New Heights Worship Blog

Summer Launch Time-Lapse Video

2011-06-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

Summer Launch Time-lapse: Setup, Service and Tear Down from New Heights Vanc on Vimeo.

Awakening Keys Tutorial

2011-05-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Awakening Electric Guitar Tutorial

2011-05-07T17:00:00.001-07:00

Beautiful Things Keys Tutorial

2011-05-07T16:58:00.001-07:00

Our God Keys Tutorial

2011-05-07T16:57:00.003-07:00

Our God Electric Guitar Tutorial

2011-05-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

Forever Reign Electric Guitar Tutorial

2011-05-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

What happens when you turn iPhones and iPads loose at church?

2010-12-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

Beautiful music!

Merry Christmas everybody :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9XNfWNooz4&feature=player_embedded

Reconciliation - it's a beautiful thing

2010-11-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

It seems that Matt's talk last weekend struck a chord (or nerve) with a lot of people last weekend. When I talk to people about it, they shake their heads and say things like, "man…that was a rough one!"

For those of you who missed the talk last weekend, download a copy of the talk through our Podcast page on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/new-heights-church/id213971916).

Basically, Matt shared the Matthew 5:23-24 passage,

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."

You mean, if someone has something against me, "I" have to go to them and make it right? Yeah. Okay, now I get it. God's heart for us is to be reconciled with everyone. And when we think that someone else has an issue with us, Jesus wants us to make the first move. Talk about being proactive!?!

I got the chance to see this in my own life. I had a Facebook friend request from a girl I dated in high school. As soon as I saw her name, I knew what I had to do. I sent her a note and apologized for the way I treated her in high school and asked her to forgive me. Now if you don't know, I graduated from high school in 1977. Yeah, I know - I'm old!?! But even though it was a long time ago, I knew it was the right thing to do. She was very gracious and accepted my apology. And the best part in all of this: the feeling of peace that I experienced afterwards. I remember telling God a long time ago that if He ever gave me the chance to make things right, I would be one happy man. And He did.

If there's someone that God wants you to connect with, do it. Making things right is a beautiful thing.

Why are you on stage?

2010-10-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

As you know, it’s Reset time at New Heights. That means that we are examining ourselves to make sure that our attitudes and actions are aligned with who God has called us to be as individuals and as a church. One of the best ways that we as worship musicians can hit Reset in our own lives is to examine our motivations for being on a worship team. Our reasons for being on a worship team will greatly affect everything we do on stage. I cannot overstate this!

We have to be motivated by the desire to make a big deal out of God, to treasure Him more than anything else, to engage other people in worship, and to be used in real life transformation. We cannot allow ourselves to be satisfied with anything less.

Your motivation for participating in worship leadership will have an enormous impact on everything you do during the worship set and during your preparation time. If you are a guitar player for example, it will have a profound effect on whether or not you invest the time to become fluent on your instrument. It will also affect how you choose to use that fluency. Anyone can play in such a way that they draw attention to themselves. It takes a good worshiper to play in such a way that they keep peoples' attention on worshiping God. Take it from a recovering over-player, if this is a challenge for you, you will be in recovery your whole life. But as you learn to play out of a desire to glorify God, you will derive more joy from worship.

It’s a privilege for me to be a part of worship ministry music with each of you here at New Heights. Each one of us is at our best when we prepare and serve with the right motivations so let’s all take the time to check our hearts.

David Crowder Band - SMS (Shine)

2010-10-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

This is a very cool video...

What are people really looking for?

2010-10-14T13:54:00.001-07:00

I was reading a post by Paul Baloche today.

Paul has been leading worship at the same church in Texas for over twenty years so he's seen a lot of things. He's also done multiple worship conferences, both leading worship and speaking. He's also a prolific songwriter. Some of the songs we've done for a weekend service are Hosanna, Our God Saves, Above All, Open the Eyes of My Heart and Your Name. And he's recorded 9 worship CDs. Pretty impressive.

In his recent post, he asks what are 20-somethings looking for in a church and in a worship service? He tells a fictional tale that seems to ring true to me.

What do you think?

And what would you really like to see or not see at a worship service?

http://www.ccli.com/WorshipCorner/Article.aspx?ContentId=49e3dcb4-ee38-427b-995a-c08665f6defe

The Main Focus

2010-10-07T16:09:00.000-07:00

Mike and I were chatting about this article--and thought we'd share it with you! It's a good reminder...and makes some pretty interesting points. Feel free to share your thoughts!

http://expressiveworship.net/2010/09/the-main-focus/

Yikes, this makes me nervous!?!

2010-09-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

I was just reading through a few blog posts and came across this scary suggestion.

What do you think? Is this possible? How would it make you feel? Anyone willing to give it a try?

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/09/rehearsing-is-for-cowards.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2Fsethsmainblog+%28Seth%27s+Blog%29

Video of John Mark McMillan

2010-07-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry about that!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8ILmTgS1qw

John Mark McMillan

2010-07-12T16:22:00.001-07:00

If this is a new name to you, you need to spend some time on youtube, iTunes or Amazonmp3 and check him out.
I was looking through a digital magazine today and stumbled upon this video of John on New Day TV up in Seattle.
Great song with searing lyrics. After the song, he has a chance to talk to the host for a few minutes to explain his take on his music, how he got started and what he calls his music. He seems like a regular guy.

What I like about his music is that it doesn't sound like everything else you hear on Christian Radio.
Very rootsy (is there such a word?) and not overly produced like so many other groups you hear.
Not the same chord progressions or formats. It's a breath of fresh air.

Hope you like it!

And if you do like John, what's your favorite song?

