament (what's a poultice? keep reading) honestly together, as people who love and long for God, over our blues.  With sights set firmly on the goodness of God through his Son Jesus.

Through a mashup of Scripture (this year: Dread/Fear, Depression, Doubt, Death), Music (this year we're expanding genres - to include southern gospel singers with tamborines week 1, psychodeltic blues from NY week 2, a foremost 'Newgrass' player of bluegrass week 3, and our now-old-friend Mike Farris week 4 in Huntersville), and Art (our artists are transforming the Huntersville worship center into the feel of a grand old theatre circa 1900).

I don't just like it for the music, even though its going to be amazing (this year we're kicking it up a notch and hosting national musical guests weekly on our Huntersville campus, and musical or speaking guests weekly in Davidson - the first conversation with the musicians is always priceless "you mean you want me to play my music in church?").  I mostly like this series as a poultice.

What's a poultice? In the third grade I read biographies of Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett (so I could prepare to become them when I grew up), and ran across this word frequently. A poultice is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body.  Native Americans used mashed up pumpkin, Daniel and Davy might use warm moist bread or soaked tobacco.  The effect?  To draw the pus and inflammation of a wound to the surface, and draw it out into the poultice.  Allowing the wound to heal and the body to return to health.  There are so many blues in our fallen world that we apply the poultice of this series regularly.  We want to be a church community that laments openly, loudly, honestly, sympathetically, often, and biblically.

Psalm 5:1 is an apt description of many of the psalms/songs/prayers in the Bible: "Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament." The original 'liner notes' written at the beginning of Psalm 102 describe that Psalm as v.1 "A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord."

This is exactly how we will serve one another and our friends who live in the blues and are looking for hope this series.  Gather as people who have grown weak and are yet bold to ask God to 'consider our lament.'  Because we know God as loving heavenly Father, and Jesus told us to talk to him, through Jesus as the Great Physician.  Here's a news writeup of the series, in case you're interested, with descirptions and links for our various guest artists.  Its my favorite time of year! 

Lake Forest Church Brings Blues Worship Fusion to Sunday Morning Setting

Hope in a House of Blues Series features national artists from a variety of
Blues genres

Huntersville, NC: A Lake Forest Church tradition returns with a new spin
in 2013. The Hope in a House of Blues series is four weeks of finding hope
amidst the reality that the blues are inescapable in our lives. Each
Sunday includes special guest speakers and/or musicians who will share their
words and music (gospel, bluegrass, rock, Americana) as a sweet balm for our
weary souls.

“We use this series to point out the fact that art and music are inherently
spiritual activities, allowing us to express both the human spirit and our
desire for God,” said Lake Forest’s Lead Pastor, Mike Moses. “Although we’ve
done this series four times before, year after year, we never run out of
material. The blues in this world and in our lives are so ever-present. In this
rendition, we’ve explored new opportunities to fuse the music, worship
environment, and Bible teaching. We hope it will be a powerful, transformative
and ultimately healing experience for everyone who walks in our door.”

Hope in a House of Blues begins April 14, 2013 at the church’s Huntersville and
Davidson, NC, campuses and will continue each Sunday through May 5, with
services at 9:30am and 11am. The theme of the 2013 Hope in a House of Blues
series is “Blues in the Key of D” and includes messages that address dread,
despair, doubt and death – all with an inspiring, blues-based musical backdrop
and worship environment.

Schedule of Guest Musicians

The McCrary Sisters will bring their passion and soulfulness to kick
off the first week of the series in Huntersville. Ann, Deborah, Regina and
Alfreda are the daughters of the late Rev. Samuel McCrary, who was one of the
original members of the legendary gospel quartet, The Fairfield Four.

On April 21 in Huntersville, Kerry Kearney, a slide guitar master, will
play and work his instrument to limits that amaze even the most seasoned
musician or cultured music fan.  Kearney’s style, which is referred to as
“Psychedelta,” is his own brand of music containing an upbeat mix of American
Blues and Roots with a twist of a very unique sound all his own.

Concord’s own Jim Avett, father of Seth and Scott of the Avett Brothers,
will bring his honest country tunes and the stories he uses to introduce his
music to the Lake Forest Davidson Campus on April 21. The son of a Methodist minister and a
classically trained pianist, you can find Jim performing at musical festivals
up and down the East Coast. His performances have been described as similar to
“spending the evening on the front porch singing and talking with a good
friend.”

Bluegrass banjo player, Stevie Barr, will perform with The Church
Sisters in Huntersville on April 28 and in Davidson on May 5. Barr’s family
owns and operates Barr’s Fiddle Shop in Galax, VA, a gathering spot for
bluegrass and old-time musicians the world over. Stevie literally grew up in
the shop, taking it all in and becoming a fine player in his own right.

The Church Sisters, twins Sarah and Savannah Church, are now appearing on
numerous TV specials including "The Joey and Rory Show",
"Larry's Country Diner" and "Country's Family Reunion.” In 2012,
they were honored to join Christian superstar, Brandon Heath on his "Blue
Mountain Tour.”

Long-time Hope in a House of Blues guest, critically-acclaimed musician and
vocalist Mike Farris comes for the finale of the series in
Huntersville and will play with worship leader, Kyle Dillard. Recipient of the
Americana Music Association’s “New & Emerging Artist of the Year” award in
2008 and winner of the 2010 Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award for “Best
Traditional Gospel Album of the Year.”

Farris’ voice connects and mesmerizes in such a way that it doesn’t matter if
the songs are his own compositions or ones sung 200 years ago.  As Mike
puts it “this music - it’s so beyond us, we only perpetuate it. We are just
cooks in the kitchen.”  If so Mike Farris is one “cook” with an immediate
voice.

