Double Trouble

I received an email this week from a guy whose name is also James Harvill. He jokingly said that he always wondered who was beating him to screen names on the web throughout the years. I guess he has found the culprit....me!

Someone came up this weekend and said I reminded them of their estranged father (Wow...thank you?). She said he left when she was an infant but came back into her life when she was twenty-something, only to dart out of it again like a phantom. I guess I have that "you look like someone I know" kind of face. My friend with the estranged father said she didn't hold any animosity toward me even though I was a dead-ringer for her dead-beat dad. That transference of emotion is a heavy weight to bear--for her and for me.

Many years ago I had someone tell me I looked like the songwriter of Barbra Streisand's "Evergreen" fame, Paul Williams. Come on! He's short, and has a severely turned up nose. I know that my profile is not Romanesque, but...give me a break. I have also been mistaken for Kiefer Sutherland from 24 a few times. Of course, they always have to add, "...if you lost a huge amount of weight!" Hey, if it's gonna insult me, keep those comments to yourself!

Most people do say I look like my dad. That's cool with me. He is the greatest looking 84-year old I know. The only difference is that I have managed to keep my hair; he started losing his at a very young age. Thank God that my kids have managed to get the "lovely" genes from their beautiful mother. I always tell her that the machine in heaven that was giving out beauty gave her enough to bless an entire cheer-leading squad! She is beautiful both inside and out.

I am just an average guy with average looks. I constantly have a tug-o-war with my weight,though, which really is tough because I spend so much time in front of people. In reality, I will probably never attain the image I have for myself in my mind, even though I've dropped 35 pounds in the last year, and have managed to keep it off. I'm sure my body image is distorted; I know many people who are plagued with this distorted body image problem.

Even so, I love my life, my wife, family, job and home. If I do have a double out there, I'm sure I've got him beat in the "blessed" category!

Quincy Jones: A Living Legacy

My Amazon.com "jones" is way out of control. It's just too convenient and cheap to turn away from the plethora of deals that are waiting to be had there. So, after seeing a new book review in a guitar magazine last week, I decided to order The Quincy Jones Legacy Series: Q on Producing.

If you look back over the past fifty years of pop music, Quincy Jones has been busy on the scene. He has worked with Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Sinatra, and, of course, Jones' most notable protege, Michael Jackson. When you produce a recording like Thriller, the best selling album of all time, there certainly is a distinctive genius that sets this man apart from the rest of the music world.

As I read of the brain aneurysms Quincy survived years back, it quietly explains his love for life and for the people that surround him,--not only personally but professionally. Although he commands great respect from even the heaviest-hitters in music, he is gentle, approachable and generous to share creative input during recording sessions. How many people can get away with putting up a sign telling pop stars participating in We Are the World back in the 80s to "Check your egos at the door!" before entering the recording studio?

He played trumpet early-on with the greatest names in the jazz world and studied composition in France for five years during the 50s under the tutelage of Nadia Boulanger. He went on to compose music for films like In Cold Blood, The Pawnbroker and In the Heat of the Night.

As I read the generous comments made from his most often called upon musicians who he lovingly calls the "usual suspects," the same overall idea comes through: Q always chooses the right people for the part and lets them use their natural instincts, experience, style and creativity to guide the song. He will jump in and make suggestions about how he wants things, but he gently guides the song to completion--stopping and moving on to the next as early as possible when the perfect "take" emerges. Many producers dictate note for note, lick for lick, what they want. Jones has confidence in himself and his musicians, otherwise, why would he have asked them to the session in the first place? I aspire to be like Quincy in my musical endeavors and in working with people.

I know it's cornball, but as I read the book, I heard Dan Fogelberg's Leader of the Band lyric over and over in my head:

He earned his love through discipline
A thundering, velvet hand
His gentle means of sculpting souls
Took me years to understand

...his blood runs through my instrument
And his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy
To the leader of the band

It seems Quincy Jones' legacy will be passed down for generations as long as love, respect, gentleness, grace and excellence are allowed to penetrate the creative process.

