Zoe Worship

In July, it will be 2 years since McKnight Road Church of Christ hosted the Zoe Conference. Wow. I can’t believe that it has been that long. In spite of the fact that the conference was over long ago, I am often reminded of many aspects of that wonderful weekend. Of course the praise team was AWESOME which made singing for all of us a wonderful worship experience. Mike Cope and Ruebel Shelley were both excellent speakers, leading each of us to think about our walk with the Lord, and challenging us to do better. But, to be honest, what stood out to me the most was the Worship Class that I attended with one of my best buddies!

Most of you already know that I have a passion for worship planning. Prior to the conference I liked planning worship, but it was during the conference that I felt that God was calling me to be part of this ministry. The class leaders did a phenomenal job encouraging the participants to search the Bible for answers about worship, and then to not be too afraid to start trying to implement new things into our worship services. They didn’t paint a perfect picture for us. They told us that we would be faced with adversity and opposition. They told us that we would struggle to see change, and that we should expect to see baby steps. They told us that things like gender, position, and age would all play roles in how our ideas and plans would be viewed. They laid it all on the line, and ultimately told us to put our own needs and wants aside, and let God’s voice be heard, and to let Him guide our worship services.

In the past several months, I have had the opportunity to correspond with some of the teachers and leaders of the conference. Even after almost 2 years, these brothers and sisters are still encouraging me, still answering questions, and still telling me what I can expect as I try to be part of this ministry. I am thankful for their influence and encouragement.

As I helped to prepare for the Zoe Conference, I prayed long and hard that God would use it to help this church grow, and to help me personally grow. God is so good, and He answered my prayer and heard my heart’s desire for true, passionate worship. I believe that we have a lot of room for growth in our worship and we all have to decide how we want to live our lives in worship to Him. I can't speak for everyone, but God changed my heart’s view, my thoughts and my beliefs about worship through this conference.

I am so thankful that I was part of the Zoe Conference and for the changes that it provoked (and continues to provoke) in the church and in my life. I am also thankful for the participants in the conference that continue to teach, encourage, guide and direct…even after almost 2 years.