Jim Jensen's Blog

The end? Or the beginning...

2010-01-06T21:44:00.002-05:00

As Sam says to Frodo- the story goes on and on, and we are still in it! I am going to investigate a new blog format geared toward music ministry resources and leadership development, but for now there will be no more postings.

For those that come here just for the pictures, please join facebook and friend me (if you aren't on it yet, shame on you anyway!).

JIM

Where do we go from here?

2009-12-06T23:49:00.002-05:00

Well, I haven't posted in a few weeks...I think it's the first long break in almost a year.

I'm rethinking my goals for the blog and whether or not blogging can still fit into my schedule, so there probably won't be anything more until after Christmas.

BTW- please come to The River's Christmas Experiences! www.therivercc.net

Preview for November 8th

2009-11-05T23:06:00.003-05:00

I gotta stop making predictions about my return to video blogging!

We start a new series at the River centered around generosity, finances, life and the church. Given our current economic climate, I'd say this series will have useful and inspiring content for everyone.

We are trying out a new praise tune. If you want to hear it before Sunday, youtube- Giving It All by Michael Gungor Band. Also on tap, a song by the up and coming Leeland.

See you there! JIM

Preview for November 1st

2009-10-30T14:00:00.002-04:00

Well, this is the time of year that is the busiest for me because I'm hard at work preparing Christmas music for The River! I hope to begin video blogging again next week.

This is the last in our Reset series, so don't miss it! We're talking about the church and what we, as an organization and movement, should be all about.

We are premiering a very cool video/live element about the history of what we have done as a church over the last 7 years. There is also a very cool interview with someone on the front lines of ministry in the heart of Detroit.

As usual I don't want to give too much away! This is a great Sunday to invite a friend, don't forget to spread the word...JIM

preview for October 25th

2009-10-24T15:40:00.002-04:00

Sorry, ran out of time for a video preview. Kept thinking I'd do it each night and time got away from me.

Still, going to be a fun one tomorrow, and challenging in terms of our pray life. If you want to figure out what prayer is all about, or if you want to learn a new pattern for prayer, don't miss it.

I wrote a tune with lyrics from an old hymn- Lord I Have Shut the door. Gwynne is singing it and knocking it out of the park! Aral wrote a drama too and it is very cool.

So, see you tomorrow! JIM

Sunday Preview, October 18

2009-10-15T23:15:00.001-04:00

OCTOBER 11th Preview

2009-10-08T22:59:00.001-04:00

preview for Sunday, October 4

2009-10-02T09:06:00.002-04:00

Sorry no video entry this week, got caught with lots of work!

If you are new to The River or considering coming, then welcome! You will find a relaxed, casual environment when you arrive, excellence children's experiences, friendly faces, and an informative, inspirational experience that will help you know a bit more about God and your relationship with Him.

Fans of country music will enjoy the opening tune, so be sure to be on time to hear it.

On a related topic- if you are a regular attender at The River, and find yourself still in the lobby chatting as the opening elements unfold, could you set an example for the many new people who are coming by getting into the auditorium on time? If we, who attend and love the River, create a culture of timeliness, we will insure that our guests and those seeking more information about God will get the benefit of experiencing a complete journey for each week's topic. And that could make all the difference in someone's spiritual journey. thanks!

We have a different speaker this week....won't give it away, but she has prepared an excellent talk on whether or not God is fair. It's part of the reset journey and should be very eye opening.

See you there!!! JIM

Preview for Sunday, September 27th

2009-09-22T17:15:00.001-04:00

Preview for September 20th...

2009-09-18T18:05:00.002-04:00

I DON'T KNOW WHY I KEEP SAYING OCTOBER 20TH...it's SEPTEMBER 20th!!! Sorry....JIM

Preview for Sunday, September 13

2009-09-09T13:02:00.000-04:00

on vacation

2009-08-22T22:22:00.002-04:00

Well, my vacation has caught up with me and I won't be doing any new video previews for a couple weeks.

Still, I think everyone who comes to the River on the 23 and 30th of August will very much enjoy themselves and be inspired. See you in a few! JIM

Inside Out- August 16th

2009-08-17T18:51:00.001-04:00

Preview for Sunday, August 16th

2009-08-13T19:14:00.000-04:00

Story of Forgiveness from Easter 2009

2009-08-09T19:23:00.001-04:00

This is an original element and one of the coolest things we have ever done at The River. The camera work didn't turn out so great, but you will get the idea!

Story of Forgiveness from The River Community Church on Vimeo.

Review of Sunday, August 2nd

2009-08-04T13:43:00.002-04:00

I'll bet most people wouldn't guess that we had a very challenging rehearsal time in the morning. Equipment failures, lateness, people running around trying to get it all together.

There are always challenges, of course, when you produce at our level. The key is to go into it knowing there may be problems, but determined to work through them and to be civil to each other on the way. I'm happy to say that is a quality most people at The River have in spades.

Daryl did a great job leading the band- thanks buddy! Jack had fun playing the dobro (supplied by Don) and Dee knocked it out of the park on "Servant of All" by Misty Edwards...

24 hours

2009-07-30T09:48:00.003-04:00

This is a song a wrote a couple years ago, we did it again recently at The River-

Review of Sunday, July 26

2009-07-28T14:37:00.003-04:00

In Constant Sorrow was really cool with authentic bluegrass instruments!

Special thanks to Marc's friend Pete for playing the banjo. :)

The band was very tight overall, great job guys.

We heard lots of comments about how powerful the experience was, and Dave is the MVP for being so vulnerable in sharing, and also playing guitar, and leading out on Always.

Review of Sunday, July 19

2009-07-21T08:52:00.002-04:00

Hard to believe we are already in the middle of July, but here we are!

Sunday is a classic example of using what you have. We only had three players on Sunday, but we tweaked the arrangements to make it work, and used creative instrumentation. Daryl played 3 different instruments!

The prelude turned out great (St. Thomas). God really moved in the hearts of many throughout the experience. We opened the mics to sharing, something that can sometimes seem risky, but it really gave people an opportunity to encourage each other with the ways God is caring them....

TRIPLE 7 CHALLENGE DAY 7 (almost)

2009-07-20T12:39:00.002-04:00

Well, I found out how difficult it is to commit to a blog entry on a Sunday. Oh well...hopefully you read and meditated on the last passage (I did too, just didn't have time to write this up).

Romans 8:31,35,38,39

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?…Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For me, this passage challenges me to have alot more confidence in God than I currently can muster. I don't think I really appreciate how powerful my alliance is with God, but of course it's God's love and power that make it so great. How would my life look if I truly believed that at any moment and anywhere I was centered in the love of my Creator?

Because we can't see God with our eyes, or hear him with our ears, we tend to think of God as a nebulous presence at best, or an absent Grandfather at worst. Our senses are so powerful and the tendency is to only believe what our senses can tell us. But there are many things our senses can't tell us that we believe. For example, the love I have for my wife. Or the existence of atoms. Why is it, then, that we have a hard time believing in a God whose love is powerful beyond description? What would change in us if we did believe it?

Well, I encourage everyone to continue reading God's Word regularly and to meditate on it...let God speak into your life!

TRIPLE 7 CHALLENGE DAY 6

2009-07-18T08:35:00.002-04:00

Philippians 2:1-4

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Paul is asking some rhetorical questions in this letter to the church of Philippi. Of course there is encouragement to be gained from placing our life in God's hands. He is trying to tie together how the inside attitudes of a person should be reflected in the outside actions that they take. I've always appreciated this wholeness philosophy of Christianity, because I would seriously doubt any faith that didn't take into account the mind, emotions, and the body. Paul is warning the church against the false brand of faith that is practiced only in the mind and emotions.

