It’s already been six years since I graduated high school, which in some ways is hard to believe. Even so, I find that there are some events from my high school years that are hard to remember all the details, because they happened so long ago. There are others that are fondly etched into my memory and will be for years to come. Being in Highest Praise was one of them. It taught me more about music, friendship, and servanthood that I could have ever imagined. It did the same for my older sister and all our friends in it with us. It is doing the same thing for my little sister and her friends right now, as she is leaving on her 3rd Highest Praise tour as I am writing this. It was the highlight of my year each year I was in high school, and I think you will understand why by the end of this post. Although it would probably take me an entire book to recount all my memories, I want to tell you what Highest Praise does, and then I will share about the biggest lessons I learned from my four years on tour (2006 - 2009). What is Highest Praise?Before I go on describing the lessons I learned from Highest Praise, I probably need to explain what Highest Praise is for those that may not know. Highest Praise is an auditioned high school choir and small orchestra started by Ozark Christian College. All of us (we ran about 90 - 100 teens back in my day) would meet on the campus of OCC in mid-June and would have 6 days of intensive rehearsal to learn a full concert of 12 - 13 contemporary Christian songs in choral arrangements, sometimes with skits and/or narration parts. We would rehearse about 8 hrs a day during that week, mostly in the morning and evening. We would have some free time in the afternoon. We would end our day with a chapel service of great worship, a video message, and reflection time in our family groups. We would have a fun theme banquet toward the end of the week. On the 6th day, we had dress rehearsal on campus. The next day, we would take off on tour. We used to have two tours (or groups) take off in opposite directions, but now they only have one. We would load up our charter buses and take off for an 11 day tour of churches all over the United States. Each day, we would travel to the church, be served wonderful meals by the church’s hospitality, do our concert, and then stay the night with host families from the church. The next morning, our host families would feed us breakfast, then we would load up the bus at the church and do it all over again. We occasionally had to spend a day traveling, and we also had fun days each tour at amusement parks and other attractions. After a week and a half on the road, we would return to OCC, where we would have our finale concert to end the tour, usually at the end of June or beginning of July. Since we had two tours back in my day (the Handley Tour and the Mahn Tour), this was the only time all of us performed the concert together. It was a total of 18 days we would spend in Highest Praise each year. Each tour I went on was an incredible experience full of its own special memories and lessons learned. As I have been thinking back to all the time I spent rehearsing and on the road, I was amazed to realize how much the lessons I learned in HP shaped me into the person I am today. Three lessons stand out the most. Being a Servant Is a ChallengeI think being on tour was one of the first times in my life when I remember specifically identifying what servanthood looks like and having the choice to live it out. You see, in order for everything to happen the way it’s supposed to on tour, every member is assigned a job on a crew. We had crews for luggage, equipment, ironing, bus clean-up, and everything else that needed to be done. We were self-sufficient went it came down to getting ready for a concert. We often didn’t even need the help of our adult sponsors! For me, I was always on the sound crew, which meant that I helped set up and tear down all the sound equipment we brought with us. My job usually boiled down to setting up the microphones and taping down their cords. It can be extremely time consuming if you don’t do it right, if you get distracted, or if you are running behind (which was very common). We also had to assist our sound technician with whatever he needed, which can be an extremely stressful job, especially if you are running behind. All this being said, being on sound crew was a demanding job. We were often untangling cords, hauling around heavy mic stand bases, and even crawling on our hands and knees to tape the cords down to the floor so no one would trip. It wasn’t a glamorous job by any means. I was often late to dinner. I think I even completely missed dinner a few times. But as I became more used to the demand that this job required, I was amazed to discover how much I enjoyed it. In fact, I remember there was a few times when I was so caught up in getting the job done that the other sound crew members would have to remind me to go eat. I found that in doing the difficult but necessary job that I was also was able to put myself to the side, which is really what servanthood is about. Being in that state of mind when we performed I believed helped to make my worship more real and sincere. I had several friends that had similar things to say about their service informing the sincerity of their worship. There’s a great quote that I have heard attributed to C.S. Lewis that says, “Being selfless is not thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself less.” I found this to be true through my experiences on Highest Praise, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn what true servanthood looks like. I think the sincerity of our service is shown in this documentary my dad made of Highest Praise behind the scenes. Being on the Road Is an Inspiring ExperienceI don’t even know if I could begin to calculate the exact number of miles I traveled over the course of those tours. I guess that it was probably at least 10,000 miles I traveled over four Highest Praise tours (and that’s not