[plawren53202]

Just thought I'd share my experience from last night...hopefully I can encourage some of you who are just starting...

A little background: I have been playing guitar for 13 years or so (I'm 33). I have been playing lead guitar in our church's contemporary worship service for approx. 2 years. Now, bear in mind, I am SO thankful for this opportunity. We have an awesome worship team, great sound system and sound guys, and the service is pretty big by church service standards--we usually run 1000-1100 in the contemporary service (with another 1000-1100 in the "blended" service). I thank God every week for letting me have the chance to play every week in this service. Such a blessing.

The only problem is, we are a Baptist church, and although the band cuts loose pretty good with the music most of the time (think Tomlin live show), the congregation is, well, ...... Baptist. I think they've come a long way in worship participation, but no one would drop in and mistake the crowd for charismatics.

Fast forward to last night. Our band had the opportunity to play at a summer youth camp. My first time. Good crowd, not quite as big as our worship services (prob. 400 or so).....but man, they were FIRED UP. Packed in front of the stage (instead of staying in the pews), hopping up and down, singing with all they had, most importantly, having an awesome time worshiping God.

It was just one of those moments. It was like the culmination of all of those hours and hours and years and years of practice, like all that time had been designed for this exact moment. I was even thinking that during the middle of the set, about how all those hours of struggling were so worth it. We finished with "Your Grace Is Enough" (just like the Passion 2005 album version), and just as we ended, I seriously thought, I could die right now and be satisfied.

So, the short of it is, having played a summer youth camp with all that energy and participation, I'm afraid it's LIKE CHRISTIAN CRACK COCAINE and I'm hooked. The camp has already booked us for a whole week next year. I can't wait.

Sorry for the long post. Just thought it might be encouragement to someone who is just picking up the guitar and it feels like the most awkward thing ever in your hands and you're thinking "will I ever learn to play this stupid thing?" I was where you are, and let me tell you, keep with it. It's worth it.

PS--Please don't respond and chastise me for mistaking the value of worship with a loud crowd or whatever. Trust me, I seriously enjoy deep, moving times of worship every week in our church service. But anyone would be lying to say that from the perspective of purely just having fun, playing to a hopping crowd isn't a blast.

[mr_strat]

Hope nobody was dancing. :-)

I play with a worship team about twice a month in a Baptist church. There are generally 250-300 in the morning service. It's a blended service, so of the five or six songs, two have to be from the hymnal.

But regardless of the tempo, we always try to play with feeling and to involve the congregation.

The worst part is that they always clap on 1 & 3. :-)

[thesteve]

Doing worship at youth camps has always been a blast for me as well. I've found that kids in the 11-13 age range (jr. highers) haven't quite had their sense of "self-esteem" developed yet and in turn tend to cut loose a bit more than other age groups do.

[nbfan]

Originally Posted by thesteve

Doing worship at youth camps has always been a blast for me as well. I've found that kids in the 11-13 age range (jr. highers) haven't quite had their sense of "self-esteem" developed yet and in turn tend to cut loose a bit more than other age groups do.

I sorta know what you mean. At that point, you're trying to act cool and not let it all out in that situation.

[B429R]

This is very inspiring for me. On August 29th, my band will be given the opportunity to lead worship for the Jr. High age at church camp. I will also be attending the Sr. Camp. The Jr. Camp averages 100 or so every year, which is a big group for such a rural area. I'm extremely excited about having the chance to use my talents to praise God and lead others in worship. My church has been a traditional for 100 years, and will more than likely be a traditional until the return of Christ. I have been trying to integrate some Praise & Worship music into our services, but with little success. It has been very disappointing to me, and I'm not making very much progress with the integration. Hopefully this camp will rejuvenate my spirits and keep me going strong.

[Chinchilla of Doom]

Worship+youth camp=awesome!

Camps always seem to have the best worships ever. I don't know what it is but I always get way more fired up, and see people get way more fired up at youth camps and such.


