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This set of videos is a must! The worship leader, of course, is the man himself from Brownsville, Pensecola. He has some canny things to say about the do's and don'ts of leading worship, things he does and won't do and the many traps its easy for a novice to fall into!



I was most interested when he was asked about members of the congregation bringing tambourines and such to use during worship. He said a vehement no to that and that he had the stewards tell people not to use them nor bring them another time and even confiscate them if they insisted on using them. Yes - I know that seems a bit draconian but his explanation was most acceptable in my opinion.



He explained that he had a big worship team at Pensecola and they spent many hours rehearsing and getting things just right. But a tambourine in the hands of someone unable to keep rhythm would easily destroy all that hard work so, out of respect for them, he wouldn't allow it. I thought that quite good enough a reason in my book.



However - it gave me pause for thought. I would sometimes go upfront of the podium, using my flags right in front of the band! I had the pastor's permission, encouragement even, to do this of course, but it had never occurred to me to ask the worship leader!! So I made it my business to ring him at the earliest opportunity to correct that omission and was charmed to find that he was rather bemused to consider he was worth seeking permission from!!! Such humility! Plus, he said, he found the flags very inspiring and stimulating and missed them when I was working and couldn't attend church! Since then we've had a great relationship where the flags are concerned. It was definitely the right thing to do! I ended up giving him the set of videos as he was intrigued by what I had told him of them!



So I would heartily recommend these videos as a great developmental tool whether you're a worship leader or not. They're still interesting and educational.

For the Audience of One: The Soul Survivor Guide to Worship (Soul Survivor Guide to Worship) ~Mike Pilavachi, et al



Just finished reading this book and it's a really good, teaching read. It focusses upon the worship team, principally, though it's got good points for anyone seeking to lead worship or be a principle in the worship (which, of course, is everyone!).



I found it a very enlightening approach to this whole matter and educational. Mike Pilavachi has a great heart for God and is a humble team leader. Highly recommended even if he did make :blink: remarks about a guy going round the church with a flag! He retracted, though, and admitted his misunderstanding when he discovered that this man was also a fearsome prayer warrior whilst parading his giant flag! Guess it just proves that anyone will jump to (misguided) conclusions when they first meet something new!

This is quite a story but I thought I would like to share it with you all.



In 1999 I lived in Essex, just north of London. I had been searching so much for the face of the Lord and finally found my 'portal' when I discovered the Sunderland Refreshing which happened at Hope Church in 1997-1999 (then Sunderland Christian Centre). Having visited several of their conferences, I was not too surprised when the Lord told me to move up here and join the church.



However, since I had been in Essex for 24 years and was now almost 60, it was not a move I was about to rush into! I prevaricated and debated with myself and others and one day I was going, the next I wasn't! Finally, in July 1999 I went to what was to be the penultimate conference. I had decided to stay another day and attend an ordinary service at what was now Hope Church to finally make up my mind and that was exactly what I did!



On the way home, I popped a new Lindell Cooley cassette into the player that I had just bought at the conference. In the middle of it was a track "The Kyries - Lord Have Mercy". I had never heard it before but as I drove along, listening to this wonderful arrangement of Lindell's, I had this amazing choreography of flags and dance planted in my mind. It came to me perfect in every step and movement, fitting each and every bar, note and sequence of the song exactly! I know that it wasn't from me because I was not really into flags at that time. I had been introduced to them but not used them in any profound way. Also I had no background in dance or music either!



The dance involves a 'chorus' of sixteen dancers and a principle dancer. It starts with just the lone dancer and gradually, as the song progresses, more and more dancers join in until there is a block of sixteen dancers filling the stage, all following the same routine - a veritable mass of flags all moving together!



Well, I have kept that routine close in my heart, shared it with just one other dear friend but I had a certainty that there would come a time....!



And now, it seems, that time is here! We have a festival of Christian arts and crafts being presented in the Sunderland district between Ascension (May 25th) and Pentecost (June 4th). On June 3rd, we are closing it with a big open-air service and I am going to open the worship with this routine! I have the permission of the singer (Lindell himself!) to use the song, I have the volunteers to perform it (not me!!!!) and I have the faith that this is God's desire!



'All' I don't have at the moment is a place to rehearse!!! So if you're reading this, could you please spare a moment to pray that God will reveal to me the place that He has prepared for us to rehearse. I've only got less than eight weeks to go!!!



Thank you so much!



Oh, and there is a website - <URL url="http://www.wearalive.co.uk">www.wearalive.co.uk

Just for fun, we've put a Daily Bible Quiz in the Reads & Reviews section. The quiz changes every day.



The cool thing about it is after you've taken the quiz, it not only gives you a score, but the correct answers and corresponding scriptures. You can then compare how you did with the thousands of others who have taken the quiz.



Look for the link at the top of the <URL url="http://zionfirefriends.com/index.php?showforum=7">Reads & Reviews forum.

<URL url="http://www.christiansunite.com/">http://www.christiansunite.com/



A good alround Christian site that you could spend all day playing on. Check out the links in the side bar.



I was particularly please to find these two--A quick way to keep up on relevant world events:



Latest daily newsfeeds:



Religion News

<URL url="http://news.christiansunite.com/">http://news.christiansunite.com/



Israeli News

<URL url="http://news.christiansunite.com/israel.shtml">http://news.christiansunite.com/israel.shtml

excellent info, Helena. But what I'd really like to know is where you got all those great smilies from!?? Link, please?