Hello.... New Here

[Dave-W]

Hi Tori! Welcome from a fellow Marylander. (transplant from Michigan)

I have been (off and on) a worship leader (and song writer) since about 1976 when I was a sophomore in college (Michigan State).

If there is any way I could be of assistance, let me know. (BTW, my dad was an ordained pastor as well)

 

[*Jesus Freak*]

Hi Tori! Welcome from a fellow Marylander. (transplant from Michigan)

I have been (off and on) a worship leader (and song writer) since about 1976 when I was a sophomore in college (Michigan State).

If there is any way I could be of assistance, let me know. (BTW, my dad was an ordained pastor as well)

Oh Wow, I just feel so led to do something in the Church with music. I have felt this way since I was 12 years old. I also have a lot of training in Ballet, but somehow feel led to do something with music. A Worship Leader just seems like what God wants me to do. When I was a Teen once a year at my Church we had a Teen led service. The entire service was led by the Teen Youth Group even the behind the scene stuff like making the bulletin and everything. I always led the Worship and felt really comfortable doing so. It was easy getting that position because all the other teens didn't want to do it. That and doing the Sermon was the hardest to fill. My boyfriend is also at the same college as I studying to become a Pastor so my dream is to of course marry him someday and become a Pastor's wife and the Worship Leader of the Church he teaches the Word of God at.

 

[Dave-W]

I was the primary worship leader for about 11 years at my old congregation in Michigan. I have been on the music teams at 3 different congregations around here, and was the assistant leader at the middle one. My current congregation has a woman who leads worship and we have a youth leader who is on the team and she leads when the youth take over the main service. (couple of times a year)

From my time in Michigan:

 

[Dave-W]

I also have a lot of training in Ballet, but somehow feel led to do something with music

Actually, God can use both. I do not know what denomination (or non denomination) you attend, but in Messianic Judaism, we have liturgical dance along with the music. My wife played piano with me for years but now is in the dance team. She loves it.

 

[*Jesus Freak*]

@Dave-W What a glorious ministry.

I grew up in a Christian Bible Believing Church which brings people from a lot of faiths to our Church. We have 2 services the first is for members who have been with the Church for awhile and know what we believe and teach and the second service is for those Seekers or New Comers who are feeling out our Church. This gives an opportunity for many of the regular members to stay over and welcome the New People. Actually there is a committee for that I believe and it works pretty well. So actually I suppose we would call ourselves a Bible Based Christian Church.

I have seen liturgical dance before and it is beautiful. If it is possible to do both and also support a Pastor because my boyfriend and I are also praying that it is Gods Will that we will get married one day after college is over and he is studying to becoming a Pastor. So being a Pastors Wife, Worship Leader, and Dance Team Leader might be too much, but definitely something to pray on.

 

[Dave-W]

I have seen liturgical dance before and it is beautiful. If it is possible to do both and also support a Pastor

Our congregational leader's wife led the dance team before she fell ill a few years ago. (cancer) I don't know where you are in MD, but since we meet on Saturday, you could come and talk to her sometime.

 

[*Jesus Freak*]

Our congregational leader's wife led the dance team before she fell ill a few years ago. (cancer) I don't know where you are in MD, but since we meet on Saturday, you could come and talk to her sometime.

I live with my parents in Northeast Maryland near Pennsylvania., but I am mostly in Virginia now at college.

 

[Dave-W]

I live with my parents in Northeast Maryland near Pennsylvania., but I am mostly in Virginia now at college.

Ah - the "north of Baltimore" area. Don't get up there too much.

There are better schools for what you want in VA that is for sure. And you probably come around 495, the Capital Beltway on your way home. We are not far north of the Belt in Wheaton MD. The Connecticut Ave exit.

If you want, tell me and I will give you directions. (but not this weekend - everyone is gone for the holiday weekend) Too bad you missed last Saturday - Barry and Batya Segal were there from Jerusalem. Barry used to lead worship traveling with Derek Prince, and we were house mates back in the 1970s.

 

[*Jesus Freak*]

Ah - the "north of Baltimore" area. Don't get up there too much.

There are better schools for what you want in VA that is for sure. And you probably come around 495, the Capital Beltway on your way home. We are not far north of the Belt in Wheaton MD. The Connecticut Ave exit.

If you want, tell me and I will give you directions. (but not this weekend - everyone is gone for the holiday weekend) Too bad you missed last Saturday - Barry and Batya Segal were there from Jerusalem. Barry used to lead worship traveling with Derek Prince, and we were house mates back in the 1970s.

Traffic is always horrendous no matter what time of the year it is, but around the holidays it is even worse. After this weekend the next trip back home will be for Winter Break. That also entails an a lot because I have to bring back a lot of my stuff from the dorms because it is a long break.

 

[Dave-W]

Indeed traffic is terrible. I was just offering it as an option.

 

[*Jesus Freak*]

Indeed traffic is terrible. I was just offering it as an option.

Summer Vacation would probably be the best opportunity for me to get down there unless I land a job or something like that will give me a bunch of hours.

 

[Dave-W]

Ok. Great!

 

[Dirk1540]

We have 2 services the first is for members who have been with the Church for awhile and know what we believe and teach and the second service is for those Seekers or New Comers who are feeling out our Church.

Hi! Just out of curiosity what is the seekers and new comers service like exactly? So would that be leaning more towards the intellectual apologetics type thing where the people throw out questions like "Tell me why God is real??" or does it not tend to br confrontational?

