Staying at it!

Life seems to be busier and more full than ever whether it’s family, friends, neighbors, work, church, hobbies, recreation, chores, or finances.  It’s easy to feel pulled in so many different directions.  How do we stay focused and not get scattered?  What’s important is that we keep the main things in the forefront of our mind and heart.  Having a Mission Statement for life is a big help.  For me, it is “to lead others toward intimacy with God.”  This puts God and people as the priorities in my life!  It’s not easy to keep priorities straight, but life flows better as we are tenacious, staying at it, daily reviewing and adjusting to be pleasing to God (2 Cor. 5:9).

I continue to give private music lessons in San Jose, Los Altos, and Mount Hermon; teach music and coordinate chapels at Valley Christian School; as well as lead worship with churches throughout the Bay Area. Digital products are available for instant download as well as physical products on our Product Page. Here is a list of digital downloads.

• Book A Special Report on Music & Worship in Churches throughout the Santa Clara County (Check it out)
• 25 song music book of Reggie’s songs called A Compilation of Compositions (Check it out)
• 20 song album called Intimacy (Check it out)
• 20 song album called Heartfelt Celebration (Check it out)

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.  Please pray we will follow God’s leading and, in months to come, be found staying at it.

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Upcoming Events

Mar. 8-9 (Fr-Sa) Teaching Workshops at the BASS Convention, Castro Valley
Mar. 10 (Su) Leading Worship with Redwood Chapel, Castro Valley
Mar. 17 (Su), 24 (Palm Su), 30-31 (Easter Sa-Su) Leading Worship with Community Presbyterian Church, Danville
Mar. 23 (Sa) CD Release Concert at Bridges Community Church, Los Altos
Mar. 29 (Good Fr) Leading Worship with Peninsula Bible Church, Willow Glen

Details of these events and other events are at https://heartfeltmusic.org/calendar/

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Finished Recording!

This last weekend, I finished recording my first Instrumental album of 10 songs.  It was a a riot trying to do this in record time.  The first time I sat down to record two weeks ago, I broke a nail and was unable to get the consistent sound needed for the new song called Remember.  So, I went to Walmart and bought some fake temporary nails for my first three fingers on the right hand.  It worked great!  However, my students thought it was a little strange.  I didn’t feel too bad knowing Phil Keaggy uses them as well.  Now, I hope to mix and master each song and have the whole package ready by the Album Release Concert March 23rd.

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BASS Convention

I will be teaching three workshops at the Bay Area Sunday School (BASS) Convention March 8 and 9.  This year is their 50th anniversary of training church volunteers to be effective in church ministry.  They have over 200 workshops.  I’ll be teaching two on Friday – Building a Worship Band and Effective Guitar in Worship. Then, one on Saturday called Band Interactive.  I’ll be using the Valley Christian High School Worship Band to assist in demonstrating worship band techniques.  I’ve been involved with them for 10 years and find it is an excellent conference to encourage and inspire volunteers to lead use their gifts for God’s glory.

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Album Release Concert

I would like to invite you to my Album Release Concert at Bridges Community Church in Los Altos.  I will be sharing songs and stories from my new album Instrumental Guitar, Vol. 1.  This album release concert is a celebration of my first instrumental album and my 13th album overall.  There is mostly acoustic guitar with some electric guitar with fun techniques like alternate tunings, use of capos and e-bow, in many different styles (Rock, Irish, Hendrix style, jazz, classical, easy listening). Bring friends and family.  The concert is free!  You can view one of the songs, Freedom’s Challenge at Reggie’s YouTube Channel.

Igniting Faith and Hope

Have you experienced both highs and lows recently?  Famous athletes like Lance Armstrong reveal a character that is so disappointing. Many still are experiencing financial difficulties which is very frustrating and disheartening.  Then there’s the Superbowl which is a great way to spend time with friends and family even if it’s just one day.  We can also count our many blessings where freedom stands out as one of the most precious.  I have experienced both ups and downs over the last couple of months, but my family, friends, Scripture, and God’s Spirit have been so inspiring.  A Bible verse I memorized years ago has been such an encouragement lately, “Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.” (1 Peter 5:7-9).  We are not alone in our struggles.  The devil is actively trying to discourage us, but let’s be on the alert and stand firm in the strength of Christ.  Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith.  May He lift your spirit to new heights this month!  I am praying for you and really appreciate your prayers for me.and the ministry of Heartfelt Music.  Through worship leading at local churches, training lay-leaders who volunteer their time and talents to serve others, both musical and Biblical motivational teaching, and sharing my journey and songs by way of concert artistry,  Heartfelt Music continues to ignite in others a strong faith and hope in Jesus.  I’m recording this week and next, looking forward to a new album coming out the end of this month.  Check back at our website blog for details late in the month.

New Song: You Are My God

I just finished a new song which will be on my next vocal album.  It’s called You Are My God as a strong statement that God is alive and deserves to be worshiped forever.  It’s a personal proclamation that through bad times and good times, I will worship God forevermore.  The words are, “When pain comes crashing through and hurt consumes my soul, I lift my eyes to You again.  You are my God and forevermore I will worship You!  When joy comes crashing through and hope consumes my soul, I lift my eyes to You again.”

