Have you ever, after witnessing something incredible, come up short for words as you try to describe it to your friends? A common expression that describes this phenomenon is, “you had to be there!” The only way you can fully understand it is if you were there to have witnessed it yourself. Each summer when I lead the Xperience tour, I experience this “you had to be there” feeling, and every time I feel it, I am reminded that why we do it is more important than what we are actually doing.

That mindset might sound strange, especially to those who label the Xperience as a choir and band for high schoolers. After all, the conventional, generally-assumed goal of a children’s choir is to sing pretty, right? (Remember your church’s “cherub choir”? Who came up with that name? I was certainly no cherub when I was in first grade. I digress.) “Choir” and “band” are certainly appropriate words to describe a group that sings and plays musical instruments, but being in the Xperience does not mean that one must confine one’s evangelical aspirations to a 60 minute end-of-year performance.

Rather, being in the Xperience leads to a passion and zeal for worship leadership, evangelizing to friends and encouraging them to come to church, and eventually, bringing unbelievers into the faith. In the week-to-week Xperience gatherings, alongside a powerful and stirring vocal solo led by one student, might be sound engineering led by another student which allows that vocal solo to be mixed and amplified appropriately. Or, in tandem with a group of students singing a song with convicting lyrics might be another student who, while uncomfortable singing, feels called to speak a faith testimony with words of Christian love and encouragement. The point is this: participants in the Xperience should expect to gain from the program opportunities of equal importance whether they sing, play an instrument, problem-solve computer applications or worship technology equipment, speak a devotion, share a personal faith testimony, dance, or quite frankly, just about anything else that glorifies God.

Speaking on behalf of the group, we are grateful to the congregation of Christ Lutheran for their support—both spiritual and financial—of this ministry and its endeavors. There will be an article about the summer tour in the upcoming church newsletter, and I encourage you to read it to catch a glimpse of the excitement. But I leave you, Christ Lutheran, with a request for how I would like you to view and approach this unique ministry, and here are three suggestions for how to do so:

• Rather than saying our students "perform," use the word "present". Worship leaders return their talent to the Lord just as one who tithes - joyfully, without the need for attention or self-promotion. Teaching students to "present" rather than "perform" encourages a life of stewardship and generosity by using gifts they are given for the glory of God, not themsleves.
  
  
• Rather than saying that the Xperience is a choir and band, use the term “worship leadership ministry.” Typically, high school students—especially boys—are not enthusiastic about blindly joining an environment where singing appears to be a major component. Broadening the label widens the arms: everyone can be part of this. 
• Speaking as a parent, I have found that my children are often more willing to try something if another adult they know encourages them to do it, as opposed to their parents. If you know a student (and the student knows you) whom you can encourage to participate in the Xperience, your words might be taken to heart a little differently than it would be from their parents.

Remember the why, and don’t belabor the what. Thank you for your encouragement and support of this outstanding ministry.

-Mark Johanson
Minister of Music & Worship