Sunday May 17th, Union City site

This week I led at our smallest multisite. This particular site meets in a high school cafeteria under bright fluorescent lighting with "Got Milk?" moustache posters peppering the walls around us. So you know..the ideal venue.

This was another milestone week for me as I led with guitar, but without another guitarist to fill in or cover my errors.(which are legion)

I had myself, a superb violinist who I just started working with, a solidly solid bass player, and a surprise alt. percussionist who was there but not on the schedule.

And the set went down like this..

I Stand Amazed/How Marvelous(Tomlin) Key of G
How He Loves (Kim Walker)I switched to G for the violin and I may like it better in G
Mighty to Save (Morgan/Fielding) Key of D

Announcements/Offering

Hosanna (Brooke Frasier) Key of E
At the Cross (Hillsong) Key of E
I Will Not Forget You (Waterdeep) Key of G

The Diggety
This was an amazing service. The level of engagement was astounding, surprisingly high. It was my best experience at this site to date. I went in prepared, but I was expecting to play terribly. Also, based on my last experience at this site, I was expecting to have little response.
It was the opposite and I was seriously blown away by God's goodness.
I had prepared Nicki, the new violinist, for blank stares and folded arms. Instead she was shocked to find raised hands, loud voices, and engaged hearts.
wow. Wow! WOW!

The Dirty
All the dirty was in the evening service at another site.. but the morning was so amazing that I'm not even going to write about the evening.

This bloggishness is just a small part of sundaysetlists and you should check out some other ones. Interesting stuff!

Sunday May 10th

This week I led at the church's larger venue, the old Ames department store. This is the "mother-ship" of our 3 site church.

We had a beastly awesome team this week, so much talent and so much heart.

Here's the flow

Hosanna -Brooke Frasier (Key of E )
Awesome God- Vicky Beeching (Key of E)
We Cry Out- Kim Walker version (Key of D#m)

MOF (which means moment of fellowship btw)
Baby Dedication

How He Loves- Kim Walker version (Key of F#)
Amazed- Jared Anderson (Key of D)
You Are God Alone- Billy and Cindy Foote (Key of G)

Mother's Day guest speaker

The diggety:
I spent a huge amount of time and energy thinking and praying through the set and the verbals and transitions and verses and everything.
I can honestly say I put my all into this service.
The team was amazing, and getting on well with one another, which is key!
I was prepared enough that I could truly worship, even in the first service.

The dirty:
Communication Problems- (seems a constant issue at our church)
Also, the service went super well, not a single crawl under the stage moment, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was a bit disappointed in the congregational response. It's hard to pour your everything into worship and watch pockets of people just staring with their arms crossed.
I am second guessing myself as to how to help people engage in worship. I want so much for people to connect with God through what we are doing on stage. And they are, truly, but not enough. I think God wants more from us. I think God wants more from me.

Check out some other orders over at Fred's..Seriously, check it!
http://www.fredmckinnon.com/myblog/2009/05/10/sunday-setlists-42/

Missed Opportunities and Matthew West

Matthew West has a new record dropping and you can pick it up today at Amazon for only $1.99. Smokin' hot deal, by the way.

Every time I hear the name Matthew West, I think of missed opportunities. And I hear the name allot, since he has written hits for Rascal Flatts, Natalie Grant, and many other successful secular and Christian artists. Oh yeah, and he is writing hit after hit for himself these days as well.

Why does Matthew West equal missed opportunities in my mind???

Here's why..years ago I met Mr. West at Seminar in the Rockies. He was a staff writer at Word and really truly awesome and non-famous and real. (I'm relatively sure he's still awesome and real, but the famous part has changed quite a bit in the last few years.)

At that conference, one of my worship tunes made it into the final contest round where peeps like Matt listen and critique your music live.
(I spent what felt like forever trying to post that tune here.. but can't figure it out. I'm technologically wimpy....help please)

After the contest, I somehow got Matthew to take a listen to another one of my tunes. This one he liked better that the one that made the finals. He suggested I change the name and take the concept of the bridge and move it somehow to the chorus.
He gave me his business card from Word and said he would rewrite it with me if I wanted.

Why did I not take Matthew West up on a co-writing opportunity?
1. I was too attached to my own work.
2. I didn't have the courage to call "word" without some great ideas of how to make those changes.
3. I'm foolish.
4. I am crazy, and let great opportunities fly away.
5. Life happened and I forgot about the song and the man Matthew West.

I never re-wrote the song but years later we made a full-band recording of the tune.
It's called "Here I Stand" and you can listen to it here.
http://www.myspace.com/thegatheringbandministry or here
http://www.worshipcorner.com/

What a kickin' lesson in missed opportunities.. what are you missing out on due to foolishness, or busy-ness or fear?
Don't let another great opportunity pass you by..

Custom In-ear monitors?

Some of my friends took the plunge and purchased custom molded in-ears.
Should I do it?

The ones I use at church fall out and drive me crazytown!
Plus, it's nasty to share ear foam and ear plastic.
But, it seems a bit pretentious to have my own customs and it is a lot of coin!
I would love to hear your thoughts...

Bullriding and Communion

It's not every week we have a mechanical bull behind us for worship but it does always seem that some crazy obstacle comes up for our church in a bar multisite.

Our 4-piece band worked around it, and people worshiped because God is God, bull or no bull.

It was even crazier on Halloween weekend, with zombies hanging from the ceiling but I neglected to get a photo!

Church in a Bar, May 3, bullfighting edition

The dirty:
Broken Bus
Malfunctioning elevator.
A mechanical bull in the middle of the stage blocking the line of sight from bass to percussion.
A busted D string (yeah, not G) strange huh?

The Diggety:
So there were some issues but seriously, an amazing night of worship

Hosanna- Brooke Fraser E
Awesome God- Beeching E
Amazed -Anderson -D

communion and smoking testimony

I Will Not Forget You-Waterdeep C
At the Cross- Hillsong- E
I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)-Tomlin- G

It was actually kind of fun to have a mechanical bull behind me during worship.
I can't say enough how awesome it is to lead worship at this venue. People who come are so ready to join together, let loose and worship with open hearts and booming voices. It is so much easier to lead here then my church's other two venues. The feel is incredible.

I got to play with an old friend tonight (Mike's not old, I've just known him forever) for the first time since making the transition from vocalist to instrumentalist. It was an honor to play with one of the people who inspired me to learn to play in the first place. He is also partly responsible for my current obsession with Taylor guitars.

I was especially nervous to play tonight, even more than usual, but it was an incredible time of worship. I did make a lot of errors, and I'm not near the guitar player I would like to be, but I don't think my playing detracted from worship at all, which is my worst fear.

Mike saved the day, by bringing along extra strings and fixing my Taylor without even blinking!
Amazing!!
All in all we took the bull by the horns (yeah, I couldn't help it) and it was another great evening at CIAB! God is so good, it hurts.

Check out some other sets over a Fred's.. you know you want to.. http://www.fredmckinnon.com/myblog/2009/05/03/sunday-setlists-41/