VCS Chapels

Last week was Spiritual Emphasis Week at Valley Christian Junior High and High School.  We had both Jr. High and High School chapels everyday with a great daily speaker and music from 4 different student worship teams. The speaker was Sarah Hill who is a surfer and youth pastor from Hawaii.  She is Bethany Hamilton’s youth pastor who lost her arm from a shark attack (Soul Surfer). It was a very busy week for me as the High School Chaplain, but a very productive one as well.  To find out more about what’s happening at Valley Christian Schools, click here.

New Albums

I am working on a new guitar instrumental album to be released by the end of February with new songs such as You Drive, Tenacious, and Morning Come Lately, as well as some cover songs such as Carolyn’s Draught, Del’s Bells, and Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.  Another album being worked on right now and due to be released in March has a number of songs never recorded before such as Give Me Wings, Worthy & So Wonderful, and Flame, as well as some songs that have shaped Reggie’s life such as Make My Life a Prayer, Water Grave, and He Is Alive.

Coming Events

Feb. 3 & 10    Redwood Chapel, Castro Valley – Worship Leading

Feb. 22-24    Mt. Hermon’s Couples Retreat – Worship Leading

Mar. 8-9    BASS Convention, Castro Valley – Teaching Workshops

Mar. 10    Redwood Chapel, Castro Valley – Worship Leading

Mar. 17 & 24    Community Presbyterian Church, Danville – Worship Leading

Mar. 29 – Good Friday    Penninsula Bible Church, Willow Glen – Worship Leading

Mar. 30 & 31 – Easter   Community Presbyterian Church, Danville – Worship Leading

See all coming events at https://heartfeltmusic.org/calendar/

The Flame is Getting Brighter

There are many new things happening with Heartfelt Music Ministry in this new year.  I finished a song called Flame.  The chorus describes what the Lord is doing right now in answering my prayer, “I want to be a flame, to be a light to Your name.”  So, we’re stepping out as a ministry to do some new things.

• Upgrading the look of our eNewsletters.
• Adding digital product you can download instantly.

• Holding House Concerts in the coming months so you can reach out to your friends.
• New albums will be coming out in the next few months.

Plus, I will continue to teach at Valley Christian Schools; give private guitar lessons in San Jose, Los Altos, and Mount Hermon; as well as lead worship with churches throughout the Bay Area.  Since I’m free on Sundays, let me know if you’d like me to come to your church (click here to email me).  One more thing that we’ve just added to our Products Page is a digital version (PDF) of the book I put together called A Special Report on Worship & Music in Churches throughout the Santa Clara County.  This is especially relevant for worship leaders and pastors.  Check it out on Gumroad.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support as lives are being ignited for God’s glory! 😀

New Digital Downloads

We are now offering digital products for instant download as well as physical product to be mailed to you.  Check out our product page at https://heartfeltmusic.org/products/

• A new book called A Special Report on Music & Worship in Churches throughout the Santa Clara County by Reggie
• The music book called A Compilation of Compositions by Reggie
• The 20 song album called Intimacy by Reggie
• The 20 song album called Heartfelt Celebration by Reggie

House Concerts

I am setting up House Concerts throughout the Bay Area in the coming months and want to know if you’d be interested in hosting one. House concerts are private concerts in the homes of music fans, where friends, neighbors, and acquaintances are invited to attend a  performance with dessert sometimes included.  It is very fun, casual, up-close, and personal.  Let me know if you’re interested through email.  For more information and an introductory YouTube video, visit ConcertsInYourHome.com

New Albums

I am working on a new guitar instrumental album to be released by the end of February with new songs such as You Drive, Tenacious, and Morning Come Lately, as well as some cover songs such as Carolyn’s Draught, Del’s Bells, and Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.

Another album being worked on right now and due to be released in March has a number of songs never recorded before such as Flame, Give Me Wings, and Worthy & So Wonderful, as well as some songs that have shaped Reggie’s life such as Make My Life a Prayer, Water Grave, and He Is Alive.

Coming Events

• January 12 (Sat) — Leading Worship at Mt. Hermon with Billy Graham Center Ethnic American Network
  
• January 20 (Sun) — Leading Worship with PBC Willow Glen
• February 3 (Sun) — Leading Worship with Redwood Chapel in Castro Valley
• February 22-24 (Fri-Sun) — Leading Worship with Mt. Hermon’s Couples Retreat
• March 8-9 (Fri-Sat) — Teaching at the BASS Convention in Castro Valley

(Details of each event can be found at https://heartfeltmusic.org/calendar/)

I led worship with the Cede band today at the south campus of Central Peninsula Church in Redwood City.  It was exciting to be back together as a band after a couple of months break.  I’m leading worship a couple of times in December at Redwood Chapel (first picture).  The next time is December 30.  I’ll also be helping lead worship at Venture Christian Church Christmas Eve, December 24, during the three services offered that day (2:00, 4:00, and 6:00).  I’ll be joining Brian Clemons, my chapel cohort at Valley Christian School who is one of the worship leaders at Venture.  I hope your Christmas and New Year holidays are meaningful and full of joy!

