I'm Baaack

Pretty much checked out of blogging last week and this past weekend. My dad was in town and helped me build a deck around the pool we got last year and then I had to finish up the details for the weekend that I realized hadn't actually been completed yet. We really need a creative media/graphics person and I need an administrative person to keep me on task and on time. But anyhow....I'm baaack

We spent extra time on Saturday trying to get the sound right in the gym at the Boys and Girls Club and I think we did. In my opinion, it sounded the best it has since we moved there. But I was reminded of the delicate balance it takes. Not on the audio side, but the personalities side. When I lead worship at a church in FL, there was always, ALWAYS a battle between the guys running the sound (them) and the guys making it (me). I'd want to hear things a certain way and they wouldn't accomodate, perhaps thinking they could hear better than I could even though they were 80 feet away from my monitor! So here are some tips on working with sound people and musicians..

Always try to let the musicians determine what they want to hear first. They're there to lead worship and need to feel like they're doing a good job. If they hear garbage, they think everybody is hearing garbage and it's really hard to effectively lead if that's the case. Sound guys should only control the overall volume, not the stage mix...if the lead guitarist wants more of him in the monitor, give it to him

Understand that you can be right and still be wrong. Whether you're at the stage or back of the house, your goal and main objective is to be unnoticed and for the presence of God to be obvious. If you get what you're asking for but the people coming to worship don't get what they're coming for, you may have been right but it turned out all wrong. Worry more about why you're there than just what it sounds like to you.

Don't take criticisms, comments and changes personally. It's not about you (or the other guys) it's about honoring Jesus Christ and moving other people to the place where they can communicate with and hear from God. If somebody asks you to turn something down or up, don't act like they just told you "your way" was wrong. Talk about it, don't fight about it.

Less is more. Personally, I'd rather have someone in the crowd asking for more volume, more songs, more whatever, than complaining because there's too much or too many. Isn't that why "unplugged" services and concerts are just as good if not better? They're more intimate and focused.

Explain, don't complain. This goes for anything, but here particularly, take the time to explain why your thinking what you're thinking. It does more to help then just whining about how things are and doing nothing to change it. You'll have to be vocal, and someone may not like what they hear, but I covered that...it's not personal. So tell them what you're thinking and WHY.

I love getting comments from our Sunday crowds. They help us evaluate how we're doing and what's going on in the lives of our people. They write down prayer requests, comments, praises and questions. I can't imagine going to a church where they don't encourage you to share your life, doubts, problems and even complaints. That's how we grow stronger and closer. Thanks for being a part of the solution and not just the problem Discovery!