The Gallows

I was encouraged this week after being reminded of Mordecai's story from the book of Esther. Just like many of us modern-day folk, Mordecai had enemies. Like our Old Testament friend, we are surrounded by forces that, for whatever reason, would have us fail. In the spiritual sense, we as Christians have an enemy who goes back to the Garden of Eden, and even farther back to the beginning of time. Satan would have us fail as Christ followers; he would thwart our success because we are God's creation, and therefore, an arch enemy to his evil purposes. As humans, we are surrounded by natural enmities such as health problems, relational difficulties, financial challenges, and the like. Sometimes it seems as if we are being led to the gallows like Mordecai--and many times it's so easy to resign to that fate. But Mordecai's story takes a positive turn. It's one of my favorite redemption stories in the Bible.

In the first several chapters of Esther, King Xerxes promotes an evil man. Haman was a self-seeking traitor who, for his own glory, attempted to clear his supposed "pathway to greatness" of the likes of any Jew, especially Mordecai. Mordecai, an attendant in the king's court, was also the adoptive father of Esther, for whom King Xerxes had a special liking and granted the honor of queen. Even as Mordecai's adoptive daughter rose to her high position in the kingdom, Haman also rose to high standing. But Mordecai refused to bow to him. Haman knew Mordecai's heritage and convinced the king that the Jews would not obey any law other than those decreed of God. So Haman plotted to kill Mordecai and every Jew, for that matter. Even Haman's family and friends got involved in the plot to have Mordecai eradicated. From Esther 5:14, the text reads:

His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows built, seventy-five feet high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the dinner and be happy.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the gallows built. (NIV)

Then, even as everything seemed hopeless and without recourse, King Xerxes had trouble sleeping on the eve of Mordecai's supposed demise. The king ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. There was written an account of Mordecai and how he spoiled a plot to assassinate the king--one that went into the history books but quietly faded over time. The king asked his servants if there was any appreciation shown to Mordecai for his deed; there was none. Later, Haman came in to see the king and ask for the gallows to be prepared for Mordecai. The king hypothetically asked what should be done for a man in whom the king delighted. Haman, probably thinking the man in question was himself, suggested royal clothes, a big horse and a crown. The king therefore ordered this to be bestowed upon Mordecai. Haman was mortified (or Mordecai'd!).

Concurrently, Esther had been planning a big banquet for the king. At the feast, Xerxes would grant any wish Esther proposed. She revealed to the king that she herself was a Jew and that Haman was at the cusp of this genocidal plot against the Jewish people; her wish was to stop this evil plan. Even with much pleading by Haman himself, the king moved on his beloved Esther's behalf. Esther 7:10 describes the aftermath:

So Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he had built for Mordecai. And the king's hot anger cooled. (NIV)

God rescued Mordecai, Esther and the Jews because He loved them. He loves us, too, and has the ability to step-in on our behalf to thwart any evil intent of the enemy. I am encouraged to know that the story doesn't always end how we think it will. God is full of miracles and can turn a situation around for our benefit--but mostly His. Our job is to honor God, do His will, and to love His people. God can handle the other details of our lives if we allow Him.

Has God rescued you out of an impossible situation? Can He do for you what He did for Mordecai and Esther. The answer is a resounding, YES! The gallows meant for our destruction can be those upon which our enemy is hanged and brought to justice.

The righteous man is rescued from trouble, and it comes on the wicked instead. Proverbs 11:8 (NIV)

Mobile, Alabama Memories

Brenda and I were married in Mobile, Alabama right before Christmas in 1985. Our kids, Josh and Betsy, were born over the next few years. I graduated from the University of Mobile (then Mobile College) in 1989.

I was able to connect with the music community there soon after I arrived in the summer of 1985, fresh off the bus to marry Brenda after completing 2-1/2 years as a guitar player with the contemporary Christian group, Truth. The group was founded and operated out of Mobile until they closed up shop a few years ago. For approximately 12 years, Brenda, the kids and I lived a pauper's existence, making sacrifices to enable us to finally earn a living as a song writer. Mobile based Integrity Music was gracious enough to sign me to an exclusive writer contract in 1992, helping us to buy our first home and inch out of the abject poverty that this post-college grad and our young family endured. We also served some wonderful churches while in Mobile. My mother's untimely death in 1997 was the impetus for us to move away to live near my dad in western North Carolina.

