On Holy Ground - Handout

Here's the talk outline of the music min workshop in the last Metro Manila Conference '09 in Baguio given by Jason de Guzman:

ON HOLY GROUND:

EXPERIENCING HEAVEN ON EARTH THROUGH WORSHIP

“Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God” – Ex 3:5-6

Objectives:

1) To prepare music ministers for leading worship that is consistent, powerful and effective in bringing people closer to Heaven through music

2) To be able to identify the rightful place of the music ministry in the life of the community

3) To identify elements which are essential to preparing for worship, as well as those which tend to distract rather than facilitate worship

4) To incorporate worship as an integral part of the life of music ministers, not just during practice or when preparing for an event

5) To provide a tool to objectively gauge the state of their music ministries

A) How do you define worship?

• part of gatherings where we sing slow songs (praise and worship)
• reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power ; also : an act of expressing such reverence

B) Essentials of worship leading:

• Heart – we worship out of our relationship with God
• Experiences – we sing truths based on our experiences
• Openness – we are clay in God’s hands, open to His will;
• Humility – we claim no credit, all glory to God
• Attitude of service – we are there to serve, not to show off

C) What makes a music ministry effective?

Music ministry is:

• not a chance to gain popularity or to get noticed
• not a place to show off our talents
• not a performance
• not a school where we go to learn music for music’s sake

• a chance to use your talents for God’s glory
• a testimony to who God is and what He has done
• a responsibility to your brothers and sisters

Define what your goals are. Some goals would be:

• to provide a vehicle for the congregation to declare their love, adoration, prayers, fears through music
• to unite the congregation through song in expressing truths about who God is to us
• to give the congregation a venue where they can enjoy God’s presence, manifesting the truth that God is a happy God!

D) Some things that hinder us from worshipping in Spirit and Truth:

• being distracted by physical concerns
• Logistics (band set-up, projector, sound system)
• Musical arrangement (blending, changes)
• Image (how we look/sound)
• feelings of unworthiness
• being affected by “who” is leading us

E) Guide in song selection:

Songs can be grouped loosely according to the following themes:

• Songs of wonder – songs that bring us to worship God simply for who He is
• Songs of victory – songs that celebrate past and present victories or future victories that we claim in faith
• Songs of anguish – songs that bring our feelings of despair to God, and that express our hope in what He has in store for us
• Songs of gratitude – songs that thank God for all the graces we have received from Him
• Prophetic songs – songs based on God’s promises, prophesying about things that are yet to be fulfilled
• Songs of remembrance – songs that commemorate God’s goodness in our lives
• Songs of trust – songs that express a great confidence in God despite what may be happening around us
• Songs of commitment – songs that express both commitment and recommitment to doing what pleases God and to becoming more like Christ

The sound of Heaven is worship, for all eternity,

and we yearn to bring the sound of Heaven to earth.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven!