Current Set List as of 6/28/2014

Artist	Song
Bill Withers	Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone
Bill Withers Bob Dylan	Use Me Tangled Up In Blue
Bob Dylan	The Times They Are A'Changin
Bob Dylan	Like A Rolling Stone
Bob Dylan	It Aint Me Babe
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band	Night Moves
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band	Turn The Page
Buffalo Springfield	For What It's Worth (What's that Sound)
Cold Play	Viva La Vida
Counting Crows	Goodnight Elizabeth
Counting Crows	Mr. Jones
Credence Clearwater Revival	Bad Moon A'Risin
Credence Clearwater Revival	Down on the Corner
Credence Clearwater Revival	I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Dave Matthews	Long Black Veil
Dave Matthews	Space Between
Dobie Gray / Uncle Kracker	Drift Away (Gimme the Beat Boys)
Don McClean	American Pie
Elton John	Rocket Man
Eric Clapton	Wonderful Tonight
Etta James	I'd Rather Go Blind
Garth Brooks	Friends in Low Places
Goo Goo Dolls	Iris
James Taylor	Something In The Way She Moves
Janice Joplin	Bobby McGee
Jimmy Buffet	A Pirate Looks At Forty
Jimmy Buffet	Margaritaville
John Denver	Country Roads
John Lennon/Paul McCartney	Help
John Lennon/Paul McCartney	Let It Be
John Mayer	Daughters
John Mellencamp	Jack and Diane
John Mellencamp	Little Pink Houses
Johnny Cash	Folsom Prison Blues
Johnny Cash	Hurt
Johnny Cash	It Aint Me Babe
Johnny Cash	Ring of Fire
Johnny Cash	Long Black Veil
Johnny Horton/Dwight Yoakim	Honkey Tonk Man
Joni Mitchell	I Wish I Had A River
Lady Antebellum	Need You Now
Leonard Cohen	Hallelujah
Louis Armstrong	What A Wonderful World
Lynyrd Skynyrd	Simple Man
Lynyrd Skynyrd	Sweet Home Alabama
Marshal Tucker Band	Can't You See
Neil Young	Heart of Gold
No Doubt	Don't Speak
Old Crow Medicine Show	Wagon Wheel
Otis Redding	Dock of the Bay
Otis Redding	I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Pearl Jam	Better Man
Pearl Jam	Black
Pink Floyd	Wish You Were Here
Pure Prairie League	Amie
R.E.M.	Losing My Religion
Rich Mullins	Surely God Is With Us
Rich Mullins	You Did Not Have A Home
Simon and Garfunkel	Homeward Bound
Simon and Garfunkel	Mrs. Robinson
Sinead O'conner / Prince	Nothing Compares 2 U
The Band	The Weight (Take a Load Off, Fanny)
The Beatles	Come Together
The Black Crowes	Hard To Handle
The Eagles	Desperado
The Eagles	Take It Easy
The Fray	How To Save A Life
The Georgia Satellites	Keep Your Hands To Yourself
The Head and The Heart	Lost In My Mind
The Indigo Girls	Closer To Fine
The Rolling Stones	Beast Of Burden
The Rolling Stones	Mother's Little Helper
The Rolling Stones	Paint It Black
Tom Petty & Heartbreakers	Candy
Tom Petty & Heartbreakers	Learning To Fly
Tom Petty & Heartbreakers	Mary Jane's Last Dance
Tom Petty & Heartbreakers	Running Down A Dream
Train	Drops of Jupiter
U2	All I Want Is You
U2	Desire
U2	One
Van Morrison	Brown Eyed Girl
Van Morrison	Into The Mystic
Van Morrison	Moondance
Waterdeep	Completely Known

Song List for 10/19/2013 - Cal's

Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
All I Want Is You - U2
Can't You See - Marshall Tucker Band
Completely Known - Waterdeep
Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
Free Falling - Tom Petty
I'd Rather Go Blind - Etta James
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
Jack and Diane - John Mellancamp
Little Pink Houses - John Mellancamp
Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffet
Moondance - Van Morrison
Mother's Little Helper - Rolling Stones
Mr. Jones - Counting Crows
Mrs. Robinson - Simon and Garfunkel
Nothing Compares 2 U - Prince/Sinead O'connor
One - U2
Somthing In The Way She Moves - James Taylor
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynryd
What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton

Inspirational: Chad Jones

This is an amazing story. Take 6 minutes, watch this and then if you agree, share it with someone who needs encouragement to keep going in a tough spot.

