Set List, 04/07 - 04/08/12 - Easter - Fellowship Bible Church

This Easter, our church relocated temporarily to the Topeka Performing Arts Center to accommodate as many guests as possible (we ended up hosting around 3800 people this weekend!). Last year, we had to do six services, but the attendance was not evenly distributed - more than half of our people wanted to attend at two of the six service times, and we were cramped for space (our building holds around 690). At Christmas Eve last year, we ended up turning people away, which is something we never want to do again if we can help it. We always want an open door and an open seat for people to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ! It was amazing to see the team come together to make this happen for the weekend. It was a ton of work, and my tech director, Wyatt Johnston, did a fantastic job of navigating the difficulties of relocation. Each of the people who regularly lead for our services led together for both services. That was something that was a priority to me, and I am thankful that it worked out that everyone could participate. There's nothing like leading worship together with friends! I am so grateful for our church and for our team. Jesus was exalted this weekend! You can listen to the entire message here.

Here's our service plan from this weekend:

Video - "An Easter Story" Pre-Service Song - "Our God's Alive" (Em) [Andy Cherry, Jason Ingram, Dan Muckala] "Sing to the King" (E) [Billy Foote, Charles Sylvester Horne] Welcome/Greeting Time - David Hinkle Call To Worship - from Philippians 2 "Happy Day" (B) [Tim Hughes, Ben Cantelon] Video - "The White Board Gospel" "You Have Overcome" (A) [Bill Horn, Erik Oldberg] "You Alone Can Rescue" (B) [Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin] "Jesus Paid It All" (B) [John T. Grape, Elvina M. Hall, Alex Nifong] Video - "Alive" Message - "Everyone" [Joe Hishmeh] "Christ Is Risen" (Gb) [Matt Maher, Mia Fieldes] Offering/Announcements Dismissal

"Our God's Alive" - This song served as our countdown song this week. It was an awesome song to open our Easter services with. It is an anthem that really set the tone for how we wanted to celebrate the resurrection.

"Sing to the King" - Led by Becky Tindell and Sarah Oldberg, this was our opening song. It is one of our church's favorites, and it really communicates the hope we have in Jesus. Also, this is a song that the children are singing in The Mountain (our children's ministry, led by Erik Oldberg). Our children from ages 3 and up were in our services this weekend, so it was important to us to do some songs that they would know as well. This is a great song that served the purpose of reaching everyone in the room.

"Happy Day" - Erik Oldberg led us on this song. This is another staple for our congregation and for our children, so it was another song that reached our whole congregation. As we sang this song, there was a tremendous amount of energy in the room. It was exciting to be a part of it!

"You Have Overcome" - This is the new original song that we introduced to our congregation last weekend in preparation for this weekend. Our congregation is connecting with it, and singing it well together. The link in the title takes you to the post where I discussed the song in further detail and where you can also download the charts for the song. It is a straightforward song about how Jesus has overcome sin and death, and has therefore redeemed us, giving us life and hope.

"You Alone Can Rescue" - Sarah Oldberg and I led on this song. This remains one of my favorite worship songs. I love how it declares our prior condition and where we stand now because of Christ's death and resurrection for us. He "came down to find us, and led us out of death!"

"Jesus Paid It All" - Each of us led a portion of this song, which is another one of our congregation's favorites. The ending was powerful and beautiful as we sang out the bridge, "O praise the One who paid my debt/ And raised this life up from the dead" a cappella. This moment in each of our services was one of the highlights of the weekend for me.

"Christ Is Risen" - We responded to Joe's message with this song. This is one of my favorites for Easter. I love the chorus especially: "Christ is risen from the dead/ Trampling over death by death/ Come awake, come awake/ Come and rise up from the grave." It's a powerful thing for the church to sing this together. Jesus has conquered sin and death. And we will participate in that victory. All praise and honor and glory to Jesus!

The bottom line? This weekend was amazing. I am so overwhelmed what we experienced together. It was the Easter service that I had always dreamt of. I couldn't have asked for a more special weekend. Easter is definitely my favorite time of the year in terms of leading the church in worship. We have no greater reason to sing than the fact that Jesus has overcome sin and death for us!

I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were! Jesus is ALIVE!

In the Son, Bill

p.s. don't forget to check out The Worship Community!

