Fork In The Road Music

My Daily Photo 07/23/09

Jul 22, 2009 Photos and Backgrounds

This past summer I spent 3 weeks leading worship at Lakeview Methodist Conference Center in Palestine Tx. I have done this for about 12 years now. This sign is in front of the camp where I started.
– Post From My iPhone

Tags: blog, camp, conference, iphone, Methodist, photo, summer, Worship

Instrumental Reflection Break

Jul 20, 2009 Free Stuff

For one more week I will take a break from posting an instrumental reflection. I unintentionally went on break from them during My weeks of summer camp. I I tended to record some of me playing piano at camp but seems like all I aged was guitar. That being said look for new reflections and othe regular blog posts to resume shortly.

Tags: break, camp, guitar, Instrumental, piano, reflections, summer

When it’s Ok Not to Produce Fruit

May 30, 2009 Worship Planning

I recently have taken up the fine art of gardening. It’s nothing serious, but I do like to buy plants and see how long I can keep them alive. Right now I have some petunias, coleus, daisies, and on the vegetable side beans, watermelon, tomatoes, peppers and some rosemary.

When I started with these plants in the spring, I took care to plant, water, and take care of them like I should. Some of them I grew from seed, so I planted the seeds, covered them with soil, and watered. Some of the plants though started as plants. These required me to take them from their growing containers and transplant them where they would be, some in containers and some in the ground. The seeds came with instructions, the plants did not. So I headed to the internet to get some advice. It was while looking that something took me completly by surprise. I was looking up how to transplant some of the flowers I had purchased and one of the first things it said to do was to pinch off the flowers.

I thought, “Now just wait a minute! The flowers? Thats what I bought the plant for!”

You see I really did not buy the petunias because of the green leaves, or the white roots going beneath the surface. I bought them because of the pretty flowers that opened up, smelled sweet, and attracted butterflies. Why in the world would I want to pinch off the flowers?

Well, according to this website, by pinching off the flowers you give the plant a chance to focus on the roots. When it doesn’t have to worry about putting out pollen, or making petals, it can concentrate on growing deep, and strong, and becoming a more healthy plant. And a more healthy plant will produce more flowers, not immediately, but they will come.

I wonder if the same could be said of a church as a whole, or the individual ministries within. I recently heard from a youth director friend of mine who said he was taking the summer off. No weekly gatherings, no Sunday School, aside from some big trips the program was closed for the summer. I will admit that at first I thought this a little strange but then I remembered about the plants. Pinch off the flowers now, so you can build strong roots and more flowers later, and have a stronger plant, or ministry.

And if you think about it God shows us this every year with something we call seasons. In the Spring and Summer everything is blooming and growing and producing. In the fall things begin to slow down, the leaves begin to die and descend, the fruit trees stop producing. In the winter bears hibernate, trees shut down, and the natural world kind of stops, refreshes and recoups. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us there is a season and a time for everything.

This has made me wonder. Am I so focused on producing fruit that I am not taking time to develop roots? As a church would it be right to take time to grow stronger within, so we could then be a stronger witness to the world? Is it ok to spend time as a church focusing on discipleship, and fellowship and not on evangelism and witness, for a season?

No I don’t guess we could take the summer off from church services, but here are some suggestions I have thought of that could give me and my team time to focus on roots, more than fruits.

1. Guest Leaders- My team leads worship week in and week out. While everyone has the chance to take a week off here and there, bringing in a guest band or worship leader would give my entire team a chance to not be on the stage. Maybe they go to church and sit in the congregation, maybe they spend a Sunday morning with family, or maybe they even stay home and sleep in. Who knows, but a guest leader can give you that opportunity.

2. No New Songs- We have a list of about 90 worship songs that we use during the year. Normally we try to continue adding new songs to our repertoire. But what if for the summer we did not. Surely we can come up with enough variety in the songs we know, not to have to stress out learning new music.

3. Don’t rehearse- Actually by doing the No New Songs mentioned above we were able to do this one. We choose songs we pretty well know and instead of rehearsing during the week we meet up on Sunday Mornings to go through them. (This actually became our normal schedule.. read how!)

4. Retreat-Get away as a group and go do something fun. This would be made easier by utilizing a guest leader as mentioned in #1. I have thought of taking our group to a retreat center for a few nights. Have everyone bring instruments and sit around and jam. Take time to talk about the past year and think about the next year. Listen through and suggest songs to learn. Teach someone else your instrument. Have bible studies, play games, break bread, share communion.

What do you think?

Tags: break, petunias, plants, recoup, retreat, seasons, summer, take off

Unfailing Love CD Available

Mar 30, 2009 Uncategorized

Last summer I kept talking about this CD that I had recorded. The problem was that although it was recorded it was not available yet. Well now it is. At the beginning of fall I received 1000 copies of the 4 song EP “Unfailing Love” and it was posted up on Itunes and Amazon.com.

So I would appreciate it if you would give it a listen and download a copy. It only costs $4.