Playing With A Click

2010-06-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

I recently came across this blog description of different levels of being able to play with a click. Although it's mainly talking about drummers, it's helpful for all of us as we work towards being stronger with our rhythm, both as individuals and as a band. This is a good self-assessment to see which category we would fall under and what we need to do to get to the next level. The original post is here http://silverlakestudio.com/2010/05/guest-post-are-you-ready-to-record/ .
Beginner – unable to stay with the click. The playing tempo lopes in and out of time as the player(s) first rush the beat, then compensate by slowing down.
Advancing beginner – this is where the player is now able to follow the click accurately, but his playing has become stiff and constrained. All the focus is on following the click and not much is left to create a groove or musical feel.
Accomplished – this is where the player or the band as a whole are able to follow the click precisely while maintaining an infectious and inviting rhythm.
Advanced – at this level, the player has mastered all aspects of playing with the click and taken it to the level of an advanced skill, or art form. One of the most fascinating tricks I’ve seen studio musicians pull off in this realm is a thing I call the “tempo illusion.” Let’s say there’s a ritard in the middle of the song. By playing ever so slightly behind the click, while gradually playing more softly and using fewer notes and less rhythm –through the course of the ritard, these players create a tempo illusion that sounds exactly like a slowing of the tempo, but the tempo has actually not changed at all. When the click is removed, the listener would swear that the music has slowed down through the “fake” ritard. It’s a fascinating and inspiring thing to watch, and I hope readers might take this as a motivation to work hard on click skills.

Giving People an "A"

2010-06-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I read a book called "The Art of Possibility" by Rosamund Stone Zander and her husband, Benjamin Zander (http://www.amazon.com/Art-Possibility-Transforming-Professional-Personal/dp/0142001104/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276729737&sr=1-1). Ben is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and a prof at the New England Conservatory of Music. Just recently I decided to pick it up again and re-read it.

A few weeks ago, I caught a video of Ben interacting with people, teaching them how to love classical music, as well as demonstrating how he encourages musicians to give themselves to a performance. It's almost magical how he can coach sensitive musicians into confident players. So, what's his secret?

One of the chapters in his book is called Giving an A. The basic premise is that when you give everyone an A, you see people differently, and they as well begin to see themselves differently, too. You remember what it was like in High School, right?. There were the smart ones that always got good grades and those (like me) who had a tougher time in school. Remember how it felt back then? You were judged by how you performed. Good students got all the smiles and encouragement. Bad students got the finger-wagging and dirty looks.

So, what if everyone in High School had been judged like an "A" student? Accept them, love them, challenge them and encourage them. I realize Ben's students are older, but they still deal with insecurity and acceptance, just like High School students.
An even better question for us is, "what if we started giving everyone an "A"?
Just last weekend, Matt H. challenged us from James 2 to do some self-examination and see if we're really a bunch of bigots. Do I show favoritism to people? Do I think I'm better than everyone else? Who do I look down on?
So, what if I give everyone an "A"? Would they start to see Jesus in me, instead of just me and my judgment? Hmm, I think so.

Starting today, with God's help, everyone gets an "A". Class dismissed.

Glory To God Forever - Fee

2010-05-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

Key of B

INTRO

GUITAR/VOCAL

ELECTRIC GUITAR

ELECTRIC GUITAR tabs at http://guitarpraise.blogspot.com/2009/07/glory-to-god-forever.html

Glorious - Paul Baloche

2010-05-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

Key of C

Full Band

Guitar/Vocal

Electric Guitar

Meet and Greet Tonight

2010-04-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

Guys,

Would you pray for our Meet and Greet tonight?

We have a few people coming to audition for worship teams tonight and it's really nice to have people who want to participate at each of our campuses! We want to be clear about the calling we have as worship leaders. Many of you know the challenges of leading worship with preparing for rehearsal, taking good notes and working on our parts before the first service starts. Add to that making sure we keep our relationship with the Lord strong, checking-in with our families so we don't neglect them and keeping our bosses happy at work and you've got one busy week!

We also want to be discerning as we audition people. I'm so thankful for all the people who lead with us each weekend. God had given us so many talented people. But the best part is that these talented people love God and want to serve the Church with their gifts! That's the kind of people we're looking for!

Okay, thanks for praying!

And when you have time, here's a fun post to read from a "British" point of view.
Top Ten Does and Don't - a guide for sensitive musicians.
http://www.musicademy.com/2010/04/top-10-dos-donts-a-guide-for-insensitive-musicians/?utm_source=Musicademy+Newsletter&utm_campaign=9ed3a20938-newsletter1004a&utm_medium=email

Easter Celebration Services

2010-03-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

You're invited to celebrate Easter with us! Please join us for an Easter Worship Service at one of our 4 campuses over 2 days. Invite your friends and family.

Free tickets are now available here and can be picked up in The Lobby at all weekend worship services and locations. Kid's programs available birth - 5th grade.

New Heights Main Campus
Saturday, April 3: 5:00* & 6:30pm
Sunday, April 4: 8:15, 9:45 & 11:15am & 6:00pm-Ascent
*ASL

New Heights East
Sunday, April 4: 9:30 & 11:00am

New Heights North
Sunday, April 4: 9:30 & 11:00am

New Heights West
Sunday, April 4: 9:30 & 11:00am

Good Friday Services

2010-03-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Before there is an Easter celebration, there's the incredible reality of Good Friday. Join us for a special time of communion. Come prepare for Easter and see what Good Friday is about on April 2! Childcare through 4 years old.
Just come! Tickets not needed.

New Heights Main Campus
Friday, April 2: 5:30 & 7pm

New Heights East
Friday, April 2: 6:30pm

New Heights North
Friday, April 2: 6:30pm

New Heights West
Friday, April 2: 6:30pm

Wouldn't you want to know?

2010-02-23T14:30:00.001-08:00

We've been talking a lot about getting better as musicians recently. We work on our parts, listen to CDs and do our best to bring our best every time we lead.