This one church near me had this 'Apologetics Night' where they advertised 'Defending' Christianity, so you knew it would have more of an argument flavor to it. But if the advertising is more along the lines of 'If you have interest in maybe becoming a member please be here on Tuesday at 8pm' then I'd imagine you wouldn't really get the more confrontational type of seekers (because it wasn't advertised as a challenge). I was just curious.

 

[*Jesus Freak*]

Hi! Just out of curiosity what is the seekers and new comers service like exactly? So would that be leaning more towards the intellectual apologetics type thing where the people throw out questions like "Tell me why God is real??" or does it not tend to br confrontational?

This one church near me had this 'Apologetics Night' where they advertised 'Defending' Christianity, so you knew it would have more of an argument flavor to it. But if the advertising is more along the lines of 'If you have interest in maybe becoming a member please be here on Tuesday at 8pm' then I'd imagine you wouldn't really get the more confrontational type of seekers (because it wasn't advertised as a challenge). I was just curious.

The Seekers and New Comers Services basically touches on the basics. Like who is Jesus? Why He died for our sins? What is the purpose of Jesus dying for our sins? The Pastor ties in scripture to relate to these basic themes to give background information. The messages usually end up tying in with Salvation because Pastor doesn't know if a person sitting out there has been coming to these services for 1 week or maybe 10 weeks. The goal though is to have members of the church there as well to greet and talk with these new people and make them feel welcome and as comfortable as possible. Being new somewhere is not the most comfortable feeling in the world. So that is also there as well.

 

[faroukfarouk]

The Seekers and New Comers Services basically touches on the basics. Like who is Jesus? Why He died for our sins? What is the purpose of Jesus dying for our sins? The Pastor ties in scripture to relate to these basic themes to give background information. The messages usually end up tying in with Salvation because Pastor doesn't know if a person sitting out there has been coming to these services for 1 week or maybe 10 weeks. The goal though is to have members of the church there as well to greet and talk with these new people and make them feel welcome and as comfortable as possible. Being new somewhere is not the most comfortable feeling in the world. So that is also there as well.

You know, it's an excellent thing to take an interest in newcomers. Excellent also to make an emphasis on the Scriptural distinctives of a local church.

 

[Dirk1540]

The Seekers and New Comers Services basically touches on the basics. Like who is Jesus? Why He died for our sins? What is the purpose of Jesus dying for our sins? The Pastor ties in scripture to relate to these basic themes to give background information. The messages usually end up tying in with Salvation because Pastor doesn't know if a person sitting out there has been coming to these services for 1 week or maybe 10 weeks. The goal though is to have members of the church there as well to greet and talk with these new people and make them feel welcome and as comfortable as possible. Being new somewhere is not the most comfortable feeling in the world. So that is also there as well.

Oh ok! Yeah that sounds like that apologetics night they had at the church near me, but like you said, apologetics 'Night' was actually a series of nights. Years ago I went on an intro level apologetics DVD kick. These were kind of like the church intro series except on DVD obviously.

My all time favorite is a really old one, it's from the 80s actually and you would laugh if you saw the sweater he was wearing lol. Anyway, if I ever had to choose a video intro course to hand to a seeker it would be John Ankerberg's 'If Jesus Wasn't God Then He Deserved An Oscar.' John did such an incredible job tying all the pieces together for the novice seeker IMO!!

If you ever find yourself with a stubborn agnostic friend who might commit to watching DVDs in the comfort of their living room, but not commit to 'Going to church' that series would be my favorite recommendation. I do find people to have a lower resistance level with watching something on their couch then either going to a church or reading a book. I just wanted to throw that out since you sound like you have a lot of outreach in your future.

EDIT...actually I think the DVDs are pricey but a video download is like $5 or something.

 

[faroukfarouk]

... who is Jesus? Why He died for our sins? What is the purpose of Jesus dying for our sins?

PS: Exactly what every Christian ought to be able to explain from the Scriptures and be glad to do so!

 

[sunshineforJesus]

Hi and welcome here

 

[*Jesus Freak*]

Hi and welcome here

Hi and thank you so much for the welcome. Love your username.

 

[joshcorn]

Hi Jesus Freak. I like the name. It reminds me of the late sixties early seventies. I have been a Christians for many years and I have been in a few of the movies of God over the years,one of those was in the late sixties early seventies. It was then that the Spirit of God fell on a lot the the hippies. Then got so fired up for Jesus the became to be called Jesus freaks. I was living in a place where this happened. I became friends with a few of them. I love the testimony of one who became my best friend. He and a few of his friends where out in some farmers field picking magic mushrooms when the spirit of God fell on then and they where changed. They had an encounter with Jesus,no one preached to them. Even some of the Christians had encounters with Jesus including me.

It looks like God have put a desire in your heart to be a worships leader. God put this desire in your heart. Study the life of David,not as a King or warrior but His relationship with God. His years as a shepherd,alone with God with his harp singing to God. The encounters he must have had with the Father. David saw our day and bough it back to earth and made it his life style. The bible calls it the tabernacle of David [House of worship]God promises David that there would be a day in the future He would build this tabernacle of worship. We are in that day. I have only scratched the surface here,as you spend time alone with Jesus engaging in your heart that desire I believe you will have the same encounters David had and receive revelation and understanding on this.