My second week turned out to be great. First, I established the days and times when I will come in, it will be Monday/Thursday from 12 to 6 pm. On Monday, I finally met Post Producer – Dave, the person I am going to work closely with during my entire internship. He gave me a task to edit a short one-minute teaser for Velocicoaster, the new ride in Universal Studios, and then upload it on their platform, to just see how familiar I am with Premiere Pro and how the process of working with clients goes. Dave said, that there is no deadline but it would be great if I finish it by next week. I finished the teaser in 3.5 hours and showed it to him, he was impressed. I finished it so quickly because I immediately got into the workflow and the footage was so easy to work with. After that, I uploaded it on their platform, the one that both clients and editors can access, that way clients can leave comments on the projects, with the timecode and what would they like to change. I uploaded it so Dave can leave some comments on my video and I can modify it and make the second version better. On the same day, Joann – Production Coordiantor came up to me and asked me about my knowledge of the Ukrainian language since some of the editors were working on a documentary about Ukrainian ballet and they needed help with subtitles. I agreed to help and Joann said that she would introduce me to the editors on Thursday. That was my Monday.

On Thursday, Dennis- Director of Operations introduced me to the two editors who are working on the documentary, Michael and Michelle, who are both senior editors. They needed my help with subtitles. The whole goal was to cut one long subtitle from one shot to different shots but that way that it matches what people are saying in the video. They said that they tried to work with Google Translate but sometimes it would be difficult. My level of Ukranian language is pretty basic, in that way that I would understand it but don’t have enough vocabulary to speak. However, my understanding of it was very helpful. We successfully spent two and a half hours working on subtitles and I would help them with cutting them and sometimes just modifying them, so they would sound better and would make sense. We finished the first part of the documentary and Michael and Michelle said that I was a great help and they will definitely ask for my help for the rest of the part of the documentary. I felt really good after knowing that I was able to help others with my skills and knowledge. It was also very helpful seeing senior editors working on a big project like that, the ways that they work and maybe implement that in my workflow. After that, I met with Dave to see if we could go over his comment on my video and work on it more. However, the computer that they have for me to work on, was taken by IT and Dave said that it would take a while, so I could just go home and be done with my day. Thursday was pretty short but very insightful and exciting.

My first day at Adrenaline Films was very exciting. When I came in, Joann- the Production Coordinator, and Jordan- the Studio Assistant gave me a tour of the whole office building. At first, I was confused because that building is a maze but I will catch up eventually. Then after the tour, I signed some papers and wrote a few bullet points of what I want accomplish by the end of the internship. Some of my goals were: to become more proficient in Adobe Suite, to improve my skills in video editing and creative approach, to be more professional and learn the process of working with clients, and just be creative and have fun. After that, I met with Sydney- The Post-Production Supervisor, she showed me how to access their servers to get the footage and all the materials for the projects, she showed me the work from her side and how the process of working with clients goes. After that she introduced me to some editors who were working on the show “The College Tour” which is on Amazon Prime and I had a chance to shadow some of them and see how the work is done in real-time. All the editors were really nice and they kindly answered all the questions that I had and we had lunch all together. After lunch, it was pretty slow in the office and a lot of people were working from home so I didn’t get the chance to meet all the staff. Since there weren’t a lot of things to do at the end of the week, they let me go home early. I think my first day was great because I learned a lot about the company, the people who work there, and the work they do. It was not too overwhelming and it was a great start to my internship, I am excited to see what will come next!🎞️🎥

As I submit my last blog post for my Worship & Media Internship, I reflect on all the love, knowledge, support, wisdom, and guidance I have received during my time at Identity Church. I have learned so much about what healthy spiritual leadership looks like and how to practically do things such as running sound/creating an in-house mix, cueing tracks, leading rehearsals, and more. I am excited to continue serving at Identity after my Internship has ended and continue to grow as and individual and contribute to the continual growth of the church during my gap year.  

For the rest of this blog post I will be completing a prompt that was previously assigned to me: Research and present a brief on favorite worship song(s). 

One of my all time favorite worship songs is How He Loves by John Mark McMillan released in 2005. 

How He Loves is a Christian Alternative Rock song written by McMillan after his best friend passed away in a car crash. According to him, “ the love that he sings about in ‘How He Loves’ is not a pretty, ‘Hollywood hot-pink’ love. It is a kind of love that is willing to love even when things are difficult and messy. He says, ‘This song isn’t a celebration of weakness and anger. It’s a celebration of a God who would want to hang with us through those things, who would want to be a part of our lives through those things, and, despite who we are, He would want to be a part of us, our community, and our family.’” 