So, that leads me to the video below and one question:

If you sounded like this, wouldn't you want to know

you really shouldn't be making a music video?

"Shine" by Final Placement from sharity world on Vimeo.

Our God Saves - Paul Baloche

2010-02-22T21:11:00.000-08:00

ELECTRIC GUITAR

(drop D tuning, dotted 8th delay)

You can find tabs for the electric guitar parts here:

http://guitarpraise.blogspot.com/2008/04/our-god-saves.html

ACOUSTIC GUITAR / VOCAL

Mighty To Save - Hillsong

2010-02-15T13:07:00.000-08:00

ELECTRIC GUITAR

You can find tabs for the guitar parts here:

http://guitarpraise.blogspot.com/2006/12/mighty-to-save-intro-verse-instrumental.html

ELECTRIC GUITAR - (Hillsong Instructional Video)

DRUMS

All Because of Jesus - Fee

2010-02-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

We are going to start regularly posting tutorial videos of how to play some of the songs we do regularly. To find a song you are looking for just use the search bar on the right side of the page. The first one is All Because of Jesus by Fee. There are videos for electric guitar, drums, & acoustic/vocals. (If we find videos for other instrument parts we will post them here as well)

ELECTRIC GUITAR

(dotted 8th delay)

You can find tabs for the electric guitar parts here:

http://guitarpraise.blogspot.com/2008/09/all-because-of-jesus.html

DRUMS

ACOUSTIC GUITAR/VOCAL

Training Day Recap

2010-02-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday was our first Worship Training Day at New Heights West. For those of you who came (35 of you!), thanks for being there! I think I can speak for all of when I say it was a great time to be encouraged and learn from each other as we strive to be the best musicians we can be.

We had a couple of great musicians there to lead this time, Federico Pol & Reinhardt Melz. And they really did a great job of reminding us why we do what we do and inspiring us with their skills. They were able to demonstrate lots of good groove techniques as well helping us understand the incredibly important role that bass & drums play in our bands. And there was lots of helpful stuff for other instrumentalists as well. And if you haven't heard these guys play before, you need too.

So needless to say, if you missed out on this one... well, you missed out. But we'll be scheduling another soon, and we hope that you can be there. Spread the word!

That being said, we'd love to get your feedback on the first Training Day. Things you liked about it, suggestions, ideas for future training days? Would you be interested in having a more frequent jam time in addition to Training Day? Leave us a comment below and we'll continue the conversation.

Thanks to all of you who helped out by playing this time: Nick Layton, J.R. Cantrell, Nick Canazzi, Mark Cunningham, Bryan Ruhe, Ed Warmack, & Nick Larson. We appreciate you guys being willing to help demonstrate the things we're learning together.

WT Training this Saturday

2010-02-02T15:49:00.001-08:00

Hey guys,

Just a quick reminder that there's a training day for the WT instrumentalists this Saturday, the 6th, starting at 10:30AM at New Heights West. If you're a vocalist, you are more than welcome to come, too!

We'll have a couple of guests (info below), we'll have some snacks, do some worship song demos, provide some lunch with a little Q&A, then have a few people participate in demo groups. We'll discuss the instrumentalists prep, having the right heart, experimenting with various styles, playing as a band, serving the music and the big one - developing a groove.

The demo bands will include drums, bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar and keys. And the material covered will be applicable for seasoned players and beginners alike.

It's gonna be a great time!

I hope you can come!

Here's the info on our guest instructors:

Federico Pol is an accomplished bass player and has performed with many artists, including Joe Cocker, Ricky Martin, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Stephen Stills, Keb-Mo, Warren Hill, Euge Groove, to name a few. He has also written and produced music for commercial jingles and daytime television.

Reinhardt Melz has been a working drummer since he was 16. He's one of the most in-demand professional drummers in the Portland area. He has worked with Gino Vannelli, Curtis Salgado, Steve Miller, Buddy Guy, Ernestine Anderson, Lloyd Jones, Bobby Torres, Victor Little, Barbara Lusch, Randy Porter, Tony Furtado, Reggie Houston and many, many more.

No Shave November & Mustache Christmas... A Tribute

2009-12-09T15:03:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Nick Canazzi for this masterpiece.

Reading anything good lately?

2009-12-03T10:54:00.000-08:00

I just finished Malcolm Gladwell's book, "Outliers".

In it, he talks about success, why some people seem to succeed more than others and the real reasons why certain people rise to the top of their fields. He fills in the blanks to the stories using well-known people like Bill Gates and the Beatles and provides the "back story" of how they got to be so rich and famous.

The book helped me figure out a couple of things about myself. One of the things was in a section speaking about immigrants where he spoke of three qualities that make our work satisfying: autonomy, complexity and the connection between effort and reward. We all want our work to be meaningful and in order for that to happen, our hearts need to be stirred, our minds need to be stretched and having a little money at the end of the day makes it all worthwhile.

Loving what we're doing and doing it with passion and hard work.

So, what have you been reading lately?

The Real Story

2009-11-22T21:06:00.000-08:00

I just came across a story of a seminary graduate who was being interviewed for his ordination. He was asked to relay the parable of the Good Samaritan and here’s what he had to say:

Once there was this man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. And he fell among thorns. And the thorns sprung up and choked him. And he went on and he didn’t have any money. And he met the queen of Sheba. And she gave him 1,000 talents of gold and 100 changes of raiment. And he got into a chariot and drove furiously. And when he was driving under a big juniper tree, his hair caught on the limb of that tree and he hung there many days. And the ravens brought him food to eat and water to drink. And he ate 5,000 loaves of bread and 2 fish. One night, when he was hanging there asleep, his wife, Delilah, came along and cut off his hair and he dropped and fell on stony ground. But he got up and went on. And it began to rain. And it rained and rained for 40 days and 40 nights. And he hid himself in a cave, and he lived on locusts and wild honey. Then he went on until he met a servant who said, ‘Come take supper at my house.’ And he made an excuse and said, ‘No, I won’t. I married a wife and I can’t go.’ And the servant went out in the highways and in the hedges and compelled him to come in. After supper he went on and came on down there to Jericho. And when he got there, he looked up and he saw that old queen, Jezebel, sitting down way up high on a window. And she laughed at him. And he said, ‘Throw her down out there.’ And they threw her down out there. And he said, ‘throw her down again.’ And they threw her down 70 times 7. And of the fragments that remained they picked up 12 basketfuls beside women and children. And they say ‘blessed are the piece makers’. Now whose wife do you think she will be on the judgment day?”

