Message: Leading in the Pew

9 May ’11 By 3 Comments

Saturday I had the privileged of speaking at Outloud Worship Conference 2011 in Manchester, CT. But not to musicians or front-man/woman worship leaders. I got to address “those other” worship leaders.

The ones sitting in the pews.

While I was a bit surprised when Pastor Mike Kim handed me the topic, I suddenly realized this is the very teaching I wish I could present to every congregation I ever led in worship. To explain to them in great detail the power of their position.

You can purchase all of the main session teachings and afternoon workshops directly from the great folks behind  Outloud Conference via their website, but I wanted to give the notes from my session away for free. I hope they are a resource for you and your church in cultivating an atmosphere where heaven and earth meet. ch:

DOWNLOAD PDF NOTES: Leading in the Pew

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Production Within the Church

18 Apr ’11 By 10 Comments

I had the privileged of addressing my favorite House yesterday on the subject of production and its value within the Church world. The impetus came from my Senior Pastor, Kirk Gilchrist, who never shies away from taking issues head-on–one of the reasons I so appreciate his leadership. Rather than let people wonder why (or why not) we run our sound system the way we do, or why we use graphics, or why our lobby looks the way it does, he informs them preemptively before rumors have a chance to become destructive.

As the Creative Arts Pastor, yesterday’s production explanation fell on me.

And I was was excited for the chance.

Training a community how to value beauty is one of the most significant steps toward teaching a culture how to value life.

The response to my short presentation was so overwhelming that I decided to answer the requests for my notes and the message link by providing both below. Feel free to use as you need and pass on to your own church leadership or staff. I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have and help you in your process. ch:

DOWNLOAD NOTES: Why We Beautify

WATCH MESSAGE

What role does production play in your church services? How has it impacted people’s hearts for Jesus? If production is not something utilized by your congregation, how might elements of lighting, audio, video, graphics, printing, or stage management improve the message you’re attempting to communicate?

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#HME In French

3 Feb ’11 By Leave a Comment

Bonjour!

For those of you who remember watching the Swiss Recap Reel, I just received my first few copies of “Le Ciel Touche La Terre” in the mail yesterday.

Wow.

In all honesty, I got blessed by my own CD–a rare happening as you get pretty sick and tired of hearing the songs over and over. But hearing it in French was like listening to a whole new record. And further still, I think a number of the songs were meant for French, and sound (and mean) so much more. There’s simply a different anointing.

And for a guy that is quite comfortable singing in his native language (American*), I am pretty blown away with how well Jennifer and I sound in French. Not because we do, mind you. That would be pretty pious (and stretching the truth). But because of how the production team made us sound. From translators to vocal coaches to producers, this team truly made a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Well, not Jennifer. But certainly me. [Oink, oink]

We could not have done it without: Sylvain, Line, Marie-Elise (Momma), Gaby, Andy, Rolf, Stephan, and the Freymond Children & extended family.

So if you’d like to purchase a copy of your very own–direct from Switzerland–you can visit either sam-music.com or Net Reflet.

Merci! ch:

*Sorry, couldn’t help myself. If you didn’t notice a difference, go back to school.

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Heaven Has Landed On Election Day!

2 Nov ’10 By 6 Comments

Please join us at The Father’s House in Rochester, NY this Friday night for our official release concert! Click “attend” for details.

If you’re of age, you could be voting. Or you could be listening to our new CD, “Heaven Meets Earth.” Here are a few reasons why you should listen to it especially if you’ve voted:

1.) You’re really excited about how you think the elections are going to turn out and need some anthem music to dance to (which you’ll find lots of on “Heaven Meets Earth”).

2.) You’re depressed about how you think the elections are going to turn out and need some encouragement (which you’ll find on “Heaven Meets Earth”).

3.)  You’ve actually become afraid of your mailbox for dishing out an exceedingly high amount of political advertising cards at you and need some calming tunes to help you with your nervous breakdown (which you’ll find some very quiet music on “Heaven Meets Earth”).

4.) You’re sick of the muzak that was playing over the loudspeakers in your town’s firehall while you were standing in line to vote. (*Note: there is no muzak on “Heaven Meets Earth”).

5.) You’re still confused about the difference between Tea Partiers and The Boston Tea Party, and have frequently refereed to the Boston Tea Party Massacre March on The Mall thinking it was a new HBO Documentary made in August. (There’s really no help for you in this case. The CD may only confuse you more. Buy it anyway).

Thanks again to the myriad of people that made this new disc possible, especially my wife, Jennifer Lee, for enduring my creative fits, my father, Peter K. Hopper, my dear friend and graphic designer, Jason J. Clement, and my band, who still thinks playing with me is better than playing with Elvis Costello. We’re thrilled to release it today, Tuesday, November 2nd, and believe that while voting effects culture, worship as fruit of a Christ-believing life does so infinitely more. May you call heaven and earth together in our surroundings. ch:

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@loswhit love

29 Jan ’10 By 2 Comments

loswhit_screenshot_itunes

This is me giving Carlos Whittaker some love on my blog.

