Get To Know The Worship Team | Trinity Talks Podcast

Welcome to Trinity Talks, everyone. I am so excited that we have the worship team here,

or some of the members of our amazing worship team joining us today for this wonderful talk.

So because we have the worship team here, I'm officially changing the name of Trinity Talks

to Trinity Sings just for today, and it's going to change back to Trinity Talks as of

tomorrow. But top of the morning to you, it's the St. Patrick's Day here. So welcome to

Libby and to David and to Stephanie. Thank you. Thank you so much.

All right. Thank you guys for joining me. I'm hoping that over the next little bit,

we can talk a little bit about the music ministry here at Trinity. And I think it would be nice

if we also just get to know you a little bit better as well. We see you up there all the

time doing your amazing thing and showing your amazing skills and sharing your amazing

gifts. And I think it's time that we get to know a little bit more about who you are.

So thanks for joining me. Thanks for having us.

Now true to Trinity Talks style, I think it would be very nice if we all play a little

game just to warm us up and to have a little fun. What do you think? Let's do it. All right.

So the game I've decided to come up with is called Love Song or Worship Song. All right.

Now to make this a little bit fair, I didn't make the songs too challenging. All of the

songs are songs that have been on the top billboard, at least top 10. So they aren't

like some weird obscure song. And all of the worship songs, I think are songs that you've

sung before here at Trinity. So I guess what I'm saying is there's no excuses to get it

wrong. Danger, danger. Danger, danger. All right. And I'm not going to single you out.

I'd like to see you guys work as a team to show off your amazing team skills. All right.

So we're going to start with this one here. Every place I go, I'll think of you. Every

song I sing, I sing for you. That should be a worship song, but I don't think. I think

it's a love song. You think it's a love song? It's a love song. All right. Do you know which

love song? Every place I go, I'll think of you. I know it. Every song I sing, I sing

for you. Sounds like sting. Yeah. No, it's not. It's not. It's not. You think in every

breath. Yeah. Yes. That one. I sing for you and I come back. I wear your wedding ring.

It's a leaving on a jet plane. That's what it is. Oh, nice. It's a leaving on a jet

plane. Actually number one in 1969, that was Peter, Paul and Mary. Yes. All right. So that

was a pretty good one. All right. Here's one that, I mean, I think, I think you'll know

this one and it just sounds like the opposite. Like an unforeseen kiss and my heart turns

violently inside my chest. One of my favorites. Is it? All right. So what is it? Love song

or worship song? Worship song. Worship song. And what song is that from? Do you know the

name of that song? I know it. Yeah. All right. At the same time? At the same time. Three,

two, one. How he loves us. Wow. Very good. That's right. So that's a... Technically

you're right. I added the us. You did. It's just how he loves. Okay. We'll forgive you

here. Okay. Here's another one. All right. Such a funny thing for me to try to explain

how I'm feeling and my pride is the one to blame. That's a love song. Not a worship song.

That's not a worship song. But I know what that is too. What is that? It's really hard

not to sing it and just say it. Can you repeat it? Such a funny thing for me to try to explain

how I'm feeling and my pride is the one to blame. Oh, I know. I should know this. When

you tell me what it is, I'm going to like... I know. Number one in 2003. Crazy in love

Beyonce. Yes. That's okay. Oh. It's a funny thing for me to try to explain. Oh yes. It

is. That's right. You need that melody. Such a funny thing for me to try. Yeah. I know.

It's so hard not to say it like that. All right. The riches of your love. This might

be for... You're going to get this one. The riches of your love will always be enough.

The riches of your love will always be enough. Yeah. I think I know this one. Can I go? Yes,

you do. Forever rain. Excellent. Well done. Wow. The riches of your love will always be

enough. Why am I singing? I love it because it's Trinity Sings. Trinity Sings. All right.

We could maybe just take this one off the list here. Okay. We've got another one here.

Capture my heart again. Your love is extravagant. Your friendship, it is intimate. In fact,

I don't think we do. Nevermind. We don't do that song. We don't do that song. You know,

it's very... But you know it, don't you? It's very special. I just turned up the album

this past couple of days and it brought me back to a long, long time ago when this song

was playing. Yeah. What song is that? It's either extravagant love or... Yeah. Your love

is extravagant. Your love is extravagant. All right. I was very good. So that was something

by Daryl Evans, right? Wonderful. Wonderful. All right. Here's another one. I believe in

you. You know the door to my very soul. You are the light in my deepest, darkest hour.

