MIM Ezine - September 22, 2006

IN THIS ISSUE--

 -- Leadership Login:  Interactive Worship, an Interview with Rebekah Hanover, by Tom Hanover.

 -- The Reconstruction of A Youth Worker, Scott’s Ramblings: “Favorite 10 Resources for Youth Worship” by R. Scott Miller.

 -- Book Review:  Painting in the Dark:  The Longing To Be Seen, To Be Heard, To Be Known, by Paul Thorson, 2006, reviewed by Teena M. Stewart.

Leadership Login:  Interactive Worship, an Interview with Rebekah Hanover

by Tom Hanover

    Last month Tom Hanover interviewed Rebekah Hanover, Director of Worship, Crossroads United Methodist Church in Ashburn, Virginia, about interactive worship.  This month’s column is a conclusion of that interview.  Rebekah shares some tips about leading interactive worship.

1. Start small. There’s nothing worse than getting in over your head or losing the congregation in the complexity of logistics. Introduce a piece at a time; it helps everyone adjust to new expressions of worship.
2. Always give clear instructions. Whatever you are inviting people to do – be very clear about it. If you want everyone to write a prayer on a notecard, be clear about it. If you want them to hold it in their hands and pray quietly about it, tell them. If you want to take them to a prayer station at the back of the room, be specific and tell them where the prayer stations are located. Detailed instructions help people interact more confidently.
3. I’m a big fan of stickie notes. We used stickie notes to pray for our world. Everyone was invited to visit a table with supplies (a prayer station), write a prayer on a stickie and stick it to one of the maps around the room. Some prayers were very general while others were quite specific and personal. In the midst of what was going on in the world, it was quite powerful. You can do all sorts of things with the resources around you. And as a result, the more you use ordinary objects in worship, the more those ordinary objects will be a reminder of worship throughout the week. Don’t underestimate the resources you already have at your fingertips.
4. Be sensitive to how public and how personal interaction can be. If you are asking people to bear their souls’ deepest aches on paper, don’t display them. We were using the story of the woman at the well and gave everyone an opportunity to write down what empty behavior they used to try to fill themselves. We then gave them the opportunity to wad it up, throw it away, and take a glass of fresh cold water. There were heavy things written on those papers, and we eventually heard some heavy stories of transformation. Because we allowed people to interact with some privacy, they felt the freedom to be more honest.
5. If you are into the object lesson approach to teaching, take it to another level. We use to give people objects to help them remember what we talked about. But they will truly remember it if they interact with it before leaving. For baptism, we gave everyone a vial of water when they came in. We wanted them to remember that they were baptized into the family of God. But we also wanted them to understand that they were part of this celebration and they held the spiritual responsibility to support the families we baptize. So we asked the entire congregation to come empty their vials of water into the baptismal font in order to contribute the water for each of the baptisms that day and take the vial home as a reminder.
6. Don’t talk at, talk with. When you write a message, there is so much you need to teach/ communicate clearly. But watch your style of presentation. Ask questions and encourage responses. Come from a place of empathy sharing what you’ve learned, not what you think you know. Come as the question person, not the answer person.
7. We don’t stop to think, to breathe, to live enough in today’s culture. One of the best gifts we can give our congregations is an opportunity to rest, refocus, stop and breathe. Start prayers with a good 30 seconds to a minute of silence. Research Scripture meditation practices such as Lectio Divina and use it or adapt the practice to be meaningful to your congregation. Never fear a structured, intentional silence or time of quiet reflection.

 Tom Hanover has served in a variety of pastoral leadership roles for over 30 years, the last four as a District Superintendent supervising the ministries of more than 100 pastors and churches in southwest Ohio. He has a BA (cum laude) from Taylor University, and  MDiv and DMin degrees from United Theological Seminary in Dayton.

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by R. Scott Miller

    Over the last year, people have asked me about my favorite resources and equipment.  I have always used the best tools with which I am most comfortable.  What is helpful for me is not always what is helpful for someone else.  However, it might be helpful to see what someone else is using so you can find what is best for you.  My article for this month is my “Top 10 Resources for Youth Worship.”

    This list is not a top to bottom list or anything like that.  Saying that… Here we go!

1.     Media Shout  www.mediashout.com

Media Shout is what I have found works best for me for presentation in worship.  It may not be the easiest software to set-up.  However, once your songs are set-up, the software is easy for volunteers to use for worship presentation.    

2.     Windows Movie Maker

This is a free software that comes with Windows XP and an easy way for you to edit video as well as putting together very cool slide shows.  It is also a very powerful tool for ministry and, remember, it is free! 

3. & 4 The Book of Uncommon Prayer & The Book of Uncommon Prayer II by Steve Case, Youth Specialties Publishing. 

These two books have great special worship services, responsive readings, and prayers that are not only good for use in Youth Worship, but in other forms of worship as well.  I really love the worship ideas in these books because they have a traditional vibe with a very creative idea for application.

