Welcome.

So much has happened this past year. God has done some big things in Mary and I’s marriage, relationships, and ministry; and we know that He is not done with us yet.

For the past few months I’ve enjoyed life back at home and off the road.  There’s been a stirring within me to get back to worship leading and pastoring at a local church.  I know that God has wired me for that, and quite honestly, it’s been the thing that keeps me up at night.  Through a lot of prayer and fasting, God has given us an awesome opportunity “to lead others to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ” at lifechurch.tv in Edmond, Oklahoma.

That’s right, we’re moving from sunny Florida, to windy Oklahoma City and we’re excited!  We’re not excited because we’re leaving our family and friends, who we love so much, but because we know that lifechurch.tv is where God wants Mary and I.  I’m excited about the privilege of being the worship pastor at the Edmond campus and I can’t wait to see what great things God has in store.  The ministry that is happening there is incredible, and we will be sure to share the stories of what God does in the coming months and years.

I ask you to pray for Mary and I as we transition, as we move to a new part of the country, away from our families and friends.  Pray specifically for protection and that God will give us peace and focus as we begin this brand new season of our lives together.  Ask that God would continue to reveal to us the people that He’s put there for us to invest in and those that will invest in us.

Thank you so much for your prayers, and if you’re ever in Oklahoma City, give us a shout!

Chris & Mary Kuti

For two years of my life, most of my days were spent in an airplane.  Whether traveling for shows or meetings, it’s interesting how much I was able to learn about people and myself 30,000 ft. in the air.  The below is part 2 of a 4 part series entitled “Lessons Learned at 30,000ft.”

When I first started traveling for a living, I did my best to bring everything I could with me.  You know, the things that make you comfortable at home, as many of your favorite shoes, and all the gadgets you may need.  After a few times rushing around airports and waking up way to early to get to the ticket counter, I realized something about my packing.  I was traveling with too much stuff.  There was too many things that I had to keep track of and it was affecting how I spent my time.

Much like George Clooney’s character in “Up In The Air,” I had to get a system to my traveling.  I had to make it easy to get through security and try to avoid checking bags at all costs.  Through this entire process I learned something about myself.  I realized that I want a lot of things, but I don’t need or use most of them.  There are moments in your life where you truly realize what’s worth your time and energy in this life, and this was one of those moments for me.

For believers, there is a definite understanding that we weren’t made for this world.  Yet, why is it that we spend so much time acquiring and carrying things as if we were never going home? When I realized that all I needed to bring with me was what I “really” needed for my trips, my preparation and experience during those journeys were a little easier.  It doesn’t mean I didn’t get frustrated with the security lines or tight spaces, it just made those inevitable struggles more bearable.

What things are you gathering and carrying around with you in this life that are making you look like you’re never going home?  Here are some insights to help you travel lighter.

*Take It One Day At A Time – I packed lighter when I understood what each day was going to look like on my trip.  I took it one day at a time.  So many of us are living for that next season of life.  With that mentality we’ll try to accumulate all these things that we think we’ll need then.  Yet God’s word is clear that tomorrow is not promised, we’ve got to live the day that we’ve been given.  You’ll never believe the freedom that comes with understanding this truth.

*Bring What You Only Have Space For – I got to a point to where I had to tell myself that I was only bringing a carry on with me.  Now obviously, some trips demanded more days, which meant more stuff and bigger bags.  However, when I looked at my days one at a time, I realized that I realistically didn’t need that much stuff.  So many people I know are struggling with living in clutter.  Sure, they don’t realize it, but they always feel this feeling of being weighed down.  How about in your finances?  Are you truly purchasing things that you have space for, or going into debt because you think you need it?  Realistically look at what you’re traveling with in this life, and bring only what you have space for.

* Forget About What Others “Might” Think - While I was packing my clothes, I would think about who would see me during the trip.  Crazy I know, but this way of thinking would affect how many shoes or other articles of clothing I’d bring.  I wouldn’t want to re-wear an outfit or pair of shoes because of what others might think.  Just like in traveling, this way of living life can make your journey on this earth heavier.  Forget what others “might” think of you and embrace the freedom that comes with what God alone thinks of you.