Happy Thanksgiving

Two Questions

2009-11-11T14:55:00.000-08:00

Here are two simple questions...(one serious, and another just for fun) I would love to hear your honest responses.

1. When we gather together on the weekend for church, what kind of things encourage/assist you to begin to connect with God in a large group setting?

2. Who's beard (Matt N., Tim D., or mine) will be the mightiest by the end of "No Shave November"?

Rules: You must answer both questions and encourage Mike D. to get on board with the full beard

Life in the fast lane…

2009-11-02T15:20:00.000-08:00

…surely make you loss your mind!

I was reading another blog post by Michael Hyatt (great first name!!) He's the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers and a smart guy. In one of his posts back in August, "Priority Management and Life Balance" (http://michaelhyatt.com/2009/08/priority-management-and-life-balance.html), he makes a short list, in order of importance, of how he maintains his priorities and balance in life.

They are:

1. God

2. Self

3. Family

4. Work

5. Church

6. Everything else

Michael goes into more detail in his blog explaining his list and why he has them in this order. You know, these kinds of posts are always great reminders for me that I have limited time each day and I really need to be giving my time to the things that are most important. But what's most important to me?

For the most part, I like his list, but I think I might swap 4. Work and 5. Church - but I still need to think about this a bit longer…

So, what's your list in order of importance?

Feel free to copy Michael's list, add, adapt or modify.

What's important to you?

A Book For People Who Want To Play Good

2009-10-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I read a book called “The Talent Code” by Daniel Coyle. It is simply the best book I’ve ever read on the subject of skill acquisition. He combines the latest brain research with extensive case studies on high performing musicians, athletes, etc. He also takes a close look at some pretty impressive talent hot beds. The book is very engaging and it has big implications for those of us who want to develop our own skills or help others develop theirs. Coyle’s conclusion is that talent is not born, it’s grown. He talks about the amount of practice, the kind of “deep” practice, and the kind of instruction it takes to really master a skill.

When we witness an incredible performer we usually just assume that they were born with a lot more talent than we were and that they took quantum leaps to get to where they are. The first half of that statement is probably not as true as we tend to think, and the second half is not true at all. Yuja Wang had to take millions of tiny steps to get to her current level of playing. As a musician you shouldn’t be asking, “Can I get to be as good as Yuja some day?” but rather “Could I be a lot better than I am now?” And the answer to that question is a resounding YES!

As a Christ follower who wants to use music for God’s glory and the expansion of His Kingdom the question is, “Should I invest the time to work on becoming a better musician?” The answer to this question is not as easy. It depends on your calling. It also depends on what you’re giving up to work on music. For example, if you’re giving up the health of your marriage then you’re shooting your goal to glorify God in the foot. But if you’re giving up some of your television time, that’s probably a great thing. If you’re a Christian and a musician, it’s definitely something to think about though.

Either way, I’m pretty sure you’ll like reading “The Talent Code”. I should probably warn you that there are a couple of swears in the book. It’s not trashy by any means, but I thought I’d let you know so you can skip the book if that’s a deal breaker for you.

Ever heard of lala.com?

2009-10-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I was reading a blog post and found a really cool web site.

He said if I clicked the link, I could listen to the whole album of this CD for FREE!!!!

Now it's only once. After that you only get snippets, like on iTunes. Pretty cool.

So, in case you've never heard of lala.com, here's a link to the new Relient K CD, "Forget and Not Slow Down". http://www.lala.com/#album/504684635190101238.

Listen one time through - on me!

Any other cool sites you're willing to share?

How He Loves Us

2009-09-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

I was reading another blog this week that had to do with some of the lyrics in the song "How He Loves Us". We sing this song in worship from time to time, and it's really one of those songs that is able to convey both truth and emotion in a powerfully artistic way.

Here's the lyrics to the song:

He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these, afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful you are and
How great Your affections are for me

And Oh, How He loves us so
Oh, How He loves us
How He loves us so

We are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss
And my heart turns violently in side of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way

He loves us
Whoa, How He loves us
Whoa, How He loves us
Whoa, How He loves
Yeah He loves us
Whoa, How He loves us
Whoa, How He loves us
Whoa, How He loves us

There's a line in the original song that says, "So Heaven meets Earth like a sloppy wet kiss". Now, you may have heard this line when we sing the song, and wondered what that lyric means! You also may have not ever heard this lyric. There's another different recorded version of the song, and sometimes we sing the lyric that way. The other line goes, "So Heaven meets Earth like an unforeseen kiss".

Here's what the songwriter, John Mark McMillan, had to say about the original line:

"The idea behind the lyric is that the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of earth converge in a way that is both beautiful and awkwardly messy. Think about the birth of a child, or even the death of Jesus himself. These miracles are both incredibly beautiful and incredibly sloppy."

When you think about it, that lyric is a great example of a song that causes us to think about our relationship with God in a fresh and different way. It uses creative language and expression to help see a little more about God's nature... who He is and what our relationship with Him looks like. God's love isn't always neat and tidy. In fact, it rarely ever is (just read the book of Psalms). I think it's good to sing songs that express that! It's a great reminder for me of just how great His love really is.

