Four days left to register

Registration closes this Tuesday, May 14, so plan to register soon if you'd like to attend Transfer. We'll be gathering together in just a few weeks to worship our Savior and set aside time to celebrate and transfer the biblical values we treasure. We hope many of you will join us.

Why this conference?

That the next generation might set their hope in God… Psalm 78:4, 7 says: “We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done… so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.” We want to transfer what matters. We want those after us to see how glorious a relationship with Jesus is. We want them to hope in God—not in our methodologies, our practices, our structures, or even our example, but in God himself.

Drawing on our history as a family of churches and the amazing truths we celebrate, the Transfer Conference will create a context for us to intentionally transfer the things we treasure to the next generation. If we assume these things, we will lose them, so we must be intentional to transfer them. In a focused way, Transfer will allow us to do this by devoting each session to a particular truth we collectively treasure: God’s glory, God’s gospel, God’s word, God’s presence, God’s people, God’s design, and God’s mission.

---

Visit www.TheTransfer.org for more information and to register.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Last week, I traveled to South Africa for the first time and had the great joy of participating in Rezolution 2013, a series of conferences that took place in Johannesburg, Durban, and Capetown. I was there with 5 other guys from the States, CJ Mahaney, Ligon Duncan, Kevin DeYoung, Mark Dever, and Brad Wheeler. The event was led primarily by Tim Cantrell and Al Schuster from Antioch Church in Midrand, although a number of other pastors and churches were involved as well. I participated in a pastors’ conference in Capetown on Monday and Tuesday, another pastors’ conference in Johannesburg on Wednesday and Thursday, and the Rezolution 2013 conference on Friday night and Saturday. The messages were outstanding and can be downloaded here. I also had the privilege of serving two different congregations the first and second Sundays I was there. Through the week, I led 92 songs, which I think is a record for me, trumping my time at New Word Alive.

It was an exhilarating  edifying, eye-opening, and exhausting time.  Here’s a few thoughts on my time there.

South Africa, like every other country, is in great need of the gospel.

South African history is complex, to say the least. Apartheid has left serious scars on millions of people. Twenty years after Nelson Mandela came to power, the country still faces many significant problems – extreme poverty, political corruption, racial tension, and more. But while many wring their hands in despair and fear the worst Christians are offering hope for genuine transformation through the gospel. I was encouraged to hear of efforts being made by Christians to combat racial division, care for orphans, and provide for those in need.

Technology amplifies our impact.

One of the more encouraging conversations I had while in South Africa was with Paul Karstens, a professor at the Bible Institute of Capetown. He said I had no idea how much Sovereign Grace Music had impacted the reformed churches there. I told him he was right – I had no idea. He said it was largely due to how accessible our music is. A couple years ago we redesigned our website to make downloads a one-click process, and last year we made all our sheet music free. In addition, you can purchase downloads of Sovereign Grace Music pretty much anywhere in the world through our Bandcamp site. I was thanking God for the how the Internet has made disseminating our music so much easier throughout the world.

Physical expression while singing can be hindered and encouraged by culture.

I’ve spent a good bit of time thinking through what we do with our bodies when we sing together, and have shared my thoughts in a seminar called Worshiping God Mind, Soul, and Body. Bottom line, I think we should strive for natural physical expression as we meditate on God’s glory and the amazing news of the gospel. In South Africa the singing was loud and passionate, but most of the people I led in song were fairly conservative in their expressiveness. Actually, they were really conservative. (There were a few exceptions, like the older couple who had a Pentecostal background.) But over the weekend we were led by the Rezolution band, which combined native African songs with English songs. The choir and vocalists were very expressive, and at different times led us in motions related to what we were singing. I watched the responsiveness of the crowd and noted that this was the same group that hadn’t used their hands or bodies much as they sang earlier in the day. Which made me wonder why we so often stifle the response that seems to be so natural in other settings.

A lot of people want to know what it means to be a reformed charismatic.

Sovereign Grace churches hold to an essentially reformed theology with a continuationist understanding of the gifts of the Spirit. While we were in South Africa we ran into a number of pastors who wondered how that worked. Both CJ and I had conversations along those lines and were encouraged by the humble and practical questions guys were asking.

It’s easier to lead songs for great teaching.