* Look For Opportunities To Help - When I was able to pack less, I had less to worry about myself.  I then had the free hand to help the mom with 4 kids and two strollers.  We walk around life worrying about keeping all of our own stuff together and if we aren’t careful, we’ll miss the help that we can be to others in their situation.

* Have A System - Without organization and a place for everything, packing and traveling can become a mess quickly.  How many times during a day do you do things without a system?  How much time do you waste in your day because you can’t find things?  Organization in every area of your life brings freedom in the areas of your life that truly matter.  When I traveled, I found that without a system for packing (a schedule of when to wash and fold clothes, etc) I would spend the night before an early flight packing and gathering.  This affected my rest leading up to the trip and the amount of time I could spend with my wife.  Get organized and realize how much of life you’ve been missing.

How has traveling with too much stuff affected your journey in this life?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

For two years of my life, most of my days were spent in an airplane.  Whether traveling for shows or meetings, it’s interesting how much I was able to learn about people and myself 30,000 ft. in the air.  The below is part 1 of a 4 part series entitled “Lessons Learned at 30,000 ft.”

I believe that God’s sovereign over everything, even the development of technology.  I believe that because right around the time my traveling schedule started picking up, the iPhone came out ; )  I’d spend the entire flight on my phone if it wasn’t for the FAA rule of shutting off your electronic device during takeoff and landing.

The rule is kind of annoying and I don’t understand it.  But because it was a clearly stated rule, I had to follow it, no questions asked.  Yet one night, one flight changed my entire perspective on the rule.  I sat down next to a pilot who was on a flight home.  After small talk, the time came for the dreadful power down command from the flight crew.  I turned my iPhone off expecting to see the knowledgeable pilot next to me with his phone in the off position as well.  However, that’s not what me and the people around saw.  You guessed it, the pilot was flicking through his phone during the entire power down time.  As soon as I noticed this, I began to question the rule itself and it’s importance.  So much so that during the landing, me and the rest of the people around stayed on our phones.  If it wasn’t important to a person who is a pilot for the airline, why should it be an important rule for people who pay to fly with them?

The same is true in leadership.  As leaders, we’re called to uphold standards and practice obedience as others follow the pace that we set.  Undoubtedly, we are not held responsible for their decisions in the end.  Yet, we kind of are when it’s our example their following headstrong into those decisions, right?

We find ourselves in this position as leaders because all to often we fail to ask ourselves, “do I really believe that what I’m calling others to is important?”  Is there a firm belief in your heart that the gathering of believers each week is not about religion but relationship?  Then why do we have such a hard time being open and transparent with one another?  How about marriage?  Do you really believe that a couple in your church should seek God’s way and work out their marriage no matter what?  Then why do you go home and fail to serve your spouse in any way you can?

Do you see the progression here?  Just like that pilot sitting next to me, everyone around you can see with their own eyes what truths are important to you.  The pilot could’ve told me till he was blue in the face that I should shut my phone off during landing.  But because he didn’t power down, there was an unsaid understanding that the rule wasn’t really that important.  As leaders, our lives are under the microscope for all to see.  Our lives are still in process, meaning we aren’t perfect, but the errors in our lives need to be worked out.

Ask yourself often, “what ‘in-flight instructions’ am I asking others to follow that I don’t really believe are important?”

As I’ve asked numerous flight attendants and pilots, the electronics off rule is important because they want our attention during two of the most critical times inflight, takeoff and landing.  Pay attention to how you live, because the lives of those you lead are in critical times.

There’s a tendency in all of us to want more.  In terms of worship leaders, there comes a time in every leader where there’s a desire for the bigger stage, the better gear, the more seasoned players, record deals, and the unlimited tech budget.

Early on in my worship leadership, I saw the larger stages and farther reaches of other leaders, and that became my “goal.”  It turned each service and traveling worship opportunity into a means to the end.  Before I knew it, the desire for something bigger captivated my attention.  So much so that it affected my attention where God had me at that given time.