And you are my savior when I fall. Those were a lot of lyrics there. That's a lot of beautiful

lyrics that could very well be in a worship song. But I think for the sake of what you

might do in a game, that it is... When you throw the word savior in there. It is a love

song. I think it's too specific. Too specific to... To actually... Yeah. So I'm going to

say it again with a little bit of a rhythm and let's see if you know what song it is.

I believe in you. You know the door to my very soul. You're the light in my deepest,

darkest hour. You're my savior when I fall. I don't think I did a rhythm there. Well,

that didn't help me. How deep is your love? 1970s. Oh my gosh. So I was right. Okay.

That's right. All right. So welcome. So if you've got six out of six out there, then

you are just as good as our worship team. So again, I said we've got Libby, we've got

David and Stephanie here with us. And thank you for playing with me. That was a lot of

fun. You did well. Now we can relax a little. And I would just love to get started by talking

about maybe people out there are not familiar with seeing you up there on the stage. Maybe

you're just watching the Trinity Talks for the first time. Could you let us know what

instruments you play here at Trinity, but also maybe what instrument you got started

with and how you got into worship music. Let's start with Libby. Well, mine is a bit of a

long winded thing, but okay. So first instrument that I ever played was actually the fiddle,

which I've played on occasion at Trinity, but not often at all. And then I moved on

to guitar. And that's what I mostly play here at Trinity, guitar and sing as well. Yeah.

The getting into worship is a longer story we might want to hold on to for another time.

Okay. All right. You've piqued my curiosity. We're not going to let you get away with it.

I want to come back. We'll come back to it for sure. For sure. So Libby is our worship

director here at Trinity. So yeah, we'll have to hear that story. Now what about you, David?

Yeah, I started, I joined a school marching band actually. No way. I played the trombone.

Was that a high school? Yes, it is. And it's all the way back in Malaysia. Okay. And yeah,

that's where I learned the ABCs of music. I moved on to playing the bass because I knew

the ABCs of music. But then eventually I got involved in playing in church. But it wasn't

until maybe five years after that, that I learned how to play the guitar. Right. Okay.

But I had the foundations there and that was a good place to start. Yeah. Cool. So you

got involved in worship music through your church in, was it in Malaysia? Yes. Nice.

Yeah. Awesome. What about you, Stephanie? I started playing piano. So I play piano as

part of the worship team. But I started lessons when I was seven and I did the sort of royal

conservatory training all the way up to grade eight. And then I stopped playing or stopped

attending lessons rather when I was in grade eight and then sort of lost interest, fell

off a little bit and then came back to it and did grade nine on my own. So I've been

playing piano for a really long time and I love it. During my high school years, I also

played the flute, the clarinet and the steel drums as part of a steel drum band. That's

awesome. So a lot of skills. So we could always bring in some steel drums. Yeah, I heard that

there was a steel drum band at one point before. I think you're right. Yeah. I think there

was. I've seen footage. Yeah. It was good too. That would be really cool. All right.

Well it's no pressure. No pressure. That's right. You already do a lot so we won't put

you in anything else right now. But if we had to think about your favorite style of

music. So we know that you're part of our worship team and you're all really great at

that. Do you have any favorite styles of music that you listen to or play outside of Trinity?

I like a lot of different styles of music. I am a recovering country singer. So there's

that for sure. But I like pop and I like funk and I like jazz and I like everything. You

like music. I like classical. I like it all. Yeah. I enjoy it all. Does anyone else have

a favorite style? Well, growing up in the 90s, it was definitely alternative music,

alternative rock. But I grew to love jazz, grew to appreciate the conversations that

happen in jazz. And I like how bands when they come together and they're really tight,

they know what each and everyone is doing. It's just a sight to behold. Yeah. I love

that you said conversations. As someone who's not musical, that just sounds so intriguing.

Yeah. I also have quite an eclectic style, but right now I'll just say I'm really into

60s soul music. So yeah, some Smokey Robinson and Aretha. Nice. Got that playlist on loop.

Good stuff. Yeah. All right. So last quick question before we get into the meat of our

conversation. If you could play another instrument that you don't already play and you could

just magically play one, which one would you choose? Maybe why? Piano. Definitely piano.