What I love about this songs is the deep emotions conveyed through its rich lyricism as well as its versatility. Here is an example of the lyrics within the verse of the song: 

He is jealous for me 
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree 
Bending beneath, the weight of His wind and mercy 
When all of a sudden 
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory 
And I realize just how you are beautiful you are 
And how great your affections are for me 

The poetic visual description and comparison of God’s love is like a hurricane, and we are bending trees so profound and creates a powerful image of just how much the Lord loves us, with intensity, passion, and incredible depth. Although it may seem as if God’s love for us is a simple truth, many believers and unbelievers alike who may be overcome with things like shame, guilt, and distrust, struggle to accept that the Lord really loves them. This song reminds us of the powerful love of God shown within the Bible, one that is sacrificial, selfless, and genuine. I also love the versatility of this song. It has permeated the world of Christian and Gospel music and has been recorded in the genre of Christian rock (ex: the David Crowder Band), Contemporary Christian worship (ex: Jesus Culture), and Contemporary Gospel (ex: Anthony Evans). The 6/8 time signature contributes to flow and feel of the song, as well as the instrumentation in the various versions I have listened to. They start with anticipation and a sense of subtly, emphasizing the lyrics of the verse at the beginning and then build to the bridge where the instrumentation fills in and increases as the vocalists exclaim ” He loves us, oh how He loves us” as like a confession from the depths of the soul. Finally, this song was originally released in 2005, almost 20 years ago, yet it is a song still sung by believers and shared in congregations today with conviction and passion revealing its value and timelessness.

In this blog post, I will be responding to a prompt/assignment given to me by Pastor Byron for completion.

Song Writing as Spiritual Leadership 

If you could write and produce a song for your current church, what would it be like? Give a brief description of the structure and type of song you would like to write and produce. List core descriptors like the tempo, musical style, subject matter, and any scriptural references you’d draw from. Consider the following questions to guide your process: 

Audience Analysis: 

• Who makes up the congregation you serve? What are their demographics, interests, and spiritual needs? 

• A good portion of the church is black (African American & Caribbean), and white, and a smaller percentage is Indian. The age range varies, there are many families with children, couples with no children, and single young adults, and few elderly. The interests also vary a lot, adding to another aspect of the diversity of the church (which is so awesome!). Some interests and spiritual needs include: work life-balance, direction for next steps (young adults graduating college: fields – engineering, chiropractic, the arts, etc.), families having new additions/children and navigating life differently, people dealing with the loss of loved ones or loved ones struggling with poverty/substance abuse/ etc. 

• What themes, struggles, or joys are prevalent within your congregation’s community? 

• See previous answer for listing of themes & struggles. Examples of joys that are prevalent within our congregation’s community: welcoming new life, new doors opening, encouraging others in need and seeing positive impact, testimony of spiritual growth. 

• How can your song address these themes in a meaningful and authentic way? 

• The song that I write can be reflective about the different aspects of life as a whole: the joys, the struggles, the victories, the losses, and how we can see God’s hand through it all protecting us, guiding us, and holding us. 

• Worship Experience: 
• How does your congregation typically engage in worship? What styles of music do they respond to? 

• The congregation typically engages in worship by singing along with us, following along with the slides. Whenever we end a song and have just the piano play with the voices, there is sometimes more spontaneity in the worship heard: more adlibbing and praises to God sung. We also worship around the Word of God (through engaging with the Sermon and studying biblical text) and taking communion. They respond to Contemporary Christian/Gospel Music, and Traditional hymns. 

• What elements of a worship song (lyrics, melody, rhythm, etc.) have been particularly impactful in past experiences? 

• I have noticed certain portions of songs with more “rich” lyricism such as hymns or the tag of a song tend to be repeated (if the room and space is created for spontaneity), and it has created some very impactful moments. 

• How can your song contribute to creating a powerful and inclusive worship experience for your congregation? 

• This song can contribute to creating a powerful and inclusive worship experience by reflecting the heart and mission of our church, while highlighting the different experiences, struggles, and emotions the wide variety of congregants may feel within this life. A song that reminds of us our humanity, and of God’s deity, power, and identity. That reminds us of the gospel and Jesus, the foundation of what we believe, the Rock we can stand on through anything. It brings us back to our first love, and the center of our belief as a body. This can be a reaffirming truth for those who are believers, and also a way to share the good news of the gospel and invite others to know God who may be unbelievers.  

Message and Biblical Foundation: 

• What message or spiritual truth do you want to convey through your song? 

• Through the experiences of all kinds that we face as humans on this earth, know that Christ understands. Keeping Christ at the center of our lives and reflecting on His sacrifice for us will be our ultimate source of strength, joy, and hope.  

• How can you ensure that the lyrics align with biblical principles and resonate with the spiritual journey of your congregation? 

• Stay attuned to the congregants sharing their experiences. This can be done by observing and listening during our Family Break Out Question and Reflection & Response portions of our services. This can also be done by engaging in conversation with members before and after church. Using scripture as a basis and reference for the song will help make sure it is aligned with biblical principles.  

• Are there specific scriptures or biblical narratives that inspire your song’s message? 

• ”And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.“ ‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬ 
• ”Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.“ ‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬ 
• ”I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content — whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.“ Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬ 
• ”Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”“ ‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭CSB‬‬ 
• ”The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while.“ ‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬ 

Collaborative Process: 

• How can you involve other members of your worship team in the songwriting process? 

• We can have a songwriting session as a team! This can be very fun and engaging and can be done in a variety of ways such as doing timed brainstorming sessions, doing group writing where we bounce ides off of each other using white boards or posters around the church building. 