I got to hear some great messages in South Africa from men I deeply respect. While I listened, I planned the songs for the next session. I see my job as emphasizing and building on the truths from God’s Word that have been communicated in the messages. When the messages are gospel saturated, thoroughly biblical, insightful, and moving it just makes my job a lot easier.

Rich fellowship makes for rich ministry.

A highlight of the trip was conversations with the speakers that began and ended most days, often led by Mark Dever. We laughed, discussed theology and contemporary issues, evaluated meetings, prayed, and ate together. Okay, “conversation” might be too generous. I listened a lot. In addition, our hosts regularly engaged us in substantive questions and encouragement as we traveled around. Those times of fellowship are memories I’ll carry with me a long time and made my time in South Africa even more enjoyable.

Jesus is building his church in the midst of heresy and deterioration.

While statistics imply that South Africa is a largely Christian country, much of what passes for  Christianity is the health & wealth gospel or a diluted nominal  Christianity. But I met many pastors who are faithfully proclaiming the eternal gospel of Jesus Christ and want to be equipped to do it better. Many were the fruit of John MacArthur’s ministry and the Master’s Seminary. Others were Baptist, Church of England South Africa, or independent. I thank God for all of them.

It was a great privilege to be part of Rezolution 2013 and pray the seeds we sowed will serve those who are faithfully continuing to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel in South Africa.

(Kevin DeYoung shares his thoughts on our trip in this post. You can download the messages at the Antioch Bible Church site.)

---

Bob is the Director of Sovereign Grace Music. His responsibilities include equipping pastors and musicians in the theology and practice of congregational worship, and contributing to Sovereign Grace CDs. He is a pastor and one of the worship leaders at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville, KY. He is the author of, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness. Bob blogs at Worship Matters and hosts the bi-annual WorshipGod conference.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Maybe you’re thinking there’s plenty of time to register for WorshipGod2013. And there is. Kind of.

Registration for WorshipGod West doesn’t end until June 14. You can register for WorshipGod East all the way up until July 19.

But here’s a few reasons you might want to sign up soon.

1. People who sign up early get first choice for seminars.
Some of the seminars have capacity limitations. So bottom line, if you don’t sign up early you may not be able to go to the seminars you want.

2. Rates are going to go up.
For WorshipGod West rates go up on May 1. For WorshipGod East they increase June 1. I mean it’s fine if you want to pay $30 more to come to the conference. We’ll put it to good use.

3. One less thing to do.
You know too well how putting things off only adds anxiety to your life. Once you’ve registered you can turn your attention to all those other things that you’re not doing now.

4. More time to tell others that you’re going.
Conferences are best when you can share them with people you know and love. The sooner you sign up the easier it will be to invite others to join you for what is sure to be an exceptional time of equipping, encouragement, and encountering God in his people and his Word.

If you you need more reasons, check out my post on 12 reasons you should come to a WorshipGod conference.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Do we really need one more worship conference?

That’s the question I ask myself every other year as I start planning for the next WorshipGod conference. And since WorshipGod2013: Called to be Faithful is on the calendar twice in 2013, my answer to the question is obviously yes. WorshipGod West is less than three months away and will be June 27-29 in Orange County, CA. WorshipGod East is a little under 5 months away and will be here in Louisville, July 31-Aug. 3.

I did a post in January describing why I chose this conference theme. Basically, I hope to accomplish two goals:

• First, I want to encourage, equip, and inspire the leaders and churches who will never have the resources, gifting, or gear to replicate the bands and technological marvels that characterize so many bands on YouTube and at conferences. Let’s be honest. That’s about 90% of us. I realize this more than ever as I participate in planting Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. That doesn’t mean we can’t grow (as I said in my Salute to the Average Worship Leader), but we want to grow in the right ways – being faithful. And we certainly don’t want to live in frustration or disappointment that videos of our meetings don’t look quite as spectacular as what we find on the Internet.
• On the other side, I want this conference to encourage those who excel in musical excellence, communication skills, and the latest technology to do what they do even more effectively and to be sure all they’re doing is pointing to the greatness and glory of Jesus Christ. Production and musical elements can be means to an end, helpful means, good means. But at the end of the day, they are merely means. Useful in God’s hands, but not ultimately necessary. When all our comments after a meeting have to do only with tight arrangements, nailing lighting cues, the “worship atmosphere,” and what the musicians were wearing, we’ve wandered away from the purpose for our gathering and potentially into the land of idolatry.