Like to really, really play piano would be amazing. Just because it sort of stands alone,

you know, like, I mean, acoustic guitar does sort of too, but not the same way piano is

just this magical thing. And, you know, it can, it really elevates a song and, and really

helps you come up with melodies too. I mean, as a writer, it's just bigger, you know, I

just love, I love the piano. Nice. Yeah, me too. And I didn't know we have the same interests,

right? So that's kind of cool. But yeah, I would love to learn how to play the piano.

So I've been tinkering a bit, but with no professional training, I still can pull something

up and I use the key signature changes just to play everything on C. And interestingly

enough, I, I would love to learn to play the guitar. Oh, yeah, I know. We should probably

hang out. Maybe it's like grass is always greener on the other side. And give each other

lessons. That's great. Well, you all are, all are part of our worship team here. And

worshipping God and music in general has deep biblical roots. I was really interested to

find out that the very first mention of instruments in the Bible is actually way back in Genesis,

Genesis four. And the first mention of a worship song is in Exodus and that's Moses. Moses

has a worship song. And why do you think, and maybe I'm going to direct this to you,

Libby, as our director, that worshipping God through music is so significant?

Well, I mean, for me, and I think it's the same for a lot of people. Music accesses a

part of us that, that we can't readily access any other way. Music takes us to a place.

When we worship, we're fixing our eyes on Jesus and music really helps us to do that.

It helps us to focus outside of ourselves. That's, yeah, that's not a hugely theological

answer, but that's, David had mentioned something. We were talking about this last week and David

had some really good thoughts. So I just want to pass it over to David on that one. That's

good too. Yeah. In my journey kind of, you know, growing

up, one of the things that I encountered was a very wise person. He's a friend of mine

and his dad mentioned this to me, right? He said, in every single people group represented

on earth, right? Every living thing even produces sound, whether it's using their hands or using

a tool or using an instrument or even your own voice boxes, right? To worship something,

to attribute to something, right? So, you know, it's either rubbing against something,

hitting something. And I was watching a video about didgeridoo, right? And I wanted to give

that answer didgeridoo, but I don't think I'll ever... It doesn't, yeah. But it's really

cool the fact that every single people or human being or living thing creates sound

to worship something. So that's something that really drove me to dive deeper into accessing

music and using it as a form of worship unto God, right? So, yeah.

So, yeah. Yeah. Well, those are really good answers. And

one thing that I want to mention, Libby, is that when I sit in a service and I'm there,

I notice that the music seems to not just be chosen at random, but I feel...

Thank you for that, Elizabeth. I do notice that. And I can tell that there's

this intention that goes into selecting the music. And I'm wondering that maybe you can

just give us some insight into how music or a worship director at a church, yourself particularly,

goes about selecting the songs that we use collectively as a church on a given Sunday.

Well, it begins with sort of giving some thought to what it is we're talking about, whatever

the sermon series is on and what the focus is there. And we're hoping to lead people.

So then from there, then I will take some time in prayer and look at the scripture passage

that we're going to have for that Sunday and just wait. I listen to a lot of worship music

and whatnot. So I have a sort of library of lyric floating around in my head. And so the

Holy Spirit often just will give me a line that corresponds when I'm listening and then

I'll be like, oh, right, that song. And so there's that sort of aspect of it, the trying

to make the connections, right? Because we do walk out of church with songs in our head,

right? And if the song can carry the message with it, it's great for learning as well.

And then there's all the other extra stuff of keys and how do we want it to flow in the

service. And if this song is important and what song could flow out of that nicely and

where all the sort of musical side of picking the songs and that sort of thing as well.

But yeah, most importantly, it's about creating that sacred space and trying to keep us fixed

on what we're learning about that day, right?

And I'm just going to throw out this other question is that a service that we had a few

weeks ago during our offertory, I believe, you had actually decided, I think while you

were up on the stage to have everyone sit and reflect quietly while you sang. And it

seemed like that was almost a decision you made maybe in the moment or maybe just not

too long before. And was that sort of like the Holy Spirit just telling you that or is

that something?

Well, fly by the seat of your parents worship leaders are not going to enjoy this answer.

But no, actually, I did prepare to do that. I knew in my heart that as soon as I read

the scripture passage, that was the first thing. So before I even knew what we're doing

for opening worship or anything, that song was definitely happening because I knew that

Rob was going to be talking about care, right? That was the sermon where he was talking about

a woman, here's your son, and this is your mother.