I have great memories of our time in Mobile. Since Brenda was raised there, and her folks are there to this day, we are blessed to visit at least once a year. One of the great memories is when I recorded songs at a small studio there. For a short time I was in a a band/duo with a talented keyboardist and singer, Jeff Reinert. We recorded our project at Bay Recording with Bill Flowers. I also recorded many radio and TV commercials there over the years.

Bill sent me this video today: an add for the studio back in the late 80's. I am not proud of my saucer-sized glasses, or worse, the mullet hair style. But it is a warm feeling to see it again after all these years. Thanks, Bill!

Fender Guitars: 1959 Factory Tour

I have written many installments on my hometown of Fullerton, California. I was brought home from St. Joseph's Hospital in Orange to our 5 year-old home on West Southgate Avenue a few days after my July 10th arrival in 1960. Just a few miles from my home, at that very time, the world was being changed one guitar and amp at a time in a factory called Fender Musical Instruments.

The Beatles, Clapton, Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix and a host of others, transformed the music world with the instruments designed and built in this little space. I look at the wood stacked high in the video below and can only imagine the guitars made from that stock, and the money those instruments might bring today in the vintage market. Even though I came into the world a year later, this was my culture. Notice the bay doors opened to let the warm, desert air blow in to cool the employees. I don't remember air conditioning growing up except for the doctor's office, the theater, or the market--we didn't need it. I'm sure the workers could catch a whiff of the Hunt Foods catchup fragrance floating from the factory a few miles away, as tomatoes and spices melded. My folks may have known some of those who worked for Fender at certain times. I grew up kind of taking the whole thing for granted until I became old enough to appreciate my heritage. I am a Fender guy to this day--not because I went to the same school as Leo Fender, but because he made some sick guitars and amps!

This video is from actual restored home-movie footage taken casually at the factory. The factory is no longer located in Fullerton. Leo sold the company in 1965 to CBS, and Fender has changed ownership several times since. The main factory of their American-made guitars is in Corona, California, some 30 miles in-land from Fullerton. The images below take me back to my Mad Men beginnings.

For the First Time

One of my favorite movies is That Thing You Do. The story takes place in the early 60's and involves the genesis and the subsequent full arc of a one-hit-wonder pop band. The downtown shots of the movie were filmed in Orange, California--the city in which I was born. My favorite scene in the movie was captured in that downtown setting where the band members heard their song on the radio for the first time. They all jumped for joy and ran down the street to drummer Skitch Patterson's family appliance shop to rally the fervor. There is NOTHING like hearing your song on the airwaves for the first time.

During my senior year in high school, I was offered the opportunity, along with the band I was in, to come to Golden West College in Huntington Beach, CA, and produce two songs as guinea pigs in a lab project for their recording program. One of the songs needed to be an original and we were to be produced, recorded and mixed by students. A friend, who graduated from my high school the year before, had recommended me and my fellow band-mates to the head of the department as worthy candidates. The program at the junior college was one of, if not the only state college recording program in the entire U.S. at that time. This was the fall of 1977, and I was working on my prospects for what I was going to do when I graduated the following spring. I had written a song for my girlfriend at the time and the band set out to make this one of the two songs we would record. It turned out surprisingly well.

When the year was up, the committee in charge of choosing songs for the annual record release graciously added mine to one of the ten coveted slots. The day the record was released, I hurriedly ripped the plastic wrap from the cardboard sleeve and pulled out the disc to where my 3 1/2 minute song was carved in the grooves. A dream was realized after all those years of staring at album covers and hoping for the day when I would be in the band photo and my name would be in the liner-notes. When I decided to take my college freshman year as a student in that recording program, I was hanging out near the cafeteria when my song floated out of the school's radio station speakers. I didn't have my friends around to celebrate the moment, but it was quietly triumphant, none the less.

Fast forward fourteen years, after traveling around the world playing music, and settling in Mobile, Alabama with my bride and children, I had the great fortune of writing Ancient of Days with my pal, Gary Sadler. Again, our song made the cut for a new recording and I was looking forward to the thrill of hearing it being recorded live in Virginia Beach by Ron Kenoly. My kids were small and we all huddled in a single hotel room, along with my parents--who joined us for the momentous occasion. I will never forget looking across the row at the moment the song was being preformed to my parents, who graciously endured band rehearsals in their garage, and years of guitar lessons, beaming with pride--almost as if to say, "That crazy kid really did see his dreams come true!" Brenda said that she once heard Ancient of Days on the radio while waiting in the pick-up line at the kid's school. Yelling out of the window to the other moms in line with, "Hey, that's my husband's song on the radio!" is not something Brenda would do.

