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I started this post Friday morning and was “so done” with blogging.  Ever felt that way?  I’ve blogged, videod, and twittered myself into oblivion this week at the National Worship Leader Conference … oh wait, that was one of my jobs.  HOW COOL is that?

So now Joy and I are enjoying a couple of extra days here in Kansas City.  Back home, the changing of the guard has happened with Joy’s parents tagging my Mom for the “most giving, gracious, selfless job ever” of making sure our four beautiful kids back home don’t get into trouble.  My Dad would be there with my Mom but is back home overseeing some church stuff that was already on the calendar.

This week’s conference was incredible.  My favorite part of the event was the rare privilege I had in worshiping with my wife.  She’s a passionate worshiper and inspires me.  I love hearing 1500+ worshipers singing in full harmonies and honoring God in music.  I love the diversity of speakers, leaders, and musicians on the stage.  I love seeing all the “tweets” about the conference and reading all the “gold nugget quotes” from the various classes.

I had an incredible time teaching two packed classes on “Worship + Web2.0″.  Here’s the .PDF of the notes if you’re interested.

For those who attended the class – thanks for honoring me with your presence. I hope you learned something.

Yesterday Joy and I experienced IHOP for the first time.  I will dedicate a separate blog for that.

For now, we plan on enjoying the rest of the day – some more time in the worship/prayer room at IHOP and another date night.  Tomorrow we’ll be joining my friend  Ben Abu Saada at Grace Church for worship, then we’re headed back to Georgia.

To all of my new blog readers, friends, and twitter followers – I’d like to welcome you.  Please leave a comment below and let me know you’re here!

Hey Everybody!

Blogging and tweeting LIVE from the National Worship Leader Conference in Kansas.  Don’t forget, you can follow the live feed, blogs, and tweets on TheWorshipCommunity.Com.

Yesterday was a long, but awesome day.  I arrived around 9:00 AM just as worship was getting started.  Jeremy Riddle was the worship leader – and yes, he sung one of his songs that is on my all-time favorites list, “Sweetly Broken”.  It was amazing.

Dr. Leonard Sweet spoke in the morning session and I had the privilege of being his “VJ” (ie. Video Jockey) during his morning and afternoon sessions.  A “VJ” is an emerging term for people who control the video screen during a speech, lecture, etc – showing images, videos, and elements during the talk.

Last night’s “Night of Worship” was amazing.  We started out with Aaron Shust and then Laura Story.  I’ve met Laura several times Read more »

Hey Everybody,

I’m out at the National Worship Leader Conference in KS this week doing some blogging, twittering, and teaching.

If you’d like to follow a live stream of all the discussions, pictures, videos, and elements of the event, checkout the live feed at TheWorshipCommunity.Com.  For all those attending or discussing the event, use Twitter and the #nwlc09 hashtag.

This will be an extra special week for me because I’m enjoying with one of the most passionate worshipers on the planet.  Not only is she a passionate worshiper, she’s … well … HOT!  That would be my wife, Joy.

Yesterday we arrived and joined some blog/worship buddies for some Kansas City BBQ.  Joy held her own at a table Read more »

Hey Everybody,

In just a little over one week, I’ll be out at the National Worship Leader Conference in Leawood, KS (greater Kansas City area).  I have the privilege of teaching the Worship + Web 2.0 class at the conference and hosting the live blog/vide/twitter feed that will be live on TheWorshipCommunity.Com.

If you are attending the event, or if you live in the area (or if you just really want to hang out and don’t mind traveling), you are invited to an after-hours “Worship Meetup” on Tuesday, July 21.

The event is being hosted by TheWorshipCommunity.Com, AllAboutWorship.Com, and PlanningCenterOnline.Com.  Because we’re printing free T-Shirts to the first 50 attendees and we hope to have some food, we need you to RSVP if you’re attending – ASAP.

When: Tuesday, July 21, 9:30PM
(immediately after the Tuesday PM session at the National Worship Leader Conference)
Where:
Grace Church
8500 W. 159th St
Overland Park, KS 66223

RSVP at Evite.Com

To teach or unteach …

That’s what I’m wondering today.  I was speaking a while back with some folks about the desperate need we have to educate and teach our congregations on authentic worship.  For example, the seven words for “praise”, what they look like, and how we express them.  The specifics on physical demonstrations and expressions of worship, such as kneeling, raising hands, bowing, and corporate singing.

Then, I couldn’t help but think … if God created us to do these things, shouldn’t they be natural?  If, as the Chris Tomlin song declares “you and I were made to worship …”, is true – shouldn’t it be something we just “do”?

If so, maybe we need to spend more time “un-teaching” the religious junk we’ve learned in years of church.  But then again, seekers who were never exposed to “religion” and “church” don’t necessarily come in and freely express themselves in praise and worship to God.  Or do they?

So do we teach or unteach?  How would you do it?

I’d love this to be a big conversation – so bring it, OK?

(I’ve also created a thread for this on TheWorshipCommunity.Com, so checkout the conversation there as well)