I currently play on Friday nights of my small, new youth group(about 20 kids) and can't wait till we grow and start youth camps. Cause then I'll get to play for some and that has been a dream of mine for some time.

[BillSPrestonEsq]

I don't mean this to be a slam on anyone, but as much as I love playing on Sundays, I really don't care how much people move or whether they look silent and are not so much as clapping there hands. Largely, thats because I know that if I was in the congregation, truly worshiping, Id be standing their rather still.

In fact it irks me a bit when certain members complain that first service was "not worshiping." Its not as if that is something we can truly know and judge. Perhaps the exuberance is a false display? Perhaps the sedate people singing along are worshiping their God? Its really not something I want to find myself worked up over. If I was playing solely for their entertainment, I would want them moshing their hearts out. But I am not, so I really don't care.

I play at a Calvary Chapel, so we are somewhere between Southern Baptist and swinging from the chandeliers. and my most disturbing part was when I played a solo and the youth group erupted into applause and whistles. Maybe its me. Maybe I am just cranky.

[katmetal]

I don't mean this to be a slam on anyone, but as much as I love playing on Sundays, I really don't care how much people move or whether they look silent and are not so much as clapping there hands. Largely, thats because I know that if I was in the congregation, truly worshiping, Id be standing their rather still.

In fact it irks me a bit when certain members complain that first service was "not worshiping." Its not as if that is something we can truly know and judge. Perhaps the exuberance is a false display? Perhaps the sedate people singing along are worshiping their God? Its really not something I want to find myself worked up over. If I was playing solely for their entertainment, I would want them moshing their hearts out. But I am not, so I really don't care.

I play at a Calvary Chapel, so we are somewhere between Southern Baptist and swinging from the chandeliers. and my most disturbing part was when I played a solo and the youth group erupted into applause and whistles. Maybe its me. Maybe I am just cranky.

Well, I wouldn't want to accuse anyone of being cranky, lol

Funny thing is, I feel a lot like that too. I believe it has a lot to do with my personality type. I am a metal head, always have been, but I am also kind of shy, slightly reserved... I love to rock out & get "into it", but for *normal* church services I lean towards worshiping in the manner of "be still & know that I am God".

Maybe I am getting old...nah, I've always been like that. The nice thing is that everyone is free to worship in their own unique manner, as we are all made up of different characteristics & have different preferences.

I have played at "rockin'" pentecostal churches which love to get wild with country - gospel style music, & other church members would try to forcefully coerce you into movin' & dancin' with them, which I didn't find appealing at all.

Again, not everyone is natured the same way. I guess it comes down to me being "cranky" as well!

Put me in the same pew with BillSPrestonEsq!

[presbystrat]

Originally Posted by BillSPrestonEsq

I don't mean this to be a slam on anyone, but as much as I love playing on Sundays, I really don't care how much people move or whether they look silent and are not so much as clapping there hands. Largely, thats because I know that if I was in the congregation, truly worshiping, Id be standing their rather still.

I try not to pay attention to what people in the congregation are doing. I worship among "Frozen Chosen" Presbyterians who hardly ever outwardly show emotion in worship. I try to focus on worshipping God myself. A good service for me is when I have truly given myself to God in worship; it has a lot more to do with what is going on in my own heart than what other people are doing. It also seems have very little to do with how well I played or sang; it has more to do with how well I worshiped. That being said, it is still very exciting to worship with a group that is more lively. I try not to get addicted to it though.

[gtrdave]

Originally Posted by BillSPrestonEsq

I don't mean this to be a slam on anyone, but as much as I love playing on Sundays, I really don't care how much people move or whether they look silent and are not so much as clapping there hands. Largely, thats because I know that if I was in the congregation, truly worshiping, Id be standing their rather still.

In fact it irks me a bit when certain members complain that first service was "not worshiping." Its not as if that is something we can truly know and judge. Perhaps the exuberance is a false display? Perhaps the sedate people singing along are worshiping their God? Its really not something I want to find myself worked up over. If I was playing solely for their entertainment, I would want them moshing their hearts out. But I am not, so I really don't care.