Set List, 07/23 - 07/24/11 Fellowship Bible Church

This weekend, we focused on the topic of contentment from Philippians 4:10-13. In this passage, Paul writes that in every circumstance, he has learned to be content. He is able to do this through the strength that Christ gives. Joe emphasized from this passage that our expectations for increase and improved life status (in the west, anyway) makes it easy for us to be discontent with our lives. Our idea of "normal" is faulty. Our idea of normal needs to change, and we need to trust Christ in any and every circumstance in our lives. This subject is something we all need to hear on a regular basis, because it is easy to be drawn away into discontentment and distrust. Our songs for the weekend focused on trust, peace, and contentment, as well as the power and sufficiency of Christ. He is worthy of our lives and our worship, no matter the circumstances. Here's our set from this weekend:

Pre-Service - "Those Who Trust" (Em) [Don Chaffer] Call to Continue Worship - Psalm 95:1-3 "Let Me Sing" (Bb) [Todd Fields] Welcome/Offering/Announcements/Greeting Time "It Is Well" (Bb) [Horatio G. Spafford, Todd Fields] "You Never Let Go" (Bb) [Matt Redman] "A Mighty Fortress" (C) [Christy Nockels] Prayer Message - "An Appraisal of Contentment" [Joe Hishmeh] Response - "Desert Song" (D) [Brooke Fraser] Dismissal

"Those Who Trust" - Taken from Psalm 125, This is a favorite of our congregation, because it celebrates the firm foundation we have in Christ in a very distinct way. It's a lot of fun for our team and our congregation. Our discipleship, David Hinkle, played his trumpet on this one, and he is always a great addition to the team!

"Let Me Sing" - This was our third consecutive week teaching this song, and I loved using it at the top of the service, after the call to worship this week. It was fitting, coming after reading Psalm 95:1-3 together, which repeats the phrase, "Let us..." followed by several commands of worship. I love the message of this song, as it communicates the "why" of worship - we respond in worship and thanksgiving because God is who He is, and because He has done what He has - He has redeemed us!

"It Is Well" - This song, which we have used a few times over this series, was too good a fit for this weekend's message for us not to include it. I think it really echoes the truth of Philippians 4:10-13 in a strong way, and helps us to connect the truth to our hearts and minds. It gives us an simple way to respond to these truths through singing our commitment and trust to God.

"You Never Let Go" - This was another song that we have been teaching during this series, and it was another great fit for the message this week. These two songs have made me see more clearly how certain songs are great fits for a series of messages, and not just a single message. On both of these, it is apparent that much of our congregation knows them, and hardly needs to look to the screens for guidance. It's a beautiful thing.

"A Mighty Fortress" - We haven't done this song in a while at Fellowship (I think the last time was during the interview process), but it is one of my favorites. It is probably my favorite song off of Christy Nockels' solo album. Sarah Oldberg led this song, and she did an awesome job pointing to Christ through it. I had really enjoyed singing harmony with her. I love how they arranged the song because it has some great builds and accents that help focus us on the lyric, which powerfully points to the Lord as God and King, along with many other attributes of His. This is a song that the church needs to sing, much like "Lord of All" and a few others.

"Desert Song" - We responded to the message with this song, because it really sums up and describes what it is to praise God through any and all circumstances. Sarah led this song as well. This song has a very unique feel to it, especially for Hillsong - it almost feels Celtic in a way. At any rate, it was a very appropriate response to the Word, and I think we all walked away from this week challenged by the truth.

It was a good weekend. The team did a great job leading, and participation from the congregation was solid. I believe the focus of the weekend remained constantly on Christ, His gospel, who He is, and what He has done.

I hope you had a great weekend of worship, and that Christ was lifted high! Check out The Worship Community to see what other leaders and worshipers experienced in their congregations this weekend.

In the Son,

Bill

Set List, 03/19 - 3/20/11 Fellowship Bible Church

Here's our set from this weekend: Pre-Service Song- "Your Grace is Enough" (G) [Matt Maher] Call to Worship "Holy is the Lord" (G) [Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio] Welcome/Intro Special Guest Video - Trash Mountain Project, "DR Thank You" Guest - Brett Durbin, President of Trash Mountain Project Announcements/Greeting Time "Glory to God Forever" (A) [Steve Fee, Vicky Beeching] "Our God" (A) [Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin] "Lead Me to the Cross" (D) [Brooke Fraser] Message - "I Believe: God Empowers (Sanctification)" [Brian Tryhus] Response - "Take My Life and Let It Be" (D) [Frances Ridley Havergal and Henri Abraham Cesar Malan]

This weekend we focused on how God empowers believers in the process of sanctification. Brian did a great job unpacking the truth of this doctrine, making it clear and laying all the cards on the table so everyone could understand it. I can honestly say that his message was one of the clearest explanations of sanctification I have heard. It's a beautiful thing. I thought the songs that were planned communicated the same message well, and that the whole was unified and clear that our God is holy, and He is the one who makes us holy.