counting my 8-hour trips to and from Joplin each year). It’s crazy to think about all the places I had the opportunity to travel to and all the people I had the chance to meet thanks to Highest Praise. I had the opportunity to travel to Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana (which was by far the most fun tour), Oklahoma, and Arkansas, just to name a few of the states we visited. I probably went to at least 30 different churches and stayed with at least 40 host families. I went to one amusement park (Silver Dollar City), Navy Pier, two national parks (Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and Glacier National Park in Montana) and a music festival (the Alive Festival in Canton, Ohio). That’s just an idea of where we went on the road. But all the tourist nostalgia aside, the thing that left the biggest impression on me was the hospitality that was given to us over those tours, both by the churches and our host families. The churches would make us the most incredible meals, and would be so welcoming to us. And our host families were amazing! We received more blessings than most of us could have ever imagined when we started on tour. To think that so many of them were willing to open their homes to complete strangers, and teenagers none the less! But that’s what the biblical concept of hospitality is all about. The Greek word literally translates to mean “the love of strangers.” I definitely experienced that with my host families. I have some especially fond memories of conversations with my host families, the houses we stayed in, and sometimes even the outings they took us on after our concerts. We even had some of our hosts or the churches give us gifts bags when we left! I still have some of those gifts to this day and I thank God every time I remember those people and their hospitality. Most of my fellow Highest Praisers would say the same thing. Being in Christian Community Is a Blessing Beyond MeasureIt’s hard to find the right words to describe how incredible it was to live life in that kind of community for two and a half weeks each year. I ended up traveling with about 50 - 60 other teens and about 5 adults plus our bus driver(s). Most of normal life experience does allow for that kind of community over that length of time in Christian circles, especially in your teen years. Even things like church camp only last 6 – 7 days tops, but Highest Praise lasted 18 days. The friendships that were formed and the memories made in those friendships have lasted with me to this day. We were all brought together by our love of music and our love for Jesus. I may not have stayed in touch with many of those friends as well as I would have liked, but many of them are still my Facebook friends, and I could easily pick up right where we left off. Some of those friendships were sustained through college because we ended up attending Ozark together. Even some of the adult sponsors ended up being my college professors. One of the things that makes me smile the most is when I discover someone was in Highest Praise before I or after I was in it. Not to say I would mind getting to reminisce with someone that toured with me, but it’s amazing to see what kind of connection I have with someone that wasn’t on tour with me. We automatically have a special connection because of our time in Highest Praise. No matter how long it has been for any of us, we have a mutual understanding of the experiences we had on tour and we often end up telling each other stories on the spot. There is still that sense of community among those of us who have ever had the experience of being a part of Highest Praise. In that sense, it unlike anything I have ever experienced. End of story. ConclusionAs I said earlier, I could literally write an entire book about my experiences in Highest Praise. And maybe I will write more about specific experiences on Highest Praise in other posts. But as I reflect on everything that happened during Highest Praise, it still amazes me how much of an impact Highest Praise had on my young life. My YouTube user name, HPgirl0609, was derived from my experience in Highest Praise and the years I was in it. It has become such a huge part of who I am and how people know me. The beginning of my understanding of the “Carpe Aeternatatum” also came from Highest Praise. My first year, I clearly remember the opening narration of our concert talking about the author John Piper recalling the plaque that hung on the wall of his childhood home. It read “Only one life twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” The narration continued this thought: “You only get one pass at life. That’s all. And the lasting measure of that life is Jesus Christ. What are doing with the life He died to give you?” These quotes have stayed in my heart and my mind all these years later, especially that last question. As I think about this lesson and all the other lessons I learned, my heart still overflows with gratitude for those that made it possible and are still making it possible for other teens to have the same experience. For the school to the adult sponsors to the churches that host them, you will never realize how much good you are doing by furthering this program. To all Highest Praisers of the past, don’t ever take for granted the experiences you had. To present Highest Praisers, remember to always give your best to the Lord in everything you do on tour (especially concerning your attitude) and I guarantee that you will walk off the bus at the end of tour a different person than when you started. And to everyone else in high school with musical talent that is thinking about doing it, you should! I learned a total of 49 different songs over four tours, and I can honestly say thanks to Highest Praise, I now know what it means to praise God “At The Top Of My Lungs.” (which happened to be the title of one of the songs we learned). I hope that some of you will have the opportunity to do the same thing. Please enjoy a few more pictures from my years in Highest Praise!