This passage encourages me today to connect my daily life with my faith, and I hope won't squander those opportunities when they come to me today.

Enjoy the Saturday! There are about 50 of us following this journey online- 50 people living out their faith today would be truly stunning. Think of how God could use that...

TRIPLE 7 CHALLENGE DAY 5

2009-07-17T08:30:00.002-04:00

Hey, if you are hanging in there with the Challenge, great work!

Today are passage is Matthew 5:13-16:

You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

I'm a salter. I like to put salt on my food. Salt is an interesting spice because it's function is to bring out and enhance the natural flavors of food. I was reflecting on this during my 7 minutes today and it jumped out at me- In what way are we to be like salt of the earth? In such a way that we enhance those around us- build them up, help them do what God has gifted them to do, speak wisdom and encouragement, and things like that. (It's the same way with the lamp, providing light for others to see by). I'm going to watch out today for ways I can enhance those around me, like my family, friends, co-workers...whomever I happen to meet.

Tomorrow's passage is Philippians 2:1-4 (only 2 more to go!)

TRIPLE 7 CHALLENGE DAY 4

2009-07-16T16:44:00.002-04:00

Today we're looking at Psalm 103:1-5:

¹ Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
² Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
³ He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
⁴ He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
⁵ He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

One of the things we're learning at the River, as a church, is how to praise God in music on Sundays. We have seen a big change over the last year and alot of growth in this area. I think we have really been learning how to do this and still maintain an open community for those who are still checking out Jesus.

To me, this passage gives some great reminders as to why God deserves our thanks and praise. I love the line: "He fills my life with good things." What a great truth- all good things ultimately come from God, that's worthy of our praise!

Sometimes we get too busy or distracted to remember where good things come from...I'm reminded in this passage to praise God when good things happen. I'm going to try to develop a habit of praise, not just on Sundays but during the week as well.

What are your thoughts???

TRIPLE 7 CHALLENGE DAY 3

2009-07-15T09:58:00.003-04:00

RU sticking with it? This might be a tough day to find time for the Challenge...I encourage you to keep going. Even if you feel God isn't speaking to you, keep trying. This idea of Christian meditation takes time to develop and some practice.

Today's passage is a mirror passage of Psalm 1, and is taken from Jeremiah 17:7-8:

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

There are some minor differences- this tree never stops producing fruit, although I believe the author means that each season is a fruitful one, or that the tree is always growing. It would be hard to say without some intensive Hebrew study! In any case, the principle is similar- only in God will be rooted and growing, like a tree beside the water.

I like the word "confidence"- I think it adds to the concept of trusting in God. That's what jumped out at me today in my mediation on this passage. I'm still working on the whole trusting God thing. It's most likely a life long pursuit.

I was thinking about the things in life I have confidence in and wondering if I feel the same way about God. Am I confident that He is with me? That He will provide for me? What would my life look like if this were true all the time? If I have my life's trust in somebody or something else, what will it take to move my confidence to God?

What are your thoughts?

Tomorrow: Psalm 103:1-5

TRIPLE 7 CHALLENGE DAY 2

2009-07-14T13:06:00.002-04:00

Today we're looking at Galatians 5:22-24:

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

As I mentioned in my talk on Sunday, this is a key verse with my daughter, Julia. We're helping her to understand what it means to live like that each day. I like the image of crucifying our old nature, not just hiding it but killing it.

Focusing on it with Julia has also forced me to think about what it would be like if I had God's love in me, or God's joy, or gentleness. That leads to the whole question of what needs to change...there's alot!

I welcome your thoughts....

TRIPLE 7 CHALLENGE 1

2009-07-13T10:14:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone, this is the first day of the T7C, and we're in Galatians 2:20:

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

As I've been meditating on this passage, I've been trying to follow my own instructions and ask the 3 questions:

1. What does the passage teach?

2. What are the implications for me?

3. What changes must I make?

I don't want to write in my answers because I think it's important for each of us to hear God personally, but one of the things that jumped out at me as I was thinking about the implications was the idea of trust. Paul gives us 2 good reasons to trust God with our lives- he loves us, and he gave his life for us (he acted on that love). So I'm thinking that having trust in God is not only prudent but reasonable. It's not a blind trust, but based on the nature of Jesus.

I'm asking myself today what changes I need to make as I follow Jesus. If the life I now live is lived by faith/trust in God, how should I be acting? What characteristics will guide my decisions and my emotions during the day?

Well, I hope you have heard from God today through this passage...if you want to contribute to the conversation, feel free to post a comment. Tomorrow we meditate on Galatians 5:22-24...

Sunday July 12

2009-07-12T14:15:00.002-04:00

Hey, it was a fun, kinda bizarro Sunday for me, since I had the privilege of giving the talk. James led the band and did a great job preparing the music. Everyone did very well on their songs! The "my stories" in Word of God Speak were a great capstone to my talk and were very inspiring.

For those doing the Triple 7 Challenge: The journey starts tomorrow with Galatians 2:20!

The 3 questions to ask when meditating on the passage are:

1. What does the passage teach?

2. What are the implications for me?

3. What changes must I make?

Remember, God's Word can only be a "burning bush" for us if we agree to believe what God says is true, even if it makes us uncomfortable or goes against our own will. I want to encourage you- if you are taking the Triple 7 Challenge, you are taking a positive step to hear the voice of God Himself speak into your life- way to go! You can do this. :)

More to come...

Sunday, July 5

2009-07-07T22:03:00.002-04:00

Not bad for the lowest attended Sunday of the church year. Brielle made her debut, great job! Rob, Candace and I had fun developing harmonies on and oldie but goodie- Refiner's Fire. Worked great with the topic and communion.

Thanks again to Paul, great drumming! and Thanks to Jack for filling in on electric guitar this week.

Note to all- need more players! Anybody out there who hasn't stepped forward yet? Now is the time- ask me about an audition!!

2009-07-05T22:51:00.000-04:00

All the car's are dust in the wind...

Review of Sunday, June 28th

2009-06-29T19:15:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the missed week...I was getting over the hump of my workload, and I think I'm on the other side of it now, which is good. In any case, I don't want to be rigid about blog entries, but I do like to comment on each Sunday, so let me just say that June 21st turned out OK and we enjoyed ourselves as usual.

Now for June 28th- drummer Tim Freeman rocked the house! Thanks for the name and phone number, Dave. Let that be a lesson for all you kids out there- always follow up on contacts!

The big "sleeper hit" of the experience was the new song "Healer" by Hillsongs. There was some question as to whether Riverites were ready for a power ballad praise tune, but undoubtedly they were and are. We will be bringing that tune back again.

Other highlights- James sang his tune even though it was too high for him (tell me earlier next time!), Becky returned to the stage (nice work), and Dave had a great little transition in between the last two songs. (Thanks for the guitar, Jack). Don rocked out as usual...thanks everyone for a fun day!

Review of Sunday, June 14

2009-06-16T14:38:00.002-04:00

We went without an electric guitar, and it's a good example of making the songs your own. I filled in an electric guitar sound on a couple tunes, and we went with piano and acoustic guitar on the others. Everything sounded great- don't be limited by your lack of an instrument!

Sheltering Tree was fun- people seemed to enjoy singing the "Na na na" portion (easy lyrics!).

Thanks to Jim P for filling in again, and to all band members and singers- well done!

Review of Sunday, May 31

2009-06-02T14:36:00.002-04:00

We finished out our Mythbuster series. Great drama with Luke and guest actor Tom.

A big welcome to John Sterlini on drums! I'm still getting positive comments on the keytar. Probably the people that don't care for it are keeping quiet. :)

We enjoyed a time of communion with the song "Jesus Messiah."