And I knew because I know we have a relationship, right? And I know Rob and we talked about

these things. And so it really helped to inform me on that. And I've known that specific song

for a really long time, By Our Love by Kristi Knuckles. And it's a really good opportunity

for us to remember what we're called to. And I just thought, this is a good, there's room

for this and we're going to do it. It was a bit of a risk sometimes with people, but

that's a beauty, that one.

It was. It was. I just love how you use the worship in so many different ways to really

allow people to enter into those types of prayers. So that was great.

Now it's you guys, it's the three of you are part of the worship team, but I don't know

the number offhand, but certainly there are many more who play several different instruments.

There's other vocalists, other people who lead sometimes. What is the best part about

being part of a team like this?

Yeah, well, there's got to be something. It's got to be something okay about it.

I think it's the fact that all of us can focus on one thing that we can do together, right?

And there's this thing about the click. So just to share a bit more technicality, right?

When we hear a click, it goes, and there's a tempo, there's a timing, there's a rhythm

to it. And it's all of us, not just aligning on the playing and the timing of things and

the cues of where to go to, but we're all also in step spiritually, right? And we're

playing together, we're not just offering our lives as living sacrifice unto God, right?

Because that's our acceptable form of worship unto God, but it is also us coming together

physically and committing to something that is beyond us. I think worship or being on

a worship team is beyond us, right? We're just there to facilitate through creating

an atmosphere, using music, right? To encourage everyone to participate in. As you mentioned

earlier, I wanted to butt in, but I'm not nice. But the fact is that we're allowing,

we want people to participate in the worship, right? Which is through us all singing together.

And that is what happens on Sunday mornings. And we're all geared up towards doing that.

And if we play together and hit the right notes together, that's a plus, right?

Yeah, totally. I was going to say something very similar to that. I think it's just together,

the music and the people. And so being part of this team, we rehearse on Thursday evenings

and it's great because we get that... We feel the music in us. We feel the Holy Spirit in

us and we're there just making really wonderful music. But then when we come here on Sundays,

I just love when I hear everyone else. You'll see it. We all have earbuds in, right? Because

we need that click and those cues. I'm learning so much right now.

But there are some times, and I don't know, maybe they'll catch it one of these days on

the live stream where I can hear the congregation over what I hear in my ears. And I'm playing

and I just smile. Every single time it just gets me just to hear it all come together.

We're worshiping together.

That is the best. And I guess what I would say also the best part of it is it's the we-ness

of it, right? The us. And I think that's what's so amazing on a Sunday morning when we get

together for worship and we have that together as a team ourselves. But it's different when

we're all in the space together, right? And there's something extra special about that,

right? And that's why God gathers us together like that. That we're all fixed on Him, right?

We've all come together to offer the worship that He deserves. And we look around the room

and everybody else agrees with us, right? We're all there for the same thing.

It's like the team expands.

Yeah. And there's something absolutely beautiful about that. I totally see what God's doing

there. It's an amazing thing to all be together.

Yeah. I just wanted to add, right? As a team, I'm so encouraged by everyone and everything

that they go through on their daily lives. And when we come on Thursday, like, wow, how

was your week? We're all human too, right? We have horrible bosses right now. This is

going to be on YouTube. But it's the camaraderie and our coming together and sharing life together.

And that was one of the things that I felt deeply. And it's not just among us too, right?

But on Sunday, when someone comes up and say, hey, thank you for leading, thank you for

serving along. And that's something that just brings meaning to what we do, not just playing

and performing, right? That's not what we're doing.

I think actually I asked Libby this a couple of weeks ago. I said, do you ever feel drained

after a Sunday? And you mentioned, you said, as I pour out, I'm being filled up.

Yes. And I think that really sums up maybe what

you're saying here is that as you bless, you're blessed as well. And it's just, it's beautiful

to see that. I think that's true of every volunteer ministry

at Trinity, right? I mean, people who do welcome, you know, like, that's their, you know, they

have a very obvious gift in that area and they're sharing that and they're putting that

forward and they're giving it to God and it's a beautiful thing. And so in that work they're

doing, they're being blessed by it. I mean, I think that's probably true of all of us,

right? Yeah, that's true.

