New worship techniques

Are you a Child of the 80s?

Ok so I'm walking through WalMart, I hear a DVD playing and I stop in my tracks. They were playing a "Journey" DVD (80s Rock Legends). I heard the "Open Arms" and thought, "Steve Perry is incredible". Then when I saw the screen it wasn't Steve Perry, it was some Asian kid (I later learned he was from the Philippines). A freaking amazing kid from the Philippines. The guys from Journey found him where else but You Tube. He was singing with a cover band in a bar. They happened to do a Journey cover and this is the video they saw. Whatcha think? By the way... Bonnie & I bought the DVD. This dude is incredible.

The People are Worshiping!

Man, this Morning (August 24th) at NorthStar was incredible! The room was PACKED and the people are singing out to God. In the second set we came back wit None but Jesus & Mighty to Save. I had my eyes closed for a few lines, then when I opened them I could hardly sing because I was tearing up like a girl. The people were worshiping and responding to God on their own. Sometimes we worship leaders feel like we have to push and prod and bark out commands, but I have been trying to learn (over the past 12 years) to leave the worshiper some dignity and let them respond to God as they feel led. I think our church is turning a corner. They are becoming worshipers.

Intentional

Hey guys. I just wanted to comment on how incredible the services have been for the past 2 weeks. A few weeks ago we started tweaking our creative process and our planning for the services. Everything from the lighting and stage to the specials and videos have been planned with a single purpose... to glorify God and point the people of NorthStar to Him with a particular message theme in mind. I feel like we've done a pretty good job of getting it right these past two weekends. Thank you for all the hard work you guys have put in on Sundays and at rehearsals on Thursday nights. We've had the largest crowds ever (around 1700) in the 4 services and I believe they have really tuned in to "August Rush."

I know we all spend a lot of time on the programming side of things on Sundays, but don't forget to be just as intentional about seeing and loving the people who come each week. This past Sunday Daniel had the privilege of praying with a young man who wanted to receive Christ as his Savior. What a tremendous privilege!!! It happened because he made himself available at the front of the stage after the services and because he had his eyes open to really see the people God brought to us. God has all of us there to use our gifts (some behind the scenes and others out front), but more importantly we are all there to impact lives. Take some time this week to intentionally "see" the people. You just might get the opportunity of a lifetime to minister to someone you may not have seen before and be blessed beyond what you can imagine.

Keep offering Him your best!
God bless,
Bonnie

A new NorthStar Worship Leader

This is one of the funniest little kids ever!

New Music for your ears!

Some local boys just put out a new CD... Third Day. This CD is incredible. It would definitely be a great addition to your iPod.

Just a Plug.

I've been warshed!

Sunday night was incredible!! For those of you who couldn't make it, we had the annual Church picnic and baptism at Lake Acworth. It was fun just hanging out with all the people. Actually I realized just how many NorthStar people I don't know. I recognized alot of people and called alot of people "buddy" or "Man", but realized how many names I really don't know. Too be honest, I'm not really sure my brain is big enough to remember all those names.
After we ate we all went down to the water for a good ol' baptizing! All in all we had 97 people get warshed in the water. It was awesome. I specifically remember one lady who wadded out in the water, six weeks ago she was smoking a joint and asking some of our men's ministry guys to take her kids to church. Little did she know that her life would never be the same. It was very cool. Her eyes where filled with tears and her face was filled with smile!
Let's never forget why we sing our song and why we do what we do.

Love you guys,
Daniel

What are the chances?

lessons from the water hose

Have you looked at your yard lately? Has all the recent rain made it look at lot greener and healthier than it did this time last year? It seems like the danger of the drought has passed and we can return to business as usual with watering our yards, and letting kids play endlessly in the sprinkler... It's so easy to let a few hard rains disguise the fact that under those green patches of grass is really dry soil and a whole lot of weeds. I heard them say on the news the other day that it will take 2 years for us to recover from the drought.
As I was rescuing Eli's toys from the thunderstorms tonight, it occurred to me that I often find my life suffering from it's own sort of spiritual drought. I can immerse myself for a day or two in God's word, spend time really seeking his face and taking time to listen to what he has to say...On the outside I look like I have it all together, but lurking underneath the surface is still a really dry spirit and a whole lot of weeds. Those weeds are whatever "stress of the week" life seems to have ordered up for me. They are there all the time but I don't really seem to notice them until they pop up and start to make things really ugly. It's only then that I realize how dried up and thirsty for time with the Lord I am.

Just before the rains came tonight Eli discovered the water hose outside. I was rinsing off his shoes and he turned the corner and saw me. His sippy cup was covered in sand and dirt and he was really thirsty so I let him have sip of water from the hose. I thought would be then end of it but....His eyes lit up and so for about 5 or 10 minutes I sprayed him while he ran around the yard with such excitement about something he was experiencing for the first time. Arms waving, spinning around, drenched, literally drinking in every drop of that moment that he could. When I turned the water off so we could go inside he was devastated.....more watah mommy, mooooore!