A description of Baptism

I agree with this description of baptism. What do you think?

Lists and Leaders

I have often been known to hand down lists. The kind of list I'm referring to is a collection of actions to take; maybe even a check-list to accomplish. This works well with my kids. My daughter gets so overwhelmed at the thought of cleaning her room that a list of what steps to take -- and often in which order -- becomes very helpful to her. She has no vision for a clean room, only a mandate by me that she achieve one.

I make lists for myself because I forget things if I don't. I have no milk at the office kitchen currently because I haven't added it to a grocery list yet.

Unfortunately, as useful as lists are in many situations, they can be harmful if I use them in the wrong place. I have the luxury of serving with many leaders on the various teams I oversee. Leaders are people with vision for what is to be accomplished. Leaders want to accomplish what you want to accomplish as badly as you do. (re-read that... I swear it makes sense!) Leaders have to be treated differently than workers… not that they are any more important. They are just two different roles.

If I hand a leader a list of things to do, I’m removing the title of Leader and relabeling them a worker… someone who simply does tasks. Leaders don’t need lists to follow; they need to have the vision clarified and then be released to accomplish it. It’s fine to have expectations regarding the finished product. If you are a director over an area, the results need to meet with your expectations.

And actually, that’s the hardest part. Hashing out the vision for the finished product is hard work, but it’s the most important thing you can do for a leader. Make sure you’re clear on what you’re shooting for and then get out the way. Save your lists for your kids and for shopping trips.

I hope this is helpful,

Corbett

"US" Keys to a good vocal blend

It’s an inside joke among worship vocal teams. But it’s one of those jokes that make you grimace more than it makes you laugh.

How many times have you heard this in a soundcheck before the service? One of the vocalists will ask “Excuse me, Mr. Soundman, but could I get more of me in the monitors?” More often than not, this is a telltale sign that the vocal team has handed over, by default, the whole concept of vocal blend to an often-frazzled, overworked soundperson who just feels lucky if the equipment doesn’t blow up that week.

I don’t believe that the vocal blend is primarily the job of the soundperson—he or she already has way too much to worry about. A pleasant vocal blend is primarily the job of the vocalists, and if a good blend is there from the start, the soundperson can add the polish to make it spectacular.

Begin At The Beginning

What should be the role of the worship vocal team? In my experience, the objective of the vocal team, whether they’re a mass choir or a small ensemble, is to add depth, texture and power to the lead worship vocalist.

In other words, the worship leader’s vocal forms the predominant sound, and the worship vocal team supports the lead vocal. But without a clear objective or strategy, vocal teams typically sound like a bunch of people singing more or less together (usually less).

True Blend

A true vocal blend is developed far away from microphones and soundchecks. It starts by establishing a clear objective and then with a mutual commitment from everyone to listen and contribute to a “unified sound.”

How does a team start to develop a “unified sound”? First, sit down together and honestly analyze the unique attributes that each vocalist brings to the mix. Who is the loudest singer? Who is the softest singer? Are there stylistic differences? Do some of your vocalists sing with a broad, classical vibrato? Do some sing with an alternative edge?

There are two things to keep in mind at this point: 1) subtle differences can create a pleasing dynamic to an overall blend; and 2) not-so-subtle differences can be huge obstacles to a good blend, so everyone must be willing to modify their originality for the sake of the unified sound.

Listen For The “Us”

It’s a simple, yet inescapable truth: if you want to blend with each other, you have to listen to each other. More specifically, you have to stop listening only for your individual sound; and start listening for the group’s unified sound. If you like acronyms, it’s a natural…listen for the “Us.”

Here’s how you start. At a vocal rehearsal, step away from the mics, monitors, and stage; and gather around the piano or guitar, or simply huddle in close and sing a capella. Choose a simple, familiar worship song and start to sing. Have everyone close their eyes if it helps the group focus…and really listen. Ask yourself, “Am I singing too loud so I’m sticking out?” Then pull back. Or, “Am I singing too soft?” Then sing louder. Also ask yourself, “How does my vocal style fit with the group as a whole?” If necessary, modify it to fit the group.