Valley Christian School had a series of concerts for the Conservatory of the Arts music groups at the beautiful California Theatre in San Jose.  It was a busy week, but a great experience.  I’m enjoying working with the worship bands leading the High School chapels (center picture).  This coming week is finals week for Valley Christian High School, but Christmas vacation is almost here!  It’s hard to believe we’re half way through the year, yet I’m thankful it is going well.

Now is a good time to get a Heartfelt Music gift certificate for a friend or loved one.  You can choose whatever amount and they can choose whatever they want from music CD’s to training books and DVDs (right picture).  It’s easy to do it online and not even have to deal with mail.  Just click on the button below.  I know it’s a difficult time economically for all and Heartfelt Music Ministry is no exception.  We could use your help!  If you are thinking about giving to a non-profit 501(c)3 at the end of this 2012 year, choose Heartfelt Music Ministry and click on the button below.  For more information, go to https://heartfeltmusic.org/about/support/

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The beginning of the school year has been a whirlwind.  Last week was Spiritual Emphasis Week at Valley Christian Schools.  I was able to teach on Jeremiah and his dirty underwear during one of the High School chapels (Jeremiah 13:1-11). The week turned out to be very inspirational and encouraging.  Would you continue to pray with me that God would nurture and mature each student spiritually in the coming weeks.

I took one of my worship teams to sing for a missions organization called Innocent Voices (who help fight human trafficking).  They did a fantastic job and it was a great way to get closer as a team.

I am leading worship at various churches each Sunday and would love to minister with yours.  I’ll be at Peninsula Bible Church in Willow Glen the first Sunday in October and will continue to lead with Redwood Chapel once a month (check online at https://heartfeltmusic.org/calendar/).

I’m continuing to teach private lessons in Los Altos, San Jose, and Mount Hermon.  I would like to add 4 or 5 more students if you know anyone passionate to learn and develop in both their skill and faith https://heartfeltmusic.org/academy/.

Again, thank you so much for your prayers and encouraging emails.  Your support is such a blessing.  May you experience God’s brilliant love in every aspect of life.

Summer is almost here!  School is wrapping up for the year and already we are making plans for the summer.  The following events are ones you may want attend or let others know who may be interested: Concerts, Training in guitar, worship leading, and songwriting.  You may be interested in a few lessons as a Tune-Up.  Thank you for your encouragement and continued prayers for me and Heartfelt Music Ministry as we work in God’s strength to lead others toward intimacy with God and equip others to glorify God.

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Christian Guitarist Fellowship

The Christian Guitarist Fellowship is back.  Everyone is invited from beginners to advanced players, from rockers to alternative players, from acoustic to electric players, from teenagers to the ageless.  Come and meet guitarists from all over the Bay Area. Heartfelt Music Ministry is holding the Christian Guitarist Fellowship to help motivate you in your guitar playing and encourage you in Christ. There will be a short lesson for all levels; we will have breakout “jam” sessions where you pair-off with those in your skill level; we will play some worship songs together; a few will perform in front of everyone; we’ll pray together; and we’ll discuss resources for guitarists in the Bay Area. It will be fun fellowship and it’s free! Even those who have never played before, but want to learn to play the guitar are welcome. It will be at Redwood Chapel Community, 19300 Redwood Road, Castro Valley, CA 94546, on Sunday, May 20^th, from 3:00pm-5:00pm.  http://www.klove.com/events/detail.aspx?i=205954

Guitar Intensives This Summer

I will be teaching six one day Guitar Intensives this summer.  Three are three for youth grades 5-12 through Valley Christian Schools and three are for adults at Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center through Heartfelt Music Ministry.  The youth ones are held on Fridays from 9:00am to 12:00pm at Valley Christian High School in the Conservatory Bldg. (San Jose area).  The adult ones are held on Saturdays from 9:00am to 12:00pm at Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center in the Fireside Room (Santa Cruz area).  Make sure you fill out an Application Form and get it in right away.  The curriculum is more intensive in order to get a lot in, but they are intentionally divided up to benefit certain age groups and skill levels.  They include three hours of instruction, a challenging training/resource book (The Complete Guitar Manual, with DVD included), a notebook, and relevant handouts.  All the information is at our website under courses/camps.  We decided to identify these as Intensives rather than Camps because they are only on one day and not multiple days.