If you’d like to get a full copy it can be purchased from CD Baby.  For more those links visit my website at russellmartinmusic.com

Tags: Appreciate, CD, summer, Unfailing Love

Why We Don’t Rehearse Every Week

Feb 21, 2009 Uncategorized

How It Was

We used to reserve every Wednesday night for an hour and a half rehearsal. We showed up at 6:30 and rehearsed until 8:00. Then we would show up again at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings for an hour to rehearse and soundcheck before Sunday School and our service at 10:30 am. That all changed last summer.

When it Changed

Last summer I had a few weeks where I was leading worship for some church camps and I was going to be out two weeks in a row on our regular Wednesday rehearsal. So I decided that for one month we would take a break from our Wednesday rehearsals and just show up a little early on Sunday morning. We made sure that our songlists did not include any new music, just songs that we needed to review. The band loved it. We have decided to continue the process. 

How it Works Now

We meet on one Wednesday per month to work on new music that is coming up. That means I have to be prepared atleast 4 weeks ahead of time with the probable songlists. We use that rehearsal to go over new music. We listen to the songs, double check the songsheet and then try to run it atleast once through so we understand it. I also record these rehearsals and email them the recording we made, or make it available on planning center. 

Then Sunday mornings we meet from 8:00 till 9:30 to rehearse for that Sunday morning. We go over each song atleast twice, and then take the rest of the time to work on the new song for the next week, just to refresh. Then we are ready to go for Sunday morning services.

The Challenges

Doing our rehearsals and lists this way has had its own set of challenges. The first would be that I have to have our songlists done in advance. (How we do that). The second challenge is having enough time to go over songs. This has meant we have had to be more disciplined with our time and not waste time during rehearsals.

The Benefits

The first benefit I have noticed is that we have been forced to limit our amount of new songs. This means we have, as a band, learned the ones we use better. It has also meant our congregation has had time to learn the songs. It seemed like before we would learn a song, use it, and then not use it again for a while.

Secondly I have noticed we are not going over things twice. It seemed like no matter what we worked on for Wednesday we were repeating it on Sunday morning anyway.

Thirdly I work with volunteers who have families. We all do. I think it has been great to give my already busy dedicated volunteers an extra night most weeks that they can spend at home. 

The fourth reason was more of a factor this summer when gas prices were topping $3.50. The less times that we were driving back and forth to tthe church, the less gas was spent.

Our band has agreed to keep Wednesdays free and I agreed to give one weeks notice of an extra rehearsal. We did this as we prepared for Christmas and probably will for Easter. 

What is your rehearsal schedule?

Tags: band, busy, camp, Christmas, Church, Free, Recording, rehearsal, songlists, Songs, summer, Sunday, Team, work, Worship

Older Songs Still Resonate

Feb 18, 2009 Worship Planning

Last summer I led worship for a group of college students at a work camp. They take a week to spend together repairing homes in the area where they are working. I was leading worship for their evening services. The first night I got up with a great songlist. Some new songs from the up and coming worship bands leading worship out there. The response I got back was mixed. There were some who knew the songs and sang along, but overall there was not a huge participation. 

That night we announced our suggestion box. If anyone had a suggestion about camp, including song requests, they could put them in the box and we would try to work them in. What I saw both comforted and suprised me. The majority of the requests were not the new upcoming worship songs. Most of the requests were for songs like, God of Wonders, Here I Am to Worship, Heart of Worship, Light the Fire, Lord I LIft Your Name on high. To be honest I had overlooked alot of these when I was preparing for the week because I thought they might be too old, too overdone. That clearly was not the case.

I wondered. Maybe in the drive to hear, learn, play and write the newest great worship songs I had stopped using some songs that really resonate with people. Maybe it was because these were the songs that this group grew up in with in youth group. These were the songs they had come to faith to. They were the songs that they were introduced to at church camp. They were songs that are known by heart, no words needed, nothing to learn, just worship. I can tell you it was great to get up in front, strum one chord, sing the line “Lord of all creation…” and then sit back and play guitar. 

What I learned from this experience is that it is important to find out the songs of the group you are leading. I wish I could have had the song suggestions before camp started, instead of after the first night. I will not stop introducing, or writing, or singing new songs. But I also will remember that some old songs still resonate loudly and not leave them out either.

What are some songs you may have passed by that still resonate?

Tags: band, camp, Church, guitar, preparing, Songs, summer, work, Worship, youth

Free Background- Garden Angel Blur in 4 Colors

Jan 2, 2009 Free Stuff, Photos and Backgrounds

One of the most downloaded backgrounds on this site has been the Garden Angel Blur that I made from a photo I had taken this Summer at one of my work camps.  I thought maybe someone would like it in a color other than green… so here they are. Click on the image once to go to the gallery, and then again to view the full sized image. Then right click and save. You are free to use them for your worship services, announcements etc.. It would be cool if you would let me know how you used them.