So, in an act of shameless self-promotion, here are twelve reasons why I think you (pastor, worship leader, musician, vocalists, songwriter, techie) should come to WorshipGod2013:

1. Biblical, practical, engaging preaching

Guys who love to preach God’s Word and serve local churches will be explaining in what ways God has called us to be faithul. We’ll have the opportunity to hear from Kevin DeYoung (West), Mike Cosper (East) Craig Cabaniss (pictured), Russ Moore (East), Don Whitney, Kevin Twit (East), and more. I’ll be there, too.

2. Skilled church musicians who love God, his gospel, his Word, and his church

Everyone who leads at the conference may not be a household name (although Enfield and Sojourn Music should be), but that’s okay. They’re leading because, like you, they know what it is to serve in the church week in and week out, with volunteers who want to serve the church more faithfully. And they do it really well.

3. Senior pastors can come for $75

You might not be a senior pastor, but you most likely have one. And you can let him know about this deal. The congregational worship leader is, humanly speaking, the lead pastor, so we want to do whatever we can to get them to the conference. Too often people get home from a conference charged up with fresh ideas and perspectives only to have their thoughts minimized or ignored altogether because their leaders haven’t received the same teaching.

4. Lots of free stuff!

In 2011 we gave away a midi keyboard, a $300 Sweetwater gift certificate, a copy of Sibelius, a guitar amp, some iPods, and a bunch of other stuff. Who knows what we’ll give away this year? Besides free, we also do cheap albums and books pretty well.

5. It’s probably closer than it used to be

Over the last decade we’ve held WorshipGod conferences in Maryland where Sovereign Grace Ministries was located. Since moving to Louisville last year, we decided to have one in Louisville and one on the west coast. Louisville just happens to be within a day’s drive for 2/3 of the US population. And the West Coast certainly makes it easier for those who have been crossing three time zones over the years to join us.

6. One responsibility: take it all in

Enjoy 3 whole days where you don’t have to arrange any of the songs, lead any of the rehearsals, practice any of the riffs, or show up early for any of the sessions. Of course, if you’re a conference junkie, you can come early to watch the rehearsals and stay up till 2AM hanging out.

7. Twenty-eight seminars and at WorshipGod East, four pre-conference intensives

You get to pick four seminars, and can download the rest later for free. Grow in your musical chops, become a better leader, learn how to fight trials with worship, grow as a vocalist, understand your relationships better, grow in your prayer life, etc. At East we’ll be offering four intensives on Wednesday for pianists, guitarists, sound personnel, and choir members. More info can be found here.

8. Theology, character, and skill

That’s what we focus on at each WorshipGod conference. Because all three matter.

9. There is a time to laugh (Eccl.3:4)

And we make sure we find it at WorshipGod. We take worshiping the Savior very seriously. Ourselves, not so much.

10. Focused Gatherings (East)

I’m working on having two informal meetings geared towards those who would like to see more gospel-centered, theologically informed songs and leading in Hispanic churches and African-American contexts.

11. It’s cheap

Right now students can come for $120, groups of 5+ are $145 each, and individuals are $170. That price includes lunch both days, a binder with all the outlines, 5 sessions, and 4 seminars. Did I mention the snacks and drinks? And the giveaways? We’re practically paying you to come!

12. Encountering God

If you’ve attended a WorshipGod conference in the past, you know that it’s about much more than receiving solid teaching, singing great songs together, and growing in your skills. God never fails to change, inspire, convict, and encourage hearts as we behold his glory together (2 Cor. 3:18).

So there’s my pitch. If you’ve been to a WorshipGod conference in the past, feel free to leave a comment as to why someone should think about coming this year. And if you want more info, visit the WorshipGod 2013 website.

Hope to see you there.

* This post originally appeared on Bob Kauflin's website, Worship Matters. 

---

Bob is the Director of Sovereign Grace Music. His responsibilities include equipping pastors and musicians in the theology and practice of congregational worship, and contributing to Sovereign Grace CDs. He is a pastor and one of the worship leaders at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville, KY. He is the author of, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness. Bob blogs at Worship Matters and hosts the bi-annual WorshipGod conference.

 

 

 

• 
• 
• 
• 

Earlier this month, Grace Church of Frisco, TX hosted a small group leaders conference geared toward equipping and encouraging those who lead small groups, teams, and ministries in their local church. The theme of the conference was "Leading by Faith."