In the 20 some-odd years since, I have seen my songs recorded by numerous artists and have performed a few of them myself as the artist. My song, It's Only You, Jesus, is currently on fairly regular rotation at a radio station in the Nashville area. People come up to me to say they heard me singing on the radio. Even though its been 33 years since my first song wafted over the school radio station speakers, it never gets old. The thrill of a dream realized is the coolest feeling. I never want to take those moments for granted.

Creating Great Moments In Worship, Part 5: 10 Rehearsal Tips

Preparation for weekly worship is the key to success. We spent a considerable amount of time in the last installment on the pre-rehearsal phase of creating great moments in worship. Now, we will dive into the actual rehearsal.

I like to put a time limit on rehearsal at 90 minutes. In special situations when rehearsing for a special event, it may need to go longer. If we as leaders have our act together, we can accomplish much in that amount of time. Many churches don't introduce new songs each week in the worship set--that helps tremendously! If there is a new song, it is usually during the offertory with "special music." Since we are attempting to have our worship plan prepared two weeks away from performance, our teams should be expected to to go over the material on their own and make notes on their specific part in advance. I find it best to make as many decisions with arrangements, content, stage moves, etc., beforehand. Thinking through these things in advance will help streamline rehearsal. Always make sure that there are plenty of extra charts and words for the band and singers just in case they left theirs at home--or the dog ate it!

Ideally, the band charts will have prearranged transitions between the songs clearly written out. I am a BIG proponent of the notation software, Finale. I find that the "chords over words" style of charting is inadequate. With this format the band is many times left to interpret the rhythm and timing of the song; making assumptions about the way a song should be played causes difficulties and unnecessary delays in rehearsal. I think it's best to have each song's chord structure written above the melody in proper rhythmic notation to eliminate any questions. I will talk about Finale and other helps in a future installment. It's important that the rehearsal leader keep an eye on time and move things along as items can tend to get bogged-down without direction.

When conducting a rehearsal, I use these following guidelines to get started:

1. Start on time! Create a precedent. It's amazing how people soon comply when they straggle into a rehearsal that started without them.
2. Make sure each player and singer can hear themselves properly in the monitors before starting run-throughs.
3. Confirm the written tempo of each song. The drummer is served well if he/she brings a metronome to rehearsal. Sometimes it is helpful to wire the metronome feed into headphone monitor, along with the rest of the mix, so at least the drummer can hear the click when tempos are set (tempos can be deceiving; they may seem fine in rehearsal but feel slow in the "heat" of the performance. It's best to trust what is decided in rehearsal.)
4. Talk about transitions between songs as well as any important dynamic issues in a set. Also, it serves rehearsal best when the singers have a lyric sheet with predetermined directions as to where to sing unison, parts, answers, etc. Discuss who in the band will pick up a song in transition: the piano, keys, acoustic, electric, vocal, etc., or if the band just keeps rolling. Make sure the drummer keeps the tempo on the hi-hat during soft sections so the singers and the band can stay together. Run the set, then talk about any adjustments. Encourage the band to write changes on their charts and singers on the lyric sheet for later reference. It's easy to forget between mid-week rehearsal and the service.
5.The special song for the week is the most vulnerable because, chances are, you have never done it as a group before. Again, preparation is the key. Each team member should be ready to "rough-in" the song at rehearsal...not learn it. Sometimes it's good to take a few minutes out of this weeks set to run through a song slated for future performance.
6. If a choir is involved in the weekly rehearsal, each member must also be privy to preparation materials in advance. It may be important to meet with the choir and singers before the full rehearsal. If everything can be accomplished within the scheduled 90 minutes, that will be sufficient.
7. Record the rehearsal and supply a CD afterward for each member.
8. Talk through stage moves, entrees and exits, where to pray, when to speak, hand-offs, etc.
9. Make sure everyone has the materials and information they need to take home for review. Discuss any special items such as what to wear and the next meeting time.
10. Pray that God will work in our hearts through the week in preparation for what He will do in the service.