If your team is ready to commit to the “Us,” you’ll be amazed how quickly your signature blend will begin to emerge. It’s fun. It’s exhilarating. And that’s just the starting point.

Now Step Up To The Mics

Once your group has developed your blend away from the microphones, getting a good vocal mix through the sound system becomes much easier. Everyone already knows the adjustments they have to make to achieve the “Us,” so the soundman can start with everything level and then tweak as necessary.

There are many other vocal details to cover (ending consonants, timing, dynamics, harmony structure) but knowing how to develop your group’s signature blend is foundational.

It all starts by listening for the “Us.”

--Paul Herman

10 Things Every New Believer Should Know

(via Brian Mavis)

Recently, a twenty-something friend became a Christian, and he asked me, “What are the top ten things for a new Christian to learn within the first year?” (Apparently, he is a David Letterman fan.)

This is a wise question because if you are off by a few degrees at the start and you travel that path for a while, you will be off by miles later. I know that from experience. I have been a Christian for over twenty-five years, and God has had to redirect me on multiple things because of what I mistakenly believed early on about being a Christian. And it is better to learn sooner than later.

So here are the ten things (not necessarily in any particular order) that I thought my new Christian friend should sink down deep into his heart, head, and hands as he travels his first year with Jesus:

1. The one thing that the Bible emphasizes more than us loving God and people is that God loves us. He loves us first and most. God isn’t in heaven plucking a daisy saying, “I love you” when you obey and “I love you not” when you sin. He cannot not love you (Rom. 5:8 and 1 Jn. 4:16).
2. Your motivation for and the purpose of learning, serving, worshipping, giving, reaching, reading, praying, etc. is to grow relationally more in love with God and people (Mt. 22:36-40).
3. You not only are saved by grace, but you grow by it, too. A common trap for new and growing Christians is trying to clean up their lives without God’s help. This is a false equation: The less you sin = the less you need God’s grace. You can’t sin less and love more without the strength of God’s grace.
4. Don’t trample all over the Great Commandment (love God, love people) trying to obey the Great Commission (go and make disciples). New and enthusiastic Christians often do this. Instead, lead people to Jesus by loving people to Jesus (1 Cor. 13:1-3). If they ask you why live the way you do, humbly and simply share with them why you put your hope in Jesus.
5. Love your neighbors—your literal neighbors—the ones you have, not the ones you wish you had.Do this because you are a Christian, not just because you want them to be Christians.
6. Focus on Jesus, His cross, His resurrection, and His kingdom. When you confessed Jesus as the living Lord and Messiah, you never said—and will never say—anything more meaningful. Jesus is God with skin. No other “religious leader” (Moses, Buddha, Muhammad) is His equal. They were mere men; Jesus is God who became a man. He is the center and circumference—the hub and rim of all of life and creation. All of the world’s greatest gifts—love, life, truth, grace, etc.—have a name. Jesus.
7. God cares about your whole life, not just your “spiritual life.” It is a mistake to think that God is only concerned about a section of your life called “your soul” or “your spirit.” God cares about and is to be Lord of all of your life—personal, emotional, social, familial, financial, physical, vocational, sexual, intellectual, and so on.
8. Love other Christians who go to different churches (or no church at all) and who aren’t like you. Unfortunately, many Christians and churches view their “brand” of Christianity as the only true or most true type of Christianity. They may not think they are the only Christians, but they do think they are the best or most right ones. This is a prideful and sinful attitude that grieves Jesus and dismembers His body. Strive for unity in the body of Christ by praying humbly and thankfully for other Christians.
9. Pray with your Bible open. There are many different spiritual exercises (fasting, solitude, serving, etc.), but the two most important ones are communicating and communing with God through prayer and listening to and learning about God through the Scriptures. Prayerfully read about Jesus (in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Prayerfully read about the beginning of the church in a book called Acts. Prayerfully read some letters written by Christians for Christians—some good ones to start with are James, Philippians, and Ephesians.
10. Find a Christian mentor. You will need help and encouragement in this journey with Jesus. Ask an older Christian (of the same gender as you) to mentor you. Look for someone who displays the attitudes and actions that were described above. Be a blessing to them in return.

