Worship Training At Break Forth

It's great to be here with WorshipTraining at the Break Forth event in (icy) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Ah, the memories of shoveling snow in Canada (for 20 years) are eclipsed by seeing some old friends and making new ones.

Last night we flew in late, and I made two new friends on a tiny Delta craft that held us aloft. Both of them were inspiring and fun to listen to, and we talked about WorshipTraining and the joy of gathering thousands of worship leaders and teams for learning online.

My seat-mate was Hector Cervantes, guitar player for Casting Crowns. We had a blast just talking about life, family and the pursuit of God. He is a worship leader with a wide variety of creative gifts (everything from graphic design, to animation, to production). His eyes were full of the family of God, and it was clear that his dedication to serving his local faith community as a worship leader was very, very high. Our conversation was dense with metaphors (what happens if you put two artists in a plane together...), hopes, dreams and expressions of trust in God. Pray for him and his family as Casting Crowns does their thing around the world, and keeps leaving a trail of transformation everywhere they go. 

Another new friend I met was Heather Isaac, who oversees the Worship And Arts Department of the Visible School in Memphis, Tennessee. Strangely enough, I was just talking to someone about the Visible School the day before. It was a fascinating moment to find we were in the same row. We talked about developing worship leaders from their skills all the way to their spiritual formation, and I love the integration of practical skills and substantial education that the Visible School combines. We look forward to seeing the Visible School student body hanging out with us over WorshipTraining.com soon! I'll note a bit more about the visible school below as well.

Flights always hold gifts for me - sometimes the gift is silence; other times, a new song, other times, new friends. I'm grateful for the new friends on this trip.

More About Casting Crowns (from their site)

"In an unprecedented six-year span with nearly 4.5 million career album sales, a GRAMMY Award, an American Music Award, 23 Dove Awards and 8 chart-topping radio singles, Casting Crowns remains focused on discipleship through music. With lead singer and songwriter Mark Hall’s 18 years in youth ministry, the band’s message remains rooted in the student services he has led on a weekly basis since 2001, at Eagles Landing Baptist church near Atlanta. The songs start as messages for his 400 teenagers and their families. With boldly honest, hard-hitting lyrics, the band continues to challenge, strengthen and pour into the body of Christ, giving listeners a fresh, relevant perspective on loving God and loving people.

Living life with a kingdom focus, a reaching-out, loving-the-world-like-Jesus-does purpose – that’s the focus of the band’s fourth studio album titled Until The Whole World Hears. Millions of fans won’t be disappointed as these seven gifted musicians continue to speak truth into today’s culture through this new 12-song collection.

Hall says, “Our main purpose, above all else, is to know Him more.” It’s that unwavering desire and the intent of a personal friendship with Jesus that drives Casting Crowns and shapes its latest offering of message-centered songs into powerful tools for discipleship."

http://www.castingcrowns.com

More About The Visible School (from their site)

VISIBLE SCHOOL is an independent college designed to prepare artists, technicians and business professionals for skilled, relational service in the arts industries and the church. We "get" the idea that creative young people need a place to develop technical and artistic skills while growing in character and being empowered in their calling. VISIBLE SCHOOL fills the gap in education where vocational colleges, Bible colleges, universities, and the school of experience cross but don't meet. VISIBLE SCHOOL offers a holistic program that is academically challenging, vocationally practical, and spiritually empowering. VISIBLE SCHOOL was born out of a need in this generation - a need to rise up and lead in true worship of God through the arts, ministry and technology. We share a common vision of using our gifts and talents to impact the world. VISIBLE is more than a college campus, it is a community of artists who desire to bring the culture of God's kingdom to modern society. Come and join the revolution.

VISIBLE SCHOOL began with a desire to see the next generation of artists trained in music, discipleship, worship and ministry. That desire was planted in President and Founder, Ken Steorts, who was the founding guitarist, songwriter, and road manager of the popular rock band Skillet. Throughout his years of ministry touring with Skillet, Ken saw a large number of young Christian musicians with great character but little skill instruction or with great skill but little spiritual leadership. He envisioned an education center where academic and vocational study of music was combined with character-building discipleship and community. In the winter of 1999, Ken left the ministry of Skillet to start a program that could create qualified, passionate world-changers. He launched VISIBLE SCHOOL.

http://www.visible.edu