Simplicity

When we are truly in this interior simplicity our whole appearance is franker, more natural. This true simplicity...makes us conscious of a certain openness, gentleness, innocence, gaiety, and serenity, which is charming when we see it near to and continually, with pure eyes. O, how amiable this simplicity is! Who will give it to me? I leave all for this. It is the Pearl of the Gospel.
- Francios Fenelon

I Dare Ya

As children, most of us were challenged by the dare. Someone at school, or your older brother may have said, "I dare you to eat that worm." And to the horror of those around, you did. Fear Factor has taken this idea to all new heights. Amazingly, God uses challenges today. It seems he is regularly insisting I step out on the authority of His word to DO SOMETHING regardless how I feel and with what appears to be, not enough information! In fact, God wants us to challenge Him! "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. TEST ME IN THIS, " says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Malachi 3:10. God challenges me to challenge Him! Wow. These challenges are taking me somewhere only God knows. And I'm okay with His plan. How about you? God is good.... all the time.
- Tim Covert

Giving My Best

Mark Condon wrote a song a number of years ago titled "Giving My Best". A line in the chorus of that song reads, "giving my best to You Lord, all that I have I won't withhold". Certainly God didn't withhold his best from me, neither should I withhold my best from Him. Kenneth W. Osbeck writes in the Pocket Guide for the Church Choir Member, "At all times, whether in practice or performance, one must keep in mind this basic principle: if a ministry for the Lord is worthy of our service, it is also worthy of our very best effort and effective use of our God-given talent. To that end may our lives be dedicated and ministries blessed, that He alone might receive the honor and glory. "...whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God". - 1Corinthians 10:31
- Tim Covert

Christmas 2005

For those of you offering Christmas musicals as community outreach this year, I'm sure your preparations have hit overdrive mode. Somehow it's not right that set construction begins the day after Thanksgiving weekend. For some of you, it's already started! My prayers are with you. Obviously, delegation is a must to remain sane in this environment. And I'm thankful delegation brings perks beyond sanity. Thank God for the team players with a passion to accomplish a bigger vision - wardrobe, drama casting, technical, construction people... and the list goes on. Not just people, co-laborers. They're my friends and my prayer partners. We dream and problem solve together. So much good happens during the course of each musical. We're strengthened (even though we're worn out!) telling the story to others. And what about those who hear the story in this powerful format? We pray for changed lives, or effective seed others can water. Oh, I know things can become comparison oriented - this years musical was better than last years, the special effects were better, the acting was superior. That's where we step in as Music Ministers with a gentle reminder that musicals are about reaching the lost, not just impressing the church. Maybe you have never attempted something like this. With the blessing of your Pastor, see if there's interest in your church. You might be surprised who would participate. Use it as another form of outreach, not just entertainment. Work at it and God will bless your efforts. He uses our musical. He'll use yours. And when he does...make sure you take time to tell your co-laborers thank you! It's not a job, its a ministry of helps. We're in this thing together! God bless. And don't forget. Make sure you have a very Merry Christmas!
-Tim Covert

Surprise!

Today marks my 25th wedding anniversary. A simple statement... but a milestone in today's culture. My, how time flys! Recently one evening, we left our house under the impression we were having dinner at an undisclosed restaurant with my wife's parents. They drove, so when we finally reached the destination (a clubhouse) it became obvious a surprise party was about to take place. Stick with me as I recall these special details. My wife was escorted in by a close family friend as I followed. Stepping into the decorated room Nate King Cole's Unforgettable was playing in the background as we noticed the faces of loved ones at each table . Before we could survey the entire room our children and son-in-law (who live out of state) greeted us. Shocked to see our kids, a bouquet of flowers was placed in my wife's hand as we were made aware of an aisle runner. Our eyes followed the white runner as we were even more surprised to see our Pastor standing at the other end with a smile on his face and black book in hand. In a very meaningful ceremony we renewed our vows, which included communion and a special song sung by our daughters. Following the ceremony we enjoyed an outstanding meal prepared by Teen Challenge. We then cut a large layered wedding cake made by a dear friend and enjoyed dessert. As we mingled and talked of tales from the past I couldn't help thinking how the night was perfect and yet a complete surprise. One day, the word of God says, we're all in for a surprise. When "the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT. What a surprise it will be when we finally make it to that banqueting table in God's presence. Think about this. If my children can surprise me and make such a memorable impression, imagine what God can do. His plans of goodness extend far beyond our feeble comprehension . "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT. I don't believe His fantastic plans are only for the future. So be encouraged. Hang in there. Pursue the exploits God has planted in your heart. Enjoy the special details God has planned for you. And we'll all talk about it soon enough.
-Tim Covert