Join the Band

2009-09-01T00:49:00.000-07:00

On Monday, September 28^th at 6:00 pm. our worship department is going to try something new. We’re going to host a “Meet and Greet” for people interested in becoming a part of worship ministry here at New Heights. The format will be pretty loose, but will involve an opportunity for the new comers to share their spiritual and musical backgrounds. Then we’ll progress to an audition where they will have the chance to … well … audition. Oh, and there will be free pizza!

The reason I’m telling you all this is so you can help us get the word out. As New Heights continues to grow, so does our need for good musicians who have a passion for using their skills to help people connect with God during corporate worship. So if you know of any good musicians who attend New Heights and might be interested in participating on a worship team, please tell them about our “Meet and Greet”. We’d love it if you could also tell us about them.

Servant Festival '09

2009-08-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

This has been a VERY busy week, so I'm going to make this short and sweet!

What has been your favorite Servant Festival event so far?

If you have a story you'd like to share, please do!

It's been an amazing week and a half so far.

Hope to see you guys at McKenzie on Sunday!!

I can't believe they didn't sing "Awesome God"!

2009-08-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago my hair stylist told me that she had just gone to church for the first time since she was a teenager. She said she totally loved how the band was rocking out, but that the whole time she kept waiting for the song “Awesome God” and it never came. She couldn’t believe it. “I love that song, and they sang it every week when I was a kid.” From my perspective it seemed a bit funny that she would expect that every church sang that song every Sunday over the course of more than a decade, but it renewed a question that is always with me as a worship leader. How should we balance familiar songs with new songs? So I thought: who better to ask than my fellow worship teamers here at New Heights? On one hand we don’t want the congregation thinking “Oh no, not that song again, it feels like we sing it all the time.” But on the other hand we don’t want to bombard people with so much new material that they can’t comfortably sing along during most of the worship service.

I find that I have to force myself to introduce new songs, because if I thought I could get away with it, I would do “Mighty to Save”, “From the Inside Out”, “Jesus Paid it All”, “Before the Throne”, “How Deep the Father’s Love”, and “How Great is Our God” every single Sunday.

But tell us what you think. When it comes to new songs would you prefer more, less, or about the same amount that you’re currently getting at New Heights? For extra points, tell us if there are any specific worship songs that we should considering doing.

Thoughts on Twitter

2009-07-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

So, I've had lots of "friends" - yeah, that's what they call themselves - tell me that I'm really missing life by not having a Twitter account. I'll admit it, you kinda feel like the odd-man-out sometimes when your friends are all laughing about something, you turn around and see - it's another tweet. It sort of loses the moment when you say, "hey, what's so funny??" Especially when they all slowly turn towards you with that look on their faces. You know that look, like you're an idiot. At first they're pretty kind about it and try to make you feel like you're a part of the group, but after a while you get "the look". Sheesh.

I finally felt vindicated when I watched this video. It really opened my eyes to the real world of Twitter and what it can lead to. If you're a Twitter user, you should consider watching this with a close friend. Someone who you really trust. A best friend.

Why Music?

2009-07-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I was trying to explain Twitter to some friends, so naturally I got out my phone and tweeted about my attempt at the explanation. In reply to this, one of my friends sent me a message that said “Tell them it's like music in church: no one really knows why we do it, but we know we're supposed to.” He was kidding but it made me ponder: do we know why we use music in church? Why do churches across cultures and generations use music in their worship services? Why do we? I think that there are many good reasons. I’ll give you three of my reasons in ascending order of significance.

When done well, music is a draw. It would not be an exaggeration for me to tell you that in the past couple of years I’ve talked to or heard from at least a hundred people who have chosen to attend (or not attend) a given church because of the quality of the music. It matters! People like good music and will flock to venues where it is done well. According to Psalm 33:3, the quality of the music also matters to God. “Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.” When we do music well at church, we attract people to a place where they can meet Jesus, meet other followers of Christ, and be discipled.

More importantly than this, music (and art in general) is a creative endeavor and our Creator designed us in His image (Genesis 1:27). I love Madeleine L’Engle’s way of describing art as “bringing cosmos out of chaos.” This is a beautiful way of describing God’s massive initial creation of the universe and everything in it, but it also describes our tiny little echoes of His creativity when we write, sing, or play. When we express ourselves through art and the creative process, we demonstrate that we are His image bearers.

But, as far as I can tell, the most important reason for the use of music in a worship service comes from John 4:23. Here Jesus says, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” Jesus is describing the importance of both intellect and emotion in worship. Having appropriate thoughts about God is indispensible to true worship and that’s why we need great Bible teaching in our worship services, but having appropriate feelings towards God is just as crucial. I believe that God gave us music primarily because mere words cannot evoke or express the emotional aspect of worship. We need the aid of music and other arts to express the way we feel about God.

Here’s some beautiful music that’s not about God: (If you can, use good speakers or head phones and turn it up a bit.)

I can rarely get through this video without it bringing tears to my eyes. Granted that Pavarotti was much more gifted than you or I, but he’s singing about the inability to fall asleep, for crying out loud! Don’t you think that you and I ought to work at developing our musical craft to the point where it can move people’s emotions in a powerful response towards God? In some ways our job is easier because we get to sing truths to God about His nature. Revelation 4:8b: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” Don’t you think that you and I ought to worship the Everlasting God with at least as much passion and conviction as some one singing an aria from a secular opera?

If I could impress just one thing upon every one involved in leading worship (whether by singing or playing an instrument), it would be: before you get in front of God’s people to lead them in worship, make sure you’ve done everything in your ability to prepare your own heart, mind, and musical skill for this noble task.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. What significance does music have in your worship?