Bald.

Husband.

Daddy.

Non-rock star (who is actually a rock star) with new EP.

Soul in desperate need of Jesus.

And he made the iTunes front page with Jesus music this week. Gotta’ love that.

Go buy it. It’s the best $2.99 you’ll spend all month.

Then tell me what you think. ch:

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Musician’s Day 2010

9 Jan ’10 By 5 Comments

cow_tongue

With most of the team still adjusting to the time change, we eventually all gathered in the cafeteria for breakfast. The Swiss café in my belly reminded me of how much I love European coffee.

We took a short van ride to a new church that hosted Muscian’s Day 2010, an all day, multi-church event specifically for musicians, worship leaders, and singers. The Lord really blessed us with powerful times of corporate worship, as well as with gifted teachers. Subjects included worship in the church, composition, flowing in the prophetic, and working with voices–individually and as a choir. Personally, I was able to preach on the importance of theology, especially for musicians, on lingering longer in the presence of God, and the mechanics of worship and leadership in the church.

Aside from the cow tongue we had for lunch (yes, I took that bite; I’ll try anything once. You?), and the diaper that exploded on my leg (not pictured. Thank you, Judah), it was an amazing day filled with many God-encounters, new friends, and fabulous testimonies.

As a special bonus, below is Tab & Abb’s first Kebab experience (followed by sliding on a frozen pool)!

Tomorrow we attend service in a 300+ year old church in the shadow of an even older castle, as part of an annual multi-church gathering, then head out to serve a new-church plant. ch:

kebab

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The Last This Side of Heaven

29 Nov ’09 By 1 Comment

rearview 2

This morning, I twittered, “Sing today as if it’s your last opportunity this side of heaven.” Of course, it was in the context of Sunday morning church worship services. But really, it applies to so many other valuable things in life, especially those pertaining to our outward displays of affection toward God…and toward other people.

Very often we relegate our emotional responses toward relationships to controlled, cerebral thought patterns, shared with few, if anyone at all. We tend to internalize feelings, making excuses for why they should not or can not be communicated outwardly, much less overtly. Insecurity. Shame. Fear. Or simply ignorance. Yet the practice of making excuses has many faults, the least of which is that it most often comes from a sense of false humility, which, oddly enough, is an offensive form of pride. Granted, there are plenty of cases where one might cite that they were never instructed to be verbose in emotions, or that it was not the standard of the day. My father’s generation, for example, rarely–if ever–heard, “I love you, son,” from their World War II era parents. While these excuses certainly have merit, for the Christian they must be reconciled with the fact that Jesus was extremely verbose in his lifestyle of love. And in His ultimate display if the emotion: death in exchange for life. Thus why it’s referred to as The Passion.

This side of heaven, you may not have another chance to tell your spouse how much you really love them. You may not have another night to tuck in your children and tell them they are the greatest. You may not have a chance to anonymously put some cash in someone’s pocket, hug a friend just because you can, or–like today–go up to a total stranger in McDonald’s and encourage them about how great a dad they are. Because today might be your last time this side of heaven to do anything. So what will you do? ch:

Photos by Jennifer Hopper | www.jenniferhopperphoto.com
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New Sound of Worship?

9 Jun ’09 By 8 Comments

mesaboogiePicking out the right amp can be quite a chore. Pairing it with your guitars, working your pedal set-up, and trying to dial in your tone for the sound that reflects “you” can take years.

I find writing worship music to be the same. So much has already “been done before.” Yet so much of the Psalms are as simple and repeatable as you can get–and still anointed.

My latest pursuit is in honing “the sound” God has been likewise shaping in my heart recently, trying to hear the heavenly sound and match it to what a generation needs to sing.

What worship artists do you think represent the next wave of up-and-coming anointed worship? ch:

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New Tune: You Alone

6 Apr ’09 By 16 Comments

Well, I recorded this song in GarageBand on Saturday after it was brewing in me for a few weeks. Although I am far from qualified to talk about pregnancy first hand (having lived enough of it second hand has told me I don’t ever want to experience it first hand), I liken song writing to the gestation period. Something gets conceived in my heart or spirit, then after days, weeks, sometimes months, (and in a few cases, years), a song is birthed.

I was spurred on to put this track on my site, blemishes and all, by Meghan Arias, who just put up her own rough tune from GarageBand this morning (it’s amazing!). It will go through plenty of re-working once it gets in the hand of my band, and then again once it goes to tape under the watchful eye of producers, so you’ll most likely never hear it like this again. But I thought one of the privileges of following me on my website should include unreleased samples of music right in the initial phases of the creative process.

Obviously, this is a congregational worship tune, one written for my church. It stems from a growing burden that worship leaders would be true minstrels and prophets over their region, creating the indigenous declarations that the Holy Spirit has called them to. I love covering other music (insert your favorite Hillsong, Vineyard, Maranatha, Integrity, NewSong, Passion artist here); but I yearn for what the Bride has to say from those in Her small towns, city boroughs, mountain side villages, and outlying cities not mentioned on the top 20 largest in the US. Be true to what HE is calling you to write! And write it!

