Yesterday, I co-lead worship at Crossroads. Tony, picked the set and I just switched one song out so it felt a little different not having put the whole thing together. What was cool as that I got to enjoy playing and learning 2 new songs to me that were familiar to the church. Normally, I wouldn’t open with a new song, but that’s how the set was planned, and it actually worked out fine. The song wasn’t new to me, but new to Crossroads. It felt like people we’re worshipping right along by the second chorus. All in all, it was a good morning and with a great sermon on being content, something we all struggle with but seems to more prominent in musician/artist type people. God Bless!

Awesome Is The Lord Most High – Chris Tomlin (G)
Be Free To Reign – Scott Cunningham & Danny Donnely (G)
High Above – Phil Wickham (C )
Speak O Lord – Stuart Townend & Keith Getty (C )
(Sermon)
Holy Is The Lord – Chris Tomlin (G)

Sunday Setlists

Today was one of those great days where music & the word were combined into great worship. The band was solid, nothing really flashy, yet tight, but it was the voice of the congregation that lifted the roof off. We use in-ear monitors, that I often get annoyed with as they start to slip out by the third service, but today it didn’t matter, because people were really singing, and I hope, and believe that it was not just because of the melodies, but because of their hearts wanting to worship Jesus.

Fairly a short set of common tunes, but it went really well. Here’s the set;

He Is Exalted – Twila Paris
Forever – Chris Tomlin
Hallelujah Jesus- Evan Wickham
How Great Is Our God – Chris Tomlin
How Great Thou Art – Hymn (just Chorus ala Passion CD)
Sermon (Phil.4:8-9)
Jesus, Lord of Heaven – Phil Wickham

**Sunday Setlits**

5/20/09 – Crossroads @7pm
5/24/09 – Calvary Chapel Auburn @8:30am & 10:30am
5/31/09 – Crossroads @8am,9:30am,&11:15am

SONGS I SANG ON SUNDAY:

Wow, almost been a month since my last blog, what can I say.

I’m reading Bob Kauflin’s book, “Worship Matters” right now and I highly recommend it. Reading a chapter on Saturday I was moved to take another look at the songs I had planned for the next day. Bob talked about always having at least one tune speak specifically of the Cross and I somehow missed that. I can find myself planning sets around Tempo, Keys, Familiarity, Hymns, New Songs, Style, & Sermon Themes and miss the most important point. Not that all songs have to cover this, or that other stuff isn’t important. I think because often I’m planning longer sets that just based on quantity a Cross specific song gets in there, but that wasn’t the case this Sunday. So even though we’d rehearsed the set Thursday, and had a guest accompanying us, I decided to swap out the last tune I had selected, Chris Tomlin’s “Made To Worship”, with Isaac Watts hymn, “The Wonderful Cross”. I learned a good lesson from it and I believe Christ was honored in our worship.

“Beautiful One” - Tim Hughes
“Holy Is The Lord” - Chris Tomlin & Louie Giglio
“Praise To The Lord The Almighty” - Hymn
“Forever You Are God” - Joe Tejeda*
(Sermon)
“The Wonderful Cross” - Isaac Watts

*Joe was our “Guest Artist”, who’s a 21-year old who has grown up in our church and just completed an impressive 5-song EP for corporate worship that I’ll be talking more about in the future. Good stuff!

So it’s been a while. I can’t totally explain why. Just busy & lazy I guess. Not much of an excuse.

The last two Sundays I have had an amazing time playing with the Crossroads worship band, and leading a few songs in the set. This last Sunday was a simple set that I put together, just wanting to draw people in quickly. They run 3 services on Sunday morning so it’s a little shorter set than the Wednesday nights I have been doing there. I’ll be leading this upcoming Wednesday night so maybe I can blog about that evening on Thursday. But for now, here is the set we did; I’d have to say the highlight was singing and playing the last tune, “All The Way My Savior Leads Me”, with just Tony and Brian, trading verses, blending wonderful harmonies.