Wouldn't it be great if our lives were the same? If we would raise our arms and drink in every moment of our time with the Lord? And if we were never satisfied, always crying out for more...?? A day or two of a heavy downpour isn't what we need to relieve the damage the drought has done. We need days and weeks of consistent, steady rain. I need that same consistency in my times with the Lord. A few pop-up showers like a great song on the radio or a small group meeting here and there may get me through the day or the week, but it won't be long before those weeds start cropping back up. I hope you'll find time this week to get to those dry areas of your life. And remember if there's no rain, a water hose does the job really well too! Just ask Eli!
Love you guys! Have a great week!
Steph

Psalm 63
"God--you're my God! I can't get enough of you! I've worked up such a hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts. So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open, drinking in your strength and glory. In your generous love I am really living at last! My lips brim praises like fountains. I bless you every time I take a breath; My arms wave like banners of praise to you.

"I like being liked"

This is a post that came from my sister's blog. I found it really insightful. She is a fantastic mother of three boys and I'd love to share this message from her heart. She also takes great family photos as seen here. Great blog Jamie!


Perhaps it's b/c the word "love" has been so abused, misused and over-used in our culture as to have stripped down its meaning. Whatever the reason, I have to say that when I hear my boys say, "Mama I wike (like) you" I feel like the honor of all honors, the crown of all crowns has been granted me to wear. There is a deep satisfaction that comes to the soul when you know that you are LIKED and enjoyed......that someone really finds pleasure in your company and is made glad just by the fact that you are near them, even if engaged in some activity separate from them. It's really glorious. My boys, ever growing in their capacity to experience love and in the capacity to express it, are always searching for new ways to define their feels for me and Michael.

How do I like thee? Let me count the ways......A few of their expressions:

"I like you faster than a cheetah."

"I like you bigger than a sharp-tooth (dinosaur)."

"I like you taller than the biggest tree ever."

"I like you bigger than a rainbow."

"I like you bigger than the sky."

And the newest one, and my personal favorite this morning: "I like you fatter than a cloud."


As for Joshua's expression of his LIKE of me....he likes me so much that if I step around the corner out of his view, he literally explodes in ear-splitting screams of displeasure and heart-rending terror. My face is his only consolation. My presence is his only source of peace and joy. He has entered into the phase of babyhood aptly termed "separation anxiety." (Separation anxiety=life is unbearable without your nearness.) While it's difficult to endure in the natural realm of being a mom with real responsibilities that include things other than holding Joshua, it certainly instructs my spirit in the ways of the heart.....and how to hold mine before the Father. It's the experience of God's presence in my life, the feeling of His pleasure in my company, the perception of His smile as He looks upon me even in my immaturity and "baby-ness" that more than upholds me and makes my heart happy and content. Joshua's anxiety in my absence reminds me of the way the human heart was designed. And he reminds me not to mistake "I'm okay with a heart that is distant from God" with "living by faith in the unseen," because I'm really NOT okay apart from deep relationship with God. I just wasn't designed to be. May my own heart "mature" into separation anxiety so that a life without His perceived presence would be just unbearable.

But back to the subject of the post.....here's to being liked "faster than a cheetah."

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. Love to all,
Bonnie

Wow, this is amazing!

This kid is unbelievable! I played catcher when I was little, but I'm already seeing that he is much better than I was.

Funny

"Cry Me A River"

Do you ever just have a bad day? Occasionally I wake up and find that nothing seems to be going my way. Sometimes it may be from life hitting hard, but mostly it's just a mood. I allow myself to look around at all the things God allows in life that seem hard or unfair or just plain mean. Then I start the self-indulgent pity party. Have you ever been there? (Somebody tell me I'm not the only un-spiritual one).

Anyway, I recently had one of those days. After a while of focusing on the negative, God began to convict me and turn my heart toward Him. He is so faithful. He has done so much for me and in my life and through me. He chooses to love me- even when I don't deserve His favor. He gave His life for me when I was His enemy. So, why do I have the tendancy to question His motives for the things He allows in my life? He uses all things for my good and His ultimate glory. He is Good in all things. He is Wise. He is Loving in His thoughts toward me. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us, "The Lord, your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." I remember these words and all of these truths about God and my heart softens, changes, then turns to adoration.

It's so incredible that fixing our eyes on Jesus and telling Him who He is and what He has done changes us. That's the power of praise. It's impossible to praise the Lord and remain focused on ourselves and circumstances at the same time. I think that's why the psalms are constantly commanding us "let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!"- Psalm 150:6 Praise always brings perspective. Try it sometime. Next time you are down and out or just having a bad day, week, month, or even life, turn to praise. Tell God Who He is and what He has done. You may not feel it at first, but before long your heart and mind will fall in line with the truth. And if that doesn't seem to work for you, try Mary-Michal Linch's (Mike's 11 year old daughter) advice... "Cry me a river, build yourself a bridge, and get over it!" Thanks Mary-Michal for my new favorite quote!
Love ya'll,
Bonnie

Meet the new UGA?

It was a sad day. Today UGA VI (the cute Georgia mascot) was buried at Samford Stadium. He fought and fought but finally his heart gave out. Uga VI was the mascot for Georgia football teams that won six bowl games among 87 victories over a nine-year span, was interred at the university's football stadium on Monday in a mausoleum with the remains of five predecessors.

Now I know, maybe you aren't a Georgia fan, but does that really matter? When a role model of this magnitude is taken from this earth, you have to bow in a moment of silence.

The university's athletic association announced that a successor will be announced at a later date. That got me to thinking.... why couldn't my dog Allie be named the new mascot? Think about it, what do you need in a mascot? You need a dog that is a good role model, Allie doesn't mess on the floor (anymore). You need a dog that is tough, just look at that way Allie is about to attack Slappy (that red monkey). You also need a dog that represents your school, Allie went through PetSmart's Dog school and made all As! So she's not a Bulldog... isn't that discrimination anyway?