We also had my close friend, Brett Durbin, in to share about something happening with his missions organization (Trash Mountain Project). They have begun a child sponsorship program in which every dollar goes to feed and educate a child in the Dominican Republic called "Kids With a Hope." Our church's goal this weekend was to sponsor every child they have left to sponsor at the facility, which was somewhere around 140 kids. His organization has taken a risk and has not incorporated any administrative fees into the sponsorship fee, so every dollar goes to the kids. The sponsorship is $34 per month - $28 for food (2 meals and a snack per day) and $6 for education costs. In my family, we have been considering doing a sponsorship for a while, for our daughter to get connected to what God is doing in the rest of the world, so this was a no brainer. We are excited to finally find the right child to support, and we are excited that it is connected with Trash Mountain. Because of my daughter's enthusiasm, I had to fight to hold it together during the last service this weekend. When she found out we were going to be sponsoring a child this morning, she ran upstairs and grabbed her piggy bank and said, "I want to give them all my money!" While it was only a few dollars, her generosity was truly beautiful. I am so proud of her. I was overwhelmed with thanksgiving for what God is doing in her life.

As far as the music part of worship goes, it was a great weekend. A highlight for me was when Sarah Oldberg and the band did a fantastic job on "Lead Me to the Cross," which was a great connection with Brian's message. He emphasized Romans 12:1-2, where Paul calls the church to offer their lives as living sacrifices. I took that and connected it with Jesus' call to take up our cross daily and follow Him before we sung this song. I really love this song and its message, and how it connected with the weekend's focus.

We spent most of the morning on songs that celebrate God's grace, holiness, and greatness. We opened the pre-service time with Matt Maher's "Your Grace Is Enough." This was the first week that I didn't sing the additional choruses from Chris Tomlin's version, because I felt that they were more complicated and would make it more difficult for our people to participate. I think it was a good decision, and I will continue to sing it with just Maher's chorus. After the call to worship, we moved to "Holy is the Lord," which is a great and simple celebration of God's holiness and the fact that His name will go out over all the earth. One day, everyone will understand His holiness.

The rest of the set consisted of "Glory to God Forever" and "Our God," which each have elements of recognizing God's greatness and of challenging us to go in boldness for His kingdom. The bridge of "Glory to God Forever" has become my favorite part of the song, and I consistently call our people to make this our prayer: "Take my life and let it be/ All for You and for Your glory/ Take my life and let it be Yours." The only thing I would have changed would be the key. We tried these again in the key of A, when we have been doing them in the key of G most recently. There are parts of these songs that extend out of most people's reach, so I think we'll return to G in the future with these songs.

We also introduced an arrangement of "Take My Life and Let It Be," which I have taken (and modified slightly) from Andrew Osenga from his days with The Normals. I have always loved this treatment of this great hymn, and it was a perfect opportunity to bring it in, because it really tied in with Brian's message, and where he landed it. It is a great prayer for us to pray, as it focuses on different areas of our lives and how we can give them over to God and His purposes. The writers mention our lives, our hands, our feet, our mouths, our intellect, and our resources as means for worshiping God and building the kingdom of God -

Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee Take my moments and my days Let them flow in ceaseless praise Let them flow in ceaseless praise

Take my hands and let them move At the impulse of Thy love Take my feet and let them be Swift and beautiful for Thee Swift and beautiful for Thee

Take my voice and let me sing Always, only, for my King Take my lips and let them be Filled with messages from Thee Filled with messages from Thee

Take my silver and my gold Not a mite would I withhold Take my intellect and use Ev’ry power as You choose Ev’ry power as You choose

May this be the prayer of our lives, that every aspect of us would be poured out as an offering of worship to our great God!

In the Son,

Bill p.s. Be sure to check out what other leaders did this weekend at Sunday Set Lists!