That's about it...this could have been a twitter entry...

Review of Sunday, May 24

2009-05-26T13:24:00.002-04:00

It's always interesting to cover controversial topics. We tackled homosexuality and the church this week. Scott did a great job sensitively communicating the message.

"Whatever I Fear" by Toad the Wet Sprocket was a highlight for me. Everyone did a great job on the tune and it really set the mood for the message. James did very well on the lead vocal. Dee did a great job on "Make Me Over" (thanks to Daryl for the extra string part!).

I thought the breaking glass effect was very cool- our new tech director, Scott Syke, made it happen...

Julia's Dance Recital

2009-05-18T15:15:00.002-04:00

Yes, here is Julia's first time on stage for dance. Sorry about the jitter on the tape...dad needs to remember to bring his tripod next time. I honestly didn't think I'd be standing in the very back of the auditorium and have to use the full zoom, but I figured it out when the line to get into the Theatre extended though the school a good quarter mile. No joke.

Julia has a good friend to help her out at the beginning! It's hard to walk out backwards in front of 700 people...

Review of Sunday, May 17

2009-05-18T15:08:00.002-04:00

We had a strong Sunday this last week in our Mythbuster series. Scott figured out how to turn on the hazer again. Jordan had to give up a pair of headphones. We had a (now rare, thankfully) mic problem in one drama but the team jumped on it quick! Is "piss" a swear word? We think so! We changed the lyrics to "tick." Is that politically correct?

Thanks to the band for sticking with the music and bringing the songs up to where they needed to be. It was a struggle this time, but I appreciate the great attitudes and a can-do spirit.

There was a cool moment that was unexpected for me, when people brought down the plank (from the story Jesus told about removing the plank from your eye) and threw it on the stage as a sign they were committing to speaking truth in love and cleaning up their own attitudes/anger. The sound of the wood bits hitting the stage while the keys played softly was very cool, and "Grace Like Rain" fit in nicely at the end.

Kudos to Annie and Jeanette on "Make Me Over"- great combination of dance and vocals. Finally, Dave is the weeks MVP for having to sing , play guitar, and remember to say "tick" all in the same song (Politically Correct)!

Easter 2009 Pictures

2009-05-16T14:20:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures from the Easter 2009 production. Thanks to everyone who made this happen! Wow...

Review of Sunday, May 10

2009-05-10T17:58:00.002-04:00

Mother's Day was a fun day at The River. We always work to make it an interesting and different day. Jeanette and Denise brought a creative and encouraging message. Luke and Aral had a hilarious video (I will post a link if it becomes available).

My friend Dan Ansaldo was visiting from NYC and was kind enough to sing "Needle and Thread" by Sleeping at Last. Wow. Dan is a professional singer (Musical Theater and Opera), photographer, hip-hop dancer, and a bunch of other stuff. If you want to see some of Dan's media work, go here: http://web.me.com/dwansaldo/Website/Welcome.html

Gary's last Sunday on drums was today- we will miss you Gary. BTW- can you play next month? Just kidding...but we will see more of Gary in the future since he is now on the sub list.

Everyone did a great job today. I have to mention Jack in particular- way to totally dominate "Needle and Thread." You nailed that acoustic guitar part! Way to go.

Review of Sunday, May 3

2009-05-04T21:19:00.002-04:00

Big news at The River this week, with Dee and Scott Crownover announcing their plans to start a new church in Ann Arbor in the fall of next year. This really ties in with our mission at The River, but of course we will be missing them in their current roles as they transition.

This was one of those weeks where every song the band did had a drama or other component in it, but the guys did a great job flexing with the changes. Way to go!

review of Sunday, April 26

2009-04-26T23:38:00.002-04:00

The keytar is back!! I can't tell you how much more fun it is on stage when I'm not stuck behind the keys.

Great band this week and some really solid performances. Max recorded background vocals for Brothers and Sisters by David Barnes. I believe that is a first for us, while we have used click tracks for extra instrument parts, we have never added vocals. It sounded good from the stage, hopefully it was the same in the audience.

It was great to hear from everyone who used their community money to help others. There were some neat stories, each person had a great idea and helped other people.

review of Sunday, April 19th

2009-04-20T10:49:00.002-04:00

We haven't done this in a while, but I feel like as a church we laughed our way through this experience. Aral and Luke set the tone with their "worst evangelism ever" video and sketch. Tony picked up on that and used humor all through his message. It felt great and the topic of how to share our faith was covered in a lighthearted but very effective way.

Marc brought his "A game" vocal to "Give Me Your Eyes" and someone mentioned to me that "Beautiful One" sounded the best it ever has. Great work band! Thanks to Paul for stepping in on drums this week!

Some of you may have noticed we didn't have an electric guitar player. One thing I've been learning is that you need to make the best of what you have. Sometimes we don't have enough players to fill the roster, but that is an opportunity, not a problem. This past week it was an opportunity to arrange for a different line up and we were able to bring a unique, full sound to these songs. There is always a way.

Easter 2009 @ The River

2009-04-14T20:38:00.002-04:00

This is my 8th major production at The River. We have done some wildly creative stuff over the years, but this ranks up there as one of the best.

A DVD project is underway, but it could take a while to wade through all the material and produce something good.

The Story of Forgiveness element came together in a truly inspiring way. Many people have asked me how the dream team plans out these kinds of elements. It really was a bringing together of many ideas from various sources. One brought the idea of telling the story of creation through the resurrection, another the use of scripture narration, a color scheme, an original score, and so on. Another person brought the idea of the shadow shapes, which was brilliantly realized by Annie Syke. Another person fleshed out the creation elements. What a humbling experience to be surrounded by such talent! I wish I had another couple months to refine the musical score, but in the end we had deadlines and it all worked out.

The band did a fantastic job. It was the first time in a major production band for Dave, Mike and Kyle. Veterans Rob and Don rounded out an excellent musical team. Gwynne, Jeanette, Dave and Scott brought strong vocals to the table. With a sharp looking band stage (see pictures below) the tableau was complete.

It is hard to underestimate the impact of the My Story video with the D'Arcy family. They have alot of courage to tell their story and I know that it will be influential in the lives of many, many people.

In terms of attendance, creativity, and spiritual impact, I believe the Easter production was incredibly successful!

Updated Pictures

2009-04-12T22:41:00.001-04:00

A review of Easter is coming. In the meantime, enjoy some pictures from The River Easter Weekend below, as well as new family pictures....JIM

Review of Sunday, April 5th

2009-04-06T23:22:00.002-04:00

This was my last day at Kensington's Birmingham Campus. It was alot of fun- just piano and vocal and they had a decent Steinway for me to play, which was an unexpected treat.

James led the band very capably back at The River and I heard good things about the music.

Easter is coming...if you go to The River, this is a reminder to invite people! It's going to be so cool and inspiring, you will kick yourself for NOT inviting people if you don't.

Star Wars Spoof

2009-03-30T16:51:00.002-04:00

I made this video for The River, where Vader tries to dissuade his son Luke from attending church. Aral Basil Gribble III wrote the script!

review of Sunday, March 29th

2009-03-30T14:57:00.002-04:00

I sound like a broken record, but what a GREAT band this weekend. Way to go guys!

Thanks to Todd Brady (guitar) and Jim Pauli (drums) for sitting in and making it a truly enjoyable day.

MVP goes to Rob for singing up front without his guitar and music stand. I knew you had it in you bro!

We debuted the Easter 09 trailer that I made. Here it is:

Review of Sunday, March 22

2009-03-23T12:26:00.004-04:00

Great day overall, well attended, and the band was hot. Gary Holvick made his debut on guitar, and Marc Whitted returned to the stage after a long absence. Live and Let Die was a blast!