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September 20, 1997 was a sad day. I had only recently turned 7 years old, but I remember well when my mom told what happened the night before: Christian artist Rich Mullins had died in a bad car accident. My mom was especially sad by this news, partially because she was pregnant with my little sister at the time, but also because my mom had followed Rich through most of his career. She actually got to see Rich perform in the living room of one of her church's elders while he was still a student at Cincinnati Bible College (pretty cool, right?). She was only in high school at the time, but she still lights up when she talks about it. It made be sad to find out he had died, because of how much I loved his songs, even at a young age (mostly Awesome God and Sometimes by Step). Although I was a little young to understand all that happened, I sensed that the world had lost a wonderful man. I don’t think I could have possibly realized how amazing he was until I really got to know the heart behind his music. Fast forwarding to 2006, I was in a Christian school choir as we were deciding what to do for our spring program. Our director decided that we would do a Rich Mullins tribute, and we would write skits that complimented the themes of his songs. We liked the idea, because most of us remembered his music from our childhood, but I don’t think I could have imagined the impact learning his music would have on my life. Aside from all the fun we had making 80’s get-ups and doing our performance barefoot, we learned so much more than we could have imagined. I had almost forgotten about the love I had for Rich’s music until about the time I had heard about the movie Ragamuffin two years ago. I became so excited to see the portrayal of his life that I went back to his music and fell in love with it all over again. My favorite CD to play in my car right now is Songs, and it has been that way for over a year. There is so much depth and wisdom in his lyrics that stands out above all the rest, even almost 18 years after his death. In honor of his legacy, I want to share some of the life lessons I have learned from his music. Loving Our Lord and Savior should be #1When the skies were starless in the void of the night (Our God is an awesome God) He spoke into the darkness and created the light (Our God is an awesome God) The judgement and wrath He poured out on Sodom; the mercy and grace He gave us at the cross I hope that we have not too quickly forgotten that our God is an awesome God Unfortunately, I think that too many of us have forgotten how amazing our God truly is. Many people forgot that this verse is even part of the song Awesome God. It reminds us that not only is God amazing because of His power, but He is also awesome because of his mercy and grace as demonstrated through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. He has the authority and power to judge us and condemn us, like He did in the days of Noah or what He did at Sodom and Gomorrah. But He chose to give us grace through His Son, giving us the ability to receive His salvation. If we take the time to think about how powerful that is, that is when we are compelled to declare that our God is awesome. Rich talked about what he believed to be the most theologically profound statement: Jesus loves me. If we truly believe that Jesus died for us on the cross, then we really should be assured beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus does love us. You don’t die for something or someone you hate. If you know God is awesome and that Jesus died for you, then living your life in light of this truth should be your first priority in life. You should be able to live your life in the assurance that He will always there for you. These are truths declared in many of his songs, like My One Thing and If I Stand. It really challenged me to think about these things from this perspective. I imagine you can see why. Jesus is the AnswerWhen we did the program for my high school choir, I had one of the solos on the song My Deliverer. This is a special song from Rich’s last project, The Jesus Record. About 9 days before he died, he recorded the songs for this project on a cassette tape in an abandon church. These are the only recordings that exist of Rich performing these songs. After he passed away, his Ragamuffin Band (with the help of a few other artists) recorded his album. Rich never had the chance to see the impact this song or any of the other songs on The Jesus Record had. After having to perform this song, I believe this song to be one of his finest. This is his original demo for the song. It’s a reminder that a deliverer was what the world wanted from the beginning, and that Jesus is that Deliverer. This world sometimes seems like it’s falling apart at the seams, but it is important to us to remember that