RussHutto.com

When I was a teenager back in the late 90s, I was shaped by Third Day.

I didn’t tour with them, work as a roady for them, or even know them personally.

However, as a kid growing up in a home that was primarily filled with God-centered music, Third Day was always in my CD player. Their first self-titled album really inspired me. I actually learned to play guitar as a senior so I could sing songs like Love Song and Consuming Fire in church. Oh, I was already a fine musician (played piano, drums, and trumpet) but I just had never learned guitar. Third Day kind of stormed on to the scene with an in your face kind of Southern Rock that I could relate to, being a kid who grew up in Georgia myself. (Still live here by the way!)

To the guys in Third Day, thanks.

Now over a decade later I’m who I am musically as a worship leader and artist because of great songs like Thief, Praise Song, and Take My Life. I played a cafe back in December and covered Love Song. Timeless. Love that album!! Of course the Offerings albums offered great motivation and inspiration as well.

To this day Consuming Fire is my favorite song. You guys are probably sick of it. But I’ll never forget the first time I saw you guys go from an acoustic set to the full-blown set right in the middle of that song. That’s probably one of my top 3 live show moments ever!

Part of 3rd Day on Third Day

Billy Chia is 30. Wish him a good one.

Need inspiration to get motivated to really love people like God does? Here’s a story of people stepping outside of their self to make an impact on people that society would deem unlovables. (ht: Mike)

Last night we remixed 2 of our “regular” worship tunes for this Sunday. Ya know the kind of song I’m talking about. Everyone in the congregation loves it, but the worship team is getting a little tired of the same ol, same ol.

We’ve been doing Not Forgotten (Houghton/Lindsey) for over 2 years (at least) and it’s getting kind of stale. We made some minor adjustments to the way we play it (keeping the same overall style) and it just seems a whole lot more fresh. We took the original “I am not forgotten, Never forsaken” bridge and turned it into a funky, string oriented Bittersweet Symphony-esque groove that builds to the “Whoah-oh-oh-oooh” part before getting back in to the chorus again.

We’ve also been doing I Am Free (Egan) for a while similar to the newsboys arrangement. Last night we decided to take it more into the U2/Coldplay realm and it ws the hottness. The team loved it, and I think the arrangement (though structurally the same) will be a breath of fresh air for the congregation.

I’ll post how it goes on Sunday.

Join me, Fred McKinnon, Jeff Miller, Rich Kirkpatrick and many other worshipers as we embark on this study together. Using the power of online community we’ll be all over the world, yet doing this study simultaneously! I can’t wait to get started!!

Bloggers please consider copying/pasting/personalizing this announcement on your blog! This is going to be a phenomenal time of “unity” and authentic community with participants from all over the world!!

This is a 9-week study that we will begin the week of January 12, 2009. Each day we will share our thoughts on the daily devotional and then participate in the Group Discussions each week – as a group of united worshipers on TheWorshipCommunity.Com in the forums.

(daily and weekly discussion will take place in this thread of the TWC Forums)

“The goal of this study is not to help us fall more in love with worship. Rather, these daily, intimate encounters with God can help us fall more in love with our Father – which is the very essence of biblical worship”. (Darlene Zscheck, Hillsong Church, Australia)

“Dwayne Moore has a desire to see the body of Christ truly understand what it means to honor God with our worship and let our lifesongs sing to God in spirit and in truth”. (Mark Hall, Casting Crowns)

“Dwayne Moore’s ‘Pure Praise’ gets at the heart of true biblical worship. If you’re looking to grow your worship ministry team in it’s understanding and desire to worship our Creator in spirit and truth, this book is for you. The weekly studies are practical, insightful, and full of biblical wisdom aimed at getting the reader to grasp how our Creator designed us to worship. This book is a must-read for any worship ministry team, and I’m glad to recommend it”. (Rick Muchow, Pastor of Worship, Saddleback Church)

“Dwayne Moore has a writing style that makes you feel like he’s right there with you, walking you through each devotional. ‘Pure Praise’ is highly relational and delivered in a way that will minister to you in your personal worship journey as well as find its way into your worship training resource library. This book will help you understand not only the meaning of worship, but also provide you with real tools for leading and ministering in your role as the worship leader.” (Julie Reid, former Executive Editor of Worship Leader Magazine)

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to study with your fellow worshipers.

Purchase your copy of “Pure Praise” at Next Level Worship’s website here:
http://blog.nextlevelworship.com/pure-praise-worship-study/

Cost is $14.99

Once you get your book ordered, post a response in the “Pure Praise” discussion area of the forums so that we know you’re with us! Be sure to check the box to subscribe to the thread!

See You in the TWC Forums on Monday!! Or sooner even!!

Russ

I grew up, for the most part, in a household of Jesus followers. My parents committed their lives to Jesus when I was two. All I remember is Jesus. I don’t have any pre-Jesus memories.