I enjoyed working with Luke Richmond on the "It's All About Me" sketch. I have some photos posted on my facebook page. The Smitty tune, Too Many Times, was something I worked hard on and it seemed to go well.

Max, commenting on Jordan's audio work: "best mix ever."

Keytar goes in for repairs today...hopefully it will be back on stage in a week or so!

Julia and Emma in their singing debut

2009-03-18T00:37:00.002-04:00

Here is the video we captured of Julia and Emma on March 15th. It is the first and second services at the River...the cute factor is out of control!

Review of Sunday, March 15

2009-03-15T22:41:00.002-04:00

Another fun, creative Sunday at the River. We played off those humorous "time saving" inventions that you see on TV to intro the topic of cutting corners by demonstrating some of them live on stage. One featured a limp, uncooked chicken.

Give In went well, which is a song I wrote for this experience. My daughter, Julia, had her stage debut singing the child's part at the end of Casting Crown's "Slow Fade" with her friend Emma. They both did a wonderful job. The cuteness level was almost overwhelming.

Detroit bass legend Mike Fredericks sat in with the band!

Overall a very nice day of ministry...

Review of Sunday, March 8

2009-03-09T22:49:00.002-04:00

Well, we pulled off a decent Sunday despite having to fight off several challenges, include daylight savings time! Most people never know, and rightly so, how difficult it can be (sometimes) to put everything together for a Sunday morning. It's no big deal, we do it every week and challenges are just opportunities for Christ to shine in us and come through for us. But the band really struggled for a variety of reasons this week, and I'm very proud of each person for sticking with it and playing through, even though it wasn't our best week.

So thanks guys! And let this be a lesson to all the kids out there- sometimes you just have to keep playing, even if you can't sound as good as you want to...

Review of Sunday, March 1

2009-03-03T22:23:00.003-05:00

This was the second Sunday I led the band at Kensington Church, Birmingham Campus. It has been alot of fun meeting new players and everyone at BC is great. Ann Wilson spoke, it was the first time I have heard her and I thought she was an excellent communicator (so did Lisa). The band did "Take On Me" by A-Ha...great tune for keyboardists!

At the River the father/son team of Rick and Blake held down the fort, along with their friend Matt on bass, Tamara on keys, and veteran rocker Don on guitar. A big thank you to all who served so well...

Review of Sunday, February 22nd

2009-02-23T20:32:00.003-05:00

I heard great things about the mix this week, and a few people said they enjoyed the prelude (which was an original arrangement this time around). The party drama with Linkin Park's "What I've Done" really set the tone for the message on temptation.

Tony hurling marshmellows- an excellent, edible illustration (what is your marshmellow?).

Can church be exciting, relevant, arts intensive, thought provoking...and faithful to the gospel? YES IT CAN.

Review of Sunday, February 15th

2009-02-15T22:08:00.002-05:00

Matt Townby sat in on drums and literally rocked the house this week. It was strictly "A game" players and singers and everyone did a great job. There was alot of variety in the music, which is fun, and there were 6 tunes including the prelude. That's more than we can handle every week, but once in a while it is cool to showcase the band.

Week 2 for the keytar, and I have to say that it is really allowing me the freedom that a guitar player enjoys. I am so excited to be mobile and really connect with the band, singers and congregation without the monstrous rack of keys in front of me. It won't work on tunes where I need both hands to play the part...but for the rest...rock on!

Review of Sunday, February 8th

2009-02-09T23:38:00.002-05:00

This was one of the most musically dynamic Sundays we have had so far this year. I don't think one particular thing made it happen. Instead, many factors came together. Everyone learned their parts, the vocalists were well matched to their songs, the music itself was well picked, and of course the Roland AX-1 strap on keyboard made it's debut.

The congregation of the River is slowly learning how to praise God through music. It's unreasonable to expect a total and swift adoption when so many of us come from unchurched backgrounds or catholic backgrounds. So it's been a journey. This week many people seemed to experience God's presence through the music, and were able to celebrate with those of us on stage.

Review of Sunday, February 1st

2009-02-02T19:47:00.002-05:00

Thanks for James for band leading while I was away! I wasn't around for this one but the reports are all good. Ryan is heir apparent to all things "Jars," and a big thanks for Tamara Whitely for filling in on keys and vocals.

I led the band at Kensington Church's Birmingham campus and had a great time there. I did debut the keytar to rave reviews! Overall a fun day...

Review of Sunday, January 25th

2009-01-26T22:31:00.003-05:00

MVP- Max on bass. Wow. Thanks Todd, for coming all the way from Chicago to shred on our stage! Job well done for the entire band! This was a strong day, musically speaking.

The Rock Band element seemed to work as an opener, and I think people enjoyed watching Tony try to vocalize on "Livin On a Prayer." Fortunately, we cut it off before it got out of control. :)

We proved that James CAN sing standing up (it's been awhile since he had a song that didn't go with a stool).

Chris Tomlin's "God of This City" was a hit, with people signing the giant artwork and showing how many volunteers we have (not as many as I thought...of course lots of them were volunteering at the moment and couldn't come sign!).

review of Sunday, January 18th

2009-01-21T10:08:00.002-05:00

For the readers who like to get the behind the scenes information, I can say that this service was not reviewed as favorably as others. However, there are always positive aspects that can be celebrated. We did overcome many obstacles to win through in the end.

Everyone seemed to enjoy "We Go Together" from Grease. Watching people try to get the tongue twisters in the bridge while doing the hand jive was a funny sight.

The importance of life groups in our church was clearly communicated and about 30 couples signed up for the first time to join a life group!

Dave Lloyd joined us for the first time on guitar- way to go!

Updated Pictures

2009-01-14T11:23:00.002-05:00

I updated the Family and River pictures. Some of the River pics are from the construction of the Christmas 2008 set...

review of Sunday, January 11th

2009-01-12T22:33:00.002-05:00

Well, another rippingly good Sunday musically. Everyone is just bringing their "A" game. Dave- what a magnificent debut with "You Found Me" by The Fray. Dee, it took guts to find your own pitch, don't feel bad...I know I don't. You solo killed. Jeanette too. Yup, a good time was had by all.

Two things I want to say in Christian love-

1. Everyone that wanders into the service late is missing some mighty fine music and other great elements that weave together to form a beautiful tapestry. I highly encourage everyone attending the River to be on time...not for my sake but for yours. We promise to put our best foot forward every week...you won't regret the time spent!

2. We are in Michigan, people. It's going to snow. Don't let it stop you from going to church (or anything else)!

OK, I'm off my soapbox. Great work everyone and thanks for all the encouragement...we are building a GREAT church together and I'm honored to be a part of it with you.

Review of Sunday, January 4th

2009-01-05T22:27:00.002-05:00

I didn't review Sunday, December 28th, since I wasn't there (I was in Scranton, PA visiting my parents and my brother and his family). Heard it was good, though.

I received more positive feedback from the music on January 4th than any Sunday in the last 4 or 5 months. And it WAS a great day. I thought my arrangement of Eleanor Rigby came out decent, and Blake and Lauren (new singer we "borrowed" from Northridge Church) rocked the house with some sweet vocals. The band did very well too.

Overall, just the kind of weekend to set the stage for a new year. I have a vision to build the best music team ministry in our area, and I think we are taking some new and exciting steps toward that goal.

Christmas Unwrapped day 2

2008-12-24T22:17:00.002-05:00

Well, another River Christmas has come and gone. The last day was a marathon of 1 dress and 3 services, but everyone did great. Attendance was steady throughout. Special thanks to the music team for your talent and skill, and especially for your time and great attitudes. Enjoy Christmas knowing you made a difference in the lives of many people!

