RussHutto.com

Had a great time at InsideOut last night leading worship with a bunch of teenagers.

Was very privileged to invite some friends from Valdosta and Jesup to be a part of the band. Thanks to Keith Hand (valdosta-guitar), Hamp Rogers (valdosta-guitar), Jason Crowe (jesup-drums), Cortni Joseph (valdosta-vocals) and Chris Moncus (brunswick-bass) for being a part of this!!

Walk-in:

Shackles (Mary Mary). Key Em. We were able to do this similar to the way that the majority of us knew. Kind of a Maroon 5 (This Love) groove. Pretty fun!

Opening Set:

My Savior Lives (New Life Worship). Key B. Standard arrangement.

One Way (Crazy Train Remix). Key F#m. Love doing this song this way. I think the kids really enjoyed it too. Cortni leads out on the verses and she rocked it!

Blessed Be Your Name (Matt Redman). Key G. Cortni led out on this one as usual and it was awesome!

Closing Set:

In The Secret (Vineyard). Key G. We just repeated the chorus a few times to really bring the big idea of the message home.

Heart of Worship (Matt Redman). Key D. Ended the night with this one. Started small and quiet and built into a big, big chorus towards the end. This one never gets old for me.

Had a great time and appreciate John and Shannon for letting us do this! It was great!

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. http://read.ly/Ps22.27.ESV

Blended worship probably means different things to different people, but the most common use of the phrase seems to be in regards to styles of music used for worship services. The typical goal of a blended worship service is to use music from different generations to create an environment that appeals to (or provides a worship experience for) different generations. It’s basically a little something for every generation represented: some hymns, some choruses, some traditional, some contemporary…you get the idea.

I’d like to propose an ancient approach to the Blended Worship gathering. Throw out the emphasis on style. Style is important to an extent, but shouldn’t be our main focus.

Through relationships and really serving our congregations we can learn a little about them and hopefully they can learn a little bit about us and why we do what we do.

Focus on unity. Emphasize being on the same page.

It’s one thing to try and shove modern worship music down the throats of older generations that prefer a more traditional approach. It’s another thing (and a totally different thing might I add) to try and lovingly win the trust and support of those older generations by letting them in on your methods.

To just throw them away and leave their heritage, traditions and even music styles behind is not the goal…which is why I think we try and create a “buffet” of musical styles with our blended worship services. We want our older generations to be happy and we want our younger generations to be happy. Our goal should be to create an environment (regardless of music style) where everyone KNOWS the who, what, and why of the elements involved.

Who: If your primary service wants to reach out in any shape, form or fashion, WHO is the target group? If everyone knows, understands, and ultimately supports reaching out to a specific target group, it’s easier to grasp the selected music style chosen.

What: What elements can be used to create an atmosphere that influences that particular target group? Most likely music is the gateway. If ALL generations understand this and are on board with this, it’s so much easier to sacrifice preference.

Why: Creating a serious vision/mission statement for your music ministry can go along way to help ALL generations understand the purpose of your worship ministry. Insider focused? Outsider focused? A little of both? Balanced? Young target? Old Target? In between?

The more I hear about different services being cranked up to cater to the different generations the more I’m saddened. I feel like with our good intentions to really create environments where people feel comfortable expressing their worship, we’re falling into a hidden trap. One that the enemy has set for us and that we’ve not seen coming. It’s a little wedge of good intentions that continues to divide generations.

I’ve gone as far at times to think that even having youth group and children’s ministries can (at times) take away from “family worship.” I know I can be extreme with those thoughts, so I won’t linger on them, but at the same time I can’t help but wonder what the Church in America would look like if we worshiped TOGETHER. Young and old. Not saying we shouldn’t have separate ministries, but I just wonder.

Blended worship to me is all about getting people on the same page. Not fragmenting our services into sub services for the sake of pleasing people. Sure we want our congregants to express their worship fully, but if the first thought in their minds is, “This is MY favorite style of music” or “I hate this style of music” then it seems to me we’re only catering to self and not teaching sacrifice.

Blended worship shouldn’t be about the music, but more about blending generations together into ONE SHARED HEART. ONE SHARED PURPOSE. ONE SHARED VISION.

