monumental band decisions . . .

Foundation Red is entering it’s 10th summer leading worship for conferences. Among the most debated things in band life I find myself once again at the crux of those monument decisions every band must make.

Fortunately, I have been doing this long enough not to fall to the pressure of other band members when it comes to these two most crucial points. The first is, “Just what kind of band picture should we take.”

Answer: Take a goofy one and nobody try to look hard because chances are you just recently moved out of your parent’s house! Stop it!

The second debated issue is, “What are our t shirts going to look like?”.

Answer: I have enough t-shirts in my garage that have our band name on them to buy a 2001 4 Door, short bed, pick up truck with around 80,000 miles . . . cash . . . which is what I need right now. So we are not going to put the band name on the shirt.

(Indecently, while we are on the issue of band names, I am still stuck with a band name that everyone in the band wanted but me. I am the only person left in the band. I still have the band name.)

Below is our first option for summer shirts. Let me know what you all think. Yes grandma, you especially. No grandma, I don’t smoke.

Autism, the Response of the local church and the effect upon student ministry yet to come

With the growing number of Autistic children born every year what issues will student ministries face in 5 years? April is the national push for Autism awareness. I've watched a few TV specials on this topic but was really taken back at a regional conference I got to mingle at in Atlanta.

The Facts: In 1995 one in 10,000 children born was diagnosed with Autism.
In 2006 one in 150 children born are diagnosed with some degree of autism.
see Autism Society of America

It did not happen to me. All three of our boys are healthy and developing normal as far as we know. There were not lots of parents with my blissful story at this gathering. Teresa told me her own heartbreaking story of caring for a jr high aged child with mild to severe autism. Teresa is a Christian with a mission field she never sought out. "Its like receiving a death notice for a loved one but the grieving process never ends.". Teresa has coped through much pain to see the opportunity God has given her to now be a comfort to others.

As I walked the halls listening into informational meetings, seeing treatment vendors, and thumbing through the books on display I caught the eyes of individuals. I saw the parents that recently found out their unborn child is autistic. I noticed the women who have been coming to these events for so long they had become a loving community to each other. I sensed despair on one hand and hope on the other. What I really saw was parents, siblings, and ordinary people deciding to enjoy life to the fullest potential they can.

I am a jr high minister. I am clearly not highly educated in the medical field of this affliction. I am however, like my new friend Teresa, finding myself asking how the Church factors in to all of this. The event was not a faith based event. I did however find it interesting that a senior staff pastor from North Point (a prominent church in Atlanta) was a key note speaker at the event. Teresa went on to explain to me that many of the new parents have quit attending their home churches after finding that the church had no way of knowing how to meet their needs. The guilt and eventual resentment felt towards the church is disturbing.

The church is changing and growing at a crazy speed. Large churches with specialized staff continue to abound. Emerging churches with tight knit communities of fellowship seem to be just as able to meet the ministry needs of families with autistic children. It seems that Chap Clark’s call to the church, for adults relationally investing in students, rings ever so true.

Stuck in the middle

I never know what other conventions or shows the Believe Tour could be next to from week to week at a venue.
We have shared convention space in the past with some funny, and scary groups. As we book space for Believe now we ask very pointed questions about who else will be in the convention center. We've had a transvestite convention above our floor. We've had beer festivals (these are usually very calm and polite people). One time we had a massage training seminar down the hall. They didn't exactly appreciate the rock and roll for Jesus :)

This weekend we were at the Gwinnet Center in Atlanta, GA. It is an awesome venue and we had 1300 jr high students attending. Our neighbors this week were quite dynamic. The Believe conference was held in the main convention center. Bill and Gloria Gaither (along with the largest collections of Prevost buses I've ever seen at once) played the arena. Our whole team was invited in by the rigging company (we new a guy) to look at their awesome set up. It was very impressive even if you don't like that style of music.

On the other side of us in the fine arts theater was the 80's rock band "Cinderella". Being a child of the 80's I was really wanting to sneak a quick peek. It didn't happen.

I remember going through that time when I was convicted at camp to through away all of my non-christian music. For me at that time it was necessary and beneficial.. Man is my iTunes bill expensive now! Ha! Buying back all of that old Bon Jovi :)

I wish I could have been in the parking lot to watch all three groups exit and mingle. I love those people watching exercises. Jen doesn't like it when I watch people . . .

Struggling with Worship Team Issues

I recieved this question yesterday on the Foundation Red Myspace account thought it would hit home with other people.

A young man writes:

I really need some advice on something involving praise and worship leading..

If you remember, I play in our praise and worship band, and I (along with others) have noticed that the mindset of the band is: "I don't care, I'm just here because I signed up." I don't mean to judge their hearts, it just seems that when we practice, it's a mad rush to finish as quick as possible and to keep it as simple as possible...and the music produced reflects that. It's not terrible, but it's definitely not the best we could do...especially not when we're playing to worship God...

I guess what I'm asking is this: have you ever encountered something like this with Foundation Red or any other project? if so, what did you do?

I'll keep on praying about it...In the meantime, thanks!

Let me encourage you by applauding your desire to bring your best to Jesus through your own personal art. He gave it to you and you should give it back. I want to challenge you to stay involved and giving to the local church. The Church is the bride of Christ even when the music is not produced up to the level we think it should be.



Here is a perspective change that might bring more joy to your experience in serving right now. We must realize that there will be a dynamic range of music ability in the places where we serve. If we are there to edify, (serve, encourage and lift up) the body of Christ then your focus should not be to personally fulfill your musical desires. We do need to corporately bring an offering to God that costs us something. This is a matter of dying to one's self. Look at it this way. If you are putting in personal practice time and increasing your ability to bring a better offering then that is pleasing to the Lord. When you show up only to find that others are not where you are technically at when it comes to understanding music you have a choice to make. You can be upset that they have not met your requirements to participate in the Churches corporate celebration time or you can let your example quietly shine. You can choose to then help them during the time they have come to give, making it the best it can be.