Is there something wrong with wanting to be better at what you do?  No, but it’s dangerous when that desire moves your attention away from your present calling.  A truth that I had to understand early on was that if I cannot build a culture of change and excellence where God has me locally, how can I ever expect Him to trust me with anything nationally? Let that understanding take root in every part of your weekly responsibility where you are.  You’ll see your vision for where you are begin to grow and your desire for excellence there change.

Here are a few things that helped me understand that God had me where I was for a reason, and how to be my best there:

* REFLECTING THE GLORY OF GOD IS YOUR GOAL - You fail when your goal becomes a bigger stage.  Nobody I know who has the “larger stage” ever made it their goal to be there.  They went head strong into bringing the glory to God right where they were.  Unfortunately the world of church leadership has been skewed by our innate love for celebrity.  We tend to elevate those leaders who have done big things as if that was their goal.  Their goal was and is to do big things for the glory of God alone.  Make that your goal and be faithful to it.

* FIGHT FOR CREATIVITY – In the world of music, there must be a fight in you for constant creativity.  If carving out a time to write and create music on your own isn’t a habit in your lifestyle now, you can never expect to create on a larger scale.  Where you are right now is the best place to try your hand at creativity.  Who better to try new songs and ideas with than the people who love you and can give you the feedback you need to be better.

* INVEST IN OTHERS – The tendency is to go headstrong into achieving the next best thing, that investing in others is not even on your radar.  This isolation is dangerous and is already a struggle within the character of a lot of creatives.  Fight the urge to go at it alone and bring others into your circle.  Invest in the spiritual growth of others and don’t think that music is your only gift.  You have been given the talent of connecting and reaching people where they are, us it.

* DEFINE YOUR STYLE – It’s simple, be you.  Some of the best advice I ever got from a friend was to be me and not whoever my favorite worship leader was at the time.  There’s a fine line between learning from other leaders and trying to be them.  A time must come where you understand what your gifting’s are and you build upon them to define your unique style in leadership.

* WORK HARD - There’s a tendency in some musicians to cruise.  As long as the music sounds good and everything is prepared, there’s not much to do for some.  To grow and achieve the greatness that you can be apart of at your church, you’ve got to put the hard work in.  The lazy “worship leader” persona has to leave the perception of others, and it’s our job to prove that laziness never wins.

What’s distracting you from “blooming where you’re planted?”  I’d love to hear your stories of overcoming the tendency to want more.  Join the conversation below.

13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. - 1 John 3:13-15

Just like life, leadership comes with struggles.  Unfortunately, a lot of the struggles that leaders have to deal with is the daily sifting through the “haters.”  The haters are those people who seem to have a list of concerns about everything, without any solutions.  They’re also the ones who want to bring you down because they’re jealous of your successes.  If you look deeper into 1 John 3, it’s clear to see that it’s expected for the world to hate us, or not “know” us, because they didn’t know Jesus.

So where does the ultra negative spirit in “believers” come from?  To be honest, I’m done asking that question.  It’s not our job to try and decide what makes people do the things they do.  But so many leaders are spending their precious resources trying to fix the perspective of these kind of people.  However, at the end of the day their inability to love well is between them and God.

Is it sad that some in the church tend to be the voice of negativity rather than the voice of love?  Absolutely, and it’s the reality of what we leaders are facing in so many areas.  It feels like you against the world.

After all the experience with “haters” I’ve decided to do something about it:

Don’t Respond - There’s a difference between a person who has a right to an opinion and a person who just wants you to hear them be negative.  You know the people who can’t say anything positive, and you fuel their fire when you respond to every random email or comment.

Stand For Truth Only - In some instances there are people who will try to attack your character and will build a story of lies that will end up hurting you.  In love, you have to fight for the truth.  Make a stance to protect your character, but don’t look at it as an opportunity to win, but to stand for what’s right.

Filter – Because not everyone is always trying to be negative, you need to have a system for filtering the valid from the unimportant.  I suggest bringing in a third party.  Someone who knows you and your character, but is unbiased on the decision making process.  Trust this person to read through the messages or listen to the voicemails and heed their opinion on the issue.  Those closest to you will know if the issue at hand is truly something you struggle with.  If it’s not, trust them and let it go.