God Is Bigger

2009-06-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

In just a few days I will be traveling with the Impact Indo team to Papua, Indonesia. While we are there I get to lead worship for the conference New Heights does each year for the MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) families. I'm looking forward to being a part of it, and it would be great if you could pray for the team while we are there. Pray that we are able to effectively minister to the missionaries there. Pray that this would be a defining point in the lives of the high school & college students who are a part of the team. And pray for our safety and strength while we are away.

I first had the opportunity to go to Papua last year. It was an amazing thing to be somewhere so different from home and yet be able to see how God is at work in people's lives all over the world. For us, it's a great reminder that we all worship the same God... in many different cultures and languages. Music can play a big part in that. It was great to be able to share songs that we use to worship and hear God being praised in a language we don't understand. It reminds us that God is bigger than our own immediate surroundings.

I think it's important to remember that God's heart is for everyone in the world to experience His love. And the world is bigger than our own backyards. We need to look beyond ourselves to see what God is doing around us. He's changing lives right here and He's changing lives all around the world. Being able to recognize that at a deeper level can allow us to see that God's love really is bigger than anything we can imagine. And that's a great reason for us to worship Him.

Thanks for your prayers!

Stay at it…

2009-06-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a new worship book called Pure Praise by Dwayne Moore. It's a nine-week study on worship for leaders and those who want to better understand worship in the Bible.

A few days ago, I was reading about some of the byproducts of knowing God. In that section he used Colossians 2:6-10 and while I was reading, I got hung up at verses 6&7.

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

I'm suppose to have an on-going, continual, moment-by-moment walk with Jesus. Okay. Yeah, I know He saved me - that's a done deal - but He really expects more from me on a daily basis: a commitment to know Him better; read the Bible; pray about what's going on in my day; confess my sins - often; be thankful and live a holy life. Man, I really need to stay at it… There seems to be a lot of times that I catch myself living on "auto-pilot" and wondering how long it's been since I "checked-in"!?!

So, for the past few days, it's been better. better connect times; more time talking about things; a lot more confessing - yikes! And one more thing - obeying. If I want to be a friend of Jesus, then He says I need to do what He commands (Jn. 15:14)

Still working on that one. For me, it's driving the speed limit - but I'm working on it!

So if you find yourself behind a slow, silver Prius, make sure to look before you lay on your horn!

I'm just working on being obedient…

So, what's God teaching you right now?

If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

2009-04-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days I have been feeling motivated to read more. Today I started a book called "The Joyful Christian" by C.S. Lewis. Really it is just a compilation of 127 short readings, but so far it has been a good read.

So that got me thinking... what are you guys reading? Here is my short list.... who am I kidding... here is my only list of what I am reading or trying to finish at the moment?

"Culture Shift" by Wayne Cordeiro and Robert Lewis
"The Joyful Christian" by C.S. Lewis
"Pure Praise" by Dwayne Moore
"Getting Things Done" by David Allen

Chad

Significant Supper & Easter Tickets

2009-03-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

We have some special Suppers and Easter worship services coming up. Guests need a free ticket - so we can guarantee them a seat. Below are details to hopefully help spread the word:

SIGNIFICANT SUPPER
Your Easter can gain a whole new significance this year. Come experience what a meal with the Master was like. Understand Passover as you never have before. It's the beginning of a wonderful Easter.

4 ways to get free Significant Supper Tickets:
1) Before/after the weekend services at The Point
2) www.NewHeights.org
3) Tickets@NewHeights.org
4) Voicemail: 360.759.9332

All Suppers are at New Heights Main Campus: Monday-Friday, April 6-10: 5:30 and 7:30pm.
Childcare, through 2nd grade, available by request. (SignificantSupper@NewHeights.org)

EASTER
Invite your friends and family to come and celebrate Easter!

4 ways to get free Easter Tickets:
1) Before/after the weekend services at The Point
2) www.NewHeights.org
3) Tickets@NewHeights.org
4) Voicemail: 360.750.3977

New Heights Main Campus:
Saturday, April 11 – 3:30, 5:00, & 6:30PM
Sunday, April 12 – 8:15, 9:45, 11:15AM, & 6PM (Ascent)

New Heights East, North and West Campuses:
Sunday, April 12 – 9:30 & 11:00AM

Children’s programs available at all services for birth through 5th grade.

Training Day

2009-01-31T10:18:00.000-08:00

So some of us worship leaders here at New Heights have been talking about starting a worship-and-training day. We’re considering meeting either every other month or every third month (so 4-6 times a year). We would probably meet on Saturdays at New Heights Main Campus from about 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Everyone involved in worship at New Heights would be invited to come and participate. This includes everyone playing or singing at a campus and everyone playing or singing in student ministries or small groups as well. This invitation also extends to anyone who is not yet on a worship team, but would like to be someday.

We’re not sure what to call it yet, but let me give you an idea of what the format might look like:

1. A first ensemble plays two worship songs. We stop after each song and do a little musical analysis. (e.g. the drummer explains the beat she’s playing and breaks it down for us, and the guitar player talks about what effects he is using and the parts he played etc.) We talk about each musician’s contribution to the groove and over all sound. Maybe a little Q&A here too.

2. A second ensemble plays two songs and does the same type of musical analysis.

3. We play several more worship songs and anyone who hasn’t played yet is encouraged to jump in on their instrument. This is also follow by some musical analysis and constructive feed back.

4. We break up into groups according to which instrument we play. (This includes people for whom voice is their main instrument.) There will be a group leader (or leaders) who can show the group more specifics than were covered in the big group. This might also be a time for people to volunteer to try some of the things being demonstrated. This would also be a good time for some Q&A.