Unchanging (G) - Chris Tomlin
You Are Worthy of My Praise (G) - Andy Park
I Surrender All (D) - Hymn
Wonderful Cross (D) - Hymn
(Sermon)
All The Way My Savior Leads Me (E) - Hymn/Chris Tomlin Arr.

Yesterday I traveled out to Cameron Park to lead worship at Calvary Chapel of the Foothills. Jim was supposed to play lead acoustic and sing with me but unfortunately was sick, so I had to go solo. It was nice group of people that we’re very welcoming and loved to sing out to God. I’ll be doing this set again this Wednesday night at Crossroads. I might switch out a song or two. I’ll be doing it with upright bass, cajon, & hopefully Jim will be well enough to play. I think the songs are pretty simple and easy for people to sing along with, so hopefully this set will connect like it has at the last 2 churches over this last week. So I finally purchased a Hillsong United album, and lead “Mighty To Save” for the first time. I know everyone has been doing it for a while now, I was just a little late to the party, but man, what a great hook for the chorus.

Doxology (G) - Hymn/David Crowder Arr.
Hosanna (G) - Paul Baloche & Brenton Brown
Mighty To Save (G) -Reuben Morgan & Ben Felding
It Is Well (C) - Hymn
Glory In The Highest (C) - Chris Tomlin & Matt Redman
(Sermon)
Pour Out Your Spirit Lord (D) - Evan Wickham
Holy Is The Lord (A) - Chris Tomlin

(*Sunday Setlists)

Last Sunday night I was invited to come lead at the Fusion (young, single adults gathering) of Bayside Church Granite Bay (Home of the Lincoln Brewster). They hold this gathering in there High School room so it was very night club-esque with the dim-lights, tables, flashy-lights, and big sound. The people were super cool, very helpful, and I would love to go back again. I pretty much just changed up the set I did last Wednesday a little bit for this new audience. They seemed to know most of the songs and really sang them out, which made for a great night Today I’ll be putting together my set for my next 3 dates. Any requests? Here’s the twist on the last set:

Shade of Your Tree (E) - Damian Horne
(Welcome)
All Creatures of Our God & King (D) - Hymn (from my live album)
Forever (G) - Chris Tomlin
Yes, You Have (G) - Leeland
(Sermon)
Loved by The King (A) – Damian Horne
All The Way My Saviour Leads Me (E) – Hymn/Chris Tomlin
All Who Are Thirsty(E) – Brenton Brown
Cannons (E) - Phil Wickham

Sorry this is like a day late. I was swamped yesterday. So Wednesday
night was my first gig since stepping down at elevation an also the
first time I’d been healthy for the last two weeks. So let’s just say
I was very excited about leading worship. I felt very confident about
the band and the set connecting with the church. So I just prayed that
people would sing and for the Holy Spirit to drop on that room, and it
did. Here are the songs that ushered in the presence of the Living God!

All creatures of our God & King (D) - hymn
Forever(G) - Chris Tomlin
Agnus Dei (G)i - Michael W Smith
All the way my saviour leads me (E) - hymn/Chris Tomlin
All who are thirsty (E) - Brenton Brown
Cannons (E) - Phil Wickham
(sermon)
Consuming Fire (G) - Tim Hughes
Oh Praise Him (G) - David Crowder

*Damian Horne

So yesterday was different. I slept in until 8:30am and went to church with my family. We decided to visit my old church (where my in-laws go), Bayside Auburn (formally Sonrise). I was excited to go because while I’ve seen and played a few gigs with my friend Riley Armstrong, I had not yet to see him lead worship. It was kind of a trip because I also have not been in that church building for over 3 years. I’m excited for them as they will be moving into their own building in the next couple of months! It was great to see some old acquaintances and Pastor Gene’s message was great. We decided to keep our 1-year old with us, as he’s still got this cold thing. He was a bit squirly so I wasn’t able to take Riley’s whole set in completely. But what I did catch was delivered with much enthusiasm and Joy and his band sounded pretty good too. The two songs that I really remember were, “Hosanna” by Paul Baloche and “I Am Free” by….I’m too lazy to look it up right now, but it’s the one the Newsboys do.