Maybe the University should widen the search.

Needing Each Other

Hey guys. It's been a while since I last posted. I don't usually think of my day to day routine as post-worthy. Today it just hit me that most people probably feel the same way- that their lives are average and not much for others to read about. I guess that's what out lives are really made up of anyway- the small seemingly insignificant things that happen to us in the day to day. Anyway.. today I was in the car on the way home and I did what I usually do... I reached for my cell phone. I called Daniel, who was in the middle of a Guitar Center run, and couldn't talk. Then I went down the list of a few friends until I got one of them and chatted for the last 10 minutes of my drive.

After I hung up I thought about what I had just done. I think it's something we all do. We crave interaction with others. God created us with a desire to know others and be known- to care about people and have them care about us. When I think about all the things I fill my day with, when it's all said and done I find myself pondering the meaningful and sometimes pointless conversations I've had with others. It's so much fun to share in the joys and diappointments of other people. And it's always encouraging to have others share in mine. At the end of the day I'm always reminded that people are the most important thing in this world. They are to Jesus and I'm finding out that the older I get, the more important they are to me.

So why am I blubbering about all this? I just want to remind you to stay connected to others- family, friends, your spouse, a small group. We need each other. Even if you think you don't, somebody probably needs you. There are a million things to fill our time with (and beleive me, I'm Queen of filling it up). Just don't miss the things that matter most. Sometimes that phone call that "interrupts" your schedule might be the best part of the day. Don't miss it.
Love you guys,
Bonnie

It's rather sobering!

I'm writting this post while sitting here in the Media booth at NorthStar. In 30 minutes Mike & I will be participating in a funeral service. As I look down out of the booth I can see loved ones and friends congregating by the casket. There are also picture boards standing around the front with pictures of his teenage children and his wife. Amongst the sniffling and tears you can hear some faint laughter. Probably remembering all the good times. It's a rather sobering moment for me. I didn't ever meet this man, but just seeing the love that these people have for him really makes me ponder my life. Last night my house was filled with all of our friends from our small group. We had a great time eating, chatting and talking over our current book study. Then afterwards Bonnie & I walked next door to some neighbors house and hung out for a while. It was fun.
Being here today makes me so appreciative of the life, family and friends that God has given me. When you see a family go through something like this one is going through it makes you breathe in a little deeper and really thank the Lord for all of the wonderful people in your life, not the great stuff you have, not the cool toys or how successful you may or may not be. It's the people that Jesus died for that makes life great.
Tomorrow morning we'll be at another funeral, so don't be suprised if you get another sappy blog post from me.

New CD Website!

Hey guys,
Here's a website for the new CD that Josh made for us. If you have a blog, myspace or a Facebook page feel free to post it on your page.

Thanks Josh!

The Gathering

WOW, God is Good. That's really all that I can say about The Gathering.
Growing up I use to love to watch the A Team. Hannibal (the older guy) use to say: "I love it when a plan comes together". It's such a blessing to see something that you have dreamed about for a while finally come to fruition. For several years Bonnie & I (and other friends) have thought what would it be like if NorthStar hosted a night of worship. Then a whole other idea came to mind about doing these bi-yearly CD projects. Then, just like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, two great things came together. From the start of the evening it was obvious that the people came to worship. They connected with the Lord in an incredible way. After the night was over we had so many come up and say that they would love to do that more than just twice a year. That's the best thing I could have heard. Please pray as we look to the next recording project in the Fall and the next Gathering in November.

Merge

It's been a few weeks since I last posted. Sorry. Bonnie & I went on holiday for a few days down to Destin. I think Destin needs a NorthStar!

We just wrapped up "MERGE" for this month. It is awesome. If you aren't in the know, MERGE is a monthly gathering for business men and women. Actually if you have a job... or not... you're invited. We have a little Chick-fil-A, a little time of worship and then Mike shares a little bit. Mainly how to apply the Bible to your work life. We are averaging about 100 people or so.

Right now Mike is walking through the life of Moses. He's sharing how God is working in and through our adversity. I would say that it's encouraging, but then when you think about how God took 40 years (and more) to "work through Moses' adversity", it's kind of sobering. But the end result is always amazing.

I really want to encourage you to try and come for the next on on June 18th at 7:15 am. It's early but it's worth it. Invite your coworkers!

First time guest

Hey everyone!
Below is a letter that Mike received from a family who visited NorthStar for the first time. I think it's a testimony of how great you guys are at what you do.

Here it is:

Dear Pastor Mike Linch,

My family and I visited Northstar last Sunday. We parked, and didn't know which building to go in, so we followed the members into a building. My husband mentioned on the way in that no one (the families and teenagers) we "saw" going in were caring a Bible. So my heart sunk a little and I wondered what we were in for. lol. The greeters at the door smiled and welcomed us in Then once inside we were surprised to see a small dark room with chairs and a band (at this point, we had no idea that we were in the "overflow room"). I have to admit I was a little scared, literally. The band started playing. They were excellent! Great songs, very Biblical. I wasn't worried as much anymore. Then all the sudden there you were on the screen. My daughter and I were looking around trying to find you. We thought maybe this is the introduction part and then the Pastor was going to come out. Once we realized you weren't, then we pondered wether or not it was recorded earlier and this service was just a tape of it. We finally settled in and really enjoyed your sermon! We had been driving a long distance to hear Johnny Hunt and my teenage son and daughter love him so we were afraid we weren't going to find someone with as much passion for the Lord or who was as biblically sound anywhere else closer where my children could be involved. Well, we have! We all loved the sermon! It was just what we needed. Also, my husband said this week, "I can't wait to go back to Church this Sunday!" :-)
I wanted to share our experience with you so that you would see how first time visitors could feel a little uneasy if they do not know where they are.
I know God is going to do great things through you, your staff and your church! We are looking forward to hearing you "in person" this Sunday! lol! :-)

Worship Ministry Play Day!