Christianity is not a list, but a life; it’s not a chart, but a charter. But new Christians will learn new things. Some of those things will be true but not important. Some things will be off by degrees that can lead them astray. Other things will be just plain wrong. Help new Christians learn to follow Jesus by being their best at what matters most to Him.

A Major Worship Obstacle

**This was written by a friend of mine, but it's so good, I really wanted to share it with you!!**

One of the biggest obstacles for many people in worship comes when it’s time to sing a song or a line they don’t fully mean or haven’t fully lived up to.

Lines that declare that we’re ready to sacrifice everything, when giving 10% of our income feels like a harder sacrifice to make than martyrdom. Songs about God’s glory being our greatest passion, when it’s usually our greatest afterthought.

Some choose not to sing these lines or songs at all. They wouldn’t dare sing something they don’t mean or live. Others sing them, but feel like they’re being hypocritical.

Both of these groups miss an essential truth of worship:
Worship isn’t an assessment of my performance but a statement of my intention.

If I had to completely mean and live every word every time I sang it, I would never sing. Nobody would. Even the men who wrote the Psalms.

By still singing, we’re not being hypocritical. We’re training our flesh to submit to our spirit. We’re stating our intentions. We’re saying, “Make this true, Lord. I want my life to catch up to the truth I’m singing.”

I want your glory to be my greatest passion.
I want to be willing to sacrifice everything for you.

It’d only be hypocritical if we had no intention of living up to these declarations.

And consider this: even if you had your act completely together, you’d still be just as unworthy to sing a single syllable. But God has commanded you to worship anyway. And that’s because your performance and feelings aren’t the admission price for true worship... Jesus’ blood is.

So continue to sing. Continue to worship. Let the discrepancy between the words you’re singing and the life you’re living be an engine for repentance. Not a cause for shame or silence.

--Corbett's note: if you liked this, check out stevenfurtick.com for more.

Conan's farewell speech: Kinetic Typography

This is amazing cool!!

Conan O'Brien Kinetic Typography from Jacob Gilbreath on Vimeo.

Buy-in Takes Being Heard

When you are part of a team, sometimes you don't get your way. That's reality. Sometimes even when you've made your best case for what you see as the best or only solution, the majority or the team leader will go a different way. It's crucial that when the decision is made, everyone jump on board.

• "So we're taking the conservative approach instead of the higher risk/reward tack that I wanted."
• "So we're going down a road that I've already been down and I'm certain it won't work."
• "So we're going to make that hire instead of this other person that I've got a great gut feeling about."

Regardless of what the decision is, it's imperative that every team member jump on the bandwagon and become the final decision's biggest cheerleaders.

What does it take for that to happen? If the members of your team are leaders or even people with opinions at all, they will need to feel that they've been heard. Assuming that the team is made up of people who are more about the success of the team or organization than they are about just getting their own way (perhaps that's a large assumption)... If people are about team success, they will be able to go along with the decision a lot better if they believe that their ideas were heard and given proper consideration.

Failing in this will often lead to team members undercutting the decision that was agreed on. Divisiveness... lobbying... passive aggressive non-action... These are common when people haven't bought in.

Leaders, if you want your team to buy in to the decision -- even if they disagree -- you must make them feel heard. You may have to let your meeting go beyond the 90 minutes you had planned. You may need to table a decision until everyone is heard. You may have to listen when you're already sure of what to do. But failure to do so guarantees that people walk away feeling unheard, unvalidated and hedging on the decision made.

Give your team a chance to be heard and they will buy in!

Doritos Superbowl Ad

Is this blasphemy?



What do you think and why?

You want style points, go watch figure skating...