For your benefit, we've posted the audio of these 12 messages below:  

Pre-Conference Session 1, Billy Raies
Pre-Conference Session 2, Bob Odom
Pre-Conference Session 3, Pete Payne
Leading By Faith - Main Session 1, Craig Cabaniss
Group Panel
Leading with Patience - Main Session 2, Jon Payne
Leading with Joy - Main Session 3, Ricky Alcantar
Leading Others with God's Providence in View - Breakout 1, Grady Van Wright
Helping People in Conflict - Breakout 2, Josh Jordan
Disciples through Small Groups - Breakout 3, Rob Tombrella
Principle vs. Practice - Breakout 4, Allen Dicharry
Reading by Faith - Breakout 5, Darrel Schiel

• 
• 
• 
• 

From generation to generation... What we treasure, we must transfer!

For over 30 years, Lynn Baird has been pastoring God's people and communicating a passion for the gospel. His dream is to see this same passion passed on to the next generation, for the planting and building of more churches. Thank you Lynn; we want to learn from you.

Join us May 25-28 in Orlando, FL for Transfer, a four-day gathering hosted by the churches of Sovereign Grace Ministries to celebrate and proclaim those biblical truths that are most important to pass on from one generation to the next.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Last Friday and Saturday young adults gathered at Sovereign Grace Church in Gilbert, Arizona for the second annual Relate Conference.

The Relate Conference originated with a desire to create lasting, Christ-centered friendships among Christian young adults from various cities and churches. In a society and culture where it seems fashionable for Christian young adults to gather around any number of things, we wanted to make sure that we created a context where they could gather around the best and most important thing, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

For your encouragement, I pass on a few highlights from our time together this past weekend:

• The messages focused on the reality that the Banner, or identifying flag, of the Christian life must be the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Bob Kauflin, Jon Payne, Rich Richardson, and I sought to equip those in attendance to go back to their local churches and celebrate this reality in their daily lives.

The Gospel and the Word
The Gospel and the Gathering
The Gospel and the Church
The Gospel and Our Lives

• One of the best additions to the 2013 conference was having Bob Kauflin lead us in singing praise to God. Bob’s gifting along with his passion for the exaltation of Christ through song is contagious and it helped to emphasize the theme of the conference. It was truly a privilege to have Bob and his wife Julie join us this year.

• Throughout the weekend, fellowship was not only encouraged but also strategically planned. The reports from those in attendance would point to the reality that camaraderie among the attendees was built, new friends were made, and old friendships were strengthened; all to the glory of Christ.

It is our prayer that everyone who attended Relate returned to their home churches encouraged and eager to:

• Rehearse the Gospel in their gatherings,
• Exercise the Gospel in their relationships,
• And proclaim the Gospel in their communities.

Look for information about Relate 2014 at our website. We would be honored to have you join us next year.

---

Jason has been a pastor at Sovereign Grace Church of Gilbert, AZ since 2009 where he leads the Worship Ministry as well as their College/Career Ministry called TwentyFour:Seven. Jason graduated from the Sovereign Grace Pastors College in 2009. He lives in Gilbert with his wife Tiff and their four children.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Registration for WorshipGod East and West has finally opened. And I can’t wait.

This year’s theme is Called to be Faithful.

A large number of past WorshipGod attendees have come from churches of 500 or less. In addition, when I posted A Salute to the Average Worship Leader a few months ago, it seemed to resonate with a lot of folks. That’s why I wanted to focus this year on being faithful.

Being faithful is hard. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t make for good sound bites or Facebook status updates. Being faithful isn’t sensational, doesn’t attract big crowds, and almost never makes the headlines. And when it does, the focus is usually on success and statistics, not faithfulness.

But being faithful is something God highly values.

Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find? (Prov. 20:6)

A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. (Prov. 28:20)

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (Mt. 25:21)

Why the biblical emphasis on being faithful? Because God wants to make us like himself:

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Cor. 1:9)

But what does faithfulness look like? As a leader? As a musician? As a sound engineer? As a songwriter? How do we make sure we’re keeping the main things the main things? How do we resist the world’s definitions of success and pursue what matters to God?

Those questions and more will be addressed at WorshipGod 2013. In the main sessions we’ll be reminded that God calls us to be faithful to receive his grace, proclaim the gospel, serve others, grow in our knowledge and skills, and prepare people for eternal realities.