I prefer a mid-week rehearsal to allow a few days to make adjustments before the weekend service. I usually do a tech run-through with everyone before the service--a dress rehearsal of sorts--to smooth out any changes made to the set since mid-week. I use this final time to make a practice run with the projected lyrics, too. Make close inspection to find misspellings, poor grammar, punctuation, missing words, etc. This attention to detail will save disruption of flow for you and the congregation in the service. I find it helpful to have a TV monitor with the words pointing back at me so I can sing the correct lyrics (my biggest flaw while leading worship!) and to monitor any needed changes to be made for the service. When the pre-service run is finished, clear the stage of any impediments, and try to not congregate there before the service. It is helpful to have a full 30 minutes of time between concluding the pre-service run and the start of the service.

Be ready for surprises and expect spiritual resistance. The enemy would want nothing more than to disrupt. Things can and will go wrong (that will warrant a whole installment in the future!). Prepare "escape routes" if any thing does goes awry. Always be as ready as possible to catch something before it crashes! Sometimes we can recover the fumble--sometimes we might not. I always find it helpful to have as many questions answered before the service as possible. With prayer, a plan, patience and practice, God will do mighty things! Just watch and see!

Look for Creating Great Moments in Worship, Part 6: When Things Go Wrong, in the coming weeks. Any comments, questions or suggestions may be directed to: jamie@jamieharvill.com. Also, ask how Jamie can help your church attain a more effective worship experience.

Crossroads

Been at a crossroads lately? I don't mean the one in Mississippi where blues singer Robert Johnson supposedly made a pact with the devil to have his dreams fulfilled. I mean a crossroads where dreams are secondary to survival. Many times in life we come to the end of a trail to a fork in the road where we are forced to make a small or even a life-changing decision. No one likes to be re-directed--the way we were going was predictable and comfy.

When I was in my late teens, I worked at Cypress College in southern California as a classroom assistant where mentally challenged adults learned to acquire independent living skills. One day they would make their own hot lunch in the classroom kitchen to eat it on site. The next day they took a sack lunch somewhere on campus. Another day they would take money to the campus cafeteria where they learned to navigate through the maze of students, buy and eat their lunch, then head back to the classroom. Sometimes one of my "special friends" would get off the prescribed course and simply sit down in front of the door they thought was the one to enter. When it was locked, they knew no better than to just stay put. It was my job to find them. The leader of the program told me that they would stay there until they died if we didn't go after them. Some of us would do the same if we were stuck at a crossroads of decision.

In Jeremiah 6:16, the prophet writes not only to the hearer of the day but to those of us in the future.

This is what the LORD says:“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’"

It is not a sign of weakness when we have no idea where to go at some points in life. It always gives us the opportunity to look to God for direction. I believe He allows His children to end up at a crossroads from time to time for just that reason. In the passage the Lord says to ask for the ancient paths--the tried and true path which has served as a sure highway for believers in the past. We must also consider the way taken by those who have walked away from God. Then He says, ask for the good way. Isn't it interesting that, as adults, we still need to heed this advice?--you'd think we would have learned. But we still make fatal choices that send us headlong into the ditch.

The last verse of this passage is the sad part: with all the wisdom they were given, they chose to not walk in it. I am challenged to make a covenant with God and myself to scrutinize my life direction, what I allow my eyes to see, my mind to ponder and my flesh to pursue. God help me to take the good way so not to find myself getting off track to languish, or worse, to die at the threshold of a locked door.

Smoke and Mirrors

One thing that sticks in my craw every time is a liar. A TV show that Brenda watches regularly, and I join her from time to time, is Lie To Me. The stories surround an FBI/CIA-type operation with a lead guy who is an über-educated behavioral scientist. His goal is to catch criminals through the study of deceptive facial and body moves. The episodes have taught me to look closely at a person's reaction to a question or an accusation. It's hard to lie when the truth is hidden in our physical behavior. Sometimes it's easy to spot a liar. But it would be handy to have an encyclopedia of deceptive behaviors close at hand when dealing with professional dupers. Brenda has a natural gift of spotting fibbers, and she doesn't need an encyclopedia.