Many of you know I'm a huge LSU Tigers fan. I just read a great piece at an LSU blog -- And The Valley Shook. If LSU/College Football interests you, check it out:

Delusional Optimism Is Not Disappointed

Fox Sports currently ranks LSU as the "fifth most disappointing team" in the country. Here's what they say:

The Tigers are 2-0, but it took the NCAA's microscope to neutralize their first opponent (North Carolina) and the best possible draw from the SEC East (Vanderbilt) to get them there. As luck would have it, their next two games are against Mississippi State and West Virginia, two teams that have floundered so far this season. Is Les Miles really this lucky? No. Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn should get three L's for the Mad Hatter and put him officially on the hot seat.

As the founder of the Delusional Optimism campaign here at ATVS, I'm officially sick of this crap. It's not that Fox Sports, an entity that has consistently proven through their horrid bowl game coverage that they know less than nothing about college football, is ripping on LSU. It's that this is a consensus view.

The dominant storyline on LSU is always the most negative one the media can find. Is it because ESPN FoxAlabama bloggers the Illuminati the Eastern Media Conspiracy everybody hates LSU? Of course not. It's because the media is lazy. Once they find a storyline, or a meme, the media simply makes every fact fit that storyline. And the media meme is that LSU isn't that good.

T Kyle King, a pretty bright guy and a great Georgia blogger who I'm positive has no anti-LSU agenda, left LSU off of his Blog Poll ballot. Why? Because LSU still has to prove something to be ranked. Remember, LSU is a team that finished 3^rd in the SEC last year, won 9 games, finished in the top 20 in every poll, and played in a January 1^st bowl. This year, all LSU has done is been one of two teams to beat two BCS teams in its first two games (and the only one to do win both of those games on the road). Now, what exactly does LSU have to prove just to make the ballot?

And this is not to say Kyle is wrong. He could very well be right. Besides, he's absolutely entitled to rank whoever the hell he wants, so please don't read this an attack on his ballot - that is 100% not the point. The point here is that a fairly neutral fan has an extremely negative impression of LSU, and I don't think his opinion is an outlier. It fits the narrative.

And it's a narrative LSU fans largely control. LSU beat Vanderbilt by TWENTY FOUR points. LSU fans have largely treated the game as a nail biter, and the nation at large has followed our lead. Oh, but it was close in the third quarter? Fine. In the UNC game, LSU was beating the Heels by 20 points in the fourth quarter. A young team lost focus and let UNC back in the game, needing a stop on the last play to seal a victory that, frankly, should have been sealed an hour before. Was this portrayed as a young team letting a team off the mat (which is hardly a flattering narrative anyway)? Of course not. By and large, it's been portrayed as a nail biter as well, and many outlets stated that UNC outplayed LSU. Which, I guess is true if you only watched the fourth quarter.

However, the most negative storyline was adopted not just by the mainstream media and most neutral fans, but by LSU fans. Think about how a 17-14 LSU win over Mississippi State, keyed by several drops by wide open receivers, would play in the media. Think what the message boards would look like. Hell, you don't have to imagine, take a gander at what they looked like last year. Then contrast that with the largely positive reaction to Auburn's win over MSU.

LSU is 11-4 over it's last 15 games. There are eight BCS conference teams who have a better record over the same span. Eight. And one of them is Cincinnati, who just got pantsed by NC State. Fifth most disappointing team in the country?

Only if you're disappointed by wins. You want style points, go watch figure skating.

Lessons Learned Sailing

A few weeks ago, my friend Mark took me sailing. Probably I listened to too much Jimmy Buffet growing up, but I’ve always thought that I would make a good sailor. I’m sure Mark would tell you I have a lot still to learn but I believe there are many life lessons to learn from sailing.

Something I learned on our little adventure is that your destination dictates your methods. For the most part, we weren’t heading anywhere. We went out onto the lake and for the most part we sailed wherever the wind would take us. Our sailing was much less about trying to get anywhere specific and more about keeping the sail in a good position to build as much speed as possible. There wasn’t a lot of wind that particular day, so we often found ourselves waiting for a “puff” of wind to catch the sail and get us moving. Now our destination was very important when it was time to go home. Speed and the perfect heel were less important than successfully arriving at the boat slip from which we departed and our actions reflected that… namely Mark took back the helm. ;-)

Here are a few conclusions I drew from our trip that I believe relate to our every day life.