What a fun morning! I just wanted to say what a great group of people we have the privilege of serving with. Thank you guys for being so amazing. We had such a great time bowling at US Play today even though I am unbelievably TERRIBLE!!! Kudos to the Hendrix's who rocked the lanes and didn't make too much fun of me. If you were unable to make it, what a great time you missed. I hope you'll make sure to join us for the summer cookout. More details later. Anyway... Daniel & I love all you guys so much!
God bless, Bonnie

Rock Stars & Divas!

Hey guys,
This weekend Bonnie & I led up in the True North Auditorium with Shelly Howerton. It was cool. It was simple, just two acoustics and two vocals. It was very laid back, but yet very honest. I really think people enjoyed it.
While the message was going on I sneaked out to the green room once, the student service once and then because of all the water I drank I had to visit the water closet (bathroom). While I was doing all my sneaking around I was trying to be inconspicuous and quiet. I did, however do my usual joking around with the hospitality guys. Well, today I get pulled aside by a staff member and he told me of a phone call he received from an individual. It floored me and honestly made me a little hacked off (I kept the feeling inside). She had mentioned to him "some people (who they are we'll never know) feel like sometimes the worship team only talks to other members of the worship team and doesn't socialize with "church members" or other volunteers. And to confirm that, this past Sunday, Daniel walked past me 3 times and never said hello." WOW!! At first I thought "You have got to be kidding me! What if I was dealing with something or having a stressful day? Cut me some slack!" To be vulnerable, it really bothered me because I try VERY hard to be outgoing and say hello to everyone I can. My worst fear as a worship leader came true... she thought of me as a music snob! No matter how hard I try it still happened. How frustrating.

As many of you know, for about 10 years Bonnie & I traveled in and out of churches leading worship. One of the most exhausting things was having to ALWAYS be in a good mood. With so many stories floating around about the snotty, temperamental musicians out there, that was the last thing we wanted to be. Someone may only have a brief 10 second encounter with us and if we didn't smile or was too busy to say hello... boom... bad impression. Now we have the label of snotty musician. So we learned to put on the face and play the game. Here's the question. Is that wrong? What is our team's responsibility to the people of NorthStar? What is our responsibility to being ourselves and being real when we aren't chatty?

I have an opinion but I would love to hear your feedback on this. Please post a comment below.

More to come

What a great morning we had yesterday. I was in the True North auditorium, which by the way is one fun place. That crowd can sing... and I mean LOUD. From what I understand, there where several glitches in the Compass Center. After worship Bonnie was kinda bummed about it.
However, our senior pastor offered some great perspective. If what we are doing is just a show, then sure we could be upset. But with the eternal significance of what's happening at NorthStar we should be expecting the enemy to be trying to throw distractions our way.
We will be beginning a new series in April on Prayer. We'll be discussing prayer in the family as well as how prayer can affect where God is taking the Church. If we as a body expect to see a great work of the Lord, it will begin when we begin hitting our knees regularly. The teaching that will happen in this series holds the key to us experiencing a movement of the Holy Spirit.
So, get ready. The enemy will be trying more and more to disrupt what we are doing. But what God is gonna do will be much cooler!

Daniel

Holding Worship

This was posted on a Blog I read. Incredible! It's a reminder that to everyone in the crowd, it's just worship. They don't rehearse it, practice it, or try to perfect it. It's just Worship.

Easter.
So much going on. So much to do.
I was leading worship today yet couldn’t take the executive producer hat off so I was thinking about tons. Cut this song? Redo lights there? Pull the painting? Have Jeff do the invitation? Blah Blah Blah Blah.
I was exhausted. We picked a fairly high energy worship set and did 5 fairly taxing songs.
So I walked in this evening. I was tanked. We rehearsed and ate and I was honestly kind of waiting for the night to get going so we could lead and go home.
Then it hit me like it does every week that these people at the 6 pm service are coming to church for the first time today. Gut check. Time to sing.
Walked out. Salvation Is Here…LALALALALA.
I’m in verse 2 and I look to my left and am hit like a blind side pick and roll.
Swaying on the front row was a guy I later learned was named Matt.
Standing in front of him was another guy named Jefferson.
It was a moment that stands out above all else in my 11 years of leading worship.
You see Matt and Jefferson were worshipping God, together.
Literally.
Jefferson has severe cerebral palsy. He has little, if any control over his body.
Matt was standing behind Jefferson.
Holding Jefferson.
20 minutes.
Dancing with Jefferson and singing at the top of his lungs.
Jefferson was singing too. I think I could hear him.
And it was the most beautiful song I have ever heard.