Bringing glory and honor to God TOGETHER.

Ultimately these are just my thoughts, and are not in any way an attack on any individual “blended worship” services or “approaches” but just what I feel the Holy Spirit has dropped into my heart to wrestle with. If you’d like to join me in wrestling with and pondering these thoughts, please do.

Here’s an update on where we are in our big life transition.

1) Our last day at HOJ was Sunday Aug. 30. A few months ago we felt strongly that it was time for us to move on. It was one of those rare moments in life when things are going great and it’s just “time” to move. We will be closer to family and Lydia has a much better job.

We love HOJ and will continue to give financially for the next 2 years. We pledged to give monthly for 3 years and have made it through a little over a year. We believe in the vision and the impact that HOJ is and will be making in Valdosta.

One of the hardest parts of leaving HOJ is leaving the friends we’ve made behind. Honestly, I, personally can do without “leading worship” or designing graphics, but it’s leaving the small group family, worship team hangouts, and even bootcamp workout sessions with HOJ friends that make this move hard. But God is walking with us and we’re super excited about the next season in our life.

2) Lydia started her job in Brunswick a little over a month ago. That’s a little over 2 hours away from Valdosta. It’s been an adjustment for her but she’s knocking it out of the park.

One of the major stresses for her has been having to be away from me from Sunday night to Friday. Our lease is up next week, so I’ll be “moving” our stuff from Valdosta to Jesup, which is our interim location until we get a home bought or rented. While we’re home shopping and closing we’ll be staying with Lydia’s family.

Financially, we’re in a place we haven’t been before and we’re looking to knock down our debt quickly (student loans mostly) and buy a home.

3) I’m doing design full-time now, working with a company that publishes community oriented magazines. I love designing ads and laying out articles.

4) Music: Because my primary “job” isn’t Worship Leader/Music Director anymore, I’m finding that I have a stronger desire to write and share congregational worship that is USEFUL to churches. In the coming months I’ve committed to going on a tear and writing the fire out of some worship tunes! Would love to have you help hold me accountable and would also love it if you used my songs in your place! I’m not stingy!

I’m also looking at joining forces with my good buddy Fred McKinnon and the team at SSCC. Just want to help out a little here and there.

I can see myself traveling a little bit as well. If you’d like to have me come in and worship with your church/team/small group/etc. please contact me and we’ll set something up.

5) Blog Design: because of the transition I’m finding it hard to do a lot of extra design work now. That being said, I would LOVE to design you a custom blog header or banner. As we get settled in the next few weeks, things we’ll be going a bit more smoothly for me and I’ll knock it out of the park for you.

6) Coastal Life: We’ll be moving to the Brunswick/St. Simons Island, Georgia area which is on the Southeastern Coast of GA. I can’t wait.

7) Collaborations: Look for opportunities to collaborate with me in the future in several areas. Most obvious would be songwriting and design, but I have a few more ideas brewing that I’d really like to get going on and I think as fellow worship leaders and worshipers you’ll be excited!

Stay tuned!!

What does your church do to promote Family* Worship?

Do you see any problems with compartmentalizing every age group into a worship environment designed ONLY for them? Benefits?

Can children and teens “sit through” and participate in family oriented worship?

Are we asking too much of them to learn from and participate in generational worship?

Is Generational Worship something that we should pursue during our weekend gatherings or is it something we should promote and teach for people to pursue during the week with their OWN FAMILIES? Or is it something we should try and blend into both?

Please feel free to respond with answers, insight, and questions of your own. This post is not meant to be antagonistic, but I truly desire to learn more about WHY we have such segmented times of worship every weekend.

* By Family Worship I mean environments that creates opportunities for families to worship together. And in a larger more general sense environments that creates opportunities for worship to happen with more than one generation present. And I’m not only referring to musical worship.

Inspired by an article on theworshipcommunity.com by Sarah Markley.

Dear Worship Leader Person,

My friend, the churchy person, said I should write you a letter to talk to you about “worship” so here I am, writing you a letter.

