Worship Musician March 2019 | Page 83

“You Cover Me” // Prestonwood Worship “City of Joy” // Prestonwood Worship “Grace So Marvelous” // Prestonwood Worship value around here that preparation is a big deal. God is still doing amazing things in that church. is an invitation into intimacy with God. You’re We were seeing just hundreds and hundreds getting a different view of God every time That being said, we utilize technology to help of people coming to faith and disciplining you rub shoulders with another believer and us. But when you’re streaming or on television, them along the way. So, there was a lot of discipleship like that. or whatever, you don’t get a second shot. explosive growth. Sometimes things happen and you use them to You get another view of the beauty, the creativity your advantage. That’s happened to me before In that choir we also had special needs folks of who God is, when you do it in community where I’ve totally messed things up when I was involved, and it was just this beautiful picture with other people. You have to connect with in the wrong key or on the wrong song. Of of humanity and all of their redemption stories people who are different, and who do things course, communicators that have been doing coming together to sing – it was awesome. differently than you. They may be older or it a while and aren’t too freaked out about it There are people in that ministry who made come from a different background. Maybe they just kind of let that be what it is and not try to lifelong friendships who are still doing it. We are very successful financially, or they may be cover it up. For me it’s coaching our teams to created a lot of moments together and for barely getting by. Everybody coming together sing against the weight of musical and spiritual the church. and lifting everyone up is just a powerful picture. I say this all the time, the invitation from God [WM] When you became an Artist in preparation, and also giving them the tools they need to be set up to not fail. for us to create is not just an invitation to Residence and Worship Pastor at Christ [WM] You honed your choir chops raising up create a product, a recording or anything like Fellowship Church, you were already a well- the choir at Christ Fellowship Church in Palm that – it’s an invitation to intimacy with God. established Christian artist and songwriter Beach, Florida. Why was this important to the So, the creative process, coming together on with a Dove award under your belt. What were leadership and what are some of the most a project like artists do to present any kind of some of the things you learned as a Christian valuable things you learned and experiences an event, worship experience, or a recording, artist that allowed you to be more effective as a you had while you were there? [Michael] Founding pastor Tom Mullens was the senior pastor at the time, and now his son, Dr. Todd Mullens, is currently the senior pastor there. Tom told me, “I want to see, and I want to hear the force of a choir in our worship services. I think it’s powerful and it speaks to every generation, so I would love for you to really go for that.” It stemmed from that conversation. I think there was a volunteer at one point who had gathered people before I got there, but there was never any cohesive program, so we started a choir from scratch. It was a real instrument to proliferate a culture of worship and engagement in our services. It was an incredible time in that ministry and March 2019 Subscribe for Free... 83