Here is an illustration I use often with this question. On a scale of one to ten let's say that you have the potential to play at a "7" as far as musical ability goes. Let's say for the sake of the illustration that the people you are frustrated with are only bringing a "3" to the table. Your desire is for everyone to be at a "7" with you because that would just be a blast right? I believe God is calling you to help the group arrive together over time at a "5".



I have seen this situation play out so many times in ministry my friend. A talented musician gets frustrated with the leader, the system, politics, style and removes themselves from the community of artists at a local church. I rarely see God bless this type of attitude. However, I have witnessed countless examples where a young musician submits and serves where God has placed them. These individuals are blessed with an extra portion of ability, leadership and wisdom to eventually have their desire to play with other talented musicians on professional stages. More importantly they have learned the lesson of being apart of the larger community of the Church. Remember that God is the giver of all our creative gifts. He gives them to bless the Church. When we take possession for whatever reason of these gifts ourselves no good comes from it.



On a final practical note I would say if you are seeing areas where more organization could take place to make the overall worship service better then I would say that should be interpreted as the Holy Spirit telling you to do those things necessary that you see to prepare the whole group. Take the initiative within the system your leaders have established, to serve. I mention this because I sensed that you were representing the "feelings" of others in the band as well. Musicianship can be an aspect of one's worship before the Lord. If you have a leader that is bottlenecking the groups music ability I would pose some questions about what that leader sees as necessary in your life to allow some more freedom to you during the corporate assembly time of your youth group.



I hope this helps. Every time I write a message like this I am reminded of the recurring phrase in Matthew, "he who has ears to hear, let them hear."

confessions of a worship leader . . . changing

I wrote this email to my wife from backstage at a CIY spring break conference. Blogs can be so boring and fake. There was realness to this that compelled me to post it.

I've been processing some things lately. I know we've talked about it here and there. Its starting to take shape for me this week. I’ve stood on this little piece of ground in such a defensive manner over the past two years. As I look back now I see myself as a child throwing a tantrum. I know you have even heard me say, "I am a worship leader", in such a threatening tone. It should be translated as, "I'll take my ball and go home!". What has been so funny looking back at countless conversations with Jayson (Jayson French is the Conference Department Director at CIY) about this is that he's told me in a confused expression, “I'm not trying to get you out of worship leading". I see now that I was responding out of fear of loosing an identity other than Christ. I was saying that to the Spirit who was calling me to just trust.

Part of this discussion stems from me feeling a bit pulled to speak on the Believe Conference. It looks like I am going to speak at Believe next year a few times (2 tops) and have Jordan Howerton (currently interning with Foundation Red right now) lead worship at those two events. I’m kinda looking to that to be a launch for the next tour where I would do a larger portion of the speaking. It’s not something I want to give up, but I think if I offer it to God when he gives it back it will be fresh and deep.

Honestly, I'm scared. Change is scary. Most people think that keeping the status quo is safer. Risk is actually safer than just doing only what I do now until the wheels fall off. I need to do this over the next two years. It will be a slow growth process.

It might be more of a sabbatical than anything. I am more comfortable calling it that than saying I am not going to be a worship leader anymore. Marko’s podcast actually got me thinking about the freedom in saying “no” and giving your well a chance to deepen naturally through the process of Sabbath. I will always be a worship leader because I am a worshipper in community of Believers. For 6 years it has been a snowball of preparing for tours while on tours. My margins for creativity have been caving in slowly.

Perhaps that alone is the telling part in this whole journey. In the realization of my true context (insert a theology of living in the community of other believers as being synonymous with things we say like "being a Christian", or "knowing Jesus"). I am free to be the worship leader God has always been calling me to be.

This is a special week for me because it's a culmination of a few things: I get to sit back stage and just enjoy the singing that is being led so skillfully by Steve Fee!
The long time producer of my band, Jon Hill, is moving on to the next chapter in his ministry away from Foundation Red. I get to watch him from the front row this week take that leap.
Also an old FR bass player's parents are here and I've been encouraged by their testimony surrounding Tony's experience in FR.
God uses funny things to speak to us at times.

5 years ago I would have been anxiously gleaning every nuance I could snag for my own personal repertoire as a worship leader. That in itself is fine, but my foundation would not have the peace I feel now in my identity. There is a common denominator within the artistic community of insecurity. God desires to restore all things that the fall of man broke. He heals our brokenness. As artists, our art starts to reflect this continual renewing process. For me right now it an exploring process.

You of all people know that I never sought out a ministry to jr high students. I was called to this and God has shown up to give an added blessing of joy in my calling. God slowly shows himself to us. I was not ready to make room artistically to explore other things the Spirit was calling me to. God works to align our identity with him and not with what we do.

Marko podcast

Wow, this spring has been a whirlwind. Jen and I moved our 3 boys out to the country. It took them all of about 3 minutes to find the muddy creek out back and cover themselves head to toe! Yeah, Momma was freaking out! ha! I just got the hose out and sprayed them down.
I did slow down to catch Mark Oestreicher back stage at St. Louis Believe to do this podcast. It has been such a blessing having Marko on tour this year. We get off the Believe Jr high subject just a bit to talk about Marko's Sabbatical and future book writing. At the end we talk a bit about the more "interactive" stage Believe will be exploring! Great stuff! Enjoy

Click here for the Marko podcast

Johnnyout