You could attend this event in a dual capacity. For example, I might have some things that I can teach on the keyboard so I might play keys in one of the two ensembles playing at the beginning. Then I might want to learn a bit from the drummers so I might ask to sit in on drums for a song after the first two ensembles have played.

There are several reasons for us to have a worship-and-training day. First of all, it’s another good place to respond to God in worship. It’s also a place where we can come and sharpen our musical skills, get musically inspired, and be responsible in our relationships by inspiring, teaching and developing, others who are involved in worship ministries at New Heights. If you’ve been playing music for a while, don’t underestimate how much you can inspire someone who’s a bit newer at it than you. Music is such a great tool for communicating and developing relationships and it’s our prayer that we can also use music as a means of drawing people in so we can reproduce our faith. It will also be great for all of us to meet more people involved in music here at New Heights. With all the different sights and services it’s easy to forget how many other people are in this together with us.

As a bonus, we’ve been discussing the possibility of bringing in special guests a couple times a year to talk about worship and help us with some musical training. Some of the people we’ve started considering are Lincoln Brewster, Michael W. Smith, Laura Story, Brenton Brown, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Mac Powell, and Bono. I’m not sure if they’ll all be able to come, but you won’t know unless you’re there.

So there’s the basic idea. We’ll get back to you with more details when we have them. For now we’d love to get your thoughts on this. Would something like this be helpful? Do you have any ideas on how we could make this a good and beneficial experience for you? Let us know!

Developing Band Arrangements

2009-01-26T11:10:00.000-08:00

Mike found this video about playing as a band and developing arrangements that has plenty of great stuff for any instrument. It goes over ways to make things sound interesting on your particular instrument (drums, bass, guitar, keys), as well as learning to play with the rest of the band and make your part "fit". It's a little long... but worth checking out!

Band on the Run from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.

2008 Worship Music

2009-01-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

It's a new year, so I thought I would share some of my favorite worship albums from the past year. Just in case you got an iTunes gift card for Christmas and want to listen to some new music. I've also included songs that we do here at New Heights that are on these albums.

Hillsong United - The I Heart Revolution: With Hearts As One This is almost kind of a greatest hits album for United. It includes live songs from several of their records, so if you haven't listed to United before, this is a good place to start. Includes the songs, "Mighty to Save", "The Stand", "From the Inside Out", "Came To My Rescue", "The Time Has Come", "Take It All", "Hosanna", and a whole lot more.
David Crowder Band - Remedy Club Tour This one too is kind of a live greatest hits, so there is several songs that we sing regularly like, "O Praise Him", "Here Is Our King", "No One Like You", "The Glory of It All", "Everything Glorious", and again many more. The CD version of this also includes a DVD.
Passion - God Of This City Has a bunch of great songs like "Let God Arise", "O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing", "Hosanna", "The Glory Of It All", "Sing, Sing, Sing",& "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)".

And then if you want to hear some really new music, here's a few good ones that we haven't done very many songs from yet...

Charlie Hall - The Bright Sadness This guy is a great songwriter. These are new songs, but he's also written songs like "Marvelous Light", "Center", & "All We Need".
Jon Foreman - Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer This is actually 4 EP's, or two full length albums, but there's lots of great worship songs on here. (It's not all worship music, though.) And it's musically & lyrically quite a bit different than the usual stuff out there.
Hillsong London - Hail To The King Compared to the usual Hillsong, this is more rock and band-driven. It's a cool sound.
Al Gordon - Future Sound I think this is only available on iTunes. Al is a worship leader in the U.K. that works with Tim Hughes. They have a website called www.worshipcentral.org.

Free Phil Wickham Album

2009-01-08T12:27:00.001-08:00

Since it's always nice to get free music, I thought I would pass this along. You can get Phil Wickham's new (well, kind of new) live acoustic album as a free download on his website, http://philwickham.com. It's got a couple of songs that we have done in worship here, like "True Love" & "Cannons", but there's also some great hymns on there as well. It was actually recorded in Portland and I was able to be there. It was a great night of worship. So check it out!

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

2008-12-31T09:01:00.000-08:00

It's that time again - New Year's Eve!

Hanging out with friends, reaching for another snack from the vegetable tray, finding another napkin, getting a little more coffee so you can stay awake for the countdown to 2009!!! For some of us, this is a great tradition; for others, we're in the sack at the usual time.

I was thinking this morning about the past year. Two very cool things have happened: Fishing and Facebook. It's been some time since I've been out fishing with friends, listening to the moving water and just relaxing. This year I've been out quite a few times and it was great. It fed my soul. Then Facebook. Wow… I have reconnected with so many friends from the past, made new friends and even heard from a long, lost cousin. Some of the connections have been brief, but others have been amazing!

And looking ahead to '09, I'm hoping for more opportunities to go fishing and looking to reconnect with old friends - maybe even make a few new ones! Spirtually, I want to continue to make time every day to read, pray and listen. Maybe start journalling again?

Okay, it's your turn. Take a look back and let us know what you're thankful for. Then take a look ahead and share some of your hopes and dreams.

My prayer for all of us is that we continue to walk with Jesus everyday, make time to read His word and look for ways to share His life with others.

Services Canceled

2008-12-20T12:58:00.000-08:00

Due to the winter storm and predicted freezing rain, all worship services at all New Heights campuses have been canceled for this weekend, December 20 & 21.

Christmas Services are scheduled to take place at their designated times on Dec. 23 & 24.

Please check the New Heights website, www.newheights.org or call 360.759.9273 for updates.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2008-11-26T13:40:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems to be getting colder outside, my neighbor began the process of filling every square inch of his yard with holiday cheer (seriously, I am not joking... it is out of control), Starbucks has changed to red cups, the NH main campus worship center is all full of trees and even though Target was trying to convince me in September that Christmas was coming... I think I am ready to accept that it is fully upon us. I am actually a bit more excited this season. My kids are older and as much as I hate to admit it their excitement is somewhat contagious...

