USA East Music BULLETIN - WINTER 2018/19 - ISSUE 1 | Page 8

By Emily Betts, Social Media & Marketing Specialist, THQ Youth Department I was given the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the North American Worship Conference. If I had to describe the experience in one word, I’d probably say that it was impactful. Not only was the weekend full of useful tips and tricks for worship leaders, but it was also full of fellowship and community. Being able to connect with people from other territories, as well as grow with other worship leaders within my own territory, really allowed me to get a better idea of what worship really is. Often times we forget that worship is a time where everyone comes together to just lift up the Lord we serve. We can get caught up in the logistics of it, and sometimes we can even miss the point as a whole. As we continued to go through this weekend though, we were reminded that although the logistics are important, they’re not the main point. The main point is to simply give adoration and appreciation to our God. One of my favorite parts of the weekend was simply the fellowship with the other delegates. It was interesting to see how everyone else went about leading worship within their different territories. Being able to see that truly just reminded me that worship is far more than I ever thought it was. As I continue to try and learn more about it, I’m finding myself a bit surprised at how 8 • USA EAST MUSIC BULLETIN | W I N T E R 2019 much I didn’t know. Not only did it teach me physical ways to improve the authenticity of leading worship within my territory, but it also allowed me to come to grips with the fact that worship is never going to be something that can be pinpointed down to a science. I’ve always been a perfectionist, so to be engulfed in a weekend where I was constantly being challenged by what I instinctively thought or wanted to do, was very humbling. I hope that as we continue to have these types of conferences, those around each territory will continue to grow and learn from each other. I think when you’re in a setting like that, the Lord moves in a way that we’re all unfamiliar with, and it’s an incredible experience! ■ W W W. M U S I C . S A CO N N E C T S . O R G