Tim Flowers » Uncategorized

New Year – New Challenge

timflowers — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:23:58 +0000

Over the past three years I have been working with my team at Watermark-Church to continually improve, to progress in our worship style, and to engage our community. The challenge for 2012 was to add another electric guitar to the band. This, in my mind, would add another level of texture and interest to the music. I was on the look out for a good player for much 2011. Someone who was talented and committed. To no avail. I was never comfortable with a good fit for our team.

So, since the beginning of this month I decided I would give it a shot. It has been a long time since I’ve had an electric guitar in my hands. In 2003 I started leading worship with an acoustic and never looked back… until now. Making the switch has been a challenge. There is a lot more to think about than “did I turn off my tuner.” But what I’ve learned is… you can never stop learning. This new challenge has given me a renewed passion for what I do. I read a blog this morning that drove this idea home. “Board artist make boring art.” David Santistevan has a great blog of worship leaders and musicians that gives great insight and practical advise. At the end of his blog he issues this challenge “I don’t want you to race through your life with excuses and look back with regret. Even if you’ve never created anything due to fear, start something today.”

This same principle could ring true in you life. Have you gotten into the grove of doing the same things over and over again. Get creative, challenge yourself, and see what happens.

Talent… a must have?

timflowers — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:30:10 +0000

I read a great devotional this morning concerning talent and worship teams. Recently this very subject has come up in many of my conversations with church leaders. Whether they are in the middle of a transition of worship styles, starting a new service, or starting a new campus the questions will arise “What do I need to have a good worship service?” I’m sure you have been to a few services like me that the music was less than ideal. Unfortunately, I have been to some services where the musicians weren’t playing the same chords… I’m not even sure if they were playing the same song as what the congregation was trying to sing. This just serves as a distraction… Joyful “noise” or not.

All worship teams must have talent… but this is just a platform for a good team. Jon Nicol has a great devotion on this (Click Here).

Nicol says that talent is relative, developable, not a spiritual gift, and it is not enough.

Relative means a church of 5,000 should and will have a different level of talent on stage than a church of 50.

Developable. This is the one that stood out to me. No matter what natural ability you have it can be developed through practice, hard work, and experience. Let me emphasize the HARD WORK portion. My Brother-in-Law (let call him BIL) has a tremendous natural talent for anything involving a musical instrument. It seems effortless for him to hear something and play it back with ease. I however was not blessed with that kind of natural ability. It takes me hours and hours of practice to do what takes him just seconds to learn. My point is this… no matter what your talent level, God can use you if you are willing to put in the time and effort to improve.

It is not a spiritual gift. This is can be a touchy subject especially for those with some degree of talent. Jon says it well “Musical talent is a tool used in conjunction with the spiritual gifts.” Many times people use the spiritual gift card so they can force themselves on to a team or into the spotlight.

It is not enough. Talent should be part of the foundation not the summation of a worship leader or musician. If you have talent and talent alone you will only frustrate those around you. You will hear the word “potential” a lot.

Lasting Legacy

timflowers — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:18:36 +0000

I think everyone wants to be apart of something that is bigger than themselves… at least I know I do. I want “who I am” and “what I do” to matter. When I’m gone, my desire is to make a positive lasting, even eternal, impact.

But this doesn’t happen by accident. You don’t stumble on it. For my life to make a difference it must be lived on purpose.

There has been a few people that God has allowed me to cross paths with that have a life altering impact. One of those people that I think about often is a youth pastor. When I first met Chris I was a shy kid who had just graduated high school. I was too old to be in the youth group so to this day I don’t know why he chose to invest time in me, but I’m glad he did. He taught me how to study the Bible, how to lead people, and he gave me encouragement to come out of my shell. The time he invested in me helped shape me into the person I am today. Under his leadership, God called me into full-time ministry. Under his leadership, I learned how to play guitar and lead worship. I’m very thankful for all that I learned from him. And today, thinking back, I continue to learn from him… I want to have that kind of impact of others. Today he is still making an impact on others as the pastor of a church in Georgia.

Chris, along with a few others, serves as an example for me. He was diligent and faithful to what God had called him to do, still is. He allowed me to live life with him. I was able learn from his teaching and watch him live it out.

Leaving a legacy requires work, effort, selflessness, and even vulnerability. It’s not easy but I believe it is well worth it. I have seen this in those who have invested in me. And now I want to model it.

Who has invested in you?

Who are you investing in?