Also, (if you were not aware) Thanksgiving is tomorrow. So, I thought we would try a little worship blog family sharing time. Let us pretend that we have just sat down for our favorite holiday meal. Before we dig in, Uncle Mike (Mike Dishner) clears his throat and asks that we go around the room and share what we are thankful for this year. Most of us are thinking, "thanks a lot uncle Mike".... but it is Thanksgiving and that is what we do.

So, NHWB readers... what are you thankful for this year?

(P.S. If you are reading this after thanksgiving has passed you can still participate or just give us your favorite Christmas tradition.)

Handel's Messiah

2008-11-07T03:56:00.000-08:00

It's about that time of year again. Time to pull out your recording of Handel's Messiah and listen to it turned up to 11. If you don't have a recording of this work yet, might I suggest the one from Andrew Davis and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. It's available on iTunes. There are some cheaper ones too, but this is my favorite. It uses a big choir and big orchestra and I really like the tempos that Andrew Davis has chosen.

George Frideric Handel wrote the entire work in just 24 days!!! It is the only work from the Baroque era that has been continuously performed since its premiere, which was in the Spring of 1742. I listen to it off and on all year really, but a bit more as Christmas and Easter approach. In the last couple of years my favorite movement has been no. 7: "And He Shall Purify the Sons of Levi" The text for this movement is taken from Malachi 3:3 which in the King James Version (used by Handel) says: "And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness." This verse comes in the context of a prophecy about the coming Messiah!

Does that thrill you or what!!? In the old testament, the Levites were (among other things) our equivalent to people involved in worship ministry. Basically this verse is saying that one of the reasons Jesus came was to cleanse you and me so that we can offer up our worship from a heart that has been made righteous! I'd encourage you to pray every time you go on stage that Jesus would purify your heart so that your offering of worship may be given "in righteousness"! And I'd also encourage you to listen to Handel's Messiah!

Guitar Sites

2008-11-06T11:40:00.000-08:00

Jeff Gross was kind enough to share some guitar websites that he uses in a comment on another post, so I thought we would start a new one to talk about that. Here's his original comment...

I thought I would start by sharing some of my favorite internet sites I use for polishing off my guitar picking skills:

Paul Baloche has a great site with instructional videos with piano and guitar chord charts.
http://leadworship.com/

jguitar is fantastic for quickly finding slash chord fingering. Today’s Christian music is slash-chord-crazy and learning the slash chord has added a lot more depth to the music.
http://www.jguitar.com/

Will Fly is a guy who loves to play and must have a lot a time on his hands. Great site for learning some blues and folk.
http://mjra.net/WillFly/

I have found a good Ear Training site called “Good Ear”. It has some good interval practices.
http://www.good-ear.com/

and lastly – I have gone through “Guitar Theory for the Skeptical Guitarist” and wish I would had read it 20 years ago. Simple Clear and Easy !!
http://www.skepticalguitarist.com/

Mike also shared one that we like and use pretty often as well.

http://guitarpraise.blogspot.com

Guitar players... what guitar websites do you like?

Subscribe & Follow

2008-11-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

We've added links on the right side of the page where you can subscribe to this blog... or follow it if you already have a blogger account. Check it out!

The New Heights Worship Blog

2008-11-03T23:41:00.000-08:00

So it might be a bad sign that this blog has technically been in existence for about a month now, and the only post so far has been the video for "Jesus Is My Friend". But really, this blog starts for real now. The last month doesn't count. And even if it did, just think of it as us lowering expectations. Under-promise and over-deliver... or however that saying goes.

By the way, if you have not had the chance to see the video for "Jesus Is My Friend", you should stop reading this and go watch it right now. It will change your life. Or at least remind you of all the reasons the internet really is great. And it will give you a new perspective on Jesus. (sample lyric: "He (Jesus) is like a mountie. He always gets his man. And he'll zap you any way he can. Zap!") Simply brilliant.

If you are done watching the video, we can now get to the thought process behind this blog, what we'd like to accomplish, and why we'd like you to read and get involved with it!

Here we go...

Community - Because we are a church with many different sites and services, everyone involved in our worship ministry often aren't able to connect with others outside of their immediate teams. And while those teams are the best places to build relationships, we want to create a way for connections to take place with others involved in worship. So we hope that this blog can be a place for us to celebrate things that are going on at all of the places that worship happens and be able to connect with others who are serving. It also will give you a chance to be able to hear from all of the people who help to lead worship here at New Heights, and give you a chance to get to know us better!
Conversation - This is where we need your help... we would like you to be involved with this blog! And that would happen by you joining in as we talk about worship and what's on our hearts and minds. We want to hear from you and be able to continue to share beyond the initial post. That's where the conversation starts. And you can do that by leaving comments. So for example... let's say that Chad writes a post about Lyle Lovett and how much he likes his music. (this is completely hypothetical by the way) Now you could leave a comment on Chad's post and say that you agree, Lyle Lovett's music is very good and Lyle is not strange looking at all. And then others after you would comment and agree or disagree with that. And then you can discuss Lyle Lovett and his music for the next several weeks. Now again, this is a hypothetical example. A more likely scenario would be one of us sharing a new worship cd we've been listening to lately, and you sharing some music that you've been enjoying as well. This is, after all, a blog about worship.
Something else that starts with a C - This would be everything else. Really, we would like to just be able to share with you what we're thinking about worship and probably some other stuff as well. So this blog can be a place where we post videos to help you learn a guitar part for a new song, or a link to an article, or some photos, or a scripture that has helped us connect in worship. And probably lots of other things too!

So that's it. More to come soon.

Leave us a comment and let's get started!

Let's start this blog off right...

2008-10-06T16:19:00.000-07:00