The Details

Main session speakers at West this year include Craig Cabaniss, Kevin DeYoung, Jon Payne, and myself. At East we’ll be hearing from Craig and me, along with Dr. Russ Moore, Jared Mellinger, and Indelible Grace’s Kevin Twit.

Music at West will be led by me, my son, Devon, Pat Sczebel, and Enfield. Music at East will be Devon and me again, along with Mike Cosper and a group from Sojourn Community Church, as well as Matt Mason, who now leads at The Church at Brook Hills.

We’ll be offering 28 seminars at each conference (thanks for all the recommendations), of which you’ll be able to attend 4. Topics include planning your meeting, the leader’s relationships, working with other generations, songwriting, making room for the Spirit’s leading, prayer, sound applications, vocal and instrumental classes, and more. Some additional focused gatherings are in the works as well.

WorshipGod East will also offer three hour pre-conference intensives on Wednesday in the areas of basic sound, contemporary piano, choir, and essential guitar skills.

Rates

Prices this year are similar to last year, with super early bird prices starting at $90 for students, $115 each for groups of 5+, and $140 for individuals. Those prices go up $30 on March 16 for West and April 1 for East.

For the first time ever, the first 100 senior pastors who register at East or West will pay only $75. We want them to come that badly.

As in previous years, WorshipGod 2013 will include loads of giveaways, free on-site lunches, a great bookstore, plenty of laughter, and opportunities to meet hundreds of like-minded believers devoted to worshiping God in spirit and truth.

Most of all, it will be an opportunity to encounter God, and be trained, refreshed, and revitalized for the role you play in serving your local church.

Bring your team, bring your pastor, bring yourself.

If WorshipGod11 was any indicator, we’re going to have a great time.

* This post originally appeared on Bob Kauflin's website, Worship Matters. 

---

Bob Kauflin is the Director of Sovereign Grace Music. His responsibilities include equipping pastors and musicians in the theology and practice of congregational worship, and contributing to Sovereign Grace CDs. He is a pastor and one of the worship leaders at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville, KY. He is the author of, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness. Bob blogs at Worship Matters and hosts the bi-annual WorshipGod conference.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Being faithful is hard. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t make for good sound bites or Facebook status updates. Being faithful isn’t sensational, doesn’t attract big crowds, and almost never makes the headlines. And when it does, the focus is usually on success and statistics, not faithfulness.

But being faithful is something God highly values.

Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find? (Prov. 20:6)

A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. (Prov. 28:20)

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (Mt. 25:21)

Why the emphasis on being faithful? Because God wants to make us like himself:

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Cor. 1:9)

But what does faithfulness look like? As a leader? As a musician? As a sound engineer? As a songwriter? How do we make sure we’re keeping the main things the main things? How do we resist the world’s definitions of success and pursue what matters to God?

We’ll be discussing these questions and more at WorshipGod 2013. In the main sessions you’ll hear from Kevin DeYoung, Craig Cabaniss, Kevin Twit, Dr. Russ Moore, and Don Whitney on how God calls us to be faithful to receive his grace, proclaim the gospel, serve others, grow in our knowledge and skills, and prepare people for eternal realities.  

You’ll also be able to attend 4 of 28 seminars, with topics including planning your meeting, the leader’s relationships, working with other generations, songwriting, making room for the Spirit’s leading, prayer, sound applications, as well as vocal and instrumental classes.

At WorshipGod East you’ll have the opportunity to attend pre-conference intensives in the areas of basic sound, contemporary piano, choir, and essential guitar skills. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up early.

As in previous years, WorshipGod 2013 will include plenty of giveaways, free on-site lunches, a selective bookstore, lots of laughter, and opportunities to meet hundreds of like-minded believers devoted to worshiping God in spirit and truth.

Most of all, it will be an opportunity to encounter God, and be trained, refreshed, and revitalized for the role you play in serving your local church.

As you look around the WorshipGod site we hope you get inspired thinking about all the ways you could benefit from joining us. If you have any questions, please email WorshipGod@sovgracemin.org.

We’d love to see you there!

*Registration will open later this week. 

• 
• 
• 
• 

Tony Merida, Daniel Akin, George Robinson, Bruce Ashford, and C.J. Mahaney discussed practical issues concerning the gospel and mission at the recent 20/20 Collegiate Conference hosted by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

This discussion is divided into two sections:

1) Get the gospel
2) Get on with the mission

• 
• 
• 
•