Posts Tagged ‘ gracepoint berkeley ’
A big thanks to Chris, staff at Gracepoint Berkeley and SFSU Koinonia for putting together this tutorial. For those of you who don’t know, underscoring is what the keyboardist can do while someone is talking to really create the right mood and atmosphere.
As a follow-up from a previous post, here’s a recording of “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” sung by some of our church members. Let’s make an effort to learn this song well so that we can bless our brothers and our sisters as we send them out mission trips and church plants.
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I shared this video over at the Gracepoint Video blog, but I think we have to feature it here as well. Here’s a clip of our Worship Director, James, demonstrating one of his more hidden musical talents. Maybe we can use this skill for a special element in a a message someday – let us (and James) know what you think about this idea in the comments!
Check out these two new tutorial videos – thanks Jeff! I know all of our electric guitar players (and those who listen to them) appreciate it!
Here’s a video from Jeff about the 6 essential effects that electric guitarists here at Gracepoint need to know – as we have more and more people learning to play the electric, training like this is so valuable – thanks Jeff!
This past season was a time of stepping it up for many people who are involved in Gracepoint’s different praise teams. Many people used their own vacation days in order to play at one of the many NSWNs that happened this season (although it’s only partially a sacrifice – going to one of those NSWNs was also really exciting too!), and there were also many people who really stepped up their game to play at their first NSWN. You’ve already heard the story of Eric during the trip to Gracepoint Minneapolis. Well, I wanted to share another story that I heard when I was there at Gracepoint Riverside this past September – well, it’s not really a story, but rather a picture.
You’ll notice that there really isn’t enough room for another person to sit next to Allen to play the keyboard – no, it is not that our Riverside team meets in such a small venue that there isn’t enough room for the band to be on stage – rather, due to the small size of our church plant teams, people often do double (or triple or quadruple) duty: sound setup and welcome team, food and ushering, and drums and keys. Thanks Allen for really stepping up your game there at Riverside! I just have to wonder if he ever switches in the middle of the song or plays both at the same time!
As many of you know, many of our members from Gracepoint Berkeley and Gracepoint Davis recently went out to help at the first ever NSWN for Gracepoint Minneapolis, including a number of band members. I wanted to share an inspiring story that I heard this morning from Tony, who led our team of Berkeley and Davis members to Minnesota.
One special element that was a part of Berkeley’s NSWN this year was a special song by the band: “Meant to Live” by Switchfoot, and we wanted to use it for the NSWN in Minneapolis as well. However, two hours before NSWN was about to begin, the bassist was still not able to get one of the licks down – that’s when Tony stepped in. He went to find Eric, one of our Davis brothers, who he knew played bass. Eric was faithfully grilling meat for the BBQ after NSWN, but when Tony told him that he was needed, he said, “I’m there!” and switched gears immediately. Now “Meant to Live” is not an easy song to play – it was the song that we practiced the most here for the Berkeley NSWN – but Eric learned it in two hours, and even gave the song his own “special touch.” You can see what I mean by checking out this video:
Thanks Eric for stepping it up and giving it your all (in many ways)!
- David T., Keyboardist, Gracepoint Berkeley
Nice tutorial for electric guitar by our own Worship Director James, check it out!
I believe this one hails from praise at Gracepoint Berkeley’s Koinonia college fellowship. Another electric guitar snafu…boy just goes to show that we should appreciate Mike and Jeff that much more. But thanks to guys like Steven you get to enjoy the latest blooper!
Enjoy! haha
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The "real" Larry the Cucumber
Jon aka Larry the Cucumber
Last Saturday, Jon Chou (our lead bassist) got married to Carol Kim. Just wanted to extend a message of congratulations to him, but also a lesson for all of us. Anybody who knows him can testify that Jon is smart. He got incredible scores on the LSAT and MCAT, scoring 99 percentile in both. He is also extremely talented musically, seemingly able to play any musical instrument he touches. And he also has perfect pitch. When I was describing this to Joe Horness at our winter retreat last January, Joe said, “Wow. Don’t you just hate people like that?” He laughed when I said that God is just in making Jon look like “Larry the Cucumber” from Veggietales.
But all of these things about Jon being impressive and all, what I respect the most about Jon is that those things don’t seem to be a big deal to him. He shrugs it off as if they’re just the way that they are and that’s that. Looking at his life and the tangible decisions that he’s made, I attribute that attitude to his relationship with Christ. You see, you could be the smartest, wittiest, most talented person. But being in a relationship with Jesus means acknowledging the fact that you’re a broken sinner, somebody who before the holy God deserves condemnation, who has received clemency and restoration from Him who gave his life to make it possible. All the other things that may seem so impressive in this world simply fades into irrelevance as that resounding truth conquers you. From what I know and can tell from Jon, that’s why he can have all that he does, and yet have his “it’s no big deal” attitude towards it, for which I think is God-honoring.
So, now that I’ve robbed some of Jon’s reward in heaven, here’s the lesson. Whatever talents and skills you might have and put to use for God’s kingdom, if they are a “big deal” to you, then consider the possibility that in the work of honoring God through your “service”, you might actually be dishonoring him.
“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.”
– Psalm 51:16-17
I make this suggestion to anybody who is starting to participate in the Worship Team at Gracepoint: Take a break from your participation to deal with God in what areas of pride or sin that God is prompting you to deal with, if you so need to. Make sure you have regular, honest contact with spiritually mature people who know you and aren’t afraid to tell you the truth, as painful as truth may tend to be. Worship God with a contrite and broken heart, so that what comes out of your mouth and your actions actually means something honoring to Him, because really, that’s far more important that what you bring to the table with your talents and skills.
Coming from one whose pride and ego are always looking for food, my exhortation is this… bring yourself to a place where all the impressive things about you aren’t a big deal to you, simply because even if you didn’t have them, you know that you’re a forgiven sinner, and that is enough.
… even if you look like Larry the Cucumber…
- James Kim, Gracepoint Berkeley Worship Director