Coast-to-Coast Worship Summits Focus on Theme of Spirit and Truth
Worship Leaders, Pastors, Artists, Scholars and Special Guests Gather to Facilitate Church Renewal Through Worship
Contact: Suzie Stablein, 949-240-9339
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif., Jan. 18, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- The National Worship Leader Conference (NWLC), for six years the premier venue for educating, inspiring, and equipping worship leaders worldwide, will sponsor three conferences in 2013. This marks the first time the acclaimed gathering will be held in coast-to-coast locales: Lancaster, Pennsylvania, May 13-15; Leawood, Kansas, July 15-18 and a West Coast conference with a time and date to be announced.
Each conference will feature general sessions, three nights of worship, over seventy workshops and access to a wide array of worship-related resources, technology, and exhibitors. In addition, there will be preconference sessions on the topic of Choirs in Worship offered at each event.
Confirmed for all three conferences are keynote speakers Ian Morgan Cron (theologian and celebrated author) and Marva Dawn (scholar, compelling communicator, and author of the best selling "Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down"). Pastor James MacDonald, leader of the Vertical Church Movement is a main session speaker for Kansas. While a complete schedule of speakers, artists, songwriters, and special guests will be announced as available, a list of previous participants represents some of the most respected and influential artists, songwriters, and worship leaders in the world. These include Paul Baloche, Laura Story, Kari Jobe, Chris Tomlin, Israel Houghton, Gungor, William McDowell, Tommy Walker, David Crowder*Band, and Brenton Brown. Among featured keynote speakers have been Jeremy Begbie of Duke and Cambridge University; Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love; Passion Movement founder Louie Giglio; Rock Church pastor Miles McPherson; evangelist and dynamic pastor David Nasser; and leading scholar and prolific author Leonard Sweet.
"The expansion of our conferences is a direct outgrowth of the incredible response we've received over the years to the programs we provide," remarks Dr. Charles Fromm, publisher of Worship Leader magazine and founder of Worship Leader Media and its associated live and online training. "From the beginning, our emphasis has been on engaging with God, personal growth, sharpening skill sets, and a one-on-one connection with the poets, preachers, and teachers -- the thought leaders and musical exemplars at the forefront of worship today. We've consistently offered unique resources and opportunities geared for everyone from the pastor to the worship team leader; the songwriter to the audiovisual specialist. As a result, our attendance has grown to the point that multiple conferences are necessary to meet the demand. At the same time, we've established locales across the country to allow as many as possible to participate on a local level. 2013 marks a significant step forward in our goal of ‘resourcing worship and maximizing our ministry to the worship community."
It was a goal first undertaken in the pages of Worship Leader, the magazine that, for over 20 years, has lead the discussion of worship in all its multicultural and multi-denominational incarnations, as well as providing an essential forum for historical perspectives and contemporary commentary. The National Worship Leader Conference has carried on that dialogue with an emphasis on personal interaction, direct contact with movers and shakers in worship, and the chance to share knowledge and experience with others in a wide range of disciplines.
As a part of that vital role, the theme for the three 2013 conferences will be "Spirit and Truth," inspired by the account of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman in John 4:23: "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be his worshipers."
The biblical account provides a compelling vision of the essentials of authentic worship. Remarks Fromm, "It's worth noting that in the story of the Samaritan Woman, Jesus was responding to her question about the proper place to worship, whether it was in Jerusalem or on her tribe's ancestral mountain. He directed her attention to the integrity and focus of worship, to 'spirit and truth.'
"In the same way, we are often confronted with a choice between intellectual or emotional approaches to worship, just two of the aspects of spirit and truth. As Jesus affirmed in Mark 12:28-31 and Luke 10:26-28, loving God involves the totality of both." Fromm points to the writings of acclaimed author and theologian John Piper to illustrate the concept of spirit and truth as it applies to the objectives of the National Worship Leader Conferences. "Piper wrote that 'truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy ... emotion without truth produces empty frenzy.... True worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine.' What we want to begin to bring together at the conferences is the balance and harmony of these two crucial elements."
To underscore that objective, Fromm cites another acclaimed writer and theologian, James MacDonald, founder of Harvest Bible Chapel. "He summed up the lessons of John 4 by saying that worship is not a matter of 'where,' but of 'who,'" explains Fromm. "God seeks true worshipers, and true worship engages both the heart and the mind. This is especially important as it relates to church renewal. Our overriding aim is to facilitate that renewal through worship."
The emphasis of the conferences on church renewal through "spirit and truth" is set against the backdrop of the enormous changes in information and communication technology that have occurred over the past 20 years. While conference workshops focus on every aspect of the modern worship experience, the purpose throughout is to utilize the tools of technology to create a more meaningful worship experience. At the same time, a wide range of classes are offered to provide historical and classic theological contexts that reach across Christian faith traditions, with the aim of enriching the worship experience. While acknowledging the constant and accelerating chances that characterize our contemporary culture, the conferences also emphasize the enduring values that are key to the concept of renewal: among them, prayer and the study of Scripture; respect for one's individual faith tradition and local church community; and the role of innovation, creativity, and originality.
The theme of renewal extends into what is perhaps the single most significant aim of the National Worship Leader Conferences: to refresh, restore, and reinvigorate the individual worship leader. "These are three days dedicated to meeting the needs, and igniting the vision, of those who have been called to worship God in spirit and truth," Fromm concludes. "It's the personal interaction that counts, the chance to talk to, collaborate with, and learn from those who understand the challenges and opportunities, the joys and burdens of being a worship leader. We stand on the shoulders of giants and are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. If we can impart that sense of belonging and common purpose to those we seek to serve, then we will have accomplished our mission."
That sense of personal enrichment is reflected in the many unsolicited testimonials received from attendees of previous conferences. "I never could have imagined," wrote one, "how much God would use the anointing of the workshops and general session speakers to minister to me on a personal and spiritual level." "The National Worship Leader Conference has reignited my passion for worship and music ministry," was a typically enthusiastic response. Another stated simply that "God spoke to me and challenged me," while a fourth put it this way, "It was wonderful to be surrounded by people who love and care about worship as much as you do."
For more conference information and early registration opportunities, please visit nationalworshipleaderconference.com.
For additional questions:
Conference - Suzie@wlmag.com
Sponsorship - Daniele@wlmag.com
Song DISCovery - Phil@wlmag.com
Worship Leader magazine - Jeremy@wlmag.com
Or go to: worshipleader.com