• You can do a lot of work and cover a lot of ground, but without clear goals and/or destination, you’re probably not accomplishing much. I see this in my own life as I navigate through a very busy ministry season and an increasingly complex home life… if I don’t set clear goals for myself—both at work and at home—I’m mostly ineffective.

• You can’t make the wind blow. God’s Holy Spirit is compared to a wind in the bible and just like that day on Saylorville Lake, we can’t make the wind blow, but we can raise and position the sails. We can build disciplines and routines into our lives (prayer, worship, bible reading, solitude, etc.) that position us for movement when the Holy Spirit “blows.” We can’t make it blow, but we can become ready for when it does.

I hope this is as meaningful for you as it has been for me. Who knows… maybe we’ll pass each other on the lake sometime.

Bugatti Veyron vs. Euro Typhoon Fighter Jet

This is worth watching if you like fast things!

Upception - Trailer

I haven't seen Inception yet, but this clever mash-up makes me want to see it more than the actual trailers do...



Props to Scott Hodge for sending this along.

Doing What You Should

How important is it to be well-rounded? I feel I’ve lived over half of my life with that goal… becoming well-rounded. Today, I believe that was a poor goal because it caused me to spend less time on the things I’m good at and more time on the things I’m not… and will never be. Instead, I want to spend more time developing the skills in which I already excel and less time performing tasks for which I have small aptitude. Perhaps you should consider the same.

Now it seems that if we all just stopped doing those things we either don’t like or are not good at, the whole world would come to a screeching halt and there’d be total chaos and anarchy, and there’s truth to that. But if we commit ourselves to prioritizing those activities through which we contribute the most value – and at the same time allow those around us to do likewise – we’ll eventually find that we are more productive and that more gets done.

There are things that I’m great at that you might struggle with. In the same way, there are activities at which I’m completely inept that you could do with no problem… you might even enjoy it. In the book of 1st Corinthians, the bible compares the local church to a “body” in which there are many different parts – all very important. The best results come when eyes function as eyes, feet function as feet, and so on. If the feet aren’t on the job, our knees and elbows can fill in, but a 10K race may be out of the question. Your organization is no different – when all of the players are in the right positions; when everyone is sitting on the right seat of the bus (to borrow from Jim Collins in "Good to Great") our organizations are primed for success. The secret, then, isn't to become well-rounded, but by allowing everyone to function where they thrive (or in their "sweet spot" as we say at Crossroads) we develop a well-rounded organization.

What does that look like for you?

• What are you doing now that you should begin looking for an opportunity to delegate?
  
• What are the areas at which you excel that you should begin to spend more time developing?
  
• Are you comfortable focusing on what only you can do, or do you need a packed calendar to feel productive?

Peace,
Corbett

p.s. For a much better and in detail presentation on this topic, I recommend “The Next Generation Leader” by Andy Stanley.

A look behind-the-scenes

(this article was originally posted on the Crossroads blog and e-newsletter on July 9th)

This morning I watched a video of a ridiculously cute 2 year old belting out the Lord’s Prayer. Amazing!! You can watch it here. Music means a lot in the life of most churches and Crossroads is no exception. Our Creative Arts team often gets comments and suggestions regarding Sunday music, so I thought I share a little behind-the-scenes look at how the music for Sunday gets chosen.

The Big Idea
First, it’s all about the sermon. The message that’s being preached from the pulpit is the linchpin of everything else we do. Pastor Glen supplies our team with his message topics as well as scripture references and themes in advance, so we start there. What is the “Big Idea” that we’re trying to get across. We look at what other service elements are planned for that day, for example drama sketches, videos, communion, baptisms, etc. Every single element – including the praise songs – needs to point people toward the Big Idea of that day.

Song Selection
There are currently about 70 songs on the Crossroads song rotation list. They can be categorized by Theme, Tempo & Key. We first look at the list, pulling out songs that seem to speak to the theme of the day. Now this is subjective, of course, so we depend on a lot of prayer for this step. We ask God to draw us to the songs that will help people worship Him and be open to His word. Next, we look at the Tempo of songs. You’ve probably noticed that we generally start things out upbeat. That’s on purpose. We want Sunday mornings to be a celebration of all that God is doing and has done. It’s hard to celebrate to a dirge. Depending on what other elements are involved, we often let the tempo slow down a bit as we approach the message. Our hope is that every Sunday, there can be times when people can forget about words on screens, forget about the band, and just feel alone in the room with God. Worship is very personal and everyone approaches it differently, but we strive to create an atmosphere where people can approach God with their defenses lowered and focus their attention and affection on Him. And finally the Key a song is played in factors in as well. Without going to deep into music theory, I can tell you that certain keys “lead in” to certain keys better than others. If you have a music background, you may be familiar with the “Circle of 5ths.” This is one tool we use.