Jesus has already delivered us and will continue to be there for us because He conquered death to deliver us. A similar hope is reflected in one of my other favorite songs of his, While The Nations Rage. Where are the nails that pierced his hands? Well, the nails have turned to rust, but behold the man He is risen, and He reigns In the hearts of the children rising up in His name Where are the thorns that drew His blood Well the thorns have turned to dust, but no so the love It is given, no, it remains In the hearts of the children who will love while the nations rage Even when it seems like nothing is right in the world, we can find our solace and hope in the love demonstrated in the sacrifice of Jesus. He can hold on to this hope while the world wages war all around us. When we don’t know how to carry on or we don’t have the answers, we do know that we have a deliverer that gives us hope while the nations rage. What a powerful truth. There’s A Cost To Genuinely Follow Jesus One of his best quote was: “Never forget what Jesus did for you. Never take lightly what it cost Him. And never assume that if it cost Him His very life, that it won't also cost you yours.” Rich was one to remind Christians constantly that Christianity is not about being comfortable. Being a real disciple of Jesus is a serious challenge and not for the apathetic. We are not just to hear the word; we are supposed to do the word. Rich reminded people of this in both serious and humorous ways. One of my favorites was his song Screen Door. My school choir performed this song as well, although we tapped the rhythm on our legs (more like the studio recording) rather than using the cups. Not only does this song illustrate his creative genius, but it also makes a valuable point. An inactive or passive faith isn’t just a bad idea; it’s pointless and stupid. There is no reason to have a screen door on a submarine. We need to have an active faith and to do what the word tells us to do when we recognize its instructions. This is often easier said than done. Rich pointed out that our closeness to God is determined by our obedience to Him, not our feelings. But obedience isn’t usually easy and is often sacrificial. Three of Rich’s song come to mind: Alrightokuhhuhamen, Hold Me Jesus, and Sometimes By Step. All these songs have great messages. Alright illustrates that it is always better to do what God asks and just be willing to say yes than to fight him. Hold Me Jesus says a line that has proven to be true at many times in my life: “Surrender don’t come naturally to me.” A little later, the songs says “Your grace rings out so deep, it makes my resistance seem so thin.” Of all the songs Rich wrote, Sometimes by Step is probably my favorite, mostly because I have carried its message with me the longest. The chorus was written by his friend “Beaker” and is still commonly sung as a worship chorus of its own. I loved that chorus when I was a girl. But the verses Rich wrote are just as powerful. My favorite is the second verse. Sometimes I think of Abraham, how one star he saw had been lit for me He was a stranger in this land, and I am that no less than he And on this road to righteousness, sometimes when life can seem so steep I may falter in my steps, but never beyond Your reach This verse compliments the chorus Beaker wrote perfectly. Oh God, you are my God And I will ever praise You I will seek you in the morning And I will learn to walk in Your ways Step by step you’ll lead me And I will follow You all of my days This song is such a powerful declaration of what we should do with our daily Christian walk. The verse reminds us that others have struggled on this path before us and that we will also struggle, but never fall out of His reach. So beautiful. I hope and pray that I never forget it. A Legacy of JoyRich said that he hoped to leave behind a legacy of joy, and I believe that he did. There was darkness in his past and sin that he struggled with throughout his life, but Rich found joy in the hope in his salvation that he wanted to share with everyone. He was totally in love with his Savior and he couldn't wait to meet Jesus. Many of his songs spoke of his longing for heaven, and Rich often struggled with “fitting in” within the context of Christian community. He knew better than most people I know that this world was not his home. I am glad to know that Rich no longer has that struggle and that he is now in the presence of his Savior. One of the only reasons it makes me sad that he is no longer with us is because I wish I could have met him! It’s amazing to see the impact his life and music left, and that it continues to speak to us today. I hope that by sharing about what I learned from Rich’s testimony, you will be encouraged to learn more about this incredible man, listen to his music, and learn how to pursue the love of Christ every day, step by step.