There are hundreds of thoughts, emotions, and lessons that could go along with Matt and Jefferson.
To watch them sing out and dance was a thing of beauty. Obedience. Unbridled Joy.
Thank you Matt and Jefferson for a shifting moment in my life.
I honestly want all of you to comment here.
What can we all learn from this picture of Authenticity?

How He Loves Us!

I just had an amazing personal worship time with this song. Thank you Lord for your love for us.

Happy Easter.

Communion

Here's my "Creative Chaos" post for this week.

At NorthStar, we have had a difficult time finding the best way for us to do communion. We have a lot unbelievers attend out weekend services, so to partake of communion on a Sunday morning excludes so many. It would be great to have it at a believer's service, but we don't currently have one. So, we are trying something new today. We are hosting a day of communion from 7 am-7 pm at the church. We invited people to come before or after work or families to come together any time during the day and partake together. As they came in, we handed them a guide with some steps on it and some scripture. It was awesome. You could tell that it was a very special time for people. I think that this will be our new way of doing communion.

That's all.

Perfectly flawed!

Here' s my "creative chaos" post for this week.
Every week we plan, pray, meet, chart & rehearse all in the name of offering to God a most excellent sacrifice of corporate worship. While all that is true, we just flat out want to be excellent in what we do. At NorthStar we expect ALOT from our volunteers (and staff), and they deliver every week.
However, last week I stood up and totally botched a song. You can read about this in my last post. How many times when we make a mistake do we try and "professionally" cover it up? I have found that there's something that builds connection with the people in the crowd when you include them in the mess up. For one instant, they get to see the REAL side of the worship leader. Not the slick, polished, professional side. And in the end, being real is so much more refreshing. It's fun because they get to laugh through the mistake with you. If you don't have the personality that can be witty on the fly, this may mean that you'll need to go ahead and think of some things you can do, cause believe me... that mess up will be here before you know it.
-That's it,
Daniel

"Let's all sing in the Key of C"

I've been leading worship since I was about 20 years old. So in 15 years (yes, I'm almost 35) I have never given a vocal cue like the one I gave this past Sunday morning. Let me set up the story for those who weren't blessed to be there.

"It's a cold morning in early march as small traces of snow lingered on the blades of grass at NorthStar Church. As the band finished up playing the song "Everyday" in the Compass Center, Lisa Rosemond dismissed the kids praise team from the stage. Daniel Hoover, suave as he is, swiftly exchanged his electric guitar for his acoustic. Turning around to the microphone, he heard Dave Cook give him the 4 count click to start the next song. This would be a song that could possibly transform NorthStar for years to come...this was a song that would shake the very foundations of hell as believers sang at the top of their voices. The song accurately named "Glorious One" because when performed with such accuracy... you get the picture. As Daniel lays his 3 good fingers (and one nub) across the strings of the neck, he begins to play.....in the wrong key!"


Yep, I was playing in the wrong key. This is usually OK when the band is all in the same wrong key. However, in this story I am not so lucky. I was playing in Bb and the band was one verse away from coming in with the correct key- - C. Once I started singing, I knew what I had done. I was simply counting the measures until the TRAIN WRECK!!!! Then it happened, the band started playing. Faces in the crowd had these looks like "oooh", "ouch", "bless their hearts!" Immediately I'm thinking of ways to get out of this terrible situation. I can do 1 of 3 things:
1. Continue and hope that the guys in the band will eventually find the key I'm in (odd).
2. When the chorus is over do a VERY direct key change to C. (very odd).
3. Stop the song and explain how the time change greatly affects the tuning of stringed instruments (very, very odd)!

So I did number 2... I mean the second option. I waited for the chorus to finish and then instantly went to the correct key. Then I was faced with a dilemma, how do I let the band know what the new key is? Some of them just figured out what the wrong key was. So here it goes, I did it. I gave probably the most memorable vocal cue I will ever give.

I stepped up to the microphone and said to the entire congregation: "LET'S ALL SING OUT... IN THE KEY OF C!"

That's gonna be chapter 13 in my book of blunders, remind me to tell you about chapter 12!

-Daniel

"What Marks Us Makes Us"

Yesterday was an amazing day at NorthStar! I don't know when I've seen a more moving service. If you missed the wrap up to the Braveheart series you have to watch or listen to the podcast of the video we showed during the service. Revelation tells us that "the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of believers" will overcome the enemy. If you hear these stories you will be so encouraged and overwhelmed by God's goodness as He brings us through the trials of life. He does stengthen us through His spirit and His word to be "more than conquerors through Him who loves us" (Rom. 8:37). I'm so thankful for the three stories that were shared and for the courage it took for each person to share them. I love the tag line we used for the series that says, "what marks us makes us." If you have been marked by tragedy, poor choices, or just life then you know that those experiences have made you who you are today. I pray we remember how important it is for us to encouage each other and help each other along through our stories. God never wastes an experience and He wants to use each one somehow for our good and His glory. I pray this series has blessed and encouraged you as much as it has me to have a brave heart.

Bonnie

Creative Chaos

Carlos at Ragamuffin Soul has started a weekly thing called “Creative Chaos.” It's a great way of sharing creative parts of your job, life, or more specifically your church. It's like going to a creative conference, without going anywhere. So hopefully, if I remember, every thursday I'll post a "Creative Chaos" article about NorthStar. 

