N:Vision

Adore

A worship event for young people

with Matt Redman & Andy Flannagan

Date: Sunday 24th June 2007

Time: 5pm - 8pm

Tickets: £6 in advance £8 on the door

Venue: Olympos Haywards Heath, The Dolphin Leasure Centre.

For ticket booking and information e-mail: info@nvision.uk.net, click on the link opposite or call 07757076209

Worship Insights # 4 - Carl Smith

Keeping Worship Fresh

A very wise worship leader once gave me some great advice that I will never forget. He encouraged me to think, every time before I was due to lead worship; ‘what one fresh thing can I bring to the worship this week.’ Since then I’ve tried really hard to make sure that something about the way I lead changes each week. Whether it’s a new song, a longer block of worship, getting another worship leader in, having complete silence, or no music at all throughout the whole service, I want something fresh each week. This freshness brings blessing too. It’s far too easy for people to ‘get used’ to worship and for the power and intimacy to be stripped away. Keeping worship fresh is important for preventing this from happening. So may you challenge yourself each week to think 'what one fresh thing can I bring to the worship this week?' and may God bless the fresh worship you lead.

Worship Insights # 3 - Jess Blatchley

Girlie Worship
I think leading worship presents a huge number of challenges for both men and women. Personally at the moment I feel the main one for me is dealing with fluctuating feelings of inadequacy e.g. “I can’t play the guitar as well as Dave, Bob, Andy etc…”; or “I can hear an audible sigh from the congregation when they see me up there on a Sunday instead of Dave, Bob, Andy etc…”; or even “I’m just RUBBISH at this!” (That last one is usually accompanied by lots of sobbing and possibly a bit of foot stamping.) In the week leading up to a Sunday when I’m the designated leader I feel like this almost every day. I can usually manage to talk myself through it. Failing that, my husband declares somewhat bewilderedly that I am completely bonkers and spouting a load of nonsense which generally breaks the cycle of self-loathing! I’ve found it to be part of the process that the Lord lets me go through until I finally remember that it’s supposed to be about HIM (oh yes, that’s right….!)

I guess the practical challenges are there too. The most random is the fact that I can pitch a song in exactly the same key as the male worship leaders (in our church most of them have tenor voices) yet find the congregation completely unable to sing them in that exact same key when I’m leading. I’ve often had comments like “that song was just too high for us Jess” or even “that song was too high for YOU Jess”. What’s that all about? The fact is my voice sometimes SOUNDS too high for the congregation to reach; so I usually have to take songs down a semi tone or two to counteract this problem. The other practical challenge is how to deliver the more “aggressive” or “driven” songs that the men seem to do with such ease. I do find myself having to do a “rock chick” impersonation (i.e. stretching my voice to “belt” level) and find myself somewhat exhausted by the end of it! I breathe a sigh of relief when I finally reach the “intimate worship” phase….that feels like home to me…(or maybe it’s just old age settling in?)
Anyhow, that’s how I’m feeling about leading worship today. I’ll probably feel completely different about it tomorrow!

New album from Tim Hughes

Tim Hughes, worship pastor of Holy Trinity Brompton, probably best known for the song 'here I am to worship' has released his third studio album. Holding Nothing Back is an album that speaks of a life devoted to God "You gave everything to me, so I give everything to you." With anointed songs used at Soul Survivor Festivals that have blessed many, such as 'Everything' and 'God of Justice' and some collaborations with great artists including Martin Smith, Nick Herbert and Rachel Hughes, this album is set to be another success for Tim. 'Holding Nothing Back' also comes with a DVD which includes: Songwriting thoughts, an interviews with Tim and a video diary of the album recording.

Holding Nothing Back is available now from http://www.survivor.co.uk/ and from April 1st in Wesley Owen stores.