• July 7 (Sat) – Beginning Guitar Intensive (Adult), Mt. Hermon
• July 13 (Fri) – Beginning Guitar Intensive (Grades 5-12), VCHS
• July 14 (Sat) – Intermediate Guitar  Intensive (Adult), Mt. Hermon
• July 20 (Fri) – Intermediate Guitar Intensive, (Grades 5-12), VCHS
• July 27 (Fri) – Advanced Guitar Intensive, (Grades 5-12), VCHS
• August 4 (Sat) – Advanced Guitar  Intensive (Adult), Mt. Hermon

Worship Leading Camp This Summer

June 30 (Sat), 9:00am to 12:00pm – Worship Leading Camp (Adult)

This worship leading camp is a great way to develop the skill of leading others in singing and worship.  As Jim Burns has said (National conference speaker & author, President of HomeWord Ministries):  “Reggie Coates is one of the finest worship leaders in the United States.  He has the incredible ability to lead people toward a loving relationship with God through a humble and beautiful style of leadership.”   Reggie will be teaching and coaching you to be your utmost for Him.  The morning includes a challenging training/resource book, a notebook, relevant handouts, and three hours of interactive instruction.  The book is called The Worship Leader’s Handbook  by Tom Kraeuter.  Each person will lead and receive critique.    It includes three hours of instruction and sharing songs, a challenging training/resource book (The Worship Leader’s Handbook, by Tom Kreauter), a notebook, and relevant handouts for $85.00.  All the information is at our website under courses/camps.

Songwriting Camp This Summer

August 11 (Sat) – Christian Songwriting Camp (Adult)

We will be holding a one day Songwriting Camp this summer at the Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center Fireside Room, limited to a 10 participants for each session.  It is more of an intimate setting with personal interaction and attention.  Because it’s limited, make sure you get in the Application Form right away.  It includes three hours of instruction and sharing songs, a challenging training/resource book (God Songs, by Paul Baloche with Jimmy & Carol Owens), a notebook, and relevant handouts for $85.00.  All the information is at our website under courses/camps.

Reggie’s Concerts The Summer

I will be doing a number of concerts this summer throughout the Bay Area.  They are entitled “Empower” which will inspire and encourage you to allow Jesus to empower you to live life to the full!  In each location, the concerts will begin at 6:00pm Sunday evenings.  I’ll be sharing songs that haven’t been recorded yet and some favorites.  The evening will have worship songs you can sing along with.  More information can be found at  https://heartfeltmusic.org/calendar/ .

• July 1 (Sun) – Los Altos Concert, Bridges Community Church
• July 8 (Sun) – Castro Valley Concert & Worship Gathering, Redwood Chapel Comm. Ch.
• July 22 (Sun) – Felton Concert, Felton Bible Church
• July 29 (Sun) – Morgan Hill Concert, Morgan Hill First Presbyterian Church
• August 5 (Sun) – San Jose Concert, South Hills Community Church

Cede and Reggie Performing at Spirit West Coast in Del Mar

Cede will be performing at Spirit West Coast in Del Mar (Southern California), Friday, May 25^th.  I’ll be playing acoustic guitar and singing with a few others from Cede at the Hope Christian Bookstore tent.  We will be singing favorites from our CD and other worship songs with a motivation to live in Jesus.  For more information see http://spiritwestcoast.org/Delmar/  [The Monterey Spirit West Coast festival has been cancelled for this year.]

National Anthem at the Infineon Raceway

I’ll be playing the National Anthem on electric guitar on Sunday, July 22, to start the races.  Racers For Christ will also be holding three Chapels that morning in which I will be leading worship.  It’s a very exciting event with dragsters, funny cars, and motorcycles racing throughout the day.  Racers for Christ are leading the chapel fellowship and teaching during these events.  For more information, contact one of the Racers for Christ chaplains, Bob Hadidian, at (805) 801-7579.

Would You Consider Contributing to Heartfelt Music Ministry?

We would greatly appreciate any financial contribution you could make at this time.  Go to https://heartfeltmusic.org/about/support/ to either donate a one-time gift or begin a monthly contribution.  Any amount would be such a help.  Your tax deductible gifts enable us to minister to others who greatly desire our services but cannot afford to pay for them.  May you have a Spirit enriched summer.

Living In Jesus,

Reggie

We wish you a very…

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

…and a…

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Teaching music at Valley Christian Schools, leading worship at Redwood Chapel Community Church, and teaching private guitar through Heartfelt Music Ministry has been such a blessing this fall.   I prayed at the end of last summer that God would place me in “high impact” ministries to continue to train and encourage His people and build His kingdom.  He answered my prayer!  I feel so fortunate to do what I enjoy and see others use their gifts for God’s glory.

November had some added ministry with leading music for Mount Hermon’s Family Thanksgiving Retreat.  December culminated with a beautiful evening at Redwood Chapel called Festival of Carols (I played guitar), a series of concerts with Valley Christian School’s Conservatory of the Arts groups at the California Theater downtown San Jose, and completed my first semester at VCS just yesterday.  2012 will have some nice things to look forward to:  Performing a series of concerts in January & February (more info to come); leading workshops at the BASS convention in March;  in April, I’ll be joining Bob Bennett for a concert in Atascadero as well as lead workshops for M0unt Hermon’s Christian Songwriter’s Conference.

