Sunday, July 25 - Edinboro site

Scary day for me...
This was the first weekend I led the band with guitar in the big venue at our church...The larger crowd and more professional atmosphere really put the pressure on.

Here's the rundown..
Blessed Be (Key of A)
Better is One Day (Key of E)
You Are God Alone( Key of Ab)

Announcements/Offering

I Stand Amazed/How Marvelous (Key of G)
At the Cross (Key of E)

Message on fear

Father Will You Come (Key of G)

Here's the dirty.
1. A new huge screen right behind/above me...If I didn't already feel like people were staring...
2. Hello technical problems... cracking guitar, buzzing, fading in and out...fiddle, repeat.. ugh!. thankfully this just happened on Sat. night.
3. On Saturday evening I wanted to crawl under the stage I was so disappointed/embarrassed/frustrated.
4. I feel like I'm too much in the music and it hurts my connection with the worshipers.

Here's the diggety!
1. Awesome engagement from the people on the Sun am. services.. especially the 9am. which was so surprisingly refreshing!
2. What an amazing team to work with! Gracious, talented, encouraging...
3. It's supremely satisfying to have another guitar milestone behind me.
4. For so long, I was afraid to try to learn guitar because I thought I would fail.. I 'm grateful that I finally gave God a change to work through my life this way
5. God is faithful!

This is part of the sundaysetlists blog that Fred started one year ago! Check it out here!

Who is Grace - Sunday, July 5th

Why am I blogging my worship orders.... Fred made me do it!
Check out all the other worship order bloggers at Fred's.

After taking one week to breathe and one week to travel to Alaska, it was good to be leading worship again this weekend.
This week I was at at Brian Lusky's church filling in while he was on a European vacation.
Here's the run-down...

Hosanna- Brooke Fraser (Key of E)
Welcome/Announcements
Marvelous Light- Christy Nockels version (Key of G)
How He Loves- Kim Walker Version (Key of G)
Lead me to the Cross- Brooke Fraser (Key of D)
Sermon
Enough- Part Barlow Girl, part Tomlin version (Key of E)

The dirty,
I came to practice straight from a conference in Pittsburgh so I didn't feel as prepared as usual.
I was asked to cut a song earlier in the week and it was re-added when I arrived so I was most def. not prepared to lead that particular song.

The diggety,
The team was three peeps I worked with last time I led at this venue, and three new peeps for me, all very talented all with a great attitude. Seriously great people!
The rehearsal and both services went off smoothly I think...
Engagement from the congregation seemed relatively high (in the second service anyhow)

By the way, this was the first time I used "Lead me to the Cross" and it will not be the last! Lovin' it! (Not sure what to think about the 'to your heart' bridge though.....)

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, April 19th

This week I had the chance to fill in for the illustrious Brian Lusky, my guitar teacher, friend, and amazing worship leader of Grace church.

The venue is amazing.
I am used to leading in a old department store, a school cafeteria, and a bar. This is a new multi-whatever dollar building. Amazing!

The musicians were phenomenal.
They rolled with my changes after just a little coaxing and were uber-easy to work with and extremely talented.

The people responded.
This church has a young adult crew in the front left hand side who really breathe life into the service.

Here's the dealio.

Blessed Be (key of A) (Kathryn Scott version)
probably should of went down to (G) based on the sinus infection

We Cry Out (Kim Walker) (key of Gb)
got some blank stares at the 9, but it went over amazingly at the 11

Hosanna (Brooke Fraser) (key of E)
a touch of awkwardness waiting for the band to start in the 9, fixed it for the 11!

Awesome God (Vicky Beeching) (key of E)
we transitioned seamless from one song to another...I do love a smooth transition!!

Amazed (key of D)

The pastors did a bang-up job of answering tough questions about homosexuality, creation, evolution, and literal/figurative interpretation of the Word.

I am constantly reminded lately, of what a huge privilege it is to be a worship leader; can't think of anything better really...I am blessed!

This is part of sundaysetlists! check it!
http://www.fredmckinnon.com/myblog/2009/04/19/sunday-setlists-39/

Easter Confessional

Most churches see a boost in attendance on Christmas and Easter.. our "Church in a Bar" multi-site is actually the opposite. It seems even "bar" people want to worship in a more traditional environment on a holiday. It's hard not to be disappointed in a small crowd, but God is God, and God is good no matter how big or small the crowd.

