34, Part 1 (the good stuff)

I'm 34-years old. I've lead worship in some capacity for 20 years now. I think I love it more now than when I first discovered it and I'm still learning every time I get up and do it.

In my career (so far), I've been privileged to perform or lead worship in a ton of different of denominations. In some churches, I was a guest, but for others, I was a part of the church and served with my gifts. I'm grateful for my time in these places as they've shown both the great and ugly side of church life. For today's post, I'll be sharing some of the good stuff I've learned.

To date, here's what some of those denominations taught me:

BMA: Small churches can do great things; staying unified is hard work no matter how big you are.

SOUTHERN BAPTIST: God deserves reverence. We don't come to Him flippantly...we come in humility and gratitude.

NON-DENOMINATIONAL: Church does it's best work when it is closely involved in the lives of its people.

CATHOLIC: Worship of God is to be approached in obedience, not selfishness.

EPISCOPAL: Even in the most liturgical settings, people still crave a personal encounter with God.

ASSEMBLY OF GOD: A congregation that loves worship changes everything. An engaged people is one of the greatest blessings a worship leader can receive.

METHODIST: Church is more about the people in the pews than the personalities on stage.

BIBLE CHURCH: The Word is what matters. The Word is what matters.

Globally speaking, this is a short list and my level of involvement with these denominations is as varied as their individual church structures. However, these simple one liners do sum up the greatest, most memorable lessons I've learned.

You guys are a pretty varied lot; what have you learned?