I hope you get a break to relax over Christmas and New Years.  May God’s incarnation make a significant impact on you this year as you make room for Jesus in your heart like never before.  2012 is almost here!  ~ Reggie & the HMM Board

Putting together a worship service is not easy if you take it seriously.  It helps for everyone to understand what goes into a worship service.  In the third section of Bob Kauflin’s book Worship Matters on Healthy Tensions, he looks at nine critical areas that must be embraced and kept in balance.  Before we look at those areas, Bob makes some good points I’d like to amplify.
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• We need to realize that God has something to say about what He wants in a worship service before we do “whatever we want.”  Some examples are:
  • We’re to pray together (1 Tim. 2:1-2).
  • Pastors are to preach and explain God’s Word (2 Tim. 4:2).
  • We’re to sing praises to God (Col. 3:16).
  • There’s a proper way to participate in the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 14:29; 11:17-34).
• There are three principles that are a good “rule of thumb” in putting together a service:
  • Do what God clearly commands.
  • Don’t do what God clearly forbids.
  • Use Scriptural wisdom for everything else.
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Now, let’s take a look at the many “tensions” involved in a worship service:
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Transcendent & Immanent

God is so much beyond us we cannot fully understand Him and His ways.  He is huge!  He is “God of god’s, Lord of lord’s, the great, the mighty, the awesome God” (Duet. 10:17).  Because of this, reverence is essential for worship (Heb. 12:28-29).  He is holy and we are sinful.  But God has made Himself reachable and near to us because of His deep love for us shown in the incarnation of Jesus.  God became human to laugh, eat, sleep, and interact with those He created.  The radical fact for Christians is that He is not only with us but He dwells in us.  Can you get any closer than that?  He is both majestic God and our friend (John 15:14-15).
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Head & Heart

Churches can have a hard time connecting the knowledge of the mind with the passions of the heart.   God desires us to set our minds on the things above (Col. 3:2).  In Colossians 3:16, Paul tells us an important reason to use Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs is to let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you.  Truth must be prevalent in all we do.   Yet in many churches, it’s passionate worship from the heart that needs attention.  Godly affections are deep and the result of focusing on what God has done and who He is.  God’s transcendence causes us to feel awe.  His holiness evokes sorrow for our sin.  A view of his mercy leads to gratefulness.  The knowledge of his sovereignty brings great peace.  Many times we can feel wonder and joy in response to God.  God intends for us to remember that neither biblical truth nor deep emotion is out of place when we worship God; they’re meant to be together.
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Internal & External

God looks upon the heart (1 Samuel 16:7) and the state of our heart is of primary importance because “from it flows the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23).  In Scripture, the heart encompasses everything from what we think to what we feel to what we choose.  It’s not enough that people just attend meetings, something must be stirring in their desires, thoughts, and feelings.  While heart worship is most important, what we do with our bodies isn’t irrelevant or unimportant.  Physical responsiveness to God in worship is encouraged and modeled throughout Scripture.  Various physical actions can bring God glory, including clapping, singing, bowing, kneeling, lifting hands, shouting, playing instruments, dancing, and standing in awe.  We must help our congregations understand that God is worthy of our deepest, strongest, and purest affections…and that our bodies should show it.
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Vertical & Horizontal

Worship, from beginning to end, is about God.  He is complete in every way.  When we worship God, we join an activity that began in eternity and will continue forever – the triune God valuing His beauty and worth above everything else.  God’s nature is to give and He created the world so we could share in the joy of knowing Him, ultimately for his glory.  God’s glory is the end of our worship, and not simply a means to something else.  Biblical worship is God-focused (God is clearly seen), God-centered (God is clearly the priority), and God-exalting (God is clearly honored).  The horizontal aspect of worship is about the importance of our interaction together as we worship God.  We are not to neglect our meeting together so we can build one another up and “stir up one another to love and good works” (Heb. 10:24-25).  We are “teaching and admonishing one another” (Col. 3:16).  Worship is not about us, but includes us.  Ephesians 5:19 reveals the perfect balance as we sing to the Lord we are speaking to each other, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.”  Worshiping together is a time for us to be built up, all for His glory.
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Planned & Spontaneous

I’ve been in situations where worship leaders don’t plan the service until 5 minutes before it.  Others will have such a detailed plan that even the prayers are written out in advance.  We need both planning and spontaneity.  Planning can’t replace dependence on the Holy Spirit.  Planning also can’t ensure we’ve made the right plans.  Our goal should be to plan wisely, humbly, and prayerfully, fully expecting that God may provide fresh and unexpected guidance during the meeting.  Plans are meant to serve us, not rule us.  It can make us aware of our need for God before the meeting.  It can cause us to clarify our goals and how to meet them.  It can help us use variety and contrast as well as use God’s Word more consistently.  It can help prepare all the team members for their contributions.  But spontaneity is important as well when it brings freshness to the meeting.  Gifted leadership is seen on the spot and in the moment.  We can plan for spontaneity by playing through a simple progression at the end of a song, singing a line of Scripture, sing a prayer using a familiar tune, etc.  Playing spontaneously gives us one more musical tool to help people see the glories of our great God and Savior.
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Rooted & Relevant