Tags: angel, Background, camp, Free, freebie, Media Shout, Powerpoint, summer, work, Worship

Free Song: Awaken Our Hearts

Sep 27, 2008 Free Stuff

This summer I was sitting down and I was thinking, “If I were going to write a prayer for the church of today to pray to God, what would we say. I was thinking it should be a song of revival but yet a song of confession. The words to this song just flowed out. It was probably the first time a song has come so quickly and completely.

So I wanted to share this song with you. Maybe you can use it in your worship services. Maybe you can use it in your own personal time. All I ask is two things. 1. Don’t record, take credit for it and keep all the money.. and 2. Let me know how it works in your service. If you are interested in the Chord Sheet contact me and I will send it to you.

This was recorded at our church a few weeks ago. It’s by no means a professional recording but you can hear the words and music clearly. Please enjoy!

Awaken Our Hearts

If you liked this then check out these other freebies from me. You can also download Unfailing Love now on itunes.

Tags: Church, Free, Free Song, freebie, Prayer, Recording, summer, work, Worship

5 reasons not to rehearse

Sep 26, 2008 How To

This summer I spent four weeks gone during the week and would come home on weekends. During that time we decided as a band to only use songs we knew really well, and to just meet up early on Sunday mornings to rehearse. This gave the band a break from Wednesday rehearsals and created a change. Little did I know that we would come to enjoy it and that it actually would be productive. After we did this for a month some members asked if we could continue. After considering it I thought why not. We decided to meet at the church at 8:00 instead of 8:30 every Sunday morning. As a trade off we would only rehearse one Wednesday per month, unless we specified otherwise.

I have to say it has worked out better than I thought it might, and maybe for these reasons.

1. The songs are fresh in our minds- Each sunday morning we usually use about 5 songs in the service. Of those atleast 4 we have done before and 1 is either new or fairly new. On Sundays at rehearsal we have time to go over each of the songs we know twice, and then we spend a little more time on the unfamiliar song. We even find time to look ahead at a song we will be doing the next week. And we only have an hour and a half during sunday school to forget what we learned.

2. The members are less rushed- In my situation we are working with mostly volunteers, and most members have children and families. Rehearsing once per month gives them more time to be with their families, and maybe time to just take a break.

3. We are more effecient- Knowing that we have less time, it seems that we are more mindful of the time we have. We tend to get started better, we don’t spend as much time playing around. We are better stewards of our time.

4. The congregation responds- Since we limit ourselves to the number of new songs we can learn, we end up using songs more frequently. This has allowed the congregationto learn the songs better, and be able to use them to worship.

5. I can look to the future- Freeing up the rehearsal time means that I can be forward thinking and have some time to try new things. We are looking at the possibility of a second worship band, we are also thinking about using an instrumental ensemble. I can use those off weeks to try some new things.

I realize there are things that we lose by not meeting weekly. Mostly the comraderie of meeting together, praying together and supporting each other. We do get that on Sunday mornings and it makes us look at other times that we can get together like at someones house or going out to eat as a group.

So how does your worship team rehearse? What’s your schedule and how does it work for you?

Tags: band, Church, Free, rehearsal, Songs, summer, Sunday, Team, work, Worship

Guest Post- Logan Armatys- How to Survive Summer with a Band

Aug 23, 2008 How To

With an amazing summer coming to an end, I feel the need to write about the most important thing we, as a band, have learned from the experience of traveling together weeks and months at a time. It is our greatest adversary…patience.

10.Never eat at Whataburger more than five days at a time, as it will cause upset stomachs and crankiness with other band mates (not to mention the likelihood of unsanitary living conditions later on)

9. Try and laugh at each other’s jokes even when they’re not funny. This will create a confidence boost for the “unfunny” one in the group, and show that a good sense of humor is encouraged.

8. Go to bed before 3:00 am so you’re not showing up to morning devotional in your pajamas with your eyes half open. This is also very dangerous as it may also cause quick irritability toward others in the band later in the day.

7. Don’t be a backseat driver for the one in control of the vehicle. This can have a reverse effect which causes the driver to have a strong desire to intentionally lose control and make you cry “mama.” (A Garmin GPS system can be a lifesaver, and is strongly recommended)

6. Don’t forget your instrument.

5. Never steal the bass players bedding, or he is likely to construct a fort with everyone’s mattress.

4. Don’t stay up attempting to have pillow talk. You will be ignored and interrupted by other pointless conversations that wade throughout the night.

3. Show everyone in the band that you truly appreciate their gifts and talents as musicians. More importantly, that you appreciate and value their friendship, love, and support. ENCOURAGEMENT IS KEY!

2. Lay down any ego and pride you may have and know that without the person next to you, the purpose of the band as a whole can not be accomplished.

1. Pray as a band each time before taking the stage, and keep in mind the fact that this could be the day a student acknowledges Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior for the very first time.

Tags: Appreciate, band, CD, Devotional, Funny, How To, summer, Worship, Worship Leader