Bren McLean music pastor at St Paul's is passionate about better equipping and encouraging the Christian artist to shine for Jesus. "The heart behind SHINE is Matthew 5:14-16. I want all of us to be the light of the world, like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden", he says.
Guest speaker Darlene Zschech, of Hillsong fame, has writing credits which include 'Shout To The Lord' which has become a Christian standard across the planet. Darlene had an early career singing jingles for clients such as McDonald's and Coca-Cola. She became a born-again Christian at 15, and spoke of the great influence the book of Psalms has had in her Christian life and her music. Many psalms were written to be sung, accompanied by the instruments of the time.
Darlene was interviewed by John Gray, Senior Minister of St Paul's before addressing the eager delegates for over an hour.
Darlene encouraged the attendees to step out, be brave and write new songs and embrace modern music styles to attract young people into church life. She emphasised the importance of excellence, which is inclusive when Jesus is the focus of worship music, rather than 'showy', when the musician becomes the focus, which tends to exclude the audience. Shyness was similarly discouraged, because the focus should always be on God; 'it's all about him, not us'.
Networking between different churches was enhanced with fair-trade barista coffee, which flowed freely. The program included 3 singing sessions and a 3-course lunch. St Paul's music groups played a variety of worship songs, including some off their latest album 'CITY ALIGHT'.
The afternoon sessions mainly comprised 2-hour workshops individually tailored for singers, guitarists, keyboard players, bass players, drummers and music team leaders. The workshop leaders were highly skilled, and imparted their technical expertise and advice for the church context. Some churches represented by the leaders had relatively small music teams, while one had no less than 6 bands.
Bren McLean said "We were so blessed to have Tanya Riches, Deb Fung, Steve Crain, Tim Parsons, Ro Tombs and Adam Jones at 'SHINE'. These guys are gifted men and women of God who clearly love Jesus and love music."
Participants were encouraged to listen to a broad range of musical styles, rather than just their own favourite genre. Another important aspect emphasised in the workshops was the ability to add 'colour' without detracting from the performance of the other musicians and singers in the group.
After an inspirational day the 6 hour conference ended at 4pm, and the participants headed off refreshed with new ideas and batteries recharged, ready to use music to announce the presence and glory of God in their local churches.
On the web: www.stpaulscastlehill.org.au/ministries/creative/shine2010