Pictures coming soon in the new year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! -JIM

Christmas Unwrapped Day 1

2008-12-23T23:55:00.002-05:00

Well, I think we had two strong experiences for Christmas today. Only one technical glitch relating to the media computer. There was good attendance even with bad road conditions.

Backstage tidbits- Gwynne pulled off two great performances while suffering from a stomach flu....wow. The food has been great, thanks to the hospitality team. Max, Glenn and the team get the award for best and biggest set ever on our stage.

Word of the day- "hold" (we had lots of stops and starts in rehearsals). Also, it appears from the program that I am responsible for almost everything in the show (which is not true). However, the band thinks it's pretty funny and has been running with it all day (snowy day, arranged by Jim Jensen...lunch meat platter, arranged by Jim Jensen...and so on).

Review of Sunday, December 21

2008-12-23T23:52:00.002-05:00

We did some GREAT unplugged music for this service. I also wrote a wacky song about poinsettias and how hard it was to come up with elements for a service with poinsettias and Mary as the main topics.

We had the main curtain closed because of the Christmas set and that seemed to work out OK. We may have to think about doing that in the future if it works to our advantage somehow.

Thats about it...on to the Christmas Production!

Review of Sunday, December 14

2008-12-15T10:32:00.002-05:00

We had a very good band! Is was great to welcome back Mike on bass, and Rick's "first serve" on drums was outstanding.

The Trepak I arranged came out better than I had envisioned. It was alot of fun to play. Go Tell It On the Mountain was also an original arrangement and I was very pleased with the sound we developed for that tune.

There were too many highlights to enumerate here, but I thought it was an excellent and creative Sunday that had big impact on everyone who came.

Review of Sunday, December 7

2008-12-08T09:53:00.002-05:00

You never know if you are going to get quick volunteers for the participation elements we do, but in both experiences we had two people volunteer very quickly for the Santa relay. That turned out to be a funny element. Kudos to Glenn for building an enormous fireplace.

My friend Aaron Jones is a master of finger picking guitar, and I feel sorry for anyone who missed his solo for the prelude- what a wonderful little musical treat!

My favorite tune for the day was a new one by Chris Tomlin called "Jesus Messiah." We arranged it as an unplugged tune during communion time and it became a poignant worship moment.

How to Drive in Snow

2008-12-06T22:08:00.003-05:00

I come from Oswego, NY, where the lake effect snow can pile up over a foot in the space of just 3 hours (or less), and you basically have to know how to drive in snowy conditions. I have noticed that many Michigan drivers do not know much about driving safely in snow.

That was illustrated for me today on US23 in the afternoon. I stopped counting wiped out cars at 12, but the accidents are what really caused backups and frustration.

Look, most of the time you can drive around in snow safely and I hope that the good people of Michigan will begin to learn how to do this. I would like to humbly suggest a few simple rules for staying safe on the road in the snow:

1. knowing dangerous conditions. If the plow and salt trucks have been through, and/or if it hasn't snowed heavily for an hour or two, then you do not have to drive as slow as grandma. That is actually more dangerous and frustrating to other drivers. Obviously, if there is snow on the road or blowing snow, it's good to travel below the speed limit, but not so far below it that you become a hazard to yourself and others. Here are the most dangerous conditions- hard snow that has been falling for 30 minutes or more, rain that is turning to snow, and extreme wind combined with snow. In those conditions, be extra careful.

2. How to be extra careful. Know how fast you should be going. Wipe outs are a loss of control, which happens when you drive like normal on a slippery road. To avoid a wipe out, drive 10 to 20 miles below the speed limit on a highway, or 10 miles below the speed limit on other roads (this is a general estimate, every situation requires a unique judgement about how fast or slow to go). Make gentle adjustments. People who normally speed up quickly, brake quickly at the last minute, and turn sharply need to smooth out all their movements in bad conditions. Be gentle to be safe. Finally, DO NOT TAILGATE. Tailgating is stupid at any time, but it's crazy stupid in bad conditions. I see it all the time and it never ceases to amaze me, for it's shear dumbness. Be patient, pull back and give yourself around 10 car lengths between you and the next car. If the next car is slow, that is not a sign from the Lord that you should get on their bumper.

3. How to pull out of a skid. Sometimes, the road is just extremely slippery with black ice or in some other way, and the best thing to do it get off the road (although this is rare in Michigan). In extremely slippery conditions you may find yourself in a skid. Managing a skid is an important skill for all drivers, and here is a link to a great explanation of how to get out of a skid: http://www.roadtripamerica.com/DefensiveDriving/Rule30.htm

For the state that makes the country's cars, I'm fairly shocked at the lack of good driving technique. Let's change it! Share this advice with anyone you think could use it.

Review of Sunday, November 30

2008-12-01T19:34:00.002-05:00

Overall we had a solid experience. Tony had a strong message and the elements around it seemed to work. Mario did great on "hangin round the mistletoe" by Brooks and Dunn and so did the band.

I don't think many people would guess that we were shorthanded in quite a few areas. It shows that the staff we have can pull off miracles when they need to, and it also reminds me to say that if you are reading this blog and you have an artistic or technical talent, please consider volunteering at The River. Lives are being changed and people are growing in Christ...these are eternal results and will last long after all the other stuff we do fades away. Please consider being a part of what we do, not because we need help, but because it will give you an opportunity to do something good that will last forever. There is nothing like being a part of God's plan for this world, it is the best adventure...

sunday Review, November 23rd

2008-11-24T10:27:00.006-05:00

I walked in on Sunday to find my piano shell painted bright yellow with orange flames. It was great! The tech team decided to have a little fun before sanding it down and repainting it black.

Musically everyone really loved "Grace Like Rain" by Todd Agnew. We have done it a few times before but it really seemed to connect with the crowd. Thanks for everyone who played and sang this week.

We had lots of videos, and Lynn had her video debut with an original project about giving thanks. A very strong first project, Lynn!

Everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. My family and I will be celebrating here in MI and my parents should be coming over from PA.

Sunday Review, November 16th

2008-11-17T12:28:00.002-05:00

We're always trying different elements out at The River, and our NPR based quiz show was one of those ideas. I think it worked pretty well, but wouldn't be something we do all the time. Dee did a fantastic job on Little White Lies by Jenniffer Kae, and the latecomers missed a special treat when Becky nailed Little Lies by Fleetwood Mac for prelude. Kudos to Marc as well for True by Glen Philips. The band came together nicely for most of the tunes.

Looks like the Christmas series teaser got a good reception. I put that one together and was wondering if it was going to work. I put the lie detector video together as well and I think it was a good setup for Tony (the Simpsons clip with Moe was my favorite one).

Sunday Review, November 9th

2008-11-10T21:58:00.002-05:00

Those of you that know me know that I'm a both/and kind of guy when it comes to growth. I desire numerical and spiritual growth for my local church and all Christian churches, and I don't think they are mutually exclusive. So even though I don't obsess over numbers, I am happy to say that we were over 1000 people on Sunday at The River.

Highlights- "I Can't Believe You Said That," a spoof of the work of William Shatner and Ben Folds that I wrote. Max pulled out his double bass for "Those Sweet Words" by Norah Jones, which Dee sang beautifully. Ryan proved he can sing as well as play guitar...and can do both at the same time! He's still a newbie though, so the good natured ribbing needs to continue without a break for now. ;)

Sunday Review, November 2nd

2008-11-03T13:23:00.002-05:00

I felt we had a great vibe for our first Sunday in the new series, "Say What." The Do Over sketch was hilarious, and the new set looks great- something different and, as far as I know, original (hard to do that these days).