I have a strong sense of justice, but Brenda's is stronger. We both have zero tolerance for folks who'll steal your grandmother blind while they are helping her across the street. But the difference between me and my wife is that she has the skill of spotting a liar a mile away. I guess it's a defense mechanism from being duped way too many times. I pray that someday I will have half the skill she has acquired.

I came across a photo today that shows the ultimate deception. Since I am a guitar player, and this deception involves a bold-faced lie from the stage, I wanted to share it with you so you might get as big a laugh about it as I did. If you are not a musician, you may not see the deception. In rock and roll, bigger is better. But with huge PA systems available, you don't need a Marshall stack any more to be heard. Check out the smoke and mirrors!

Thanks to Bret Teegarden

Yinz Wanna Sound Like A Picksburgher?

Today is a sad day for the Steeler Nation. The Packers stole the chance for Roethlisberger to bring home another Super Bowl win to the folks back in Pittsburgh. It was a tough game to watch after leaving Pittsburgh Sunday. I led worship in a church there and was completely engaged in the party atmosphere that was even present at the church service. As I boarded my plane for Nashville, I said goodbye to one of my favorite places in the US.

That morning, as I was working with the song lyrics to be projected on the screen for service, the operator pointed out that Pittsburghers would never sing the lyrics to the hymn, Just As I Am, without re-writing them. Pittsburghers are very smart, articulate people--it's just that they have a certain way of saying things. The locals call it Pittsburghese.

The beloved Myron Cope, who passed away in 2008, was the radio voice of the Steelers for 35 years and was the standard bearer for the Pittsburgh accent. His nasal sounding voice and idiosyncratic speech pattern brought a level of excitement rarely exhibited in the broadcast booth. He is known for being a large part of the invention of the Terrible Towel by urging fans in 1975 to take yellow dish towels to the playoff game against the Baltimore Colts and wave them throughout. His broadcasts helped to propel the Pittsburgh accent toward national attention.

So, with the help of Dr. Cope, a translation machine found at Pittsburghese.com, and some encouragement from my friends at Living Bridge Community Church in Gibsonia, PA, I offer my southern-fried rendition of Just As I Am, Pittsburgh style.

Original

Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee
O Lamb of God, I come, I come

Pittsburghese

Jest as ahz am, witout one excuse, n'at
But that yinzes blood was laid aht dere fer me
N'at yinz called me ta come mere abahts yinz are
O, Lamb a Gawd, I'm gowen to go ovaderr to you, go ovaderr to you, n'at

How'd I do?

Family Men

Brenda and I were going over the events of the coming day when she showed me the scripture she was just reading in 1 Chronicles 7:3-4. It confirms the reason why dad's need to become warriors for their loved ones.

The sons of Izrahiah:
Michael, Obadiah, Joel and Ishiah. All five of them were chiefs. According to their family genealogy, they had 36,000 men ready for battle, for they had many wives and children.

These 36,000 men in 1 Chronicles had great reason to go into battle--they had much at stake. They went into the fray to protect their homes, wives and children. I see so many men with families who squander their treasure by distancing themselves from their families--either by neglect, working too many hours, or being unfaithful to their wives--maybe all three.

In a world where the boundaries of liberty are fading and the freedoms we possess as Americans seem to be diminishing, it should be no surprise that family men are standing up against opposing forces to say, "We're not gonna take it any more!" I am not a violent man, but I will not sit there and watch my family get run over by powers which cut contrary to my faith in Christ, my pledge of allegiance to America, or my promise to love, cherish and protect my wife and family.

I pray that in America, we as family men begin to embrace freedom as a cherished blessing. I will do all I can to passionately protect my home and the liberties for which my forefathers died.

WOC: My Community of Faith

Around the middle of January, 2003, I was invited to play guitar in the worship band of a church in Murfreesboro, TN. It was in the middle of their New Years Series, a tradition they had carried on for several years. A week or so before, they had just opened a new and innovative multi-venue worship space in lieu of a traditional sanctuary to support their growing congregation. The decision to go with two venues offered a live, theater-like worship space and a coffee house space with live worship and a video feed of the sermon. This gave the church three different spaces to use during any given week, which included the original sanctuary. I spent that first weekend playing the services in the live venue and, after enjoying the ministry, and being asked to come back again the following week, I never looked back. Brenda and I have worshiped there ever since.