This week we just wrapped up a series called "Braveheart".  It has nothing to do with Mel Gibson.  We discussed King David and how to survive when trials and struggles hit your life.  So, this Sunday we are wrapping that up with a 20 minute, documentary style video called NorthStar Stories.  Realizing that tragedy has and will hit everyone in the room, we decided that these stories need to be heard.  We have 3 people sharing their story: a Cancer survivor that was given 4 months to live, a man whose wife was abducted and killed in a car jacking, and a couple who tried for 7 years to have kids.  The video is unbelievable! I am so glad that my wife and I previewed it before we have to get up and lead worship after it.  We would have flooded the stage with tears. We are thinking about making a lot of our free standing Sundays "NorthStar Stories" days (these are Sundays that fall between a series).  We also started a BLOG called NorthStar Stories, where attenders can write in their own stories. It's had great success. 

That's it!

The Glory of it All

This past Sunday we introduced a great new worship song called "The Glory of it All". It's a song written by David Crowder and is on the new Passion: God of this City" album. What a powerful song about the grace and sovereignty of the Lord.
Here's how it breaks down: the verses speak of His ever-presence, and the fact that He was there in the beginning and the end, when things are broken and lost He can be found in the midst of it. Through the good, bad and the ugly, He is right there in it all. Then the bridge says that after all our hands have wrought, he still forgives. Then when you think, "well I guess God's just putting up with us", the chorus comes along and says:
"Oh the Glory of it all is:
he came here
For the rescue of us all
that we may live
for the glory of it all."

Wow... He wasn't just putting up with us messing up His world. God actually is blessing us by offering us redeeming love and rescuing us from death and Hell. But He didn't really just do it for us, He did it for Himself. He did it for His Glory, for His renown. So that He would be known through all the world. Funny thing is is that if you turn that around it's even more of a blessing. He could have made Himself known and brought glory to himself in a number of ways, but because He is so gracious and merciful, He chose to do it by saving us and redeeming us from the enemy. That in the midst of our mess, He cleaned it up! When His attention could have and probably should have been on Himself, He chose to pure out grace on us.
It reminds me of what our desire and passion in life should be. Isaiah 26:8 says: “Yes Lord, walking in the way of Your truth we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and renown are the desire of our souls." Just as God desires His name and renown to be known and He desires us, we too should desire Him and to make His name known.

-Daniel

To All The Curls I've Loved Before...

Yesterday was a tragic hair day for Eli. Well, really I guess it was a tragic hair day for me…..Brandon’s mom offered to take Eli to get his hair trimmed while he was spending the day with them in St. Mtn. He needed it, so I agreed she could as long as she was certain that his curls would stay in place. For those of you who haven’t seen him lately his hair looked a lot like Clay Davis and his crazy head of curls. I should’ve known when Brandon’s mom said, “Well it’s a little shorter than we hoped” that things weren’t going to be good. I met them over at Perimeter Mall to pick him up and when they came around the corner I could hardly believe it. There in the middle of all the mall chaos was my baby boy all of a sudden looking very grown up, crazy curls replaced by some sort of slicked down, combed over big boy “do” that was the biggest “don’t” there could’ve been. We made our way out of the mall and to the parking deck and the whole time I was trying to get myself together. We moved all of Eli’s stuff back to my car and as I pulled on to 75 the tears suddenly began to flow. Now I know some of you are reading this and thinking I am a total wuss, but for those of you parents who have been there (or anyone who has ever had a bad hair cut) you understand! Still, in the midst of the tears I knew I was overreacting and needed to look at the big picture. Eli hadn’t been hurt, he hadn’t been neglected or mistreated. I kept saying to myself, “God, what is the lesson in this?”

My friend Caroline and I have a saying we use with each other when we seem to be getting bogged down by the world. “In light of eternity……is _____ that big of a deal?” So I called Caroline and left her a message explaining what had happened and telling her that I need her to call me back because I needed a good “In light of eternity” speech from her. While I was leaving her a message, Brandon’s mom called. She had already apologized several times and I figured she was calling back to tell me again how sorry she was. I didn’t want to talk to her in the midst of my weepiness so I just ignored the call. She called again a minute or so later and this time I just let my voice mail pick it up. A few minutes later Brandon called and said I needed to pray for his mom and dad. I had just left them at the mall about 10 minutes prior to that so I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. It was then he told me that they had been in a 3 car wreck, sideswiped by a reckless driver on 285. They were fine, shaken up, but fine and waiting for the police to arrive. At that point all the frustration and bitterness left me and all I had was thankfulness and relief. Relief that Eli hadn’t been in the car, that they hadn’t been injured, that their car wasn’t totaled…. And I felt God give me a great big kick in the pants and say, “In light of eternity”- is hair really that big of a deal?
So my challenge for you today is this: What things in your life have you feeling bitter, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Maybe it’s something silly like hair, or maybe it’s something God has revealed to you in the midst of this Braveheart series. Who are you holding grudges against? What secrets have you kept hidden? What pieces of your life are broken? Who do you need to ask for forgiveness? Will it take a scare like an accident or an illness to make you look at things differently? Or will you be able to see that “In light of eternity” life is too short and it’s just not worth all the drama.

And to all those curls I’ve loved before… I will still miss you but maybe with a little hair gel and a little time that crazy hair will come back curlier than ever.