• What strengths and perspectives can each team member bring to the table? 

• Each member has different ways of using language to express an idea lyrically, and different life experiences that they could refer to for lyrical inspiration and connect with those in the congregation with similar experiences.  

• How will you navigate differences in musical preferences or theological perspectives within the team? 

• As a collective, we can sit down and can reevaluate the purpose and goal of the song, and refer back to scripture to assure theological views are aligned with the Word. 

Practical Considerations: 

• What logistical factors should you keep in mind when writing a song for your congregation (e.g., length, musical complexity, singability)? 

• The key of the song and melody should be simple and comfortable for someone who does not consider themselves a “singer”. The song should not be very long, most likely 1-2 minutes based on the purpose of the song. (See next question for more details on song purpose). Since it will most likely be a reflective song, it should be. slower tempo such as 65-70 bpm. 

• How will you test and refine your song to ensure it effectively connects with your congregation before incorporating it into worship services? 

• To test and refine the song and ensure its effectiveness in connecting with the church, I can introduce the song to the worship and leadership teams before the congregation for feedback and thoughts. The song can be incorporated into the communion portion of the service where people come up to get the bread and wine, then return to their seats for prayer and reflection. This makes it a song that people can either just listen to and reflect on and/or sing along with.  

For this blog post, I will be completing an assignment given to me by Pastor Byron.

Spiritual Leadership in Worship Prompt:
Compose a short reflective essay or blog entry on the role of exercising spiritual leadership within a church worship team. Draw from your experiences to explore how spiritual leadership influences team dynamics, fosters unity, and enhances the worship experience for congregants. Consider practical examples of how you’ve seen spiritual leadership manifested within the context of worship, and reflect on the personal growth and challenges you’ve encountered in your journey towards becoming a spiritual leader within your team.

________________

Exercising spiritual leadership is very important, especially in worship leading within a church. Through my experience as Worship & Media Intern at Identity Church I have come to see this in action and understand its deep impact. Exercising leadership in general is important because a leader can help create a clear direction and focus for the team, emphasize accountability in reaching goals and saying committed, observe and be aware of areas of growth and improvement as a team, and be a source of encouragement and cultivating a space that is welcoming, supportive, safe, and a team that is efficient, spiritually strong, and united. Effective leadership can help establish a strong foundation which in return helps develop stronger skillset, leading to less worry about making mistakes, less distractions, more connection to one another and goals, fluidity of service, and then these things then impact the reception of music and worship from congregation and their overall worship experience.

Exercising spiritual leadership can be executed in many ways and can help drive the impact of the practical aspects of leading a worship team. This can look like a worship team leader implementing group devotionals and/or Bible studies encouraging the team to engage in conversation about the core principles of our faith, why and how we worship, and its importance to the Body of Christ. Other examples of spiritual leadership include prayer meetings where prayer requests are taken and each member has the opportunity to go before the Lord in prayer, encouraging the team to pray privately for fellow team members, and understanding each member’s spiritual gifts and understanding how to support each person best as they serve. These spiritual practices foster connectivity, trust, and unity in spirit and in the physical amongst the worship team. By creating this strong spiritual foundation, the team can build upon it, incorporating the practical aspects of worship as well.

During my time at Identity Church I have seen examples of spiritual leadership , including those that I have mentioned above, shown by all members of the worship team in various ways such as volunteering to pray during rehearsals and service, reading the Word both in rehearsal and service, and encouraging one another in the faith and in daily life experiences different members may have. I have also seen individuals responsibly practicing and learning harmonies for their assigned voice part, and assisting team members who may have issues with finding their harmonies. The Worship Experience Coordinator leads wonderfully by organizing the weekly setlists for the team to access, as well as a monthly overview of who will be leading each week based off of the availability forms the member fill out. Doing this is important because it values the team members’ time and gives ability for rest and recover, not overworking the worship leaders. This is especially important to me since I struggled with this previously while serving elsewhere. She has also opened up the opportunity for song suggestions-welcoming input from the team, hearing their voice and opinions. Doing this creates a safe space, and incorporates their unique musical taste and experience.

I have grown a lot personally as I am learning how to be a good spiritual leader within the worship team at Identity Church and have also seen my personal challenges while doing so. In the past I have struggled with fear of confrontation which led to me not being able to effectively resolve conflict. However, if there are any concerns or thoughts that arise, I now feel that I can address issues or questions that I may have with people or how something is being done with grace, understanding, gentleness, more confidence and selflessness. I am also working to improve with creative problem solving, specifically addressing technological issues that may arise to help rehearsal and worship during service go smoother. I have struggled with comfortably praying, reading scripture, and speaking to the congregation during rehearsals and service, and that may be because I have a lot of technical things going on in my mind since there are more moving parts (cueing tracks, adjusting instruments, starting with the track on time, etc.) however, I am working on overcoming that aspect of it! Overall, I am really thankful for all that I have learned from my fellow worship leaders at Identity, and I hope to continue to grow into a strong spiritual leader.