We must keep rooted in the timeless truths and principles as well as stay relevant to those who come to our services today.  Keep in mind that ours is not the first generation to think about and pursue biblical worship.  The past holds many things worth keeping or repeating.  There is richness for us in the liturgical forms from the past.  Throughout history, hymns are brilliantly crafted with certain depth and theological precision.  The greatest traditions in the world are meaningless unless they effectively communicate God’s truth to the people who come to our meetings.  God is the same, but we don’t need to be thirty years behind in decorating styles, graphics, and technology.  Our goal is to communicate clearly, not to distract or overwhelm.  It’s good to sing new songs and offer variety in our services, but realize we are constantly changing.  One of the benefits of rooted traditions is their ability to immunize us against the relentless changes in our culture and make us more attuned to faithfulness.  Let us draw upon the rich heritage of the past, while at the same time seeking to communicate the eternal gospel in ways our culture can understand.
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Skilled & Authentic

In comparing a hundred-voice choir dynamically leading worship with an average singer/guitarist passionately leading worship, which is more pleasing to God?  The answer depends on whether we define excellence from our perspective or God’s.  God commends musical excellence (Psalm 33:3;  1 Chronicles 15:22; 2 Chronicles 30:21-22).  When we worship God skillfully, we offer him what is excellent, our very best (Exodus 23:19a;  Numbers 18:29-30).  But taken to the extreme, an emphasis on skill and excellence can drift toward arrogance, formalism, and art worship (idolatry).  God wants us to pursue both skill and heart.  In building the temple, Moses called the craftsmen who were filled with the Spirit of God (Exodus 35:31) and whose heart stirred him up to do the work (Exodus 36:2).  Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24).  Beauty and skill can be appreciated by all (especially God), but genuineness and heart is what God truly wants (and this builds us up as well).
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For the Church & For Unbelievers

When you have a party at your house, there’s a difference between family and guests.  The same distinction can be made in the church.  I care for the guests, but my greatest concern is for those God has joined to my particular congregation.  They’re my spiritual family (1 Peter 2:4-5).  The first priority of our Sunday meetings is strengthening the church.  God doesn’t intend for the people we lead each Sunday to remain perpetually immature.  He wants them in every way to grow up into Christ.  Their maturing can be hindered when we focus primarily on non-family members (unbelievers).  However, scripture does tell us to keep unbelievers in mind and speaks of “outsiders” coming into our meetings (1 Corinthians14:24).  Being aware of non-Christians in our meetings causes us to say things more simply, explain common Christian phrases or words, and occasionally address those with us who don’t know the Savior.  When unbelievers visit our church, there are some things that really affect them:  Authentic passion – Do they find people who are awestruck and amazed by the kindness and mercy of God?  Love – Do they find people who reach out to them, serve one another, and maintain a “unity” as a spiritual family?  The Gospel – The best way to hold a healthy tension of building the church and reaching out to unbelievers is by proclaiming and expounding on the gospel (Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins to bring us to God).
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Event & Everyday

There may be a misconception of the word “worship.”  Some think it means merely singing.  Others think it is primarily our gathering on Sunday mornings.  Worship can happen when we have an event like Sunday morning, but scripture makes it clear that worship is a lifestyle of giving God worth and meant to be everyday.  Evangelism is worship (Romans 1:9).  Serving others is worship (Hebrews 13:16).  Giving is worship (Philippians 4:18).  Romans 12:1 connects worship to all of life as we “present our bodies as a living sacrifice.”  However, it is important to be together.  The early Christians are almost always seen worshiping, evangelizing, praying, singing, and living together.  Why?  Because we need the encouragement and support; God receives greater glory; We receive the teaching and care of God’s pastor-shepherds; We’re reminded that we’ve been drawn apart from the world and drawn together to God; We all need help transferring the truth we sing about on Sunday into the daily details of our lives.  In both contexts – together and apart – we’re aware that this is the reason we’ve been created:  to magnify the greatness of God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is a summary of the fourth part in Bob Kauflin’s book called Worship Matters.  Part 1 of the book gives practical insights into the life of a worship leader.  Part 2 gives a helpful focus as to what is the goal of our worship leading.  Part 3 reveals 9 healthy tensions we face in church worship.  Now, Part 4 describes how important it is to have good relationships in worship ministry:  Right relationships with the church (the people you see every week in your congregation), with your team (musicians, technicians, ushers, etc.), and with your pastor (or pastors if you have more than one pastor you work with).

Always People
It is very important to keep in mind at all times that people are most important!  God is all about relationships.  Because of His deep love for us, God sent His Son to die for people, to heal relationships, and draw us all closer to Him.  Relationships are messy and there are so many variables which make it hard to have a “cookie cutter” answer in solving problems.  “But I know this,” says Bob, “the church doesn’t need leaders who love to lead people in worship but don’t love the people they’re serving.”  It’s not just selecting the right songs that pleases God, but God is more interested in how we treat others.  Take stock of your relationships.  Who are you regularly coming in contact with?  Do you value these relationships?  As leaders, we must realize we can’t do ministry alone.  For one thing, sin is deceptive and we all need a degree of accountability and transparency with each other.  Sometimes we develop “blind spots” that only others can see.  Confront problem issues instead of avoiding them.  Plus, we need the contribution of others.  To be a one-man-band is ridiculous and will lead to arrogance and burn out.  Allow others to use their gifts and exercise a huge amount of appreciation as you relate to them.  A relevant prayer of Paul applies to us:

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another,  in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5-6).