I don’t really know where to start since I’m kind of new to this whole church thing. Oh, back in the day, I went to VBS during the summers and there were a few times in college I went to church to impress a date, but other than that I’m kind of lost here.

I know I’m supposed to join in and sing, it looks kind of like a concert, but it’s kind of weird that nobody else is really singing along. At least, not like at that one Hootie concert I went to a few years ago where everybody TRIED to sing along. Oh, but there is that one woman up front who seems to raise her hands and close her eyes during every song. It’s kind of weird, but kind of cool at the same time, because it looks like she knows all the songs.

Anyways, I just thought I’d share a few things from an outsider’s point of view, that might help you out with folks like me.

I’m not really into this “worship” stuff. I mean, I’m pretty sure there’s a God somewhere, but I haven’t really nailed the details down yet. It’s kind of awkward for me those first few minutes of the music. Not sure what to do.

I will say this though, when you explain what’s going on before a song or after a song it kind of helps a little. I mean, a BRIEF explanation, because I think that everybody will agree when you go to a concert, it stinks when the lead singer talks to much. Just sing for goodness sake! But at the same time, it really helped out last Sunday when you said that raising our hands was a sign, like a gesture to God that meant we give our lives to Him. I’m not there yet, but I appreciate your effort to help me see.

Another thing, why does it seem that just anybody can get a microphone and sing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for giving people opportunities, but that one chick, can she even carry a tune? I’ve been to a lot of shows in my life, and I’ve seen some pretty bad singers, but if this is supposed to be worship to God, wouldn’t you want the band to be the best? Just a thought.

I was a little weirded out when I noticed that the keyboard player was so familiar to me. Took a few minutes to place him, but chuckled to myself when I realized it was last Thursday night at the local club. I think it’s cool that members of your team hang out with regular people, and even get drunk. Well, I’m not sure if that’s cool or not, I don’t know much about church, but from what I’ve heard most churches would have kicked this guy off the team. So that makes you cool in my book. That is what you’re going for right?

About this “worship” thing. I don’t get it. I’m not impressed by you closing your eyes and zoning out. I’m not impressed by all this talk about getting closer to God and being like Jesus and the leading of the Holy Spirit. I don’t even know what that means.

I mean, sure I want you to do what you do, but at the same time, I feel like I’m standing outside somebody’s window watching their family eat dinner. It’s kind of awkward.

Here’s what I’m impressed by. Before the band got cranked up, you were talking with me. I don’t know any one here, but you took the time to say hey and introduce yourself. You didn’t even talk about music or anything. In fact, at first I didn’t even know you were the lead singer! Then, when you got your guitar and started singing, I was like, “Wow, that’s the guy I was just talking to before hand.”

I’m also impressed by a great band. I’m not gonna lie, when you first kicked it off, it seemed a little loose. I don’t know how to describe it. Like the band wasn’t on the same page. I appreciate that your doing your best, but it seems like that flute player just doesn’t know what they’re doing.

I’m also impressed when I can see the words on that cool screen thing. I don’t know ANY of these songs you’re singing and it helps if the words on screen match what I’m hearing. I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings, but somebody needs to take a chill pill with all the moving stuff behind the words. I almost threw up trying to follow along to that one song, what was it, oh yeah, One Way. I’m all for stuff on-screen looking cool, but what I really want is to just be able to read it and follow along.

I was also wondering why your band doesn’t seem to enjoy what they’re doing. Most of them are looking down at those music stands you see at high school band concerts. Don’t they even know the music? It would be cool if they got into it a little more. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a rock show where the band was reading their music off of stands.

I’m kind of piecing the puzzle together here, and I’m beginning to understand that you’re using this music to somehow talk to God, so it kind of confuses me that the music was so boring. I mean, you’re trying to sing to God right? Maybe if it was a little louder He could hear it! I was waiting for that old guy on guitar to start shredding, but he never did. That would have been cool.

At this point, I want to be impressed by the music. I don’t know what worship is. Maybe your band could watch some live shows and get some pointers?

And maybe next week, you could smash a guitar on stage or something, or maybe at the very least, just try to move around a little.

Thanks for taking the time to talk to me before service,

Un Churchy Person