What separates great worship leaders from people who just sing in front of the congregation.

It is not the voice quality, the voice range, or the stage presence.

You can always spot a worshipper from a singer. A singer can sing well, hit the notes and sing like a rockstar but a worshipper who leads worship touches the heart of God that God’s presence inhabits the praises of His people.

If given a choice I would always choose a worshipper over a great singer to lead worship. I’ve always tell our music director Charles Bautista, “Pls tell them to start worshipping in their room, in the shower and everywhere before they go up on stage to lead the congregation.

Hi everyone! I am Abigael Kristel Tan, 21 years old, 5^th year college student taking up Industrial Management Engineering. I received Christ into my life and got baptized last May 7, 2011 and it was a very joyful and fulfilling moment of my life. I am now a part of the Music Ministry and a proud worshipper of God. It’s my first time to blog and I hope the Lord will be glorified with what I am going to do.

Before I was baptized as a Christian, I was very religious but I did not obey the Word of the Lord since I did not read the Bible. I know the teachings that are in the Bible because I am from a Catholic School when I was in elementary and high school but I did not practice them. I always pray but I did not understand the things that the Lord wants me to understand. I am always hot-tempered, always complaining and pessimistic in life. I am not sensitive about the wrong things that are happening around me and most of all I was not sensitive about what God is feeling when I sin and do things that will not glorify His name. Christianity is simple but hard to follow.

After three years of attending Victory Greenhills, that is when it hit me that the way to have a better, satisfying and joyful life is to submit and surrender my whole life to the Lord. And that He will be the one to control every aspect of my life. It was really touching when God never walked away from me when I encountered problems in my life, especially in my relationship with other people. He stood by me even though I do not always obey Him; He had been with me through good things and especially when I was down. I felt that He picked my hand when the time came that I was very lonely and down. I found a relationship with Him that no one else can take it away from me and no one else can satisfy that feeling. It makes you smile whenever you are down and makes you rest on His side whenever you feel alone. I can cry out to Him whenever I have problems and things that I cannot understand that are happening in my life.

“What is most unbelievable is He died for my sins for me to be saved; I cannot imagine any person or being in the world willing to offer His own life just to save me.”

I think the thing that has changed in my life is the feeling that I love God more than anything in this world that he deserves all the praise, love and gratitude, for He owns everything that I have and most of all He loves me for who I am. I also begun to love myself more, because I know that God’s love is enough for me to sustain me as a human being, I am now complete in Christ. I also became more thankful in all aspects of my life, especially now that I understand more that He is the source of all the blessings that I am receiving.

I became more positive with regards to the outlook in my life, that everything that happens in my life has a purpose and reason that God made these things either to bless me or to let me wait for something that is greater than I ask of Him. I also became sensitive on what he likes and do not like me to do. I also became more aware of the sensitive issues that are happening around me today, like sex being an ordinary thing in most relationships and saying bad words as a normal way to react to the things around us. These are simple things that the Lord wants us to change in our society. The only way that He will bless us is if we will obey and follow His words. I admit that I have struggles as a Christian, I always have a hard time reading my Bible since I am not a reader.

The thing that I enjoy the most is worshipping God with worship songs, this is where I feel the presence of the Lord always surrounding me. I hope I can glorify His name through singing and I believe that He gave me this talent to sing and worship Him. Thank you Lord for the talent, for saving me and most of all for loving me for who I am. I love u Lord!

The new batch of musicians were great. 3 new songs composed. More volunteers. Great instrumentalists, passionate worshippers

I would like to thank Abeg Pionso for training the new batch of volunteers. We are really privileged to have someone whose heart is to serve Jesus and see worshippers worship in spirit and in truth.

Angel – God’s spirit and anointing is so evident in your life.

When I went to church in the 90′s I remember singing the same 20 songs for one year. We memorized, taken it into heart, we hum it, we have internalize the hymns. We can sing the song by memory and if you tell me to sing the songs I’ve learned in church 20 years ago – I could almost sing it word for word. That was how we worship 20 years ago.

