My journey with worship at kings:
For those of you that do not know me – My name is Neal Glanville, I am 18 and I am currently on a year project at kings church catford called the frontier project. Both my parents and my grandma attend this church and have done so for more years than they would probably like me to say ha ha
I feel very blessed for the family god has given me and my friends as I wouldn’t be here now without them, living in the richness and freedom of gods love. I am focusing on worship and youth ministry this year and god has continued to be faithful and doing a lot of needed restoration in my life.
Well my first term on FP has come to a close. The past few months have probably been the most exhausting, challenging, revealing best months of my life! The church are definitely making the most out of having me; I would generally have at least one person at church every sunday asking me whether I live here. As big as my work load has been and as tired as I have been getting, it would be a lie to say I haven’t loved every minute! This is definitely where god wants me to be this year, and he has already been doing so much within me and through me for which I am so thankful!
Now as this is on the worship blog, I had better speak about about my journey in worship. In this entry I am going to start with my walk and development leading the youth band.
I started playing guitar in primary school and loved it. Thankfully god gave me two brilliant parents who really encouraged and supported me and my passion for music. I joined youth band when I was 11 or 12 and rose up all the way through to now where I lead it. Youth band is amazing but I was definitely chucked in at the deep end. When it was handed over to me, there was one band, mainly built up of friends of mine which was a huge challenge. I found it incredibly hard to lead my piers and at the time I had never lead worship or a band so really, I had no idea what I was doing. But god was faithful and taught me and humbled me. After a year of leading youth band, I felt far more comfortable. I had improved musically and in my leadership and just my walk with god was much stronger, but just as I got comfortable, god threw me another big challenge. Very quickly youth band went from one band to three. Praise God!
It was amazing and a privilege to see so many young people wanting to join and use there gifting to serve god but this was a big challenge easpically when I was still at college. Thankfully god blessed me with my best mate sean who is also doing FP with me. He is musically very gifted and was a huge support, so it transpired that he lead one and I lead the other two. Youth band is so much fun and I love seeing young people rising up, bringing there gifting before god and worshiping him and serving the church; also knowing that like I came through to lead, one of these youth will do the same – I’m getting goose bumps just typing this!
So I have been leading worship with the youth band on friday nights at our youth group for roughly 3-4 years I think. Wow! Doesn’t seem that long ago but it is….. I feel old!
Anyway I remember the first time I lead on a friday. Im pretty sure it was awful, I think I new about 4 maybe 5 chords, but god got me through. Isn’t it freeing when its not about you or your performance but all about him – Amen! That truth has been whats got me through and continues to be such a blessing as a worship leader. God put great people around me that encouraged and taught me and they have been instrumental in my worship leading. I absolutely love leading worship. I don’t think I ever feel quite as free or alive as when i’m leading worship. Please understand there has been times when I wanted to run of the stage and couldn’t wait for it to end, but god is good and I feel blessed and honoured that he has put the calling of worship leading on my life.
Thank you for reading this. My next entry will be about joining the sunday worship team and how that has shaped me. God Bless you all
