I’ve really been impressed in prayer that for our local congregation to try and embody verse 4 of Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

I’d love to get some fresh ideas for songs to open service with. Some I’ve been thinking of using are:

1. Because of Your Love (Brenton Brown / Paul Baloche)
2. Lift Your Praises to the Lord (Re-Writing the chord structure)
3. My Savior Lives – ( New Life Worship )

I also have an original work or two I’ve been slow cooking. One is called “You Unending Love” it is a song about not forgetting that everything good we have in our lives comes from God alone.

What songs do you open service with? Have there been any songs that you have done that were particularly effective to get the congregation singing? Leave the song title, writer(s) and key in the comment section below.

Thanks!

While praying about a situation and then later talking with a fellow team member I had a spark of inspiration.

I Googled up an image, and set my two daughters who were at home loose with a glue stick, scissors, a cereal box and a Mason jar.

Then end result was the White Rabbit Jar below.

The way the White Rabbit Jar works is very simple.

• If you are late to practice, you put a dollar per minute you are late in the jar. Steep I know, but an effective deterrent from a lackluster view on being ‘late’.

This isn’t for those who have an excusable absence. It’s to combat the mentality of I”’m going to be late and you’re going to have to deal with it”. The White Rabbit is the method in which I am dealing with the tardiness.

• If you are early or on time, enter your name in the jar.

At the end of the month we will draw a name from the jar and that person will be able to do whatsoever they please with the kiddy.

I’m hoping by the end of the month that the jackpot will be VERY low.

Fellow team leaders, do you have issues with members being late? What methods have you employed that have been effective?

While trying to see what others have received on the subject, I stumbled upon an excellent article regarding “The Power of Pairs”.  Below are some borrowed, some original thoughts on the subject.

I’ve been transitioning our worship team to try and get into a mindset where we put together our worship set together. This is a stark difference from the days of old where the worship set would be dictated.

A recent email I sent out to the worship planners (formerly called worship leaders)

Disciples were sent out in pairs to do ministry. Planner/Assistant planner works as a check-and-balance concept.

Assistant planner will work with the Lead Planner to put together the worship "music" set. Pray with together, meet once prior to the worship set (ideally mid-week before the set-list is published) to bounce any insight, concerns, "oh-remembers", etc.

In Matthew 18:20, Jesus is saying that "two or three" is best. He is saying that when two or three Christians are working together for him in unity, his Spirit will be with them in all his fullness. They have the total power of God. Therefore, two or three people moving in the power of the Spirit is as good as it gets. If we really want to know the presence of Jesus we must get together in twos or threes. This is why pairs are so important. By not understanding the importance of pairs, we have been missing out on the blessing that Jesus promised.

This removes the one-sided nature of things, I’m not seeing the Lead planner as someone who says "I say this and everyone else follows or else", but more of the Acts 15:28 "Seems good to us and the Holy Ghost". When there is two or three of us involved in decisions, things end up more edifying.

Working together is biblical concept and a requirement to be working with God

For we [Not I; emphasis mine] are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

It seems good to us and the Holy Ghost. Acts 15:28

We are efficient

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. Ecc 4:9.

We are protected

Though one may be overpowered two can defend themselves. Ecc 4:12

We are not without help in a time of need

If one falls down his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up. Ecc 4:10.

We have biblical companionship

If two lie down together they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone (Ecc 4:11).

We are constantly being put ‘back on track’

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Heb 10:24

What are your thoughts on this? I’d be interested in getting your input below.

Blessings!

And that’s when the inspiration struck.

Some of us look at emptiness in a negative light. There are phrases like ‘empty nest syndrome’, ‘the glass is half-empty’, phrases that are used to express that something is lacking.

Jesus looks at emptiness as pure potential. It is the pre-requisite for doing something miraculous.

Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.

People clear off the dinner table before they sit down to a warm family meal. An artist with a clean canvas to yield a masterpiece. People wipe clean their write-on boards and plot a course for a successful execution. The list goes on, but I believe the purpose of emptiness is to clear out what is not necessary, in order to see clearly the full potential for what can come.

I want to clear my mind from the doubts, fears, and perspectives of yesterday and allow it to be filled with faith for the precious promises for today.