Let It Go And Keep Moving - The desire to please everyone is a struggle that leaders often have.  But the negativity of hater’s tend to stick with you.  You have to brush it off or it will eat at you when you sleep, affect your relationships, and change the reason why you make certain decisions.  Live out the truth that their negativity is not your responsibility.

Stay Away From Haters – There are just some people who have negativity on their speech more often than being positive.  Unfortunately I’ve realized that they’ll bring you down to their level easier than you’ll be able to change their outlook on things.  For the health of your ministry and life, stay away from haters.

I’d love to hear your stories on how negativity has hurt your ministry and leadership and how you were able to overcome the haters in your life.  Let’s be here for each other and help encourage others through the good and the bad times.  Join the conversation in the comments below.

Wow, it’s been too long since I posted, and I’m quite encouraged that those of you who read consistently have even noticed.  A lot has been going on and I can’t share everything just yet, but know that good things are around the bend, promise!  Interestingly enough, a lot has happened in terms of the conversations that I’ve been able to have with leaders, musicians, and husbands across the country.

One specific conversation struck a chord in me the other night.  In this post I hope to shed some light on an issue that I’ve found to be rampant in “Christian marriages.”  Rampant not just in marriages I see from a distance, but in my own.

For years I heard my wife tell me that she needed me to lead her.  I could lead groups of people in ministry, I led numerous musical groups, made big decisions for organizations, and the list goes on.  But for some reason, there was this void in my wife’s perception of our relationship that needed to be filled.  I hear this same feedback as I talk with husbands about the state of their marriage.  “My wife keeps telling me I don’t lead her.  But we read the bible together a couple times a week and we pray about big decisions, what more does she need me to do?”  When I heard this question come across the table just a few days ago, a light came on upstairs.

Within the very fabric of a woman is an innate desire to want to be cherished, led, loved, and protected.  I’m sure some of your wives could elaborate on the list a “little” more, but for the sake of argument, let’s stick with those.  These innate desires are God given and part of the beauty within God’s creation of man and woman.  With that understanding being clear in our minds, we need to look at this “void” of leadership in our marriages in a different way.  It’s not that leadership is missing, it’s rather the direction and quality of our leadership.  Think of it this way husbands, instead of your wife saying, “I need you to lead your family.”  Hear her say how it really is:

“Watch where you’re leading me, because I’m following.”

So maybe the issue in a lot of marriages, young and old, is that there are “leadership” habits and directions that we have to get out of our individual lives before we can ever be the spiritual leaders that God, and our wives want us to be.

Here are a few things you may need to change in you as you realize that your wife isn’t too far behind in your footsteps:

* Stop Acting Like A Boy - For some, this might mean different things.  But taking a good hard look at the popular comedy movies out in the past few years, there’s an epidemic of men who get married on a whim and still want to have life the way it was with their boys!  Sell the xbox, stick to a bed time, care about your wife’s needs over your own, build something with your hands; do whatever it takes to be the married man that you are and not the little boy you were.

* Be Consistent - I can’t begin to tell you how bad I’ve been at this in the past.  I’d start something, and then lose the habit a few weeks down the road.  There are different seasons in everyone’s life, but unfortunately a lot of us men have a hard time finishing what we start.  This is a very contagious trait that will make it’s way into the lives of everyone in your house.

* Quit Trying To Be Mr. Independent - Your wife desires to be apart of your every move and decision.  It’s the blessing of being a husband, that our wives adore us that much to take an interest in our stupid hobbies and meaningless sporting events.  Count your blessings and do things together.  It’s the only way to keep your house from turning into a hotel rather than a home.

* Live By Faith, Not By Sight – This is a big one for most of us guys.  The idea that “we” have to do the providing and that everything rises and falls on us is definitely very alpha male of us.  It’s also rather destructive.  To think that the quality and success of your marriage depends on what you alone can do is foolish.  But we operate that way, we work harder and longer hours to prove our worth, and in turn, we forget the very reasons that God put us together.  It’s believing that God is in control, not you.  The quicker you get this in life, the fewer people you’ll take down that dark path with you.