Musically it was a strong day. Blake did great on guitar and vocals and the rest of the band was tight as well. Gwynne and Jeanette did well on their tunes. Way to go!

Many new faces again, and we were just short of 1000 people...it is cool to see the spiritual and numerical growth we are experiencing right now. :)

Do you know yourself?

2008-10-30T13:48:00.003-04:00

I've been having a great internal discussion with myself for a few weeks. These are the questions I've been asking:

1. How good am I at my chosen profession?

2. How far can I go with it? Where are my talent, skill, leadership limits?

3. Can I push back those limits?

4. In relation to my current job, how close am I to bumping up against my limits?

5. What are the external factors beyond my control that limit how good I can be where I'm at?

6. What are the internal factors within my control that I can and should develop?

I'm not going to talk about my answers to these questions in this entry. But, I will say that an honest assessment of these questions has done a world of good for me, so I thought I'd pass the questions on in case it helps anybody else...

Sunday review, october 26th

2008-10-26T23:35:00.002-04:00

Our Consumed Series is over. I think it was a very positive experience for our church, but especially those that joined life groups. A series on materialism, consumerism, and being consumed with Christ couldn't have come at a better time, both for our church in particular and our culture in general.

Ryan Gerten, our new student ministries director, shredded some fine guitar today, with Daryl and Steven and myself (once he finally woke up!). The staging team seems to have survived without me (actually, they are in good hands with Max) and I produced my first video as the new video team director (a short video on Ecuador, and all I did was clip the beginning and ending and put a new sound track to it.)

sunday review, october 19th

2008-10-19T22:43:00.002-04:00

Lots of music today, and a great band to play it! Each song seemed to fit right into the day and all the vocalists did great.

Highlights- Rob singing "Things I Prayed For" by Eli Stone, with pictures from his life on the screen. We really made that song our own and I think it sounded better than the original...it turned into a great story moment. "Prayer for the Children" was a challenging a cappella piece, but I think we pulled it off, for the most part. "Take My Life" became a beautiful worship moment at the end, after communion.

There are so many new faces at the church and it's exciting to watch people find their place in our community. I'm looking forward to putting some new players and singers on stage in the coming couple of months...

Sunday Review, October 12th

2008-10-13T10:10:00.002-04:00

For the band it was a fun day, with Max finally able to play bass again once in a while (thanks to Jordan at the soundboard) and Brian playing his last Sunday before touring with Keynote. Tim and Kyle rounded out the group and we had a great time playing together. Gary saved the day on lights!

My daughter, Hayley, was dedicated to the Lord, along with 10 other children, so that was a special time. My Stories during the song "Here I Am" really helped put a face on what it means to be a Kingdom player.

Financial Crisis

2008-10-10T22:14:00.004-04:00

We had our life group (small group) meeting tonight and were all generally surprised and pleased to find out that, as a group, we are living within our means. Many in the group are debt free, several don't use credit cards, others pay them off in full every month.

Afterward I was watching a panel show on public television called "Inside Washington" and one of the guys was commenting on how predictable and controlled both candidates appear to be. He said they are so programmed by their handlers that all you get are well crafted zingers, sound bytes and campaign slogans. Then he asked us to perform a mental exercise and just try to imagine one of the candidates responding to the financial crisis by challenging Americans to make personal sacrifices to control their spending, help their neighbors and commit to a life of fiscal discipline and self control. His point was that neither candidate is willing to step up and show that kind of leadership for fear it will cost them points by making people feel bad.

I'm not suggesting that the financial crisis is the fault of individuals alone. But I am convinced that the selfish, irresponsible way in which we have conducted ourselves is a problem that must be addressed on every level. If the men whom we have vetted to take command of this country cannot stand up and call us to a life of discipline and responsibility, then I also think that our cultural system is broken and needs serious adjustment. True leadership is speaking the truth in love, even if it will cost you something.

Now everyone has a chance to demonstrate their true qualities. Those that has exercised self control in their lifestyle will reap some benefits, those that did not will face some hardships. All of us will be challenged in our values. After all, it's one thing to say you are generous when everything is going right. It's another to BE generous when you have to sacrifice in order to do so. It's harder to love your neighbor around a political divide, then when politics doesn't seem so important. Jesus said that everyone loves their friends...so big deal...it's those that love their enemies that are demonstrating true love. He knows what he's talking about, and now we in America are going to get to find out a bit more about ourselves and how faithfully we hold to our values in the hard times.

Let's hope that our leaders come to understand that integrity and truth telling are better leadership qualities than smooth sound bytes and quick fixes. Actually, we had all better learn that if we are to meet this challenge and overcome it.

Sunday Review, October 5th

2008-10-06T10:51:00.002-04:00

There were lots of things to celebrate this past Sunday. We were a few people away from the 1000 benchmark, and ran out of parking! The elements worked great- again the singing just blew me away at the end. I think many people appreciated the information on debt reduction, and also how Tony pointed us to a relationship with Jesus and the spiritual nature of finances.

Dee and her team scored another big hit with a musical theatrish dance/drama to the song "Heist" by Ben Folds.

Musically we had fun putting together Coldplay's "Viva La Vida." The click track worked great. Scott and Gwynne did a wonderful job vocally and our new praise tune, "Today is the Day" by Lincoln Brewster got good initial feedback.

Sunday Review, September 28

2008-09-29T09:51:00.002-04:00

Our second Consumed Sunday was a solid day at The River.

Everyone really got into the praise and worship time at the end...it is very cool to see our audience find a "voice" of praise. We have gone from zero participation in musical worship to an exciting and spirit filled moment (this transition took about a year). Gary, Jordan, and Matt did an outstanding job...thank God for newer faces and hands in the technical arts; there is more strength in teams than in individuals alone. We are on our way with that!

The band enjoyed playing the blues, down and dirty. Mario was "da man" for those tunes for sure. Max pulled off 4 video projects for one day.

Thanks to everyone for their efforts...it makes it that much more fun. :)

new pictures

2008-09-23T23:15:00.002-04:00

Hayley turns 1, Jim finishes the CRIM 10 mile, and Lisa gets lethal at the gun club. Look under family pics for these new photos!

Also posted, the EPIC stage from the River's last series.

Sunday Review, September 21

2008-09-22T10:31:00.002-04:00

It was a busy day at The River with the start of a new series, several creative elements (complete with costume changes for 3 of us), and a new set.

It was a strong day. Musically, we really enjoyed having Blake with us on acoustic guitar and vocals, and everyone in the band did a great job. Max worked hard to get a very good mix. The new projector (YEAA!!) is significantly brighter than the old one!

Hopefully the rest of the Consumed Series will also be helpful, meaningful, challenging and inspiring for all of us @ The River.

What Is Leadership?

2008-09-19T16:31:00.002-04:00

This entry is gonna sound like a sermon. Sorry about that...it's what I want to write about today. :)

John Maxwell says "leadership is influence." Yeah. But it's more than influence.

It's the ability to get things done. To build things. To see a vision of the future and the steps to get there.

It's the ability to communicate effectively, to know when to be soft and when to be firm with people, to confront when necessary, to know when to let go.

It's the ability to bring several threads of life together- resources, time, and people, and leverage them toward a goal.

It's finding others to come along side you with strengths that you don't have and releasing them to fill in the gaps.

(and now a couple metaphors)

It's knowing how and when to give the reins to others, to let them spread their wings and become leaders themselves, while at the same time helping them stay true to the vision.

It's learning from your mistakes, learning from you success, learning from books, from websites, from friends, from enemies....basically it's learning all the time.