I know some people have testimonies in which God has radically changed their lives and delivered them from things that would make a sailor blush, but not me. Oh, I’m not ashamed of that. In fact, I feel so blessed to have been raised by Godly parents and thirty years later to still be walking the narrow road following Jesus.

I get music from both sides of my family tree. My mother’s parents were bluegrass/rockabilly/country musicians and my father’s side has a big jazz influence. Both of my parents are very talented musicians and/or singers.

Naturally, I picked up instruments and learned quickly. I started on the trumpet in fourth grade and didn’t look back all the way through college.

Watching my dad lead worship was definitely very inspiring. You know how it is, dad is a hero to a boy who wants to be just like him. And, through the years, he’s always been my inspiration.

Along the way, probably in middle school, i started playing drums and keys. By early high school I was leading in our youth events. We would do community youth services. What we called “Youth Jams” – looking back it seems kind of cheesy, but we loved it.

We moved a good bit during my high school years, so I didn’t really settle into a good rhythm until college. I led worship for a time at “Life Ministries” – a campus ministry at Georgia Southern University. Some people that shaped my life then were Doug Watson and Don and Kim Williams. During that period, I would commute to and from my home church (70 miles one way) to lead worship. Back then it was part-time.

Eventually I would become the full-time worship leader/youth pastor and that season was wonderful! For about 10 years I served at the same church working with teens and music. It’s kind of funny when I think about that, because I still think of myself as so young. How could I possibly have 10+ years experience in ONE LOCATION!? But I do, and it was great.

So that is what has shaped me. I’ve been here at House of Joy for the last 2.5 years and it’s been a great journey.

Today we had a special time of worship in music for our entire service. Our regular service goes for an hour and usually includes a 3 song set list some sort of video elements/transitions, a message, a closing song, and announcements. Today we spread out music, video, art, and a brief encouragement across the entire hour.

1. Today is the Day (Lincoln Brewster): Key B. Arrangement very similar to recorded version.
2. Video “It”: Video about what worship is.
3. Say So (Israel Houghton): Key E. Arrangement very similar to recorded version.
4. I Know Who I Am (Israel Houghton): Key A. Arrangement very similar to recorded version.
5. Rhythm (Russ Hutto): Key Bm/D. Song I wrote this past year.
6. Your Love is Beautiful (Hillsong): Key Cm. Our own arrangement. We used 2 full drum sets on this one. And both drummers stayed on until the last song. Big percussion break in the middle. Goes into a keys/organ solo then back to pre-chorus. Fun song to play. We decided to play it in Cm instead of C#m because it’s a whole lot easier to play for the keys players and not much of a change for the guitar players to shift it down a half step. This was probably one of my favorites to rock out today!
7. Video “Be Still”: Video about the noise of life and being still to hear God who is there and speaking to us through out. All the lights go down and and I’m playing Word of God Speak (on keys) and we have an artist on stage doing a chalk drawing through the next 3 songs. The drawing goes from a small little earth to a huge burst of light (like God) as we move through Word of God Speak, Every Creature, then into Revelation Song.
8. Word of God Speak (Mercy Me): Key C. Me on keys. Simple. Lights almost totally off. Spotlight on the artist drawing, and me singing.
9. Every Creature (Russ Hutto): Key E. I wrote this back in 03. It’s a simple worship song about joining in as all creation calls out the name of Jesus. The band gradually “slides” in on this one. It went over well.
10. Revelation Song (Riddle): Short video  intro with a reading from Job. Our office admin read/recorded this for me. She’s from England so it’s really cool sounding as we go into the song. It’s a “loop” that stops as she’s finishing the last phrase then our live drummers bring us in with a massive fill and our vocals are doing some nice “Ahs” and then verse 1. We do this a bit faster and defniitely more rocked out than the Gateway Worship version. For most of the song our guitars are playing a chunk chunk style in 16ths with emphasis on the first and 3rd 16ths (DdDd-dddd-dddd-dddd and so on). Works well.
11. Video “Psalm 104″: Upbeat worship video of Psalm 104.
12. Short encouragement about worship outside the four walls. We’ve listened to God through the noise. We’ve joined in all creation praising Jesus. We’ve praised Him in a big way with the Revelation Song. Let’s live worship in our community. Challenge our people if this resonates with them to stand and sing their guts out during God of This City.
13. God of This City (Tomlin Arr.): Key A. We rock this one up just a hair, but play it pretty close to the Tomlin arrangement.
14. My Savior Lives (New Life Worship): Key B. Pretty standard arrangement.

It went over very well today. This was a huge departure from our “typical” Sunday morning gathering and as far as I could tell we had a bunch of positive feedback.

Join me and other worship leaders posting their set lists at Fred McKinnon’s Sunday Setlists.