What other errors in your character have kept you from being the right kind of leader in your marriage?  I’d love to read your feedback and experiences in the comments section below.

To often in leadership we find ourselves looking at the successes of others and wanting it for ourselves.  The thing that I’ve learned is that someone else’s successes are preceded by a long history of struggles and “working things out.”  And who’s to say that their way of doing things is going to be successful in your specific context?

As leaders, we need to be stretching the mold in our designated areas.  Working out problems and struggling through creativity where God has us is the beginning of something great.  I’ve seen the results of churches and organizations crippling their potential by simply copying the work of others.  As leaders, it’s our responsibility to focus our team to do a few things great.  This simple way of “doing” allows for the best amount of creativity possible.  It’s when we pile on a bunch of useless tasks that we find ourselves rushing and copying.

A few weeks ago I saw a graphic that began a new way of viewing this thing we call creativity in our churches and businesses.  Coca-Cola has been the best, in terms of Cola sales worldwide, for over a century.  The challenge for anyone else wanting to pursue the Cola business is not comparing themselves to Coca-Cola.  Looking at this graphic, it’s clear to see Pepsi’s problem since their inception.  They tried the same things as Coca-Cola.  They looked the same, and when that didn’t work, they kept making changes, as if their brand logo was the problem.

So what can we learn from Pepsi’s mistakes and Coca-Cola’s successes?

* Be You – I am all about looking at what others are doing and learning from them, but there has to be a point in your decision making process that you decide to be, you!  Church leaders, stop trying to be North Point or Fellowship Church.  Be who the people in your city need you to be, so they can hear the gospel in a way that only you can uniquely share it.  Can we learn from other’s and their ways of doing things?  Absolutely.  But for some, learning has become copying and it’s keeping you from being who God’s equipped YOU to be.

* Go With Your Gut – Coca-Cola put their best foot forward in their “brand.”  I’m sure they took their time and were simple in their approach to their branding, and they stuck with it.  Pepsi, not so much.  The beauty of being simple, is it gives you the time to put the effort into doing a few things well.  Plan and prepare well and then stick with it.  Does it mean that you won’t make mistakes and have things to change?  Absolutely not, but when you’re free to go with your gut on things and create your best work, you’ll be free to see what the real issues are that need changing.

* Good Content Wins Every Time - All to often I have seen churches and organizations put their effort into how things look and forget about the quality of the content.  Church leader, do you have awesome environments that are always changing, yet lack the depth in your planning to communicate sound content?  Don’t be like Pepsi and think that people aren’t latching onto your brand because of the logo.  Pepsi just needs to make better tasting Cola.  At the end of the day your creativity should just be a way to accent awesome and profound content.  Don’t put the logo before the flavor.

I’d love your feedback on this post.  What things are holding your church or organization from greatness?

“Those of us who have been true readers all our life fully realize the enormous extension of our being which we owe to authors.” - C.S. Lewis

Of all the leaders in my life, that I know and respect, every one of them is a reader.  Reading is so much more than blowing through a book in a day and moving on to the next one.  It’s about learning, studying, and understanding; traits that must be present in any leader.

I’ve often been told, “but I just don’t like reading, I get bored.”  Let me say it this way: I don’t like disciplining my body by working out and eating right, but I have to in order to stay healthy now and in the future.  The point is that there are things that we have to do that we don’t “like.”  But there’s something about a person who bypasses what they “like” and instead pushes for excellence, to be better.  Every book is filled with the experience and history of someone who has searched for understanding in any given area.  That truth alone is a wellspring of life for the leader.  It’s life for the leader because there is a yearning in the heart of a leader to grow and know.  Do not confuse knowing with a haughty spirit of “knowing everything,” which is the farthest thing away from knowledge.

There are “types” of books that have helped shaped my understanding and have left me with a desire to search for more insight.  If you struggle with not liking to read, try studying and learning from one book at a time and pay close attention to the benefits.

Here some examples of “types” of books that will help round out your leadership and understanding in general.  Depending on what kind of learner you, try reading a different collection of books from the below types at one time, or just rotate.