What makes the cut
One thing that you may have noticed is we don’t worry about how old a song is. It really doesn’t factor in at all. We try to choose songs that are going to resonate the most with our crowd. Sometimes those songs are relatively new… sometimes they’re over 100 years old. We have at Crossroads adopted a “modern style” of music, because we believe it resonates best with the guests that we hope to draw in. We also will constantly be looking for new songs to use as we worship our unchanging God. But there’s no way we could ever ignore the wealth of incredible songs that have been penned through the ages… there’s too much value there. The challenge then is taking songs that were written for a different culture, and making them meaningful in our culture. Some make the transition relatively unchanged… some receive a higher degree of tweaking.

Well, there’s a lot more that could be written about this process and for some of you, this may have created more questions than it answered, but I would love to say “THANK YOU” to the incredible Creative Arts teams at Crossroads who invest so much into making Sunday mornings meaningful. If you have more questions, I’d love to talk about what we do. Call or email and we’ll get together… Starbucks is my personal favorite!!

In Christ,

Corbett

Ministered or Ministers

Who makes up Crossroads Church… (A) the ministers or (B) those who are ministered to? If you answered (B), I think we’re suffering from some misconceptions.

Now don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that Crossroads is all about Glen or myself or any of the other staff. In fact, it’s the total opposite, but I believe that far too often, we equate ministry with “that stuff the pastors do.” If the church is growing and an area has a need, we hire another staff. Too many teens – hire more staff. Too many hospital visits – hire more staff. A church-wide desire for outreach – hire a staff person.

A church should never hire staff to do ministry!

To do so takes us right back to the Old Testament where the Levites and priests were the only ones with access to God. It’s a very unhealthy dynamic and it’s un-biblical as well.

The bible certainly speaks about vocational clergy, but in Ephesians 4:11-12 it narrowly defines their purpose: “It was he who gave some to be … pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”

The bible describes it as

[Pastors Prepare] --- [God’s People Minister]

As a Pastor, when I DO ministry, instead of training or preparing someone else, I’m stepping outside of my job description and I’m stealing an opportunity for one of God’s people to fulfill their calling. Ministry is for the Body.

So to answer the original question, the answer is (A). Crossroads is all about the ministers… YOU ARE THE MINISTERS!!

Peace,
Corbett

I want to laugh...

Watch this video from the Drive conference hosted by North Point team.

I want to laugh, but this hits WAY too close to home. I'm sure we've (worship leaders) all been guilty of this... probably more than anyone wants to think.

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

5 Minute Leadership Course

Here are some nice quick leadership lessons. I'll apologize in advance for number 2... it's the principle that is important!!

Lesson 1:
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.
The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.
When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor.
Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.'
After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.
The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.

When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'
'It was Bob the next door neighbour,' she replies.
'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?'

Leadership Principle:
If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.


Lesson 2:
A priest offered a Nun a lift.
She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.
The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.
The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'
The priest removed his hand but, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.
The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'
The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.'

Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.
On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'

Leadership Principle:
If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.


Lesson 3:
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.
They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'
'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'
Puff! She's gone.
'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'
Puff! He's gone.
'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.
The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'

Leadership Principle:
Always let your boss have the first say.


Lesson 4
An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'
The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not..'
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Leadership Principle:
To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.


Lesson 5
A turkey was chatting with a bull. 'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.'
'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.'
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.
The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.
Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.
He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Leadership Principle:
BS might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there..


Lesson 6
A little bird was flying south for the winter.. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field.
While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out!
He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Leadership Principle:
(1) Not everyone who dumps on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out is your friend.
(3) And when you're in deep, it's best to keep your mouth shut!


Consider yourselves trained! =)