So this is what went down in our church...you can check out what's going on in churches all over here.http://www.fredmckinnon.com/myblog/2009/03/12/sunday-setlists-38/

Worthy is the Lamb (G with choir) Hillsong
(announcements)
Marvelous Light (G) Charlie Hall
My Savior Lives (B) Jon Egan Glenn Packiam
(Message)
Nothing But the Blood (G) The Swift Version
At the Cross (E) Hillsong
Let the Praises Ring (E) Lincoln Brewster

There were a lot of things working against us.
less volunteers than usual
technical difficulties
drummer dropped out two days before Easter
Sick worship leader (me)

Rocky start.
We moved both mics up for the opening choir number and then I didn't have a mic to welcome..so I yelled a hello and directed people to sing along with the choir...but, alas, no words on the screen. The easy worship operator could not get it figured out... (what drives me crazy here, it that she kept trying thing after thing and did not put it to a blank screen when she did, so everyone watched her every click)

During the announcements bass player fixed the computer and things were much better and better as the service went on. (Corey can fix almost anything...go Corey)

Even though I was sick, I was somehow able to sing well, and the joy born of the fact that Jesus has overcome death caused me unspeakable joy and freedom in worship despite being so sick..

The small crowd was extremely enthusiastic in worship and it's really an incredible privilege to lead worship on the day we celebrate the most important event in history.
I am beyond thankful.

Sunday, April 5th

This week , I sang.. just sang..
It was different to not be the leader ...or play guitar...or pick the set list...or think about transitions..etc....
I did cut two of the songs the leader chose... I suppose I just can't keep totally quiet.. heheh

Here's what went down

Sing to the King (D)
Marvelous Light (G)
Made Me Glad (A)

video
Amazed(E)

Message
Take My Life (A)
Holy, Holy Holy (E)

Paul did a nice job leading! Plus, it was great to have Mike on AG...on my GC7 to be specific. It made me a tad bit nervous, but he is as careful as they come. He's also my original inspiration for wanting a Taylor in the first place.
People connected and I got FB message from a new attender that she was able to worship more freely than she had in years... Awesome encouragement there!!

Check out other services at Fred's site!
http://www.fredmckinnon.com/myblog/2009/04/05/sunday-setlists-37/

Worship Confessional, Tuesday March 17th

Howdy worship world!
This post is part of Fred McKinnon's sunday set lists. You can click here to check out what's going on in worship services across the world. http://www.fredmckinnon.com/myblog/2009/03/22/sunday-setlists-35/

This week I led again the college and young adult ministry we call TNT or the tuesday night thing.
Tonight was a small group night and the format for that is usually a short worship set, a re-cap video, announcements, and then small groups.
If you want to see one of the silly re-cap videos click here. It may make you laugh!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=49601093#/video/video.php?v=523017267537


Here's the short worship set we did.

Mighty to Save (Hillsong)
Better Is One Day (Redman)
Amazed (Jared Anderson)

The team was stripped down to just two of us, both on vocal and guitar.
We had some misunderstanding as to key/capo issues during rehearsal , but we got everything worked out well for the service. The set went very smoothly with no glitches, and the other guitar player, Tim, played some sweet transitions between songs. It was seamless, and peeps seemed to be connecting through the worship.

This was a bit of a landmark service for me because for probably the first time, I wasn't nervous to play guitar and sing at the same time. It actually felt natural, like it was what God made me to do, and not just something I was pushing myself to accomplish. I was able to worship freely and not solely think about where my fingers were heading next.

If you are a vocalist worship leader who's thinking about learning an instrument, stop thinking, and just do it! Pick between keys and guitar and sign up for your first lesson this week. If you're anything like me, you'll be more than glad you did.

Have an amazing week!

Church in a Bar

Even though we've been doing this for well over a year, church in a bar still seems a bit of an oxymoron to me. It's unusual to worship in the midst of neon beer advertisements, the wafting odor of stale sweat and wretch, and the alcohol saturated floors which grab your shoe soles and never let go. However, I firmly believe God is God, no matter where or when we choose to worship.

This week at CIAB was bittersweet for me.