I play at a Calvary Chapel, so we are somewhere between Southern Baptist and swinging from the chandeliers. and my most disturbing part was when I played a solo and the youth group erupted into applause and whistles. Maybe its me. Maybe I am just cranky.

I hear what you're saying and in some ways I might agree but I do understand the emotions that can occur for both people on the platform and those in the congregation when a room of hundreds and even thousands of people are all exhibiting high-levels of enthusiasm in Jesus' name.
It can be life changing, for sure, but I think the greater concept that the OP was trying to make (I think) was that an experience like this may be a finite example of what will be happening in the infinite; that our 'worship' gatherings here on Earth are but a very limited picture of what they'll be like in Heaven.

I get excited about that and I don't understand why others would not but I've got to remember that God took this former frozen-chosen Methodist/Baptist/Congregational boy and gave him a reason to shout, dance and sing.
If God can do it for me then He can change any old Baptist.

[†never†alone†]

I completely and fully agree with evereything above said. People worship in different ways, just like Singing songs and Building a house can both be seen as acts of worship, im pretty sure that jumping up and down and being completely still are both accts of worship.

I often lose track of what the congregation is doing because its between me and God when i worship. but when leading into worship honestly there is nothing more amazing than seeing a completely packed out auditorium with every eye closed and you can just feel that everyone there is giving everything they have to God.

[plawren53202]

Please note the "PS" in my original post...I definitely did not intend for this thread to become a debate about worship styles, though I feared that would happen. Just for the record, I personally tend to be much more inward and contemplative in my own personal worship style, to the point that my wife often teases me. I have been in worship services that were incredibly powerful worship experiences in times of complete silence, and I have been in completely non-worshipful services that were much more energetic.


My original post was much less deep than that. Got to play at my first youth summer camp. They were pumped. It was fun. Not a commentary on whether they were worshiping "more" than anyone else in any other congregation I've ever played for.

I believe God gives us talents like music to use for His glory. But I think He also intends that we can have fun with them too. And that was the point of my original post, trying to encourage newbies at this...all those hours and hours of hard work, sitting alone and trying to plow through scales or learn some funky chord can seem anything but fun. But stick with it and it will be worth it.

[presbystrat]

Originally Posted by plawren53202

Please note the "PS" in my original post...I definitely did not intend for this thread to become a debate about worship styles, though I feared that would happen. Just for the record, I personally tend to be much more inward and contemplative in my own personal worship style, to the point that my wife often teases me. I have been in worship services that were incredibly powerful worship experiences in times of complete silence, and I have been in completely non-worshipful services that were much more energetic.


My original post was much less deep than that. Got to play at my first youth summer camp. They were pumped. It was fun. Not a commentary on whether they were worshiping "more" than anyone else in any other congregation I've ever played for.

I believe God gives us talents like music to use for His glory. But I think He also intends that we can have fun with them too. And that was the point of my original post, trying to encourage newbies at this...all those hours and hours of hard work, sitting alone and trying to plow through scales or learn some funky chord can seem anything but fun. But stick with it and it will be worth it.

I totally agree with you. I didn't see you PS the first time around. Sorry if I took anything away from your awesome experience by getting on one of my hobby horses (just put all three of us in the Cranky pew). Those times are truly to be relished because, like GtrDave said, they are a glimpse of heaven. I think it will be a wonderful party when we get there.

[plawren53202]

No, I hear you, I get offended when people suggest that you can't be truly worshiping unless you are physcially expressive of it, because I rarely tend to be physically expressive myself (it would be very rare that I would even raise my hands in worship).

However, I enjoy being in a crowd of expressive worshipers, and more germaine to this discussion, I found out I enjoy (from a purely "fun" perspective) playing in front of that kind of crowd. My wife always teases me that I would hate playing in front of a crowd filled with people like me.

[†never†alone†]

hahaha sorry bro! worship is great! i love it and i wouldnt trade the experiences ive had for anything!