Worship Guitar Class Blog

Christian Guitar Lessons Blog

How to have a Worship Party

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There are several references to feasts and banquets in Scripture. One of my favorite parties, this side of heaven, is a Worship Party. I’ve hosted two kinds of worship parties: one where I and friends lead worship and one for guitar students to lead worship.

For the personal parties, we start with a potluck dinner, then end the evening with worship and prayer. I like potlucks because if doesn’t matter if 7 people show or 50 people. There’s always enough food.

Sometimes I print up some of the words to songs so quests unfamiliar with the lyrics can sing along. Every party is different. Several of us participate in leading worship. We take turns leading songs and sharing original songs too.

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Jeff Leslie, an inspiration

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Jeff submitted a song in the worship contest last summer. After his song was chosen for the website, I discovered he was a quadriplegic. He is such an inspiration! Here is what he wrote about his life and song:

“I have a music degree (BME voc/instr) and I played drums, guitar, pno, and bass until a diving accident that left me paralyzed from the shoulders down. Now I create music w/th the computer. The original version of my song was written before my accident. I always liked the melody but felt the lyrics needed help as I matured and became a better lyricist.

I did a lot of writing and recording from the time I began high school. Every year I’d record the songs I wrote that year. I began experimenting with multitrack recording in college but I didn’t really come into my own as a serious songwriter until a couple of years after my accident when I met a writer from Nashville that tutored me for a couple of years.

I have music software where I have a blank score and I choose a note value from a selection of notes and drag it over with my mouse and place it on the staff. One by one, eventually I have a music score. I then designate each line or part to an instrument in my selection of sound modules, electric keyboard, drum machine or instruments circling me in my studio. These are all wired together to my computer in a process called MIDI (musical instrument digital interface).
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Worship Contest 2006

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Bethany Waters send me her picture with the new guitar and DVDs. Thought it would be fun to share with you. God is so gracious. They only sent the contest website to a few friends, but somehow the email was circulated and then someone posted it on their Homeschool Website.

Bethany was surprised to receive calls and emails from people who heard her song. It was also exciting to hear that the Women’s Bible Study at their church decided to use Bethany’s song. She was 11.

I praise God for all the children that wrote songs and I just couldn’t take them down. Those that wanted to stay are still up at – http://worshipguitarclass.com/sep-2006kids.html

The adults are still up too. Many have CD’s and I’ve made their names clickable so you may visit their sites and perhaps pick up a CD for Christmas. – http://worshipguitarclass.com/sep-2006.html

Paulie Heath and Richard Paseck both sent me CD’s and although I don’t usually play CD’s very often I’ve nearly worn them both out. Great music!

New Lutheran Liturgy

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A few weeks ago, Pastor Dan Gibson asked me to participate in recording his new collection of songs called ‘A Southern California Setting.’ Pastor Dan is a huge fan of the Beach Boys and pastors a church called ‘Bethel Lutheran’ in the Los Angeles area. The songs are set within a traditional Lutheran framework.


Pastor Dan & the musicians in His CD

I’ve sung in many churches, but the Music Director at Bethel, Terry Cupples, was serious when she told me they would have me back. I helped them with worship once a month for about 8 years.

This is one of the churches where I taught worship guitar classes. You can read Terry’s quote of how the class impacted their church in an article I put together of how to use my videos for teaching guitar classes.

I promised Pastor Dan that I would announce his new project in this blog. You can read more about it and hear clips at his new website, www.southerncaliforniasetting.com. If you think what he’s made may be a blessing to your church, the music and/or CD is for sale at his site.

Congratulations Pastor Dan!