When I started building PowerPoints for worship services back in 2003 I don’t think I’d ever even heard of the term “Visual Worship.” My how things have changed since then. Not just in relation to the tools – software upgrades, faster hardware, and better designed media – but in my heart as well.
I remember going to the Echo Conference in 2009 and hearing Camron Ware, Stephen Proctor, & Nate Griffin talk about Visual Worship. I walked away that day thinking “wow, I’m not crazy.” I had discovered there were other people out there who were asking some of the same questions, having the same conversations, and who valued some of the same things that I did when it came to the use of visual media in worship settings.
Fast forward to 2011 and I’ve been pretty blessed to be a part of my friend Stephen Proctor’s latest project – A Guidebook for Visual Worship. Walking through the editing process for this book has been challenging at times but honestly a ton of fun. Sadly I too often take for granted the fact that I get to work with some of my greatest friends. And on projects that we’re passionate about. It’s been quite an honor to see hours and hours of conversation over several cups of coffee and baskets of chips & salsa come to life in this book.
I think Proctor has put together a valuable guidebook based on what God has taught him along his journey in the visual worship realm over the last several years. In his words, it’s “ a training resource designed to cast vision & to equip.” You can read more of his heart behind the project here. And you can even download a sample version here if you are interested in taking a closer look. I just love seeing my friends living out their dreams and God given callings. So much joy in that.