Your Church
The feedback we get from the congregation isn’t always glowing.  Sometimes there are very good comments of critique and other comments are just whining or destructive.  Instead of writing them off, we should care for them and serve them.  This takes more time, thought and energy…and it takes God!  We need God to intervene and guide us through some of these relationships.  Make prayer a priority!  Pray for the church as your planning the service or practicing the songs.  Prayer will humble you.  Prayer will open your eyes to God’s purpose.  Prayer cultivates care for others and gets your eyes off yourself.  There will be those who love you and those who don’t so be ready for both encouragement and correction.  Receiving compliments may be awkward, but learn to graciously receive them.  Thank the person for taking the time to encourage you.  Express gratefulness for the opportunity to serve.  Draw attention to the contribution of others.  Also, internally and intentionally transfer the glory to God.  Receiving criticism is not easy, but God wants us to be open to it.  “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid” (Proverbs 12:1).  Pray for correction.  Expect correction.  Be proactive.  Thank people who correct you. Thank God for correction.  There are other leadership challenges when it comes to the church like handling song suggestions, teaching new songs, and leading through changes.  Each church has unique challenges when it comes to change.  It would help to make sure the leaders are in agreement, regularly teach the church what biblical worship is, lead theologically, and lead humbly but confidently.  Remember that God sees people as treasures and precious in His sight.

Your Team
No two worship teams are exactly alike.  They may play the same instruments as another church, but musicians are a rather varied lot with different backgrounds, experiences, strengths and weaknesses.  Here are five categories that will help you and your team create a way of relating that honors God.

1. Establishing Your Team – The Bible doesn’t define what a worship team should look like.   It depends on your church’s size, your pastor’s vision, your gifts, how much time you have, your church’s schedule, and who’s available.  You can be a super close group or not, depending on the structure that best fits your present goals and resources.  You may want to include your sound technicians and other media.  Think through the different roles you have as worship leader such as overseer (spiritually), music director, and coordinator (even if you assign others to do these tasks).  Create standards for you team to spell out responsibilities and expectations.  Worship isn’t a gig.  It’s the overflow of a life devoted to the glory of Jesus Christ.  Also, clarify the level of commitment.  This may vary per person as some may have children or serve with other ministries.
2. Encouraging Your Team – Cultivate a culture of gratefulness through things like gifts, thank you cards, random appreciative conversations, or a Christmas party.  Provide environments where people intentionally encourage evidences of grace they see in others rather than self-righteously criticizing their weaknesses.  Pray for each other one on one and as a group.  you can even do things together that are non-musical like miniature golf or going to see a movie.  Celebrate those who do extra things like organizing music, practicing extra hard, coming early to rehearsal, etc.  Giving thanks goes a long way.
3. Equipping Your Team – Create a culture of growth.  Provide training for your team.  This lets them know you value them and are willing to invest in their character and skill development.  Provide an avenue for theological growth.  They do hear the Word preached every week, but we can help them understand worship better.  There are great books that can be used to learn more about God’s holiness, His grace, His greatness, etc.  Provide an avenue for musical growth.  Encourage the “chart” readers to learn more about music theory.  Help vocalists understand more about singing harmony.  You can suggest private lessons, watch a training video together, or attend a conference on music or worship.  Committing a portion of rehearsals to training will help build this culture of growth.
4. Evaluating Your Team – One of the best ways to motivate your team to continued growth is to offer consistent and thoughtful evaluation.  Assessing your group’s progress in different areas will also help develop a culture of humility.    We need to start with ourselves and ask questions like, “How did I do leading this morning?” “Are there any ways I can run rehearsals more effectively?” “Was I clear?”  Take time to evaluate each musical presentation.  Listen to others during the presentation and let them know what you heard (or saw) afterwards.  It is good to evaluate character.  If you care about your team, hold them accountable to pursue godly character and help them grow.  Evaluate their gifting and skills.  Help them fit in where they can thrive.
5. Enjoying Your Team – As you lead your team, try to create a culture of joy.  Seeking to enjoy each other makes the challenging times more bearable.  Experience the fruit of God’s grace together and watch him work through us to glorify the Savior.  Leading a team isn’t always joyful.  Rehearsals can get tense or boring.   We can lose people to church plants, season-of-life changes, job transfers, or even sin.  So appreciate those you have.  You may not have the biggest and best worship team in your city, but have fun with who you have and “let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