So, I’ll be leading worship this Wednesday night at Crossroads Church and then next Wednesday night at Calvary Chapel Auburn. I’ll post my set list and thoughts this Thursday morning. Thanks for stopping by.

Farewell Elevation Church.

Yesterday was my last official Sunday as the Worship Pastor for Elevation Church. I helped plant this church out of my living room over 3 years ago with friends and family, and have been doing ministry with the lead pastor for about 8 years combined. As you might recall, this has been vocationally a part-time job for me, that I have supplemented with free-lance corporate Audio Visual Production work. For about the last 9 months, I have come to the realization, that the worship ministry of the church is in a good place, but I felt limited in time and resources to be able to grow as a worship leader. Having another volunteer pastor on staff who has always done an awesome job of leading the church in worship in my absence, I felt like God was releasing me of my duties here, and pulling me into some type of full-time opportunity. Within weeks, those conversations began to open up with a church in the area. Wanting to be completely honest with my fellow pastors/friends, I let them know immediately that this was a possibility and although saddened by this, they understood and we’re supportive. Although I have not finalized anything with the other church that I have been in long discussion with, it was decided that it was time for me to step down and pass the baton to my friend Steve to oversee the worship ministry of Elevation Church. I want to thank all who I’ve had the privilege of serving alongside of and wish God’s best for them as we move forward in this change.

So, in preparing this set for this special day, I wanted to select some songs that I loved to play and sing. Here is what I went with:

All Creatures of Our God & King – Hymn (D)
All Bow Down – Chris Tomlin (E)
Consuming Fire – Tim Hughes (G)
Where the Streets Have No Name – U2* Done as a special as kids were being dismissed (G)

(Sermon)
Send Revival, Start With Me – Matt Redman (C )
Fill My Cup – Martin Smith & Compassion Art writers (C )
The Everlasting – Damian Horne (A)
Not To Us – Chris Tomlin (A)

*While this is my last scheduled Sunday, I’ll be doing some Wednesday nights & guest leading at other churches that I’ll continue to blog about.

*Sunday Setlist*

After seeing Chris Tomlin Friday night you can guess that I would have at least one of his songs in my set. I was also inspired to lead a few songs from my new Tele (see earlier blog). It was a little trickier putting this one together, as I already had the one Tomlin song in mind, and then requests for 2 additional songs for one message on Sunday and another one coming up this Wednesday. I was able to use all the same songs, I’m just swapping positions for the final 2 songs on Wednesday. Anyways, it wasn’t “quite” the same as being with 5,000 people at the Memorial Auditorium Friday night, but this is how it went. And this is how we worshiped…

Sing, Sing, Sing – Chris Tomlin
Salvation – Charlie Hall *(With the U2 guitar riff for “Stand Up Comedy” used liberally)
Nothing But The Blood – Hymn
(Sermon)
Come Thou Fount – Hymn *(Phil Wickham Arrangement) (Sunday Request)
Grace – Phil Wickham
Kindness – Chris Tomlin
Your Prayer – Damian Horne (Wednesday Request)

Oh what the heck, and this is how it’s going to flow on Wednesday….

Sing, Sing, Sing – Chris Tomlin
Salvation – Charlie Hall *(With the U2 guitar riff for “Stand Up Comedy” used liberally)
Nothing But The Blood – Hymn
Kindness – Chris Tomlin
Your Prayer – Damian Horne (Wednesday Request)
(Sermon)
Come Thou Fount – Hymn *(Phil Wickham Arrangement) (Sunday Request)
Grace – Phil Wickham

*Part Of Sunday Setlists*