Lake Forest Church is a growing, Evangelical Presbyterian Church with campuses
in Huntersville and Davidson, NC (just north of Charlotte). Since its
beginning, LFC has been known for reaching “people who’ve given up on church,
but not on God”, through a clear and engaging focus on Jesus. Sunday worship
times in Huntersville, located at 8519 Gilead Road, are 9:30 and 11:00am.
Worship times in Davidson, located at Davidson Elementary School at 635 South
Street, are 9:30 and 11:00am. 

Contact and reference information:
For more information on Hope in a House of Blues: Contact Susan Arrington, LFC
Communications Manager, at 704.650.2009 or sarrington@lakeforest.org

Visit the Lake Forest Church website at: http://lakeforest.org

More on the McCrary Sisters, visit: http://musiccityroots.com/artist/the-mccrary-sisters

Visit Kerry Kearney’s website at: http://kerrykearneyofficial.com

Visit Barr’s Fiddle Shop’s website: http://barrsfiddleshop.com

Visit Jim Avett’s website at: http://www.jimavett.com/

Visit Mike Farris’s website at: http://www.mikefarrismusic.com

Visit Kyle Dillard’s website at: http://www.kyledillard.com/

Rock St. Peter's: My Ancient/Future Worship Dream

My favorite worship visit I made while on sabbatical was attending mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Yep, the gran-ma-ma of all Christian churches.  While touring the church, we noticed a few people being let through the velvet ropes to go to the altar, and asked if we could go too.  The docent said 'mass begins in 5 minutes, anyone may attend if you stay for the entire service.'  We put our heads together as a family - "it will be in Latin and Italian (con) but we haven't worshipped with other people in three weeks (pro) and its freaking St. Peters (big fat pro)."  So we went.

It was worshipful for us, even though we understood little of the verbal content.  What kept it worshipful for me was the massive Bernini sculpture over the altar. It represents the Holy Spirit as a small, gentle dove.  Yet from the dove emanates brilliant Light in every direction.  The center of the sculpture allows sunlight through, the natural light morphing into gold shafts outward into the congregation.  As we worshiped, the sun was directly behind the cathedral, thus the light was brilliant, changing, captivating.  Whenever I began to be distracted due to not understanding the service, I simply gazed on the sculpture and meditated on the Holy Spirit.

The moment of power for us was the Apostle's Creed.  Even in Latin we knew this was the time and way to express our common faith in Jesus with these Roman Catholics and others from around the world.  When it was time for communion, we respected their practice of not partaking since we are not Roman Catholic (I am equally offended by this ongoing ecclesiastical lack of charity toward other Christian denominations, as I am by Southern Baptists ongoing practice of requiring new members who haven't been baptized in a baptist church, but have in a Catholic or Presbyterian church for instance, to be re-baptized upon joining).

As I meditated on the Spirit that day, I dreamed of a Post-Protestant/Catholic worship service to be held in that very spot.  Here was my dream:

Start just like it did, with the procession of clergy, incense (biblical tradition representing the presence of God and the prayers of God's people) as a form of God's people gathering for worship.  As Catholic and Protestant clergy process, ambient lighting (I saw blue) slowly rises, thrown on the walls and ceiling - a slowly moving hazy blue that expresses the incense from the censor all around the room, calling our senses to worship the presence of the Lord of Beauty.

All recite the Apostle's Creed as the basis of our common faith (establish the essentials of our faith on which we agree). In however many languages are present.  With a slow backbeat rising as we speak.

The Lake Forest Worship Band steps out, the backbeat was an ambient intro-loop to this song:  we all sing Kyle Dillard's 'Creed' song with hands upraised. Its loud without cacophony, without drowing out the congregation's voices.  We are now immersed in the smells (incense) sight (lighting and HOly Spirit sculpture) and sound (music and voice of worshipers) of the worship of the living God.

A Greek Orthodox priest then chants their most ancient of worship anthemns and prayers, the congregation joins in.  Prayer is back and forth from priest to people (lyrics from bulletin for songs and creed and scripture).

The music quiets to a dubstep backbeat.  Individuals from the congregation step to a mic and pray for our world, for the church, for the spread of the gospel, and praise God. While the rest of the congregation kneels in unity. 

A catholic hymn is sung, then another modern worship song.

Me and the priest preach it old school like peter and paul, back and forth like RunDMC and Aerosmith in the 'Walk This Way' video.  On whatever biblical passage we've chosen for the day.  I manage to sing a line from an '80's song, rap a line, and shed a tear just so we can say those things happened in worship in St Peter's.

We then celebrate communion (the way I did at a Catholic Protestant wedding - i served the LFC groom, the priest served the St Mark's bride) and finish with a huge celebratory modern worship song.

Then I woke up and it was time to finish our tour. 

 

Younger Leaders in Action: Charlotte ONE, Charlie Hall & Trevor Bayne @ Lake Forest Nov. 14

This fall I've had the joy of sitting under the leadership of younger men who've sat under my leadership in the past (for one example, see my recent post on Tutoring). David Hickman is one of those men.  I was honored during the time he lived in the area and called Lake Forest his church home, and energized by all the times we've got together to discuss life and ministry.  I am a big fan of his founding leadership of Charlotte ONE, a citywide worship gathering for 20-30 somethings, and I was inspired recently to watch him cast further vision for that ministry to a large gathering of pastors from around the county.  So it makes me happy that our church gets to partner with David and C-1 by hosting this concert here on the north side of town.  I hope you can join us, since the event is not just for C-1 folks, but people of all ages!

Tickets may be purchased on Sundays in the Lake Forest info center. Or at

www.charlotteone.org

info@charlotteONE.org