Stephanie

Notes From a Producer

Quite often I have the privilege of serving alongside our amazing media team in the Producer role on Sunday mornings. This past Sunday was one of those amazing mornings in the Compass. Julie's lighting was beautifullly tasteful, as usual, creating the perfect atmosphere in the room for worship. Andy's sound mix was dead ON, as always. Larry kept us all on the same page at A2 by calling in the plays up to True North. Dave played "follow the leader" on camera to keep up with both of the Mikes on stage to allow True North to join us in the message. Darryl had a tough job keeping us all together on the video cue for the special, but pulled it off perfectly twice. And with a morning of a million last minute changes on media slides and an impossible sync on the special video, Tony proved to be a pro at media shout (even with my late cue on the bumper)! The brilliant thing is that unless you were on a headset Sunday, you would never have guessed all the stuff that went on because the morning was flawless.

There is so much that goes on behind the scenes each week to make everything come off "professionally." I am so proud to be part of such an amazing team of volunteers. You guys on the media team serve so faithfully out of the spotlight with some of the most incredible hearts I have ever known and you desire no recognition in return. Well sorry to put you on the spot, but today I recognize all of you as tremendous blessings and "worship leaders" behind the worship leaders. You do a beautiful job each week of not being seen. That sounds strange, but that means you are doing your jobs well. You create such an amazing environment through the sound, lights, & video that eliminates all distractions to make way for the Holy Spirit to move (and for the worship leaders to remember all the words)!

This Braveheart series has been intense and extremely emotional for the people who have been in the services. I truly believe you have all played a vital role in this movement of God by "getting out of the way" and serving with all your hearts. Thank you so much for all you contribute week after week in the Compass and in True North! I know that none of you desire praise for your effort, but I hope you know how incredible each of you are. God is using you in a powerful way to reach people for His glory. And that's all this Producer has to say about that!

Bonnie

What's goin' on at NorthStar?

Have you ever had those times in your life when you just weren't sure what was going on? It's like you know "something's up" but you're just not sure what it is? That's what life is like right now at NorthStar. To better illustrate what I mean I'll reference one of the greatest trilogies of all time. Did you ever see X-Men 2 (I really like those guys)? If so, (Movie spoiler coming up) do you remember when at the end of the movie, the dam was about to break? At first the warning siren was going off, then small little cracks began to form in the dam wall. Then before you knew it, little streams of water where shooting out... then BAM... the whole thing busted and flooded everything! That's what I'm talking about. A flood. I feel like NorthStar is on the edge of a flood. I think we are starting to hear the siren. I'm not the only who feels this way either. It's kinda the buzz around the office. There are warning signs everywhere. All of the various ministries are experiencing tremendous growth, both spiritual and numerical.

So what can we do to prepare for this flood? I think a great scripture passage to live by right now is Psalm 24: 3-6; "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His Holy Place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive a blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior."

There are three things that I feel this verse is saying to us:

1. We need to keep our hearts and our hands pure. With God doing such an incredible work in people's lives, the enemy would have no greater pleasure than for us slip up.
2. If we desire to "stand in His Holy place", we have to save ourselves for Him. Lifting up your soul to an idol means that something has replaced the "Lordship" of God in our lives, allowing our worship and devotion to be placed on something else.
3. We need to keep our mouths shut! Not in worship, just when it comes to saying things that don't build up the body or glorify the Lord. Words can slip out fast, but can hurt so deeply. We need to allow our words to provide encouragement and blessings for people.

These are the qualifications we have for receiving a blessing from the Lord. Let's make sure we work hard to keep our hands clean, eyes focused and our mouths shut and then sit back and watch God transform our community!

Love you all,

Daniel

Counting on us

I've spent quite a bit of time this week reflecting on Sunday's services. Daniel & I invited some friends to come with us who have never been before and don't go to church anywhere. We've known them for 3 years and never asked them to come before. Last Thursday afternoon I sat up in the media booth putting together the presentations for the services. As I did, I kept thinking through how to make it look the very best so our friends would be impressed. As I rehearsed with the band and practiced the songs at home over the weekend I gave it a little extra time and wanted everything to be well prepared and perfect.

Our friends walked through the doors of NorthStar on Sunday to a totally different church than they've ever attended before. As I met them at the door and took them to their seats I looked anxiously at every detail of the church through their eyes, wondering what they were thinking. I wanted everything to be just right. Walking down the halls and passing smiling faces in the children's rooms and then receiving a welcoming smile along with the Navigator made me realize I had nothing to worry about. Standing on stage and looking out at the congregation relaxed me as I saw our producer and media team volunteers bringing their very best as usual. The band played with excellence, Mike's message was tremendous, and the song special brought me to tears. It couldn't have been a more perfect day.

This past week was an incredible reminder to me of how important our jobs are on Sunday mornings. This particular week the stakes were high for me as I brought friends in for the first time. However, we have to remember that EVERY week someone is counting on us to bring our A game because they have invited someone or simply because they personally need God to meet them where they are. What a privilege we have to serve and use our gifts to make an eternal impact. Thank you for doing what you do every week so selflessly and excellently! You all make NorthStar the best church on earth! Let's keep our excitement for serving and give our best every week to reach those who need the message we have to offer. Don't forget that someone is counting on you!
Bonnie