[If you are interested in reading my review of the movie about Rich Mullins, Ragamuffin, click here] Three years ago today, God’s plan to bring awareness to the orphans crisis was fulfilled through me and the girls on my dorm floor. It was such an incredible experience that I will never forget and left a profound impact on my life. In celebration of what God accomplished in this time, I want to share the full story about the experience, based on some previous writings. I hope that in this story you can see how God desires all of us to response to this need, and how God was a part of what happened on my dorm floor that semester. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27 NIV84) This verse has taken on a whole new meaning to me. It is basically telling us that looking after widows and orphans isn't just a good idea; it’s a call on every Christians’ life. It’s of equal importance from keeping ourselves from worldly pollution. It has become clear to me that specifically in regards to orphans, part of what looking after them means is bringing them out of their distress by helping provide them with a forever family. At the beginning of that semester I ask the girls on my dorm floor to help me raise money and awareness for the fatherless. We started by collecting change on our floor as part of Show Hope’s “Change for Orphans” campaign. I also made bracelets made out of strips of bandannas to remind the girls to pray. I did everything I could to inform the girls that were helping me about what Show Hope is all about and the need to care for orphans. Then about the middle of the semester, I invited an adoptive father, Troy Nelson, OCC’s executive director of admissions, to tell us about his and his wife’s adoption of a little girl from Taiwan. Troy talked to us about the blessing that she had been on their lives and how much they learned to trust God through the process of adoption. This was about the time I began to notice a difference in the girls’ hearts towards the project. As the semester continued, I began to realize that one of the biggest reasons I had become so interested in the orphan crisis was the family and friends in my life that were adopted. This was the motivation of many of us involved in this project, and I didn't want us to forget our gratitude for those who have been adopted. So we decorated one of the walls in our dorm hallway with posters of the children in our lives that are adopted, posters of Scriptures about adoption, and posters that explained the ministry of Show Hope. We had posters that represented the adoptions of 20 different children. We made the posters on bright-colored scrapbook paper that filled that section of the wall. We had it on display during our dorm open house. It was a fun project that eventually had a big impact. As that semester was coming to an end, I was concerned that we would not raise the all the money I had committed to raise. My request to be allowed to take up an offering during our open house was denied and it almost seemed like a dead end. Then we saw God work when we were given permission to do a presentation and an offering in our weekly chapel service. I prepared the presentation that I gave by myself on May 1, 2012. I was pretty nervous about it, since it would be the largest crowd in front of which I had ever done a presentation. I was told just before chapel that most offering bring in between $300 - $500, but not much more than that. We were praying that we would be able to match our goal (since we only had about $65 at that point), but we had no idea what was about to happen. Later that day, I was told that without our money, they brought in over $600. This was our final total. Needless to say, we were all pretty excited! When I told the girls, we cheered joyously together, and rejoiced at what God had done through our efforts. As we talked about what happened, the girls told me that there was something different about people’s reaction to the offering appeal that day that what usually happened with chapel offerings. They noticed a change in the way people reacted as they collected the offering. More people gave than usually, even the people that didn't usually give. One of the girls even told me, “It seemed like everyone wanted to give to help orphans!” I knew in that moment that God had worked on our students and faculty to compel them to give, and we had been a part of something much bigger than ourselves. We took these pictures at our last weekly devotions for the year, in celebration of what God had done through us for the cause of adoption. God was at work during this time in so many ways. This project helped to unite my dorm floor in a special way, for we became a lot closer through this project. Our view of adoption was forever changed and our trust in God has increased. But most importantly, our passion for the fatherless has been kindled and we are all grateful to know that we helped bring another child into a forever family. I can’t wait to see what God does in each of our lives as we continue to care for His children. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Part of me is still in awe of what God was able to accomplish through my dorm floor that semester. I still have a scrapbook containing all the posters we made for our adoption wall, and I love to look through them every once in a while. I continue to marvel at the stories that were shared and the results of our efforts. By all logic, we shouldn't have been able to raise all the money we did. We shouldn't have been able to even work out to do a chapel offering, but God blessed our efforts for His glory. I was just blessed to be a part of His plan. Since this time, although I have not done any other fundraising efforts, I continue to be a voice for the fatherless in whatever ways I can. I have become sensitive to find the stories of those that have been adopted, and have found great joy every time I heard a new one. I have come to view those who have been adopted in my life to be a blessing that God chose to be in my life. My personal desire to adopt internationally continues to grow (although I want to be married before I pursue this path). God has heighten my awareness and sensitivity on this issue, and I am still amazed that He laid this on my heart and gave