Well, I know I am a good encourager so I've been told.


Lelia Struve email [log in to unmask] msn [log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Vicki and The Rors" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 8:22 PM
Subject: Re: speaking of leading music


> Good for you for trying Lelia.  And now you know.  But I am sure you have
> other things, gifts and talents.    Do you have any ideas what those could
> be?
>
> Vicki
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Lelia Struve" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 6:10 AM
> Subject: [ECHURCH-USA] speaking of leading music
>
>
>> As the subject says speaking of leading music yesterday being Sunday, my
>> pastors wife was a bit ill yesterday and had almost no voice and she
>> asked
>> me to kind of lead the music while she played well, at first I thought I
> did
>> awful and I didn't do as well as I might have wanted to but I also
>> learned
>> something first and foremost I'm not a leader I love to sing but no
>> thanks
>> to leading.  Second, its ok to make mistakes I knew that but in order to
>> learn we need to make the mistakes to see all that I knew that too but I
>> still needed that lesson.
>>
>>
>> Lelia Struve email [log in to unmask] msn [log in to unmask]
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Vicki and The Rors" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 4:33 PM
>> Subject: Re: Right Church
>>
>>
>> > Brad,
>> >
>> > I can sure appreciate where you are coming from on this one.  Jumping
> off
>> > in
>> > the middle of leading music is for sure difficult.  Maybe the Lord is
>> > using
>> > a God-given desire under his leadership, no ship pun intended, to guide
>> > you
>> > elsewhere.  And I'll be praying with you for God's direction and
>> > fulfillment
>> > of purpose.
>> >
>> > Love your ship analysis, by the way.
>> >
>> > Vicki
>> >
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: "Brad D" <[log in to unmask]>
>> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> > Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 3:57 PM
>> > Subject: Re: [ECHURCH-USA] Right Church
>> >
>> >
>> >> Approaching the harbor you are struck with awe of the external view of
>> >> the
>> >> ship you are about to board. It's girth, length, height and width are
>> >> breath taking to consider. One wonders how this vessel can stay afloat
>> > with
>> >> it's many floors, cargo and people. As you approach to board it along
>> >> with
>> >> hundreds of others you have no idea of what exists inside and
> excitement
>> >> builds as you consider what it is like inside this enormous piece of
>> > craft.
>> >> Slowly you make your way through the chained barricades as they wind
> you
>> > to
>> >> and fro like a maze until finally you walk up the gang plank and for
> the
>> >> first time see what lies inside this ship. Once you are inside and
>> >> look
>> >> around, and get a feel of what it is you find, just like a church, you
>> >> are
>> >> either aboard a party barge, slave ship, or Christ cruiser. It is
>> > difficult
>> >> when you have researched the voyage and ship prior to boarding and
>> >> then
>> >> find later, after you have purchased your ticket and packed your bags,
>> > that
>> >> you need to jump off at the next port because it is not the ship for
> you,
>> >> the voyage is not what you had hoped. Again this is similar to
> churches.
>> > We
>> >> find Party Barges who drink up the Holy Spirit like a bar fly and
>> >> party
>> >> on
>> >> in a sea of lost folks totally oblivious  to anything beyond their
> claims
>> >> in Christ for their own wants and desires. And you have slave ships
>> >> who
>> >> also have blinders on who are so consumed with working on the inside
>> >> of
>> > the
>> >> four walls which hold it's cause, that they begin to burn out and the
>> >> voyage becomes very labor some and with each stroke of a row, it seems
>> >> the
>> >> ship moves no where, none of the  people floating lost at sea are
> picked
>> > up
>> >> because the focus is on the ship, therefore no new blood comes in to
>> > spread
>> >> the load of work, no sense of accomplishment is seen, no progress, no
>> >> nothing but sight of endless work and no forward progress but just
> enough
>> >> bustle to stay afloat. Sort of like flailing ones arms about the
> surface
>> > of
>> >> the water in a disorganized manner, and for the enormous amount of
> energy
>> >> spent, it is by the occasional hits upon the water treading water is
>> >> fortunately accomplished, while breathing becomes more and more
> difficult
>> >> and the arms are beginning to burn with muscle fatigue. And we also
> have
>> >> Christ Cruisers who focus on Christ, the lost, set forth plans by the
>> >> guidance of god and although much work is put into it, it is done
>> >> joyfully
>> >> and with genuine appreciation and one is energized to continue and
>> >> through
>> >> the efforts those willing to be picked from the salty sea are done so,
>> >> brought in, washed off, and join the ranks of laborers  making it
> easier
>> >> yet to lift more folks out of the sea.
>> >>
>> >> It is indeed difficult to find balance in a church. I too am in  just
>> >> such
>> >> a position. I've  bought my ticket, boarded the ship and began work,
> and
>> >> found out it is a slave ship and in need of checking out at the next
> port
>> >> stop. I'm somewhat convicted as I despise church hopping. That is to
> say,
>> >> to hop hop hop to find just the church that fits my needs, for my
> wants,
>> >> the way I want things to be. After all why don't they do things the
>> >> way
> I
>> >> suggested or want, after all that is the best way... right? Right? I
>> >> do
>> > not
>> >> care for that attitude and yet I know that is not the motivator of my
>> >> stepping back from music over the next month or two and eventually
>> >> researching a new voyager. For months and months we've served with no
>> >> vision, no plan, no idea of where we are heading. No sense of making a
>> >> difference and lack of conviction that if we ran across someone in
>> >> desperate need of god, that we could bring them to church and they'd
>> >> actually be affected. In fact there is no real opportunity for them to
> be
>> >> affected on this particular ship. After this decision has been made,
> now
>> >> out comes the big plans for a vision, to take action, to move forward,
>> >> and
>> >> etc. The idea of removing commitment of music is so freeing, so
>> >> lifting
>> >> of
>> >> a burden, I hadn't realized how much it was weighing on my shoulders.
>> >> Either I am really missing God to be backing out at this juncture of
> the
>> >> church catching a vision and goal planning, or this is the divine
>> > appointed
>> >> time to do such to make way for a right person for the work. I've been
>> >> through essentially two churches on the entry level of growth and
> getting
>> >> feet off the ground and now this one, and have experienced as well a
> ship
>> >> who is established and carries wisdom and is making a difference. I
> can't
>> >> help but look for the latter as it has become too draining to continue
> to
>> >> reside in the former.
>> >>
>> >> I don't look for the perfect church, cause I'll join and ruin it, but
>> >> I
>> >> do
>> >> gauge  or discern it from it's fruit as God's word says.
>> >>
>> >> Brad
>> >>
>>