Why we do what we do

So there I was in the TrueNorth service Sunday morning. I'd already sat through the first service in the Compass so with Emilie in tow, I jogged up the hill to sit through the beginning of the 2nd service. I had already been blessed by the worship in the first service so I was not having trouble getting into "the technical mindset" for the True North Service. As Bogguss was doing his superbowl thing, a group of folks came in and filled the seats in the 2 rows around us on the back row. I chose that seat so that Em and I could dart out when the music was over. I had a long list of things to take care of that afternoon and was already busily working down that list in my mind. The room was packed with people and when we had to scoot in, I noticed the guy directly in front of us who had a very "I'm not from around here", look to him. Daniel got the first line of the song out (Great are you Lord... mighty in strength) and the guy dropped to his knees, buried his face in his hands and worshipped. He could have cared less if there was another soul in that room. He was there to meet with God. He was hungry to meet with God. Some of what he was doing must have rolled back to our row because my heart was stirred by the humility and abandon with which he worshipped. It reminded me that the reason we work so hard as a team, is so that we can GET OUT OF THE WAY on sunday mornings. God has an agenda everytime we gather together. We can get so distracted by the process, that we lose sight of the priveledge it is to be a part of God's mighty work. With that in mind, I want to say a special thank you to both teams this past week. You guys and girls got out of the way and it was awesome. As you prepare for the next time you're scheduled, remember the guy on the 2nd to the last row. I know I will never forget him. It is an honor to serve with you!

Lisa

Persevere!

Well, this past week was quite a week for me. I turned 33 last Monday. Daniel asked me months ago what I wanted for my birthday and I told him I wanted to run a half marathon (13.1 miles). Pretty crazy, huh? So, on Saturday we did just that. We ran the Tybee Island Half and I finished in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 55 seconds (my best personal record)! I am so relieved to have the training and the race behind me and excited that I finished this one better than the goal I had set for myself.

It is interesting how God seems to use things in my life like a half-marathon to help drive home a point He is trying to teach me. Our small group just started a study on the book of James on Sunday nights. The very first week was pretty deep. James 1:2-4 opens up the book with these words, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” These words echoed in my head around mile 12 Saturday as I dug deep to finish the race strong. It took months of training and getting out of bed on days when I really wanted to hit the snooze button. It took shorter runs with hill work or speed work to build up endurance. But on Saturday it was all worth it. I was thankful for the strength I had built in the past few months to be able to complete the task and beat my personal record.

How true this is when we face “trials of many kinds.” I was told once that God never wastes an experience that we go through. It’s hard to understand that concept in the short term when God allows us to go through difficult times. But in the long run it is so we can develop perseverance and be mature and complete and not lacking anything. I’m definitely not to the point in my walk with the Lord that I “consider it pure joy” when I face trials but I do pray I will begin to have the same determination and attitude in those times that I have when I’m training for a race. It’s my prayer for all of us that we can find joy and strength in the midst of the trials as we allow the Lord to develop perseverance in us. In those times He will surely conform us more into His image so we’ll be found lacking in nothing.

God bless,
Bonnie

funny

As sad as it was for him in the moment it sure is a great encouragement for all of us who have done stupid stuff in services before (like tuning a bass guitar out loud during Ike's closing prayer...oops). But it was also interesting to see a fellow team member's reaction to this clip on Sunday morning. During the second service I was sitting on the back row with Kristy Webb, who was producing our True North Service. It was almost the end of the message and Kristy got this really big smurk on her face and giggled...yes, I said giggled! I whispered to ask what was so funny and she said, "I just keep seeing that video of Eddy falling in my head." Of course that was the last thing I heard Mike say all morning. Sorry to tell on you Kristy!

Bonnie

The funniest worship leading blooper!

This is a video of a good friend of mine leading worship.  There isn't any audio... with the exception of your out loud laughter.   This is in honor of Mike Brown & Lisa Jones. 

A Great Workshop

What a great morning we had (with the Worship Band Workshop). As per the last entry, I realized again how blessed we are to have so many great servant players. It's so fun every time we all get together. The workshop is something that we will do again in the fall.

1 Chronicles 25:7 says: "Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD". I don't think that this means that all you're relatives have to play in the band, but it does give us a great example of how all the musicians in the Temple were constantly being trained and perfecting their skill of music for the Lord. Thus... the workshop. There are so many great resources out there now a days to help us sharpen our skills. Hopefully we can continue to spur one another on as we seek to offer a more perfect offering to the Lord. He sure deserves it.

Check out Rich, our new Aussie friend's band REVIVE

OK, this one's for real.

Here's a picture of Harlee (my neighbor) and me playing in the recent snow.  It was so much fun... for about 10 minutes.  Once the snow became very, very cold water in my mittens, it was time to go inside.  But Harlee had a great time and that's what counts.  

 I felt bad for the "non-entry" entry earlier today that I should probably write something real.  Today in staff meeting Mike and Jamie took a few minutes to recognize some staff members that have been at NS for 5 years or more (Our 5 year NS anniversary is in June). I've never considered myself someone who really cared about being recognized and "appreciated" for what I do until I thought that my name might be called. Maybe it was the mysterious white envelope they gave everyone, or the witty words of affirmation that Mike gave each person. Whatever it was, it made me realize how much it does mean to me. It also made me think about how bad I am at letting people know how much I appreciate them. So here it goes..... I really do appreciate you guys and I'm gonna try to show it more. I feel blessed to have such a great team to work with.

On we trod.....
-daniel

Our New Blog site

Hey guys,

This is our new Blog Site! This is something you will want to check weekly. It will contain so much stuff that it will blow your mind.

Daniel