Something happened though – today worship songs being sung every Sunday is usually sung for 2 months and then we have new sets of songs that we sing for the next 2 to 3 months. The worship songs usually becomes old in 3 months time.

What could be the reason?

1. Thousands of worship songs are released every month. You pick the genre we have it all. God is raising up more song writers and worship leaders than ever before.

2. It is how this generation listens to music

An average IPOD today can carry how many songs? 2000? 5000? 10000? My own IPOD has 3966 songs/preachings not counting the podcasts. Once we hear a music we move to the next. It is the IPOD generation and the church must seriously take this into consideration if it wants to reach more people for Christ.

Challenge to the worship leaders: As what my good friend John Lloyd Cruz said ” Level Up!” We need to learn more songs, compose more songs that glorifies God, and keep it coming.

Suggestion: If you have a church where many old folks attend, I suggest doing remixes of old worship songs so as to touch both generation. The young people that comes into your church wouldn’t know that Jesus Lover of my Soul is an old song – trust me.

I was given a rare opportunity to have lunch last Friday with one of the hottest worship band in the world, Planet Shakers. I was really blessed to learn so many things about their church and ministry. During lunch I was able to talk and ask questions to Rudy – one of their singers/youth pastor of Planet Shakers Church and we compared notes on how they run the church and their worship services while Pastor Larry was with Mike (drummer/worship coordinator) asking about volunteer management.

It was such a blessing meeting young men and women who were passionate, humble and willing to offer what they know to help other churches grow and run an excellent worship service.

Some notes I got from them:

1. It is better to have fewer worship team players who are sold out to the vision of the church and on fire for God than have a lot of people up on stage who don’t know why the church exist and who are not as passionate in their walk with God.

2. They offer a 16 week DNA class. This is a prerequisite to join any ministry. The DNA class sorts of acts like a filter for people who are really serious in serving God through the church.

3. They have a school of creative arts (video, worship, technical, lights)

4. Change the mindset of the people. People serving in the church (volunteers) must realize how privilege they are to be volunteers. Be the best volunteer – study your parts and your music before practice.

- woke up early this morning to have my router fix but to no avail.

- went to the gym with Pastor Larry before preparing for church service

- Ganns was pure energy with worship. Presence of God was very evident

- We invited The Philippine All Stars group to perform and for the first time in a long time a dance number gave me the goosebumps. Simply amazing. Filipinos are very talented.

- Pastor Sonny Oaman preached. I considered this Sunday one of my favorite sundays in Greenhills. The preaching literally spoke to me.

Here are some of my notes:

1. Ok na ang panakip butas, kaysa sanhi ka ng butas. In English, it is better to be the plug in the hole than be the source of the hole. A lot of people complain of their role in nation building and unity but wherever God places you just do your thing. God’s thing is your thing.

2. Every vision has an opposition. The greater the vision, the greater the opposition.

3. There is no limit to what a person can do as long as he don’t mind who gets the credit.

Wrapped up the night having dinner with Mr Kaysing and the family. Then went to my brother’s place to unwind with some good old NBA ps3 game.

- I missed pacquiao’s fight again.
- had our last morning service in New Manila. We would be renovating it to become the HUB for college students in the area. I am excited for the future of our ministry in New Manila.
- our youth workers are doing a great job. Hats off to the PASSION ENGINEER – Bojo and his team for building a thriving youth ministry.
- our 3pm service was half full – maybe because of the Pacquiao fight. This always happens to us. Lots of parking space in Greenhills, few attendance for our 3pm service, 0 crime rate in the Philippines. Pacquiao should be a national hero.
- our 5pm was packed. My wife led worship. Amazing!
- had a great time preaching about the power of the Holy Spirit.
- excited for next week’s mother’s day.
- Margarita baptized the song BURN. It was the best rendition I have heard ever. As what Paul Pajo would say “WASAK!”
- met new amazing people yesterday.
- Ill be at the Family camp this Wednesday to Friday – looking forward to that!