me the passion to do something about it. I am so grateful for those who have taken up the call to bring children out of their distress and into a forever family. I am grateful for the girls on my dorm floor that helped me take up this huge call to make a difference in the lives of orphans. But most importantly, I am thankful for the One that brought me out of being spiritual fatherless and chose me to be His child through the sacrifice of His Son. That should be our ultimate motivation to "pay it forward" and make a change for orphans. I encourage everyone to see what they can do to learn more and be involved in some way with the miracle of adoption. You won't regret it. [If you are interested in learning more about the heart and ministry of Show Hope, watch the video below, and visit their website: showhope.org] [If you are interested in reading my advocate story on Show Hope's blog, click here] Today, it has been a year since the completion of my music ministry internship at the Fairfield Church of Christ in Fairfield, Ohio. It’s honestly hard to believe it’s been a year, because much of what I learned and experienced while I was there is still so fresh in my memory. Since this 3 ½ month experience was so vast to describe, this post is a compilation of my reflections on the experience from my writings. I hope that those of you that where a part of my experience there will appreciate these memories, and others will be able to appreciate what I learned about the ministries of the church from a different perspective. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ For those that may not know what I did on my internship, this first part is a compilation of notes from the presentation I did about my internship for my home church after I returned. I completed my ministry internship at the Fairfield Church of Christ in Fairfield, Ohio, in the Cincinnati area. My internship was focused on music ministry, since that is the focus of my college degree and a requirement for the completion of my degree. My primary duties consisting of planning and organizing worship, working with the adult praise choir (as a member and as a director), and leading worship team practices. I was especially involved in planning of the Palm Sunday and Easter services. I was considered a part of the church staff while I was there and attended weekly staff meetings. My mentor, Mike Dainton, was a great person to work with. He was very supportive and encouraging, and truly has a heart for the people he serves. From the beginning, he wanted to invest in me and teach me what he knew about ministry. I shared his office space and shared his days off. I felt that I was more than an intern or a college student to him: I was a partner in his ministry. I learned so much because he had confidence in me to do what he needed me to do. In addition to my music ministry duties, I was very involved in the youth ministry, mostly because the youth minster is my cousin, Aaron Hibbard. Aaron gave me the opportunity to teach for one of the high school small groups for Sunday night youth group, because of requirements I had for an online class I was taking. I also enjoyed being involved in some youth group activities while I was there, such as a high school lock-in and CIY Believe. I also involved in our Easter production, called His Final Week. We took the audience through walk thru experience of the Passion Week through a tour of different rooms in the church building. We recreated scenes such as the cleansing of the temple, the last supper, the trial before Pilate, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and some the of the resurrection appearances. In addition to helping the production team, I played the role of Mary Magdalene in one of the four “Jesus groups” (cast groups that performed on rotation). This production was one of the best parts of my internship, both for the learning experience and the fellowship that happened behind the scenes. Since this internship was considered a credited class to finish my degree, I had to do a few written assignments. This is a reflective essay I wrote after I completed my internship, along with the questions I was answering according to my assignment’s instructions. What was the best part of your internship experience? What was the worst part? For me, the best part of my internship was the people of the Fairfield Church of Christ. All the people that I became close to, my mentor, the rest of the staff, my host family, the worship team, the choir, the kids of the youth group, the college age group (those around my age), and those that befriended me in other ways, all impacted my life in those few months I was in Fairfield. I enjoyed life and community in this church in a way that I had not experienced before, and I am so grateful for that experience. The worst part of my internship was learning how to deal with the unexpected changes that occurred often. My mentor Mike Dainton struggled with health issues related to the removal of the sciatic nerve in his right leg after a battle with cancer. Although he is now cancer free, he is still experiencing issues relating to the missing nerve which sometimes prevented him from coming into the office, which meant that a lot more responsibility fell on me and I had to trust the guidance of other staff members or other ministry volunteers. Although I learned a lot about working through unexpected changes, it was probably the most difficult part of my internship. What are the three most valuable lessons you learned during your internship that you will use in your future ministry? I learned many valuable lessons while I was on internship. The most significant was the importance and necessity of flexibility in ministry. Although it was something that I already knew I struggled with, I now see that in order to best serve others (one of primary goals of any ministry), we need to be willing to adapt to whatever situations may come our way. The times that I able to adapt and finish what needed to be done were some of the more fulfilling moments I had, and the most helpful to the whole of the music ministry. I hope to be able to learn more flexibility in my personal life, so that I can better serve others and it will natural overflow into my future ministry endeavors.