It's knowing when to jump at an opportunity, and when you need to stay where you are.

It's getting the fruit of the Spirit into and out of you.

It's falling on the grace of God.

It's probably alot of other things I didn't think of just now, and others that I have yet to learn...but it takes more than the average amount of effort to be a great leader, because no one is going to do anything about your leadership development except for you.

Sunday Review Sept. 14

2008-09-14T23:53:00.003-04:00

This was the last in our EPIC series. Again, I felt we had a great Sunday- powerful, in tune with God's leading, spiritually challenging and refreshing, and also relevant and engaging.

It was fun to have Gene Fiero with us on bass! The whole band did a wonderful job. We worked hard to make "In Christ Alone" a very powerful moment.

Challenges we overcame- humidity so bad the curtains were dripping water on to the stage, a failed front screen projector cord, some late volunteers, a failed video cord and a missing DVD recorder. Challenges will come, but how we meet them, respond to them, and overcome them is what defines our ministry in those moments and sets us apart from those who would give up or succumb to anger or despair.

Good Advice

2008-09-11T22:53:00.002-04:00

I had a great conversation with another music director the other day and he challenged me to "bring myself" to my music and ministry. In a nutshell, that means to bring to my job the characteristics that infuse my own music and talent. Play to my strengths and leave my own stamp on what we do.

I've really been thinking hard about that one. In the group creative process, it is easy to get subsumed by someone else's vision or art. Also, there is a certain amount of pressure, I think, to try to "be" Bono, or Chris Tomlin, or Billy Joel...because you are playing their music.

But the most authentic sounding music will be the music that I arrange and infuse with my own style, because that is who I am. It doesn't mean I can't play a good cover tune, but it does mean that I should resist the urge to be a live jukebox and just spit out whatever I hear.

At the River, we do this by arranging tunes for the musicians we can bring to the table, and trying not to cover horn and string parts with keyboard patches. But I think it could go even further, especially in the area of writing original material, and in arranging for the lead instrument to be keys...when appropriate, because that is what I play.

God has me at the River to be who I am, in this moment, not someone else. He has you where you are in the same way. This is an important concept, and something I'll be thinking about alot in the future.

Guitarist Needed at The River

2008-09-10T21:44:00.003-04:00

Hey, just putting this out there, but we're in need of a capable electric guitarist to play once or sometimes twice a month in the River band.

If you know of someone who would like to give of their time and talent, please give me their contact information.

THANKS!!

Sunday Review Sept. 7

2008-09-08T09:34:00.002-04:00

Well, this was a special Sunday. It's always a risk to try new things, but worth the payoff. In my opinion, there were three things that made this experience a unique and powerful moment for many people:

1. New element order- extending the prelude, offering and video in the message, drama as the last element...it created buzz and kept the Sunday experience fresh

2. Focus on video- some great video moments really wowed the audience and focused their attention on the message

3. Invisible War- large cast, big set, powerful message, and the interplay between the song lyrics, mood, and content of the acting made this a winner.

Thanks to Rob for some great prelude material- I loved watching the auditorium fill up so that as we began, most people caught every element.

Sunday Review Aug 31

2008-09-01T23:39:00.003-04:00

I heard many positive comments about the new stage set. I love using the whole stage back to the scrim! It was my first time painting the set by myself (with a call to Betsy, our resident artist)- the grass and clouds came off pretty good, the trees...not so much. Still, it was alot of fun to put together, and thanks for Matt and Cindy, Cindy's parents, JB and Max for putting it all together.

Trevor went the distance to get the lighting working...going to have to put a more permanent fix on the lights. Anybody who wants to donate for that just let me know!

I thought the music was for the most part tight, and I heard the mix was very good. Love Song came out hot, and the drama/musical from Moulin Rouge killed. Yea! I enjoyed the feel and look of the candle lighting element as well.

Interesting List

2008-08-29T23:16:00.003-04:00

I had an interesting day. Here is a list of things I did:

1. made a promo video for the new River series EPIC

(it's here if you want to see it)

2. composed humorous lyrics with my friend James about materialism, set to the tune of the Allegro from eine kleine nachtmusik by Mozart (you can hear it performed at The River on September 14th)

3. had lunch, peanut butter and jelly

4. went to Wal-Mart for some bee killer spray, spent 80 dollars (not just on bee spray, but not on impulse buys either...turns out we needed some stuff)

5. Spent 1 hour killing bees that had built a nest in one of my eaves. The bug spray killed about 10 of them, then I got a fly swatter and my ladder and killed over 100 more (no kidding, I counted)

6. I also poisoned some ants and a mole (I am at war with certain pests on my property this summer)

7. cooked Tai food for dinner (red curry, chicken, peppers, onions, white rice)

8. took the family to Pontiac for Arts, Beats and Eats

9. Made this list

So, that's my day!

Sunday Review Aug 24

2008-08-25T11:43:00.003-04:00

Yeehaa! Country day came and went at The River. The band was tight, and even with some technical glitches the day came off pretty good.

My arrangement of the old tune "Friend of a Wounded Heart" came off pretty good. We beefed up the fullness and intensity from the demo track, and everyone helped by bringing something to the song.

Next week we start a new series: The EPIC. If anyone wants to help buildout the set (it's alot of fun!) let me know...it's going to be on Saturday, August 30th starting at 3:00PM at the PAC.

CRIM

2008-08-25T11:39:00.003-04:00

Hi Crim fans! I finished the 10 mile on Saturday...it was a good run. I kept my pace (10 1/2 minute mile) and finished at 1:48. It was humid and hot, but there were lots of water stations and people with hoses. I think it's the most crowded race I've run, I was always with 30 or more runners in my immediate vicinity. The Bradley Hills, at mile 5 were not as strenuous as I had anticipated.

Good thing they weren't at mile 8!

I'm excited to have finally completed another race after so many years of not running. I feel great and I'm definitely in much better shape than I was coming into the summer.

Sunday Review Aug 17

2008-08-18T10:29:00.003-04:00

It's a sad day when we cover the Beatles and I have to play keyboard bass (sorry Paul)! Nevertheless, things turned out OK. I don't know about anyone else, but I couldn't get Yellow Submarine out of my head all day (thanks alot, Ringo)!

John busted out great guitar parts and Bob played skins even though his hi-hat foot was in a moon boot cast. Gary came through on lighting at the last minute since Trevor was done in by a stomach virus.

So, one of those wacky days. But I thought things went pretty smooth.

I think the greek word for that is "duh" (thank you Scott for the research on that one).

Do you hate work?

2008-08-14T16:16:00.002-04:00

I have to admit that even with a job as flexible and interesting as music director there are times I don't feel the joy of work. I think everyone has that problem to some degree. I have friends that really struggle with work because they dislike what they are doing so much.

On a run the other day I was meditating on Colossians 3:17 which says, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

I was realizing that there are at least two possible points of mental focus in our work. One is RESULTS. Results are important because it is the end product of our labor. Sundays are the results of my labor, among other things. But I've noticed that if I focus too much on results to the exclusion of all else, I get worn down, lose determination and focus, and ultimately become lethargic toward my work. "The Sundays just keep coming," I think to myself. One after the other without a break or a rest. They start to blend together in my mind.

However, I think Paul, writing to the Colossian church, is giving us a way out of that cycle. He is suggesting that the mental focus of our work should be Godward, or toward God. For me, this focus on doing my work as if I was doing it for God is a welcome relief, and never fails to put me back on track. It gives an immediacy to my daily efforts that simply moving toward results can't sustain. It even helps me in the parts of my job that I don't particularly care for, because even then I can be working to make sure I'm being excellent, helpful, kind...basically displaying the fruit of the spirit and being as much of a blessing as I can to everyone I am working with. That goal is much more sustainable and entertaining than merely checking off my "todo" list.