* Theology - We need to constantly grow in our understanding of who God is from scripture and also search what history and theologians have had to say about who He is.  Books on theology, the study of God, can either be found about specific attributes of God’s character, or a broad overview of a certain study.  For example, soteriology, the study of salvation.  A great start to a simple, yet broad understanding of theology is “Systematic Theology” by Wayne Grudem.

* Leadership - Leaders thrive on learning from others mistakes or insights.  Who better to learn from than other leaders?  In some cases it helps to learn from leaders who are leading in the same places you are, for example, the church.  But often times it’s wise to learn from leaders in areas that you aren’t familiar with.  It seems that leadership principles tend to cross over into other applications.  A great book on leadership that I’ve read recently is “Making Vision Stick” by Andy Stanley

* Biography - There’s something about putting yourself in the story of someone that you look up to.  Maybe you don’t even know who they are before reading their story.  Either way, their story’s can bring inspiration in areas of your life that you’ve had empty for quite sometime.  One of my favorite stories about a real life person is “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy” by Eric Metaxas.

* Spirituality - How has someone else taken the truth’s of scripture and applied them into their life?  This is a pivotal question that will help you do the same.  Not only into your life, but into other’s.  A book I highly recommend is “Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By A Relentless God” by Francis Chan

* Devotional - Along with my daily studying of scripture.  I’ve found it helpful to have a collection of books, alongside of the Bible, that I read from daily.  These devotional books help focus me and give me a practical truth about scripture that I can unpack as I study deeper into the text.  For me I read “My Utmost For His Highest” by Oswald Chambers everyday.  And I also try to study a book of the bible at a time.  Right now I’m studying Colossians and I’m using John MacArthur’s Commentary on Colossians as a study aid.

* Practical - Whether you’re a worship leader, communicator, or student pastor; you should be reading a good amount of books that discuss practical ways you can improve and grow in your specific area of ministry.  For worship leaders, a great book that challenged me recently was “Ancient-Future Worship” by Robert Webber.

* Marriage – The bible puts a heavy emphasis on those who lead to be leaders of their homes first.  For those of you who are married, or hope to be one day, there needs to be an urgency for growth in you marriage.  Before you desire to grow in your knowledge of how to lead a congregation from traditional worship to contemporary worship, you must know how to lead your marriage better.  Whatever the case may be for you, put a lot of focus into growing in your marriage by reading a number of books a year with your spouse on the topic.  A great place to start is “Intended For Pleasure” by Ed & Gaye Wheat M.D.

* Random – I love the idea of being able to discover something new in a book.  Whether it be new information about a hobby or technology, I think we should all stretch ourselves by reading something outside of our “field.”  Whatever it is, make sure it is stretching you in some way.  I’m not to sure if a bunch of books about Vampires counts, but have fun reading.  A book I just recently finished was on Social Networking and Blogging “Naked Conversations: How blogs are changing the way businesses talk with customers” by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel.

I’d love to know what books have helped form you in your leadership.  For those of you who struggle with reading, what’s keeping you from reading more?  Comment below and get the conversation started.

In a day where the people of our church are bombarded with thousands of creative productions and designs, the leaders of the church naturally feel that they have to compete.  However, I’m of the school of thought that the church should be setting the trend.  For those who create in the world, the objective is to display “their” creativity and connect with the viewer.  Yet the church has the responsibility of displaying “His” creativity and connecting others to glorify God for who He is.

I’ve been blessed throughout a large part of my ministry to have a team of creatives around me who brought the worship environments that I was apart of to life.  Whether it was through creative set-design or professional lighting and video elements, it was always taken care of.  However, most worship leaders I communicate with don’t have that resource at their disposal.

The encouraging part is that there’s a lot that you can do to your current environment that doesn’t require a ton of money or knowledge.  Along with adding good washes of color and depth to your stage with lighting (which I’ll try to cover in another post), there’s a lot that can be done when it comes to video and set design.  Below are a few simple resources that can help stimulate the sense of sight during the music portion of your weekly services.