When we fail to be creative or think outside of the box, we are not growing, and most likely limiting the people that we can reach. Especially when it comes to the way we present or teach the Word of God, what we do should never be perceived as boring if we can do things to make it more appealing. I hope to be able to think and teach more creatively in general, so that I can apply this to my future ministries. What impact has this internship had on your spiritual life? This internship had changed my life in ways both big and small. I had to learn how to trust in the Lord more than had before, because in the moments that my mentor wasn’t able to help, I struggled with feeling inadequate for fulfill my duties. Through it all, I realized that Christ was able to help me in my inadequacies, and He also helped me to discover talents that I did not know I had that I have been able to use for ministry purposes. Trust in the Lord is an important lesson for anyone to learn, regardless of their situation in life. I also found so much inspiration from my mentor. Mike is amazing man that loves his ministry and loves the people he serves. I know personally how much he loves the people he serves because of the way that he cared about me as a person and became a good friend to me in my time at the church. He genuinely wanted to invest in me from the start and I reaped many blessings from that investment. He especially inspired me through his health issues. Mike was experiencing extremely intense pain related to his missing nerve. Despite his setbacks, he still has his thoughts and prayers with his ministry and the people he served. I hope that when I finally get to my own ministry, I will come have a heart like Mike Dainton’s heart for the people I will serve. The biggest impact this internship had on my spiritual life was connected to my involvement in the church’s Easter drama, His Final Week…Portraying one of the first people to hear that Jesus is alive was one of the best experiences of my life. That is something that I want to spend the rest of my declaring to those that need to hear it. The impact of playing a part in this play is something that I hope to remember as I strive to serve Him with the talents He has given me for the rest of my life. [If you want to read more about my experience during His Final Week, click here] To give you a sense of the good, the bad, and the funny, this a selection and revision of a list I made for fun called “Things I Did Not Expect To Learn On My Internship” (This is 30 of the 48 I had originally)
13. It is entirely possible to hold a production together with primarily the following materials: hot glue, foam board, tape (of many varieties), paint, and pipe and drape 14. You can use shower curtains as light gels for florescent lights (My mind was blown) 15. If you make yourself cry for theatrical purposes, you shouldn't cry so hard that you start hyperventilating, which I came close to doing. Don’t forget to breathe!
