Recap: Sunday was our pastor’s last time officially with Sunridge. Greg Sidders spent 14 years as the senior pastor, touching the lives of many with his creative communications and teaching gifts. Here Greg gave a farewell message and we ended the time with baptisms. How fitting. We saw a couple dozen choose this chance to take that step.

Set List: Greg requested songs about Jesus on his last day. This represents the focus and passion of his teaching and something that the culture of Sunridge will not lose.

• Hosanna – Brooke Fraser
• All Because of Jesus – Steve Fee
• Matchless – Aaron Shust
• Be The Centre – Michael Frye
• Give Me Jesus – Fernando Ortega

Links:

• Planning Center production sheet
• Fred’s blog with set lists from all over
• Greg’s farewell message on video

How was your worship weekend? Share your thoughts, ideas and inspirations.

Blogger and student Dylan Watson is the WINNER this morning for the Hillsong CD Giveaway. To claim, email me and I will verify that you have not won 4 other times .

BTW…I used www.randomizer.org to randomly choose the # and those who twittered got 2 entries!

Thanks to all for being part of the fun!

Tony Guerrero is a guy I have enjoyed each time I have hung out with him because of his outlook on things and wit. This site, www.funnyworshipstories.com, is not a surprise coming from Tony. So, calling all people who have witnessed or experienced the following:

Contribute your story about:

• Songs gone horribly wrong…
• Funny people stories…
• Crazy requests from the pastor…
• Tech disasters…
• Funny things that were said…
• Wardrobe Malfunctions…

OK, go and share your funny stories and read what others have seen: www.funnyworshipstories.com

Worship Recap: Yesterday we celebrated the fact that 30 people at our Christmas services made first-time decicions to follow Jesus! Also, we highlighted our missions effort in India with the orphanage we helped put into existence. People were challenged to consider going to support on a major trip planned this summer. We had some media that helped communicate this. It all seemed to work very well, capped by a message about sharing our faith.

Set List: Our focus was surely salvation this weekend to accentuate the theme of missions.

• Everyday – Joel Houston
• Salvation Is Here – Joel Houston
• The Greatest Gift – Rich Kirkpatrick
• Our God Saves – Paul Baloche

How was your worship weekend?

[Wanna see more set lists from this past Sunday? Go to Fred's blog. ]

I have a beef with Microsoft, which is not a shock to the populace. This is the 2nd Xbox 360 unit returned for the the “RED RINGS OF DEATH” hardware failure. Yes, they designed something inferior and are paying the price by hoping to make customers like me happy. They do things like offer Netflix and some cool new online features and I have to look at my blank HDTV screen imagining what finishing Halo 3 on legendary would be like. (The rings of death happened while in the middle of finishing the last level!)

I have contemplated selling all the games and expensive outboard gear and calling it a day with Xbox. But, on this day of thanks, I am giving a kudos to Microsoft for designing a website (screen shot shown) which will allow me and my 10 year old son to freak out less as we see the progress of said repair happen. Now, if my console can arrive before Christmas break, then WHOOT!

You get the red rings of death yet?

Our “Give Love Away” campaign ended yesterday with community outreach projects all around our community with hundreds of people picking up trash, feeding breakfast to homeless, organizing a food drive and more.  We canceled our morning services to give our people the opportunity to serve others outside the walls of our church.

Give Love Away THE BROOK

At Sam Hicks Park in Old Town Temecula we had well over 200 people gather and work and be fed while our band played worship music and blues jams. We rotated through our group in shifts, so some played music then helped serve coffee or hand out clothes. The Brook is a weekly outreach that happens every Sunday afternoon, but on this special day breakfast was added along with a community-wide food drive and activities. One cool thing to watch was a haircutting station where anyone could get free cuts.  These hairdressers did a great job and in the 90 degree weather worked the whole morning and part of the afternoon.

Our band played the following worship songs as part of the morning.  Yeah, worship music when played well can relate to anyone.  This is the second time this year our band has played in a park!

• Today is the Day
• All to You
• Everything Glorious
• Forever
• I Am Free
• Blessed Be Your Name
• Everlasting God
• Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
• Let God Arise
• Everyday
• Not To Us
• Love The Lord
• Matchless

The audio setup has its own story.  Jeremy did an amazing job putting together crappy peices of gear and made it sound excellent–example of  true audio talent.  Check out Jeremy’s blog where he explains what he did.

Has your church cancelled services to do community projects and if so, how did it work for you guys?

See some other worship set lists at Fred’s blog.

1. My middle name is Hussien.  No, its John, actually.
2. I grew up in Silicon Valley.  South Bay kid.  Do you know the way to…
3. When offered my first opportunity as a “worship leader” in a church, I had no idea what that was.
4. I flunked out of school… well, dropped out of seminary due to health issues.
5. My thyroid was removed in 2006 and its size set a hospital record.
6. I lost 55 pounds once.  Kept is off… mostly.  I weigh less than my CA driver license says.
7. My large collection of books in my office are labeled and sorted by author.
8. I have known my wife and noticed her since we were both 14.
9. I occasionally drink the vinegar from the pepper jar.
10. I enjoy beer, cigars and wine and was a baptist at one time.
11. Really, I used to walk home from school in the snow more than a mile.
12. I was a paper boy and saved up my money to buy a boom box.
13. I “sang” backups with Carmen once.
14. Officially, I have never broken a bone.
15. I totaled my brother’s brand new motorcycle on the day he bought it when I was 16.  (Yep, no bones broken).
16. My favorite thing is conversing with people about Jesus, life and ministry.

OK.  So, I am tagging the following for this meme:  Mike Dalton, Matt Olds, Shawn Anthony, Gary Durbin.

I found this on my car.  I wanna say THANKS to the people at the Trader Joes parking who thought to help me out.  The note says: “We found a bluetooth earpiece by your car & turned it in at Trader Joes.”

This kind of thing happen to you lately?

I am going to take a short blogging break.  There are so many exciting things going on that will eventually end up on this very blog when the appropriate time comes.  All I can say is that some HUGE things are in the works.  However, I will leave you hanging for now.  Check back soon.

Rich