And...if we are working Godward, we won't need to worry too much about results. They will be there. God is pleased with excellence, timeliness, and professionalism. His character reflects all these qualities, and so as we work "as unto the Lord" as the verse suggests, those qualities will seep into whatever we are doing.

Anyway, on my run I was working out all these implications and felt like it would make a decent blog entry...any thoughts?

Sunday Review

2008-08-11T14:47:00.002-04:00

I guess I'm getting into this habit of commenting on River Sundays. As a member of the service planning team (Dream Team) we go through a rigorous evaluation each week, but this is more of a brief reflection on what happened, focusing on the positive aspects of each week...so...

Everyone seemed to like the Beach Boys tunes (and the beach balls and percussion instruments). Scott did a great job on Empty Me by Chris Sligh- the arrangement worked very well (acoustic guitar, african tom, one background singer). Trevor pulled off an audience blinder lighting effect!

There were tons of people in church, which was cool for a Sunday in August, and many of us enjoyed the Beach Baptism Blast. There were close to 40 people that were baptized! It was so encouraging to hear the stories of people who were invited to The River, then came to faith in Christ, and are now living for Him! That's why we do what we do...

Leadership Summit Comments

2008-08-07T21:54:00.002-04:00

I attended the first day of the Willow Creek Leadership Summit today. This is my third Summit.

I thought the speakers were strong. Anyone who was there will probably agree that Efrem Smith walking off stage at the end of his talk was, somehow, the coolest thing that happened the whole day.

The band was pretty good. I guess they have a hot new guitar player because I haven't seen him before and they really featured him (great solos). Three synth players at one point- cool.

Memorable quote of the day goes to Gary Haugen: "Jesus didn't come to make us safe, he came to make us brave."

Sunday Review

2008-08-04T10:44:00.003-04:00

Highlights from this week include the praise tune "Not to Us"- Brian's intro was killer and the band was tight. Scott and Dee did a great job with their songs, and the cross element (going up and putting red paint on the cross with your finger, as a symbol of humility) seemed to be a great moment for many people.

The new set turned out good. We're going to try black lights under the band stages next week for a brighter effect. Thanks to Matt (longest hours), Denise (snacks and more), and Glenn (fast wood cutter!).

Thanks everyone!

Cringe Factor

2008-07-31T11:39:00.002-04:00

I was just trading emails with Laurie, (a good friend from the Toledo days) and we were talking about the "Cringe Factor" which is a term explained in the book Integrity by Henry Cloud.

He writes that a friend of his wouldn't go into a business venture or other projects if he felt the urge to cringe when he thought about either the job or a particular trait of the person in question. So he had reached the point in his life where he didn't do anything that had a "cringe factor" in it. That's not to be confused with risk, because every of project has a certain amount of risk. The cringe has more to do with the idea itself or the person himself/herself not being in line with your principles or mission.

Honestly, I'm not sure many of us have that much control over our lives that we are able to choose to participate or not in every situation. But we all have control over SOME things. Some of us, like me, have a hard time saying no. We want to help and to be helpful. But I've been learning over the years to say no when appropriate.

No one else is going to run our lives for us. Each of us is responsible for the choices we make, and so if we're feeling the cringe factor it's up to us to decide to keep that particular venture out of our lives.

Any thoughts on this out there??

Sunday review

2008-07-27T22:28:00.002-04:00

Excellent Sunday at The River in terms of sensitively communicating the truth about heaven and hell from scripture. The congregation enjoyed the "do you know the lyrics" gameshow! I have heard that one or more people may have crossed the line of faith!

The music was compelling, though not our tightest day ever. We did have to pull off sections of five songs for the gameshow element, plus prelude and 3 full length songs after the message...so all things considered, great work by the team.

This was the last day for our text message series set. Goodbye to the giant blackberry.

On to the next one...

The Dark Knight- no spoilers

2008-07-21T22:59:00.003-04:00

Just got back from seeing the latest Batman movie, the Dark Knight.

Wow. Best movie I have seen in several years, although it has a hard edge and a scene at the end I didn't particularly care for.

A major theme of the movie is how far people can be pushed before turning to evil. In the movie, some resist, others fall. It is a fascinating movie to watch, as the villain pushes everyone around him to make choices, challenging them to decide how far they will go to resist compromising their principles.

It makes me think about how far I would go. What would I be willing to lose? How much suffering could I take knowing there was a way out if I would simply give in? Fortunately, most of us will never have to grapple with the high stakes represented in a movie like The Dark Knight. Thank God.

It does help me see the everyday choices we make to either stand for our principles or take the easy way. Is there really any one of us who hasn't given in on stupid little things from time to time? And yet each choice we make for good or evil is in itself an all important choice, from God's point of view.

So....thank you God for your Grace, and help us to do what is right, in whatever circumstances we happen to be in at the time.

New Photos and Music

2008-07-16T15:15:00.002-04:00

I put some new shots in the River album of the set from our last series (River Jones and the Mysterious Will of God). Way to go, staging team!

Also, I recently arranged the Beach Boys tune "I Know There's An Answer" for a service in August. You can hear the band demo (no vocals) in the song section.

Enjoy!

Miscellaneous Stuff

2008-07-07T22:30:00.002-04:00

Haven't blogged for a while...went on a nice vacation with my family (mom/dad, Mike/Amy and Rachael).

Some of my first entries in this blog were about balancing schedules...since then I have managed to get control of more of my time. Responsibilities at work have eased up and more volunteers have come forward. I'm getting better at mobilizing my teams (only two now- music and staging).

I wanted to say that one key aspect of balance has been learning to leave work until the next day. Some people don't have a problem with procrastination, but it's rare for me to set work aside. However...when the day is done and I've put in my time, thats the time to walk away from it and leave the rest until tomorrow. I'm not saying there won't be times when work demands more, but since I work at home and set my own schedule, I'm the only one who can tell myself to stop and do something else. No one is going to do it for me.

I listened to a report on NPR where they were focusing on this very issue. More and more people are finding that the line between work and home is blurring. It is becoming harder to separate the two, with instant communications and other advances in technology. Where it's all going is anyone's guess, but I believe more people will become like me, working mostly out of the home. In that case, a whole new philosophy of work and the work ethic will no doubt emerge. One basic tenet of the new philosophy may be that in order to remain productive, one must have the ability to prioritize and focus without much external motivation. I wonder how many colleges teach this skill...mine certainly did not....but thankfully my parents did.

So, I've been learning and it's been good. Have a great week everyone...JIM

Willow Arts Conference Day 3

2008-06-13T22:36:00.002-04:00

I went into Chicago last night with the team so I wasn't able to blog. The conference is over.

Thursday's breakouts were pretty good for me. The highlight was definitely the Granger Community Church workshop. They had plenty of great ideas!

I enjoyed the worship time in the last session...lots of power and energy, and a very moving time with God.

Overall, better than the last time for me, and always a wonderful learning experience and an inspiration.

Willow Creek Arts Conference Day 1

2008-06-11T20:55:00.002-04:00

It's fun to be back at Willow for the arts conference. I liked Rob Seay and Gil from Cirque de Soleil. The stage is sweet, and our tech guy and I were just talking about an "industrial look." Guess we'll just HAVE to now! Brian McLaren was somewhat disappointing...I didn't think the session had enough arts focus, although I'm all for global issues. His books are very challenging and I just thought he would speak from that 'place' about the arts.

Overall a good day and looking forward to the breakouts tomorrow.