With any creative endeavor, there is a risk of commercialization damaging the integrity of the work. It is arguable that no creative realm is as deeply traumatized by commercialization as that of worship, and some critiques of Western Christian contemporary worship music would argue that trauma has indeed been inflicted.
Worship is for the glory of God, and is a context in which we are compelled to fulfill the Great Commission. When dollars, or a platform for self, become the motivator, we might still be worshiping, but we are not worshiping God.
So how can we pursue the creative process of songwriting without capitulating to the prevailing culture? And how can we, as a Foursquare family, encourage one another in the process of writing new songs for the Lord?
Across the scope of Foursquare, multiplication is a key term, and that is true for worship leaders. As we continue to go into all the world, planting churches, multiplying congregations and reaching new people groups, we need a growing network of worship leaders, songwriters and musicians to serve in these varied contexts, and fresh songs that communicate ancient truth and draw people into the presence of the living God.
How can we, as a Foursquare family, encourage one another in the process of writing new songs for the Lord?
In this Foursquare Connection 2015 Studio, recorded live in Anaheim, Calif., Foursquare worship leaders David Dirmann, Marc Wymore and Casey Parnell offer some great encouragement on how to “make Jesus famous” instead of getting caught up in our own renown.
The live audio recording includes wonderful, practical ideas on fostering a culture of songwriting, contextualizing it to your city, as well as information about future networking opportunities.
Working together is primarily a local city/local church operation, but not exclusively so. There are great ways to work together and learn from one another regionally, nationally and even globally.
To see more from Connection 2015, click here.
