Worship Musician August 2017 | Page 50

their craft and invest in their gifts and abilities. been able to have is through the culture that’s since Hillsong NYC started. We’re taking a been built over the past six or seven years, and step back and looking at what God has already The other thing to remember too is that none all of the people that are willing to sacrifice time done. It’s just crazy to me. Hillsong Church was of our musicians are paid to play. That’s a and money and effort to make it happen. That’s founded over 30 years ago, and we wouldn’t question we get asked all the time, especially the idea that we want to instill in people that be here today if it wasn’t for the sacrifice of when people are first interested in joining the are looking to join the team. To just take the volunteers thirty years ago, or the financial team or serving with us. I know that in some selfishness and the spotlight out of the picture. support and prayers of church goers even ten of the mega-churches across the United States It can be a little difficult at times, and at others years ago. So, we’re hoping that by building the musicians are paid per service or per it’s easy. Some people show up and they just into people and investing in people, then we week. Sometimes it’s a little weird to explain get it automatically. can be part of the story that happens over the to people that we don’t get paid and that next ten years. Who knows what will happen? we’re all volunteers. We wake up at 5:00am That’s one of the reasons that I stress that The church is growing and having impact, and on Sundays and show up for early call times. we’re all volunteers. Because no one is more to play even a little tiny part in that is what I find We don’t own a building, so we have to rent important than the next person. Everyone to be the coolest part of serving at this church. out different venues every week to do services. is seen as being a crucial, pivotal part of the So that means that there’s extra work involved creative team. We couldn’t be doing what we’re [WM] That is awesome! I think people will find every Sunday with unloading trucks and all of doing if it wasn’t for the countless sacrifices it both informative and refreshing to know that the gear that’s needed. In New York City we that volunteers have made over the last seven you guys aren’t coasting, rather you are actively have to keep a lot of our gear in rental trucks years. sowing for the seasons to come. the train from my apartment to church. One Getting people to understand that even in a [Dave] It’s the idea that we haven’t arrived phrase that you may have heard, which our big church like Hillsong, it’s not easy. On the yet, but we’re anticipating future fruit! When I pastor took from a JZ song, is that we’re doing other hand, I feel like we’re extremely fortunate look at what Hillsong United does, and what church “in the wild.” You just have to show up and blessed to be reaping the benefits and the Hillsong Global team is doing, they have with this attitude of, “Whatever it takes, we’re receiving the fruit of a lot of years of hard work been equipping the local church with resources going to make it happen.” We’re lacking a lot and sacrifice from volunteers that came before for decades. We are very fortunate and blessed of the convenience that exists in a lot of other us. We’re right in the middle of a series at our to be able to use those resources. I think one churches. I think that the only way that we’ve creative team nights called “The Storyteller thing that gets missed a lot from people who been able to get as far as we have and even Series”. It’s a five-week series where we are are outside of Hillsong churches, is in the have the services and the impact that we’ve looking back over the past six or seven years common perception that Hillsong is kind of a 50 August 2017 – I can’t lug my seventy-pound pedalboard on WorshipMusician.com