5.     Yahoo & Google 

For some of you the words duhhhhh come to mind to others huh????  Here is why these two search engines have so much value to me for worship.  Any time I need to find a picture or a video clip, I can usually find something that will work in the midst of all the junk online.  A favorite find of mine one time was a video of a computerized roller coaster. 

6.     iTunes - http://www.apple.com/itunes/

Not everyone has an iPod but you do not have to have an iPod to use the software.  This is a great computer jukebox of music.  You can use this to load up all of those worship and non-worship CDs that you use before and after your service and have available without having to tote your CD collection with you every Sunday.  You can easily make play lists as well as find specific songs for your service.  It is easy to hook up to your sound system through your computer and it sounds great!

7.    PowerSpec Computers - www.microcenter.com

The question I am asked most often is where one can buy a computer to do media work.  Anyone that knows me knows I stretch the money as far as I can.  Micro Center has a line of computers that are both durable and adaptable, and they are very basic. You will still need to add your video card of choice as well as any other options that you will want to work with, but you cannot beat the price for these speedy computers.

8.    Word Search 7 - www.wordsearchbible.com

As you have read in my previous articles, leading and preaching at a youth service is a growing and stretching process for me.  I am constantly working to make my sermons better and to make sure I am on the right track.  I have been using this software since 1998 and it has been a lifesaver for me.  It is one of the best tools I have found to help me in researching my scriptures as well as using some great commentaries.  I am also a geek, so having the ability to find this information at my fingertips is a lifesaver.

9.    iKey -  www.ikey-audio.com

This is the newest gem in my search for resources and tools.  I was at a meeting not long ago where I was asked if we were “taping our non-traditional services.”  My response was “What’s a tape?”  Unfortunately, even though many of us do not even have a tape deck in our cars anymore, we still think only of tape as the tool to archive our services.  In my frustration about this question I discovered an inexpensive way of recording the services.  The iKey is literally the size of a Walkman CD player, and it records onto a flash drive.  So the larger the flash drive the more you can record.  It records both in WAV and MP3 formats, and it is very simple, but takes some practice to get it right.  You will also need to download or buy an inexpensive audio editing software.  With this recording device, it is best to under record your services than over record.  It is always easy using software to boost your levels, but there is nothing you can do if you over modulate your recording.

10.    Prayer

We so often find ourselves caught up in our toys, resources and tricks we sometimes forget the reason why we are doing all of this.  In everything you do, you must keep in perspective why we are doing it.  In reality, none of the above list means anything unless you are doing it for the right reason.

    This list has lots of stuff to look at and use.  If you would like more info, feel free to drop me an e-mail.  I would love to hear from you!  Rscottmiller1@aol.com or www.myspace.com/rscottmiller1

 R. Scott Miller is the Director of Christian Education and Youth at Milford First United Methodist Church in the suburbs of Cincinnati, OH.  In his 15 years of youth ministry, Scott has written and developed much of the youth programming used in his churches.  Scott has a B.A. in Radio/TV and Journalism from Morehead State University and an M.A. from Asbury Theological Seminary. 

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Book Review – Painting in the Dark:  The Longing To Be Seen, To Be Heard, To Be Known

Paul Thorson, 2006, Integrity Publishers, 165 pages, ISBN #1591454271

Reviewed by Teena M. Stewart

    Paul Thorson holds a BA in music performance and a Master's in church music. Currently he and his wife, Gail, are planting a church in Kiev, Ukraine, where they serve World Harvest Mission in a community of artists and musicians.

Knowledge of his mother’s pre-marital pregnancy, of which he was a result, negatively impacted Thorson at age 14. Already an insecure teen in the stages of rebellion, this discovery caused Paul to crave attention in order to feel validated.  In his early years, he found attention through his disruptive behavior. It wasn’t until later that he became a Christ follower. Though this greatly impacted his life, he still struggled in his new-found faith to become a new creation. The old habits still haunted him. He still needed to perform.

    Thorson’s book Painting in the Dark, deals with his coming to terms with this struggle for validity and meaning. Little by little, Thorson learns to see glimpses of hope and truth in his every day struggles and he shares that hope with the reader in how we can work through own weaknesses. One of Thorson’s gifts, in addition to his musical skills, is his ability to tell a good story. And he captures our attention right from the start with a gripping story of a young musician who utterly and completely fails during a performance. You will have to read the book to learn the full story and to enjoy his other tales as well.

    As Thorson puts it, “This book is about rocks being lobbed at people like you and me who have climbed some tree somewhere looking for safety.” Many of us have worked hard to create a reputation that protects the real us. Thorson’s book reminds us that letting go of this carefully crafted image involves a process, and by doing so we learn that God can love us through our weaknesses and provide hope for maturity. Musicians, artists and others struggling to live their Christian life to the fullest while wrestling with their identities will appreciate this book

 Teena Stewart is a published writer, a ministry consultant and coach, and a product developer for Ministry in Motion. You can email her at smartwords@sbcglobal.net.  To learn more about Teena, her writing, and consulting services, click here.  

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