The second day of the Saddleback Worship conference began with music director Rick Muchow leading with a nice mixture of traditional hymns and contemporary choruses.

Worship leaders from all Saddleback campuses joined Rick on the platform and took turns leading in song, including Rick’s son Brandon Munchow.

Rick Munchow & Saddleback Worship Band

The Sound Byte Orchestra providing a lovely string back-up:

Sound Bite Orchestra, Saddleback Worship conference

Long-time worship leader/songwriter Morris Chapman was a special surprise, presenting his song “I Know the Plans” based on Jeremiah 29:11.  He brought a great Motown/gospel feel to the session.

Morris Chapman @ Saddleback Worship confence

I’ve been impressed with the variety of music here at the conference.  It’s contemporary, sure, but a fairly broad representation of styles are represented, to the credit of Rick and the Saddleback team.

Buddy Owens, former Maranatha Music executive and now a teaching pastor at Saddleback – had a solid message about faithfulness.  I remember hearing Buddy speak at a Promise Keepers rally in Atlanta in 1995, but discovered that his father and mother and Jimmy and Carol Owens, pioneers of contemporary Christina music (remember Freely, Freely, If My People, How Should A King Come?

Take-away from Buddy Owens:

“The majority of our lives is spent in the little tiny things; that’s where faithfulness is developed.”
“Little is not insignificant…the issue of significance is in God’s control; the issue of faithfulness is in your control.”
“The majority of our lives is spent in the little tiny things; that’s where faithfulness is developed.  Little is not insignificant…the issue of significance is in God’s control; the issue of faithfulness is in your control.”

Israel Houghton, who will be part of the Saddleback Worship conference this week (from which I’ll be blogging), was featured on this very nice CNN puff-piece.

For more on CompassionArt, go here.

Going to the Saddleback conference?  Swing by booth #4 and say hello.

I got a call from Rick Munchow at Saddleback, asking if we would be interested in participating in their annual worship conference next week.

What an honor!  Besides debuting the Harmony of Hearts music videos on the West Coast, I’ll get to rub shoulders with other music directors and worship leaders from around the country.

Israel Houghton, Steve Fee, Tim Hughes, Vicki Beeching, Paul Baloche, Bob Kilpatrick, Brenton Brown, Sarah Kelly, and other are part of the line-up.

Speakers include Francis Chan and Mr. Purpose Driven Life himself, Rick Warren.

Registration is all off-line and at the door now, but if you’re there, swing by the Cross International/Harmony of Hearts exhibit and say hello.

Have you made plans to attend the National Worship Leader’s conference next month?

It’s happening July 20-23 at the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas (Kansas City).

A host of known speakers and practioners will be on-hand, with 14 different tracks with over 70 different workshops such as:

Every night culminates in corporate worship led by some known practioners such as:

•  Michael W. Smith

•  David Crowder Band

•  Paul Baloche, Laura Story, Mac Powell (Third Day)

…and many more.

We will be there and participating as exhibitors and leading workshops on worship and serving the poor.

Let me know if you’re coming – I’ll buy you coffee!