FREE DOWNLOAD: You Alone
Or listen now:
[audio:http://www.christopherhopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/you-alone.mp3]

And, as in anything, I welcome your comments: good, bad, and ugly. Who knows: you might have a fantastic idea! (Just don’t expect a royalty). ;)

ch:

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A few worship-related items…

4 Apr ’09 By 1 Comment

Been thinking a lot about worship and its roll in the Body. As a worship leader, there burns in me a cry to hear the new song that the Lord is singing over his people (a prophetic voice), and a yearning to express to Him the new song of our hearts in this hour of history (a voice of declaration and intercession).

While that is still brewing, I found this incredible post of 87 Resources on Worship by Scott Thomas over at Acts 29. Exhaustive! Thank you, Scott! Definitely worth browsing through.

And three worship albums that I’ve really been enjoying over the past two weeks, all falling under the modern Gospel/Worship category, are Free Chapel (Carlos Sanchez), Freddy Rodriguez, and Trent Cory. You can also preview each of these fabulous worship leaders on the widget to the right. Enjoy!

ch:

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Scotland: Days 2 & 3

19 May ’08 By Leave a Comment

ch-ichat-logo.png Saturday found Jenny and I headed northeast, across the Firth of Forth (that’s “The River of Forth” to all you non-Scottish speakers) to famed St. Andrews. As in the recent pic, we met up with more of the Meldrum clan and toured the sites of the beloved town where David and Helen met during their time at university together.

From traipsing through cathedral ruins over 900 years old, to standing beside stonework indicating the exact places where Protestant martyrs were burned at the stake, to overlooking castle ruins, it was a wonderful and yet profound experience. Following a delicious open-air lunch of trout and mullet (no, not the hair-cut), I had the chance to walk on the fairway of St. Andrews’ “Old Course” (birthplace of golf) and have my picture taken on the Swilcan Bridge. (Kirk, Noel and Steve…wish you were here!). While anyone can play (for about $350+ per game), it’s only by chance that you’ll get a go at it; want-to-be golfers enter their names into a daily lottery (given the fact that so many people want to play). If you’re one of the lucky few, your name and start time are posted on a board. Fore!

We returned later that day and David, Philip and I enjoyed a beautiful walk through a nearby forest here in Dalkeith and explored a local abbey, now turned college.

I am completely amazed at the sheer amount of history here–something I could get caught up in for weeks and still only have scratched the surface. The very ground leaks with profound legacy and tradition. But the Christians here are quick to point out that they are not proud of it all.

Their founding and world-wide exportation of Freemasonry is something they are grievously aware of. And the tentacles of the occult, witchcraft and ancient druidism have left their mark. We’ve discussed, however, that while the US lacks the length of years to wager the same atrocities, we are guilty of our own exportation of filth, just in different avenues; namely our movies and TV programing.

Regardless of the negatives, the Kingdom of the Lord is forcefully advancing here and Jennifer and I are overjoyed to share in its movement–no matter how small our roll may be.

Sunday we had the honor of taking the entire morning service at the Full Gospel Church (AG) in Dalkeith. The sanctuary was packed out as a youth dance team started off with Matt Redman’s “Dancing Generation,” a song that I believe speaks prophetically of what’s on the horizon for Scotland as a whole. Jennifer and I led worship for the next hour, the people easily entering with us into the presence of the Lord; their obvious hunger and experience made them one of the easiest congregations we’ve ministered to in a while. We could tell they’ve been well taught and genuinely desire to see a move of God in their midst.

I preached a short introductory message on being hungry for Jesus to be revealed fully in our lives, so that “Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27) may have His way in the county here.

After meeting the people, and being truly showered with love and warmth, we returned to the Meldrum’s home for a delightful lunch (not before spraying the boys next door with high-powered squirt guns!). Here we dined with a new friend, John, who was recently miraculously saved and turned around from a hard life on the streets. This guy has such a tender and kind heart, proving that the Lord doesn’t wish that even one would perish, but that all would have eternal life!

Then, last evening, Jennifer and I returned to the church and spent a longer time in worship, singing prophetically over the people and watching the Holy Spirit meet with those present in marvelous ways. Once we felt the Lord wanted to move on, I shared on maturing in Christ, speaking out of Ephesians 4 and Philippians 3.

It’s clear that there has been a solid foundation laid in this church, and from everything David has shared with us, the pastor here, the people are very much ready for what God has for them next. While I was in the shower Friday night, the Holy Spirit spoke the word “building” into my heart and, unless God changes the direction, I really feel that we’re going to continue in the vain of taking your county for Christ. We want to see souls saved, the culture changed and the society at large affected by Believers who are being obedient to the Holy Spirit in their lives.

May the Kingdom of God be advanced because of the seeds we sow here and more so beacuse of His everlasting faithfulness!

Thanks for reading and for your continued prayers,

CH

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