God is raising up a new generation of worship leaders.
Everywhere I go, I'm meeting hungry young leaders who are wanting more than to sing nice songs in nice pretty churches. I'm meeting men and women who are willing to get on their knees and pray for and outpouring of God in their cities, men and women who are wanting to serve their congregations and see God's glory in their midst, men and women who desperately want more of the Lord in their own lives and the lives of their church families. I'm meeting worship leaders who aren't satisfied with a slick production and a tight band, but are after something more weighty and transcendent.
And I'm meeting them all over the place. I really do believe it: there is a shift happening, here and now.
God is moving and stirring a passion for authentic worship in the hearts of so many young (and old!) worship leaders, and this is a beautiful thing. And yet, as is obvious by now, passion without understanding can be dangerous. Zeal without temperance can prove damaging, and talent without character can be unlimited in the amount of harm it can cause.
Returning to Jesus' model of discipleship is going to be key in properly cultivating and stewarding all that God is doing in the next generation of worship leader, both in terms of talent and character. And if you're reading this, I'm hopeful that you might be a part of it. I'm hopeful that you're hungry to see the Kingdom of God come on earth as it is in heaven. I'm hopeful that you want to lead people into knowing God more fully, love him more deeply, and experience him more powerfully. I'm hopeful that you'll be a worship pastor who will lead people, not just songs. I'm hoping you'll want to build worshipers, not just bless them. I'm hoping You want to be more than a worship leader--or a lead worshipper for that matter; you want to be a worship pastor.
I want that too, and I want to help you.
We want to give you everything we know, everything we have, and empower you as best as we humbly can. We invite you to come into our community for a season. Come into our homes and our lives and let's walk together. Let's dig deep into God's word, let's let Him dig deep into us, let's pray and fast and stretch and grow. Let's intercede and serve the Bride of Christ. Let's become pastors and priests of worship in our generation.
We have two tracks to our discipleship training: Track 1 is a week-long intensive for worship leaders. (Coming Fall 2010, dates TBA) It's more than a retreat, it's different than a conference, and though it's not quite the extent of our dreams for deep discipleship, it will serve as the front door. Track 1 is open to men and women who are interested in growing in their calling as worship leaders and pastors, and it is from these participants in Track 1 that we will prayerfully select 4 students to be a part of our Track 2 in the Spring (2011). Track 2 is the deeper discipleship, life on life coaching and community where we will spend not just a week together, but a season.
In Track 1, we'll spend a week learning, praying, and seeking God on how we might be spurred on in the identities, roles, and giftings that God has given each of us. We'll learn from each other, and from masters in their fields. We'll be challenged and admonished at in intense pace over one week, but knowing full well that we can't accomplish all that God's has for us in a mere week, we'll leave Track 1 looking for those who want to go deeper, press in further, and climb higher!
In Track 2, we'll study everything from the pastoral to the practical, everything from the artistic to the pragmatic. We'll study the Bible--a LOT, and we'll read books, write essays, meet songwriters, learn from pastors, sit under sages, deal with our junk, hone our skills, and all of that probably just in the first couple weeks! We'll lead worship--a LOT, we'll teach, we'll serve, we'll write, we'll create. We'll really do life in community, as a family.
So there it is. 2 options. The first is required for the 2nd, but the 1st may be all that some are able to attend. No matter: We are looking for God's anointed young men and women who are confident that they want to be something different than Christian rock stars, but want to make disciples of Jesus, and shift worship and worship leadership as it stands presently.
If that's your heart, pray and ask God if our discipleship is something He might lead you towards. If so, come be a part of this community and let's have some fun watching iron sharpen iron.
For the glory of Jesus and the establishment of his Kingdom,
Aaron
