I know it was a long time ago but my blog broke and it has taken me this long to get round to fixing it, but SO many cool things to share.
For starters being part of the group organising the confernece provide a few opertunities to grow some grace. I know that is probably true of any working group, but last year’s planning seemed to go a whole lot easier. Maybe I was still caught up in job transistion and stuff, btu plannign this year seemed hard work.
However come conference, everything seemed to run even better. A few things I would pick up on if that is okay. There are personal to my involvment, but things I feel behind the sceens made for a better conference.
1) I turned the room round 90 Degrees and put 2 screens one eaither side of the stage. Not everyone was a fan. It mean 2 things:
a) the speaker had a stage he/she could walk around without impeeding the projector screens, and it was even better after we hoisted the screens up so people could see the bottom lines of the worship songs!
b) no-one sat NEXT to the stage, so everyone could actually see the speaker, no need for extra moniters and things like that.
2) NO laptops at the front. It meant we can pre-load and test every visual / sound file befreo the meetings. We have NO technical hitches whilst live. We had to re-format a video, and back save from Powerpoint 07, but becuase it was all done BEFORE the meetings the participants saw a smooth runnign show. HAving a remote for the speaker to advance the slides also worker a treat!
3) No band. I know that seems a backward step to some, but it meant less equipment, less rehersals, less potential techy problems, we ran it all wireless including the guitar, less trip hazards. People don’t need a big band to worship God, also took up less floor space so we could sqeeze more chairs in!
Highlighs of the confence for me ..
Margaret Hill talking about Scripture engagement. No longer is it scripture use, a colleuge in Africa had commented,
“A Bible under a table leg is scripture use, but it won’t impact anyone’s heart. We need people to engage with God’s Word”
OR something like that .. I thought that was EXCELLENT especially as we had to use some spare Bibles to angle the projectors to reach the new hight screens!!
Rob Baker on Arts consultancy (Ethnomusicology) I LOVE music, for us in the ‘west’ we find happy music to be in a major key, high and loud. I found it fascinating that for one group in Benin, it is completely oposite. To celelbreate they use a minor key, and low and what we would consider dis-hamonies! I find God’s creative diversity absolutely incredible some times!
Okay enough from me, maybe i will be allowed to link to some of the presentations at some point if you r are interested.
Yes, it was a great conference, and I thought the two presentations you mentioned were also highlights for me.
Not sure it was disharmonious to them. The music was on about two tones, maybe half a tone apart. Sounds strange to us, sure. In the ME you tend to get minor keys and the gypsy/hungarian scale. In India you get quarter-tones and so on. It’s all good stuff!
Re. not having a band – a lot less fun in some ways, though I agree it was a lot simpler having one guy and his guitar up there. Perhaps we could have guitar + djembe + bass? One off stage, two on. The bass amp could be off-stage. Just an idea. Anyway, thanks for letting me lead a couple of worship slots!
Yeah, come on, we’ve just gotta have a BAND next time! Not a big, messy, amateur band, but a handful of quality musicians whose expertise and sensitivity will enhance worship and touch people using THEIR ‘heart music’. Yes, having a band is more hassle/work/rehearsals etc, but it’s always worth it and – no – I disagree that this, or any conference, is ‘better’ for having its band removed. If you’d have asked me, I’d have happily put many hours into running such a group this year…
You see, you could’ve said: “Hey, let’s not have a data projector, screens or powerpoint presentations this year, as it’s just too much work. Let’s have folk just stand there and speak to us instead: no props, no gadgets, keep it simple.” That’s the equivalent, presentation-wise, to what was done to the music this year. So please, please, please, DELEGATE to someone talented to get a decent band going next time. I needn’t be more work for you, and someone else may even ENJOY the challenge.
Nothing personal, Tim, but I can’t sit by as a musician and not speak out in favour of decent, live music to aid worship – it is my JOB, after all…
PS I wasn’t there for the worship sessions, so have nothing against whoever the ‘one guy and his guitar’ was. I just think a band can always do more.
haha I wondered if you were going to react to that! I totally agree, I LOVE working with a band, but actually you have to admit , sometimes, strippign it down can allow people to focus on God, without being distrcted by a band. It was more about space than quality, and as you were only comign for one day and didn’t book, you weren’t exactly chomping at the bit
PS I was the man with a guitar you just slagged off …. and the other one .. was David
Love you mate!
Rob has jsut informed me that i cleaerly was not payign enough attention durign his presentation .. the folks with the minor sounding celebratory music awas in fact brazil NOT Benin as i previously stated ..
But…music is one of – if the THE – main ways of getting folk closer to God IN worship; you can’t separate the two and say ‘let’s get rid of the music so we can worship’. Yes, a flashy, showy band (or a really BAD one) can distract from God, but a sensitive one will only point to him and enhance the worship
I understand about the space issue – hey, get a bigger hall next time!
Cheers Dude – thanks for all your hard work last week