Worship Team Practice

Organization is key to the success of any area of ministry. Investment of time and attention to detail pays off handsomely in months and years to come. There are other factors, but certainly enabling key players will result in greater success. In the late 1980's our church began transitioning into the realm of contemporary worship. With the addition of drums, keyboards, electric guitars, etc. glaring problems came to light such as sanctuary acoustics, sound equipment limitations and the ever present personal preferences. Sometimes in moving forward we take a step back for a moment. In our choice to move forward, one of the best decisions we ever made was to schedule a weekly worship team practice. Our rehearsal is 6:30-8pm every Thursday night. A separate night of rehearsal allows us to double check our music, making sure it's all there and in the right place, instead of finding out Sunday morning we have the wrong song in the wrong place. Or worse yet, a song is missing and worship has begun. Rehearsal is an opportunity for sound technicians (yes, our sound tech is there) to learn the songs and talk with the worship leader. Worship rehearsal will force the issue of musical format. Will you attempt to find sheet music for the musicians, learn chord charts or use a number system? Rehearsal presses everyone to work as a team and not just individuals. Ministry can be messy! Attitudes and shortcomings become lovingly honed, reminding me (as a music pastor) of Peter's words -"Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly - not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don't lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example". (1 Peter 5:2-3 NLT) Our rehearsal includes prayer. We know about needs within the group, pray for others and pray for our effectiveness as a team. We attempt to keep the evening light and fun. Although sometimes work is not light and fun. We have our moments! For many in the congregation worship seems effortless as the flow moves along smoothly. That's our goal anyway...to get to the place where our worship is a backdrop for the Lord to move in. Confusing wrong notes and disproportionate sounds from the main speakers draw worshippers away from that Godly focus. Rehearsal allows us to deal with these things within the privacy of our musical family. We're not about absolute perfection.... but ministry. The goal is to keep learning and moving foward in excellence. Our investment of time in worship team rehearsal allows us to do that. Invest! It's worth it.
-Tim Covert

Endurance

Let your endurance be a finished product, so that you may be finished and complete, with never a defect. James 1:4 (Moffatt)

Worship and Computers

With a click of drum sticks and a push of a button an average size sanctuary comes alive with music in a way thought impossible thirty years ago. While purests shudder, most in the congregation are completely unaware that a computer is being used and they're listening to programmed loops or midi tracks with live music. They just like what they hear. That's music in the 21st century. For us (First Assembly of God of Greater Lansing), the learning curve began five years ago after attending a worship and midi track offered by The Worship Institute conference in Dallas, Texas. Following this conference we chose to purchase a Roland XP-60 to assist with horn parts and later upgraded to an Apple G4 using the program Reason by Propellerhead. Ah, technology. It's an amazing thing. This isn't for the faint hearted. Although anyone can use the technology with some training and experimentation, it takes a fair amount of practice and a good monitor system to play and accurately hear the recorded track so everyone moves forward on cue. When you're together with the loop or track, life is good. But rush or lag behind the track and the results can be disastrous. Plenty of practice is necessary until everyone is comfortable playing in this very unforgiving rhythmic environment. With practice and time most worship teams become comfortable and eventually like the expanded musical dimension this technology provides. Mixing the track in the mains is another concern. It must be done in appropriate measure. Again, practice makes perfect. All in all, midi tracks assist us in accomplishing our musical goals. Resources are available online for this technology. Roland has a special part of their website dedicated to midi in ministry at www.Rolandus.com. When used tastefully this technology provides powerful options for worship.
-Tim Covert

Worship

To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.
-William Temple

Solitude

Settle yourself in solitude and you will come upon Him in yourself.
-Teresa of Avila

Intended Function

Joe Pace, the well known director of the Colorado Mass Choir commented in a recent interview "When the pastor, worship leader and the other music ministry staff are of one accord, you can confidently expect God to move in wondrous ways to meet the needs of His people." One accord...the needs of the people being met. The association is so true. David writes in Psalm 133, "How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!" (LASB). Let's look at the other side for a moment. What about lack of unity? Diversity is something we should celebrate within our churches. It should play a definate role in forming the vision of the local church. But once that vision has been determined, everyone in leadership must jump on board. If not, diversity in vision leads to di-vision. And that's not good. By virtue of the position - Minister of Music - it's easy to have a finger on the pulse of the church. But care must be taken to act appropriately with that information. Those prone to jumping out in front on a Sunday morning with the "hang on I have something to say" approach to leadership - particularly in subordinate ministry positions - will ultimately be looking for greener pastures. Here's why. Moving beyond the function of worship leader can forfeit unity within the leadership team and often results in the needs of the people being forfeited. And that is simply unacceptable. As hard as it is to believe, decisions made by the Senior Pastor are not made through the lense of music ministry alone, but with everyone in mind. Thank God! To effectively lead means leading, but not beyond the scope of intended function. This is a good place to be. There is fulfillment of personal calling and yet protection and accountability. And peace within the staff. What an incredible function music ministry provides for the benefit of God's people in the overall vision of the local church. It is vital, powerful and God's mandate. And God moves with purpose in the body when unity exists throughout the leadership ladder.
-Tim Covert

Leading Not Controlling

I recently read a portion of Bob Sorge's book "Exploring Worship" that caught my attention. "Exploring Worship" was published by Oasis House in 1987. He writes "The worship leader is a prompter, not a cheerleader at a pep rally. Being a "leader" of worship does not mean being a "conductor" or "controller" of worship. When worship leaders try to manipulate people into a certain response or expression, they are moving into this forbidden area of conducting or controlling worship. A leader does not elicit a response through manipulative means; he or she inspires a response by way of example. He leads by encouraging and inspiring the people to enter into praise, but the people have the prerogative of either responding or observing. We must never attempt to coerce the people, even if the desired goal is a noble one. Good worship leaders do not learn manipulation, but they do learn exhortation. ...In order to be effective, a worship leader must be visible to all the people and yet must simultaneously assume a style that becomes invisible, in order that the people's attention might move from the horizontal plane to the vertical."
As a worship leader, this transition is a wonderful thing to experience and is likewise a wonderful thing to witness. But the true test of any leader is the preception of indifference in those you are attempting to lead. It's helpful to remember, timing is important to everyone. And we're not all wired the same. Depending on what people are dealing with, some will quickly transition pushing the clutter of life aside while others may need a little more time and encouragement. Either way, consistent loving encouragement will ultimately draw our congregations into the biblical pattern where focus ultimately is directed toward God, not anyone or anything else.