My Five -Posts Since August
Mar 22, 2009 Uncategorized
I’ve been writing posts for this blog since August of 2008. So after 9 months I wondered what my most popular posts are… well I wonder no longer cause here they are. Apparently so far a lot of people are looking for free backgrounds. Tune in later for my 5 favorite posts.
Past Year (Since August)
Free Stuff:Angel Background
Youth Worship: Worshipping Without a Band
Free Backgrounds
Cardboard Testimonies
How to Make Your Own Worship Background
Tags: angel, Background, band, blogs, Free, Free Stuff, How To, Worship, youth, Youth Worship
Two Free Cross Backgrounds
Dec 17, 2008 Free Stuff, How To, Photos and Backgrounds
Here are two cross backgrounds that you can use for worship slides, web pages or whatever. The original photo of the “message cross” is the big white cross at Peace Chapel of Lakeview Methodist Conference Center where I have spent many many weeks leading music for youth camps. The original picture for “Hanging Cross” was an out of focus “mistake” that turned out to make a good background. It reminded me that even an out of focus photo can be redeemed and used for good. Enjoy.
Tags: Background, camp, Free, Free Stuff, Photoshop, Worship, youth
I Missed My 100th Post
Nov 28, 2008 Uncategorized
Apparently I missed one of my first milestones in the life of Fork In The Road Blog. Two posts ago was my 100th blog post. I guess that would make this 102. In this brief time of I have learned much about blogging and have apparently written some things that others have learned from and enjoyed. Here are my top 10 viewed posts so far.
Youth Worship: Worshipping without a band
Cardboard Testimonies
Free Stuff: Angel Background
Free Backgrounds
Resources
Music Ministry
Removing Distractions
How to- Make Your Own Worship Background
Free Song: Awaken Our Hearts
What To Do With a Youth Worship Team
Do you have a post on Fork In The Road that was extremely helpful or inspiring for you?
Tags: angel, Background, band, blogging, fork In the Road, Free, Free Song, Free Stuff, How To, Resource, resources, Team, Worship, youth, Youth Worship
Youth Worship: Making Your Job Easier
Oct 23, 2008 Youth Worship
This used to be the way I did things when I was leading the youth worship team.
1. Find a song that the youth wanted to do.
2. Type up the lyrics
3. Use my awesome ear training skills to figure out the chords
4. Transpose the key if needed for the vocals to sing
5. Rehearse with the band
6. Create a powerpoint slide from the lyrics
6. Repeat
I guess I have done it that way for the longest time because there was really no other way to do it. There were some song books that went along with some CDs but they usually contained the full piano sheet, not really easy to use for a guitar player. So I continued listening to songs, chording them out, and my computer began to become filled with pages of these creations. That was until now…
Now there are many resources that come out with everything provided for you. There are many out there from different companies. I started out using SPIN or Student Praise Interactive Network. They provide CD’s with split tracks along with lyric sheets, chord sheets, piano parts and powerpoint or media shout ready lyrics.
Recently I have started using Vertical Music Worship Tools. These provide pretty much the same thing like split tracks, lead sheets, guitar parts etc. They also include a DVD that contains videos of each instrument playing their part. This is great for demonstrating how to play a certain song on a specific instrument. This Vertical Music resource creates its arrangements from a specific artists CD. The most recent one I received were arrangements from Lincoln Brewster’s “Today is the Day” CD.
As I said before there are tons of resources like this that are now becoming available. The ones I mentioned are just the two that I have been most familiar with. I suggest these because while it is great to be able to sit and chord out song after song, is it really the best use of my time? There are still many opportunities for me to hone my ear training, music transcribing skills like when I am writing songs, or when those songs come along that I don’t have a resource for. By using these resources though I can drastically cut my arranging time down.
Oh.. I don’t have powerpoint lyrics or split tracks but I do have the lead sheets for several of my songs available for you to download. Check out all my free resources on my resource page or by clicking on free stuff
Tags: band, CD, Chords, Free, Free Stuff, guitar, How To, interactive, Media Shout, Powerpoint, Resource, resources, Songs, Team, video, work, Worship, youth, Youth Worship
Free Stuff: Song-Breathe Your Love In Me
Jul 28, 2008 Free Stuff
The other night our youth director Russ Bowlin, led a discussion based on the song “Instead of a Show” by Jon Foreman. He has promised me he is going to write a post on it for FITR so I will not share reflections on that right now. During the course of the discussion, the conversation kept going to how we so often read the words, say the words, sing the songs and go through the motions without even thinking about what we are doing in church. Immediately this song called “Breathe Your Love in Me” came to mind. It is basically a song of confession and a prayer that God will revive us. I wanted to share it with you. Maybe you can use it in a worship service, maybe it is something you can play or listen to as part of your own prayer time. I am including a link to the song and to the chord sheet.
Breathe Your Love in Me mp3
Breathe Your Love in Me PDF
(You have permission to use this song for corporate or personal use. Just don’t record it and tell people it’s your own. I’d love to hear how it is being used so send me an email.)
If you have resources you would like to share please email them to me. If I post them I will give you a link back to your site and a huge thanks.
To listen click play!
Tags: blogs, Church, Free, Free Song, Free Stuff, Prayer, Resource, resources, Russ Bowlin, Russell Martin, Songs, Worship, youth
Free Stuff: Angel Background
Jul 27, 2008 Free Stuff
Ok.. so everything is free on this site. That’s kind of the whole idea but I wanted to be able to have a place to share resources that come my way or that I create. The first one is fairly simple. It is a background I made using a picture taken at College UM ARMY of an angel statue.
Right click the link and save as.
If you have resources you would like to share please email them to me. If I post them I will give you a link back to your site and a huge thanks. Thanks.
Tags: angel, Background, Free, Free Stuff, freebie, Powerpoint, Resource, resources