Carlos Whitaker // www.ragamuffinsoul.com

* Video Switcher – Whether you’re doing live video along with lyrics, or simply switching between a number of inputs, you’re going to need a “good” video switcher.  A great starting point is the Roland V-4. With a retail price under $1,200, you’re able to bring smooth transitions and overlay of video to your services.

* Projection or TV’s – I suggest having a simple projection screen, or two, on the outside of the stage.  These screens would run video backgrounds, or live video, with the main lyric and sermon content.  The creative element comes when you’re able to add video as the “backdrop/decor of your stage.”  For some, projection is not an option due to the depth of your stage.  But a viable option would be to mount a few plasma TV’s on the back of the stage.  The placement of these screens are crucial for depth and symmetry, but the beauty is that larger flat panel TV’s are becoming more and more affordable.

* Content - The most vital component in this conversation is good content.  The content needs to be creative and different throughout the service.  But it must also compliment the lighting in the room.  For presentation lyrics and the ambient video screens, I think having moving ambient backgrounds is a great place to start.  A few good places to purchase these elements are: Igniter Media, Big Stuf Media, and Digital Juice.  Another important creative element, when it comes to content, is utilizing live lyrics.  Live lyrics are basically a video file that goes along with you and the band as you lead.  You’ll have to get familiar with splitting off a click track to everyone in the band so that everything stays synced.  One down side to this is that, as a worship leader, you don’t have the freedom to flow however you want within the context of the song.  You only have that freedom after the song is over.  But I’ve found that it adds a strong level professionalism to the “look” of the service.  Some great resources for live lyrics are Igniter Media, Big Stuf Media. If you want to design your own live lyric content to songs that you’ve written or can’t find anywhere else, email me chris@chriskuti.com for a couple great references.  Last but not least, the video portion of your service also needs to carry over to the look and the feel of the sermon.  A good starting point is to have the basic outline on the larger, main screens, and than create a logo look for the ambient video screens.  Great resource for series slide ideas is Creation Swap, Life Church.

* Presentation Software - Without a doubt, this is the portion that is over looked by a lot of people.  Nine times out of ten your video portion of the service is run by volunteers.  In turn, a lot of the presentation softwares out there claim to be “user friendly,” but they end up being annoying and limited in their functions.  By far, the best presentation software I’ve come across is ProPresenter. Their ability to be simple, yet complex hasn’t been matched by anyone.  For those with options for bigger video looks and multi-screen capability, their PVP software is amazing.  Even if you don’t decide to spend a lot of money on content, or a video switcher, the must upgrade has to be ProPresenter and an Apple machine designated for lyrics and video only.

* Other Resources – We all need inspiration and simple tools to make the creative designs come to life.  Two great sites for inspiration when it comes to what other churches are doing are Church Stage Designs, Production Musings. The good thing about these sites is that you’re not seeing designs from just larger churches with huge budgets.  You’ll be amazed what you can do with none, to little budget.  A vital part of good stage design is adding depth with construction and different back drop elements that create depth.  A great place for all of the production design elements, like backdrops and anything else you can think of, is Rose Brand. Another great idea is to watch TV reality and game shows.  They are all a hot bed for creative inspiration that can help move you in a direction.  Although their budgets are unlimited, there are a ton of simple ways that you can implement the same looks with fabrics, wood and metal materials, depth, lighting, and video.

Let’s be honest, all of our marriages have issues, and those of you reading who aren’t married, it’ll be true when/if you do get married.  Whether we want to face it or not, there are things that we all need to attend to in the relationship.  Our tendency is to “wait till the other person realizes their error” to fix the relationship, aka the path to failure.

So it’s time for all of us, husbands and wives, to take the initiative and do something to help our marriages.  Here are some practical ways to be the change you want to see in your marriage:

* Plan a surprise getaway - It doesn’t have to be extravagant, just an overnight stay somewhere nearby.  Just the two of you.

* Stop a bad habit - We all have a habit that gets under our spouse’s skin, so make an effort to stop.  Put your socks in the hamper, put the toilet seat down, be on time, stop chewing so loud; whatever it is, change it because you really do care.

