Notes from the Field: Adam Russell
Vineyard Worship Community!
I’m finally back at my desk after two weeks of national conferencing (is that a verb?…I don’t know). Anyhow, I’ve mostly recovered from going hard these past two weeks and now I’m sitting here feeling a great deal of thankfulness. I’m thankful that God met us so powerfully. I’m thankful that every team led so beautifully and with so much humility. I’m thankful that our tech teams solved problems, served with grace, and made everything look and sound great. I’m thankful that I was able to meet so many new people. I’m especially thankful for all the new worship leaders that I met! It’s apparent to me that God is moving among us and that this is an awesome moment to be a part of what is happening in the Vineyard.
Maybe you share some of these same feelings and you’re excited to see what is on the horizon both at your church and in our wider Vineyard family...and maybe you’re wondering what’s next, or how to absorb these past few weeks into the current culture at your church. I’d like to say a few things to this very unique moment that we are in:
First, it’s clear that God is moving! So having a degree of expectation for our churches is good and right. We should all be encouraged about the communities that we help lead. God doesn’t just want to meet us at pastors conferences; he wants to meet us in our local churches.
Secondly, I’d like to say that if you feel encouraged to take more risks in following the Holy Spirit, reorganizing your worship team, changing your sound, rethinking your stage and the way it looks, or adding new songs to your weekly rotation, those are all good instincts. One of the benefits of conferencing is that we get a chance to see beyond our local expressions. But I would also like to say DO ONE THING AT A TIME! Conferences are not the same as local church. Conferences represent months and months of detailed planning. The weekly rhythm of regular church is totally different, and results in terms of changes and implementation happen at a much slower pace. Don’t let a great conference trick you into being unreasonably dissatisfied with what’s happening Sunday to Sunday or how quickly things should change.
And finally, I’d like to say that one of the best ways to keep the spirit of the conference alive in our local churches is to reach out to other Vineyards around you and do a few things together. Invite in another worship leader. Do a joint worship night. Invite in a speaker from some place else and get 3 or 4 churches together for a Saturday morning. One of the reasons a conference is so impactful is the unity and connection that each gathering represents. It’s not all sound systems and lights. there’s something more fundamental sitting beneath it...lean into that stuff.
Okay, team...onward!
Peace and Love,
Adam
Adam Russell is a husband and father of four. In addition to his role as the Director of Vineyard Worship, Adam is Lead Pastor of the Vineyard Church in Campbellsville, KY and also serves on the Vineyard USA Executive Team.