Your Pastor
Pastors come in all shapes and sizes with different likes/dislikes, music tastes, and managerial styles.  However, the pastor and worship leader are a very important duo.  Pastor’s are gifts from God to teach and equip the church.  It’s our responsibility to support our pastor and not set our own agenda.  Serve your pastor.  You can do your job better by knowing your pastors priorities.  He probably doesn’t know music like you do, but serve him joyfully and humbly.  Listen to your pastor.  This may take time to understand what he means.  Sometimes you need to define words.  Pastors and worship leaders don’t always speak the same language, especially when it comes to music. What he calls “simple” you may call “dull.”  His “frantic” could be your “jubilant.”  “Wordy” to him means “thoughtful” to you.  When he says start with something “upbeat” to get people “going,” may seem to you like he doesn’t care about truth and wants to musically manipulate the congregation.  But, maybe you pick too many slow songs and the people are nodding off.  Communicate well and often.  Initiate creativity.  Use whatever freedom you have to be creative and offer meaningful ideas to enhance each service.  Ask for input from your pastor and implement it as often as you can.  Let your pastor assist you in your spiritual growth.  What can you do when you disagree?  First, make sure you’ve rightly identified the issues.  Beware of selfish ambition.  Second, exhaust every avenue of resolution.  Pray and talk things out.  Third, stay or move on in faith.  Take time to grow, learning more about technical issues, spiritual issues, people issues.  The last chapter of the book addresses the pastors role in supporting the worship of the church and the worship leader.  Bob gives good suggestions:

• Pastors should recognize their own role in leading worship.
• Pastors should know what to look for in a worship leader (humility, godly character, love for good theology, leadership gifting, and musical skill).
• Pastors should equip and encourage their worship leaders.
• Pastors should be faithful to plan and evaluate.
• Pastors should resolve conflicts biblically.

Reflecting on the Fourth of July, we can be thankful to God for freedom!  With less than two months left for summer, it’s good to plan it out and make sure the important things don’t slip by.  The following events are ones you will not want to miss.  Thank you for your encouragement and continued support through Heartfelt Music Ministry as we strive in God’s strength to lead others toward intimacy with God.

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Cede and Reggie in Concert This Friday, July 8, at 6:30pm

Cede is holding its second concert since the release of the new CD called New Beginnings.  It will be at Christ Community Church, 1000 S Park Victoria Dr Milpitas, CA 95035, at 6:30pm.  I will open up the concert with a 45 minute set, then the band will be playing hot tunes off the CD and some kickin’ praise songs like Trading My Sorrows and Ain’t Nobody.  I’m playing acoustic guitar with these 8 other skillful musicians.  Listen to the songs and check us out at http://www.reverbnation.com/cedewest.  Come join us Friday, July 8^th at 6:30pm (in the Coffee Shop venue).

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Guitar Camps Begin Saturday, July 9th

I will be holding four one day Guitar Camps this summer in my home, limited to a five participants for each session.  It is more of an intimate setting with personal interaction and attention.  They are held on Saturdays from 9:00am to 1:00pm.  Because they are limited, make sure you get in the Application Form right away.  The curriculum is more intensive  in order to get a lot in, but the camps are intentionally divided up to benefit certain age groups and skill levels.  The camps are held in beautiful Mount Hermon.  They include three hours of instruction, a delicious brunch, a challenging training/resource book (The Complete Guitar Manual, with DVD, 2011), a notebook, and relevant handouts.  All the information is at our website under courses/camps.

• July 9 – Beginning Guitar Camp (Ages 13-Adult)
• July 16 – Intermediate Guitar Camp (Ages 9-12)
• July 23 – Beginning Guitar Camp (Ages 9-12)
• August 13 – Intermediate Guitar Camp (13-Adult)
• August 20 – Advanced Guitar Camp (13-Adult)
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Christian Guitarist Fellowship

The Christian Guitarist Fellowship is back.  Everyone is invited from beginners to advanced players, from rockers to alternative players, from acoustic to electric players, from teenagers to the ageless.  Come and meet guitarists from all over the Bay Area. Heartfelt Music Ministry is holding the Christian Guitarist Fellowship to help motivate you in your guitar playing and encourage you in Christ. There will be a short lesson for all levels; we will have breakout “jam” sessions where you pair off with those in their your skill level; we will play some worship songs together; a few will perform in front of everyone; we’ll pray together; and we’ll discuss resources for guitarists in the Bay Area. It will be a fun fellowship and it’s free! Even those who have never played before, but want to learn to play the guitar are welcome. It will be at Open Door Church Mountain View, 1667 Miramonte Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040, on Sunday, July 10^th, from 2:30pm-4:30pm.

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National Anthem at the Infineon Raceway

I’ll be playing the National Anthem on electric guitar on Sunday, July 24, to start the races.  Racers For Christ will also be holding three Chapels that morning in which I will be leading worship for.  It’s a very exciting event with dragsters, funny cars, and motorcycles racing throughout the day.  Christian racers are so grateful for the chapel fellowship and teaching during these events.  For more information, contact one of the Racers for Christ chaplains, Bob Hadidian, at (805) 801-7579.

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National Worship Leader Conference

I’ll be teaching some workshops at the National Worship Leader Conference, July 18-21, in Kansas.  Their emphasis this year is Engaging With God.  If any of you would like to go, you can get a 10% discount by using the discount code COATES.  It is a wonderful time for renewal and inspiration with some of the world’s leading artists, teachers and worship leaders (Jack Hayford, Matt Redman, Casting Crowns, Tim Hughes, Tommy Walker, Rebecca St. James, to name a few). Go to the National Worship Leader Conference website for more details.