21. When singing on worship team, don’t forget to turn on your microphone! 22. You know that people love you when you tell them your favorite flavor of ice cream (Peanut Butter and Chip from UDF) and they drop everything to go get it for you. This happened more than once! 23. I'm just as fun and crazy as the kids in the youth group. I guess that's why we get along so well. 24. Having your cousin on the same church staff is awesome. It was such a blessing to have Aaron in the office across from me. 25. On the other hand, you realize how weird you are when the first guy to ride alone with you in your car is your cousin… 26. “You’re never as good as they say you are, and you’re never as bad as they say you are. You’re usually somewhere in between.” – Dave Hargrave
27. Trial by fire is a good learning experience, even though it may be uncomfortable. I learned more through some of the unplanned parts of my internship then I did from planned parts. 28. Never take the staff of your church for granted. They are servants to the Lord and to you, and they deserve a ton more recognition than they get. 29. Community in Christ, especially in the context of a church body, should never be taken for granted. I was so warmed welcomed into the church and felt very much at home with them. If you find yourself in a church like that, consider it a blessing. 30. Do your best to be prepared for any situation that comes your way. That is when you are open for the Lord to use you, no matter where you are in your life. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Conclusion Prior to this internship, I had not had the chance to really experience the finer details of music ministry. Most of my experience up to that point had been singing on worship team and some worship planning. But after spending 3 ½ months going into the church office 4 to 5 days a week and often not returning home on those days until late at night, I became more assured of a fact I already knew: pastors, ministers, and those who are on staff at a church do so much more than their congregation will ever see. They don’t just work on Sunday mornings, and they often don’t work a 9 to 5 kind of job. Being in ministry is a devotion, a calling, and a lifestyle that demands more than many people outside of ministry can really understand. Even their volunteers only get a taste of the demands and devotion required to faithfully fulfill this calling. Being a pastor’s kid, I knew this truth, but I finally had the chance to experience it while I was in Fairfield, and that is something I could never experience in the classroom. This is just a glimpse of all the things I learned in my time at the Fairfield Church of Christ. I am still grateful for all the things I learned and all the experiences I had in Fairfield. It was by far the best experience of my education. As I reflect on what I learned, my heart overflows with gratitude toward all the people that made my experience possible. I am still ever so thankful for the Fairfield Church of Christ, my mentor Mike, my cousin Aaron, the other staff members at FCC, the members of the worship team and praise choir, the leadership team for His Final Week, my host family, and the countless other people that befriended me, made me feel at home, and gave me opportunities to serve. I still miss them and thank the Lord from them often. I am also reminded about what ministry is really all about. It’s not just about serving with our talents when were interested. It’s about contributing to the needs of the church so the body of Christ may be strengthened. Every person is a piece of the puzzle of that ministry, and each ministry is a piece of the puzzle of the church as a whole. I hope some of these memoirs from my internship have helped you see this truth and that you will find ways to strengthen the body of Christ by contributing to the needs of ministries in your own church. I also hope this will help you respect the work of whoever ministers to your own church, because their work extends far beyond Sunday mornings.
Jesus Had to Give Up His Control
Jesus Actually Died I have always known that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I could have told you this from a very young age. I had seen many cinematic and dramatic portrayals of the crucifixion, but it never really sunk in. It wasn't until I was cast in this drama that I was faced with the reality of what my Savior endured for me on the cross.
His Final Week Wasn't Really His Final Week
Because He knew that the testimony of those would bear witness to His resurrection would be His most powerful asset in building His church, and it would debunk the rumors that were spreading around about what really happened to Him. His appearance is the only explanation for what could have made His disciples change from men who were cowering in fear behind locked doors to courageous men willing to give up their lives to declare their message of truth and hope the world. This truth was so powerful to me, that this year for Easter, I wrote a drama that specifically focused on Jesus’ resurrection appearances for my home church called “The Door.” I think it’s important for us to remember how incredible it is that these men became emboldened by Jesus' resurrection to declare to the world that Jesus is alive. It’s still true today. Without them, we would not know the truth either. ConclusionHis Final Week was such an incredible part of my internship experience, and I am still so grateful to have had the chance to be a part of it. I hope I never forget that the hope we have in the resurrection of Jesus Christ does not end on Easter Sunday, and I hope you won't forget either. It continues through every day of our lives. It compels us to continue to declare to the world that Jesus is alive.
[If you want to read more about my internship experience, click here] |
Lion's Eyes Reviews is a blog dedicated to reviews of Christian books, most of which are non-fiction, but may also occasionally review movies and musicals. It will also feature the work Bethel does to help launch and promote the works of Christian authors.
The name is derived from one of Bethel's favorite books, Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko. Through these reviews, Bethel hope to give Christians the tools they need to look at the world "through the eyes of a lion" so they can find the courage to "run toward the roar". To find the detailed archives of these reviews, you can check them out here: Books In Review Movies in Review Broadway In Review Quick Reviews To understand the rating used in these reviews, click here Categories
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Bethel Grove is a Christian young woman who loves to read and write, eat Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzards, and disciple teen girls as a youth leader. What started as a hobby of writing book reviews and doing deep biblical studies eventually led her down the path of self-publishing and helping other Christian authors launch their books. She hopes to someday be a vocational youth minister and well-known author.
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