World Outreach Church is nestled in the midst of a college town at the geographical heart of Tennessee. It is a diverse community with a growing industrial and manufacturing base. It's close proximity to Nashville makes Murfreesboro a bedroom community where commuters drive up and down interstate 24 to work and back. World Outreach Church (WOC) is conveniently located just a mile or so off of that thoroughfare. The church officially began on Easter Sunday, 1980, with 29 people. Today, 31 years later, G. Allen Jackson, Jr. , son of founders Dr. & Mrs. Jackson, has led WOC to a point where, just last week during our New Years Series, we saw 10,500 join us on campus for worship. In January, 2010, after outgrowing our other spaces, we moved into a new 125,000 square foot, 2,800 seat sanctuary--built to accommodate a growing congregation and designed to employ even greater technologies. Along with the other three spaces, we purpose to move into the future with numeric growth, and most importantly, spiritual depth.

I joined the staff of WOC in September of 2004 as a worship leader. At that point the attendance hovered around 2,000-2,500. It is amazing to see such phenomenal growth. I feel blessed to be a part of this wonderful spiritual community. People ask me what our staff has done to cause such an increase. Simply stated: God has done it--we just stay out of the way! As our main objective is to help people become more fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, I will list a few things that are, from my point of view, important foundations on which our ministry is built:

1) Excellence. We always ask ourselves while planing for services each week: are we giving this our best effort? Are we creating a service which is not only done with detailed care, but does it have heart, cultural relevance--does it communicate? I have said it before, and I'll say it again--doing things with excellence isn't for the weak or faint of heart, it requires WORK! God has blessed that effort at WOC!

2) Learn From the Past. At WOC, it is imperative to never repeat past mistakes. We move on! We don't huddle over triumphs of the past for very long either, we celebrate them and head toward the future. Many churches make the mistake of arriving at a certain stage with the attitude, "Well, we can rest now, we've made it." WOC is not a destination as much as living, breathing, God-infused body of believers, moving fearlessly into our community and beyond for the cause of Christ. Do we at some point turn people away saying--sorry, we're full...no room at the inn? Instead, we make room for more and continue to look for new ways to communicate the Gospel; we aren't shy of using new mediums of technology to communicate the Message.

3) Safety. We expend great effort in protecting the safety and security of our children. We require background checks on all people who serve in and and around our Next Generation ministries (ages birth through college). We require every parent or guardian to carry an ID tag to insure each child is released into the care of the correct person. Students register and check in and out of youth events using a bar code system so parents can rest assured that their teen is where they are supposed to be.

4) People Flow. WOC makes use of the natural flow of people in our community to maximize our efforts, our financial investment, and to influence the greatest amount of people. We make use of our Christmas Eve services where unbelievers come with family. Then a few weeks later, we host a three-week New Years Series in January to give holiday visitors a chance to assimilate into the church body. We have a large gathering at Easter in our local university's basketball arena where we, again, attract families and individuals that may never darken a door of our sanctuaries on campus. In years past we have invited even secular performers, devout believers who are willing to testify of their faith in Christ. We wrap packages for free at a local mall throughout December. We make a presence in the community every summer by hosting a concert downtown on the square. Halloween is time for Hallelujah Hoedown where we hosted upwards of 10,000 people last year. In short, we get out there throughout the year amongst the people of greater Murfreesboro. We don't wait for them to come to us.

5) Get Smaller As We Grow. A great success at WOC are small groups. We don't have a traditional Sunday School program but make use of our facilities and places off campus for people to meet each week. Even as our church grows, we create even more small groups to serve the needs of individuals and families. The small group is where much of the ministry and care is delivered. We now offer four service times and two functioning venues from which to choose each weekend. When you break that down, a family can choose one of eight times to worship where the particular attendance is never more than 2,800 in the large venue, or 300 in the coffee house. Some day we will have the other sanctuaries fired up an running again as our growing attendance requires. Even as we expand, an intimate church environment is a continued goal at WOC.

As I continue to serve at WOC, I learn new ways to communicate the Gospel. I want to share a video from one of our New Years Series services a couple of weeks ago. I had the honor of arranging and performing Amazing Grace for guitars. This is a great example of WOC meeting people where they are. God's grace IS amazing! Thanks, WOC, for allowing me to extend His grace through my abilities.