As well as being worship pastor for HTB Tim is also one of the leaders of Worship Central - a movement that seeks to: Encounter God//Equip the worshipper//Empower the Church (click on link to find out more)

Also Available from Tim Hughes:

Stop The Traffik

Sunday March 25th marks the 200 year anniversary of the abolition of slavery. 200 years ago William Wilberforce, driven by his Christian faith, dedicated his life to see the slave trade made an illegal act. He succeded, but the sad fact is that slavery happens even more today than it did then. As a result Stop The Traffik have made March 25th 'Freedom Day' a day to look back on the champions of the past and to look to make a difference now and in the future. In order to raise awareness STT have asked all of God's worshippers to unite in prayer on that day, to stand up and be counted, to speak for those who can't speak for themselves and to see slavery abolished - this time for good!

There a lots of things happening around the country from Saturday night through to Sunday and beyond. For more information visit www.stopthetraffik.org and to find out what events are happening in your area visit www.stopthetraffik.24-7prayer.com Also please take time to sign the declaration on the Stop The Traffik website.

This is a chance for us to unite together and pray for a really important cause. These are not just statistics - these are people. People shouldn't be bought or sold.

Worship Insights # 2 - Martyn Layzell

Intimacy - a lost language?
Recently I was in a meeting where someone was asking me about my prayer life and spiritual journey with God. I began (proudly) to tell them that I was part of a church that had a vision to see intercessory prayer explode across the nations and worked closely alongside the prayer pastor to organize prayer nights, daily prayer meetings and accountability groups. I also regularly led worship, fasted & try hard to 'connect' with God through His word daily. At the end of my little speech this kind person said to me,"Gosh, sounds like you are doing too much intercessory prayer! You just need to have a cup of tea with the Lord."
At first I thought, "Oh bless... doesn't she realize I'm a worship pastor in a busy church with a busy programme and a busy life to boot. Three kids under 5, a wife, a mortgage etc etc. But then I realized that what she said was actually quite profound.
The next day I was reading Matthew 7:7. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. My prayer life and worship had become a combination of 'shopping list' requests and statements telling God how great he is.
I realized that my wife wouldn't be very happy if all I said to her was "YOU LOOK GREAT TODAY! I LOVE THE WAY YOU COOKED DINNER! I LOVE THE WAY YOU DRESS! Although she initially might be flattered after a while I think I would just annoy her. What she's looking for is intimacy, a connection of heart and tenderness.
Too often in my worship I have sought to lead people so strongly that I have not modelled an intimate relationship with the father. Matthew 7:9 says "Which of you, if his son asks for bread will give him a stone? Or if heasks for a fish will give him a snake? If you then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him"
Our requests in prayer need to be rooted in relationship with Abba Father. He knows what we need already but loves the dialogue as it build relationship. Being a father of 3 small blonde boys I can understand that a little bit. So often I know what they need - a drink, snack, TV on etc. I could preempt all their requests with action but that would mean we would hardly speak. How much nicer when they come and pull on my shirt tails for my attention!
Matthew 7:21 goes on to say "Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of Heaven. Verse 23: "I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you'. The question is Do we know God? Is our relationship with him going deeper? I realize too often that I become his servant/worker rather then his friend and co-worker. Jesus says in John "I no longer call you servants, I call you friends".
I believe in a time where there is an explosion of prayer and worship we are in danger of losing the language of intimacy. What does it really mean to 'come towards to kiss'. Psalm 2 says "Kiss the Son lest he be angry". That's pretty strong!
God Bless,
Martyn

Worship Insights # 1 - Stuart Barbour

What happens when we worship ?

Psalm 22 verse 3 says “God inhabits the praises of His people”, therefore when we enter in to worship, the presence of God comes.
What is the one thing that can’t happen in the presence of God ? Nothing ! God is sovereign. What is the one thing that always happens in the presence of God ? the enemy flees, he hates it when we worship.
Ephesians 6 v 12 says “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”
Worship is warfare and we are clearly in a battle, and we need to enter in this battle. Lets ask ourselves - are there areas in our lives that the enemy has been given a stronghold ?, ask God to reveal this to us, then ask for His forgiveness and worship Him.
Psalm 129 verse 3 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts., See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”