* Read the bible and pray together – Wives, you’re wanting your husband to lead?  Husbands, you don’t know where to start?  Turn the TV off and ask to read a passage of scripture, talk about the passage, and pray together for a few minutes.  It might seem forced at first, but your obedience to do something about it may be the humility your spouse needs.

* Write a letter – Writing our feelings to one another has become a lost art.  Fill a page with what your spouse means to you and leave it somewhere special for him/her.

* Tell your spouse something you’ve been hiding – Whether the secret is big or small, or something that frustrates you about the other person, getting it off your chest, in humility, is the beginning of conversation and change for your relationship.

* Get biblical counseling – This isn’t for couples just in the “danger zone” of their marriage.  It is so healthy to communicate with a biblically trained counselor on a regular basis.  Get ready for honest healing and change in your marriage.

* Focus - When your spouse is telling you about their day, or a problem they’re facing, shut the laptop, put down the iPhone, turn off the TV and make eye contact as you listen.

* Give up your phone/laptop - Trust takes time and breeds a healthy marriage. Take a random day and let your spouse go through your phone and/or laptop.  Technology has become a secret world of sin for some many that needs to be left wide open in every marriage.

* Take care of yourself - When you’re dating, you put your best foot forward.  Then we get married and “let it go.”  Hit the gym, take a shower, smell good, dress up, look your best oustide and in the house, and eat right.  Love isn’t hinged on appearance, but it means the world to your spouse when you’re being the best you can for him/her and nobody else in the world.

* Stop yelling - Whether you’re yelling across the house to ask your spouse for something or reacting quickly to whatever he/she said, watch your tone.  Nothing can help deflate a possible argument more than a “defenseless” tone.

* Take up a hobby – Does your spouse have a hobby that you’ve been hands off with?  Take the initiative and get involved.  Do your research and allow it to be another connecting point for the two of you.

* PDA - Kiss, hug, hold hands, be close to each other in public.  I understand, don’t be “that” couple, but those “non-sexual” signs of affection let your spouse know “I’m here with you and I love you.”

* Flirt – Go out of your way everyday to show your spouse that they’re desired.  Send a sweet/flirty text or email, laugh together, watch him/her from across the room.  The things you do when you’re first in love are still alive in your relationship years later, you just have to fight for it!

* Go out of your way – Every spouse has something they want or need throughout the day.  For example my wife drinks water constantly.  So I make sure she has a bottle of water on her nightstand before we go to bed or in her purse before we leave the house.  It’s going out of your way that shows service.

* Stop the jabs - Those sarcastic/joking jabs at your spouse in public show everything but respect for the person that you’ve vowed forever to.  Only build up your spouse and keep the conversation about things that need fixing for the privacy of your own home.

* House project – Start and finish a project around the house that you know your spouse has wanted to do for awhile.

* Write things down and act on it – Your spouse says a million things a day that are “hints.”  Things he/she likes, wants changed, or wished they could have.  Keep a notebook or place in your iPhone to write them down.  And throughout the week, randomly do things to help those “hints” come to life for your husband/wife, ultimately, showing your spouse that you’re listening and you care.

* Buy something - It doesn’t have to be a car.  Something small, thoughtful, and random that shows you thought of them that day.

* Sex – I don’t really need to expound on this, but it should be about service, romance, intimacy, communication . . . and very often.  In the words of Forrest Gump, “that’s all I have to say about that.”

* Share - Communicate about what God is teaching you, or your struggles during the day.  Even if your spouse seems to “never listen,” you have to be the voice of consistency.

* Smile - We all need to smile more.  I mean, how can we not?  We’re married to the love of our life and alive!

* Ask for forgiveness - We all fall short, but we suck even more at repentance.  Whether it’s pride, or well. . . pride, we seem to pass right through with, “I’m sorry.”  If you’ve wronged your spouse in a certain way, ask for forgiveness. For example, say you show up late for a scheduled dinner at home because you put in an extra hour at work to get a project done.  Ask your spouse, “Will you forgive me for lying to you and not caring about my promise to you?”  It’s important to state the sin in our mistakes with our spouse, it all comes back to us.