The bitter
A homeless man who we have been working with was, for lack of a better term, self-destructing. This is one of the fellows we had over to mom's for Thanksgiving dinner. On that Thursday, he was on the upswing with a temporary job, a place to crash, a thankful attitude, and a lucid mind.
Last night, this same man was maniacally screaming at everyone, and at no one. His proximity and tone affected actual fear in me. As he finally left, muttering to himself on his way to his car/temporary home, I was bereft. There is sooo much pain and soooo much need and I feel overwhelmed.

The sweet
The first ever wedding at CIAB was a smashing and touching success! The way our peeps reached out to the couple was a-maze-ing!
Ryan was our worship leader last night. I have been leading worship with Ry since he was in high school and it's only on a rare occasion that I am led in worship by him and not with him. I was smacked with awe at how far God has brought him, and how far he has come in worship leading and guitar.

I know that God is good, and I'm still trying to figure out the rest....

Worship Confessional, Tuesday March10th

What up, worship world??
This week I led at the college and young adult service.

Here's what went down.

Be Still
original opener by myself and Tim Hull (you can check it out here) http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=71244992
it's the third song in the player

Sweetly Broken (Jeremy Riddle )

Message

How He Loves (John Mark Mcmillan /Kim Walker version)

For All You've Done (Ruben Morgan )

How Great Is Our God (Tomlin )

We had a great drummer filling in this week, but he is not used to playing with a loop or a click track. We made it through with the loop on our original "Be Still" but we had to cut out the loop in the middle of "How He Loves" because we were a few beats ahead after the first strong chorus. Ouch....
People still connected with the song..(God is good!)
Speaking of connecting... no matter how tired I am of "How Great Is Our God" we continue to get a huge response from the congregation on that one.....amazing!

Random worship question for anyone who wants to weigh in..
Do you think it's more of a potential problem or potential benefit for the worship leader and church pastor to be married??
Thoughts??

Check out what was going in services all around the world this week here http://www.fredmckinnon.com/myblog/2009/03/15/sunday-setlists-34/

Worship Confessional Sunday, March 8.

Hello fellow worshippers.
I heard about this blog from my friend Brian Lusky and thought it seemed like a great way to share ideas/successes/failures. I would love to get more connected to leaders and passionate worshippers across the country and world!
So here we go.

I'm Jen Kerr, a long-time worship leader, and new guitar player at Mclane Church. We are located in Edinboro, Erie, and Union City Pennsylvania and we have about 1200 attenders each week when you add all three sites together.

I helped lead at one of my church's multisites this weekend at what we call "Church in a Bar." No alcohol is served, but the service takes place in a local popular nightclub during non-open hours.

Here's out set list for the week.

Holy is the Lord
Mighty to Save
For the Cross

Testimony
Communion

How Deep the Father's Love for Us
Amazed
You Are God Alone
I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)

This week was very heavy on music due to communion and lack of an actual "message"
But sometimes a testimony is more of a message than anything and this was particularly powerful. Tex talked about his past of sexual abuse, neglect, alcoholism, brutal assault and jail time. He proceeded to take the step he'd been struggling with for the past year, threw away his alcohol from the stage, and prayed to accept Christ right in the middle of the service.

Now the music end.
Overall, people seemed to really connect with the worship, and that's the goal.
You could hear lots of congregational singing and more physical expression that usual, not that I think you can judge the heart by the outside, but you know what I mean.
Also, harmonies were tight, and the violin player was especially fantastic.

Some issues(ok there were a lot)
1. There was some awkwardness that comes with two people who are both used to leading trying to work together for the first few times.
2. People tried to clap on Redman's "For the Cross" but it just wasn't working.
3. The other guitar player forgot to capo "Mighty to Save" He was going to play in G capo 2 and my chart was in A. He played in G, no capo. The other musicians adjusted after a few bars, but I can't transpose on the fly to save my life.
4. I missed the key change at the end of "How Deep the Father's Love"
5. Now it was my turn to forget a capo on "You are God Alone." I quickly started over with capo in place (other guitar player thought I should have just kept going) Not sure in retrospect which is better..

It's amazing to me that God can move so powerfully in the face of so many human errors..
I left in awe of Him but also a bit worried (well a lot worried) that my sub-par guitar playing might have been more of a detriment than an aid to worship.

If you're a random reader..I did this as part of sunday setlists. You can read about services from all over the place here. http://www.fredmckinnon.com/myblog/2009/03/08/sunday-setlists-33/

Thanks for starting this worship community/blog and
if you don't mind..let me know if anyone reads this...