Okay. So we talked about some of the great things. Maybe I don't want to dwell on this,

but this is hard work as well. We know that you mentioned a couple of times that you come

in on a Thursday. What is one of the hardest things about being part of a worship team?

Maybe I should have led with this one first. I sound like a negative Nancy.

Living up to Libby's standards. Wow.

Okay. I'm just kidding.

I think it's 6.30 in the morning. Well, right?

That's the hardest part. I was expecting that answer to be honest.

For me it's 6.30 Sunday morning. That's the hardest part about it. Yeah. Just the getting

up super early to make sure everything is set and ready for everybody to come in. But

yeah. Yeah. So there's some prep that goes on this

Sunday morning beforehand. But really in the whole big picture of things,

what's that? That's nothing. It's a drop in the bucket.

And I'm really lucky. I've heard stories from other worship directors and stuff. I mean,

I just want to say I'm super, super blessed with the team that I have. And I love each

and every one of them dearly. And I couldn't do any of what we're doing here without every

single one of them. And yeah. So I'm just super grateful. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, I mean, it shows what a great team it

is when we see it on a Sunday morning. And before we wrap up guys, I have not forgotten

that you have a story to share with us, Libby. Oh dear.

I'm also wondering if there's anything else that anyone wants to share about the importance

of worship music or just why we think it's important specifically here at Trinity. I'm

just wondering if you have any extra thoughts before we wrap up here. So remember Libby,

you're going to tell us how you got into worship music because we did hear that recovering

country singer story. You're not wearing a cowboy hat right now. So something changed.

Something happened. Yeah. But do you guys have anything else you think?

I think it's not just worship music, right? So music is music. Music's just a medium of

how we express ourselves. There's so many ways to worship, right? Worship if you're

living, worship if you're time, worship if your conversations, like we have it over coffee

hour. Right now, right? We're having it, right? And worship in our lifestyle, right? So in

a context of being together on a Sunday morning or even online, you know, when you sing along,

worship along, that's what unifies us, right? But you know, the fact that worship is a lifestyle,

it's every single decision that you make in again, as an offering unto God. You know,

I think that's the context of worship that I've learned, grown to appreciate and grown

to be impacted upon, right? One of the things you mentioned earlier, what's difficult, frankly,

sometimes it's singing the songs because we have challenges ourselves, right? You know,

like we sing, I all to Jesus, I surrender. Are we really surrendering everything? And

we're in front singing it, but we reflect first and foremost, right? Are we in a state?

And if we're not, you know, God's gracious, right? But we're here to encourage everyone,

right? To come alongside, you know, you're struggling, I'm struggling. It's okay. We're

just here to worship God because he's much bigger than all of these items and all of

these things. Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, I just want to say one of the reasons that almost

10 years ago now that I decided, you know, this is the church I want to come to, many,

many reasons, you know, the people and the ministry is all really great, but it was my

first time coming to church and hearing this style of worship. I hadn't, you know, been

going to church for a long time. I was at the very beginning of, you know, curiosity

about having relationship with God without having that myself until that time. And, you

know, it speaks a little bit to what we talked about earlier. It touches you in a different

way. When I heard the music that very first day, it just broke me right open in a way

that I had never felt before. And I think that that was my first maybe encounter with

the Holy Spirit, maybe my whole life, you know, that comfort and the beauty that I had

just felt from hearing the music, reading on the screen, the words that came with it.

One of the reasons that I decided I should come back and keep on with it. And so I just

think it's interesting, you know, we never know where people are when they come to church

and maybe music, maybe the ministries, whatever small thing that we do here, it could impact

someone in a very big way. And I think that's really special.

It is. That's well said. And thanks for sharing.

See, I get these guys, aren't I lucky?

Yes, you are. And they're lucky too.

Okay, so the story. We're just going to get down to it. Okay, so I grew up in a musical

family and I started playing the violin when I was three. And then I got away from that

for a while. And then picked it up again at like 18. Got a gig and a tribute show and

hopped in a van and went out on the road where I met Scott. Okay, that's my husband. He's

the man with the giant beard in the back. And so we got together, we've been together

ever since. But then, you know, I got to know his mom and we started talking, we go for

walks and she brought up the Holy Spirit. And I'd kind of dwindled a little. I was raised

Catholic but I kind of, you know, put it on the shelf for a while.

While you're in the van. Yeah, while we were in the van, as was convenient.

But she sort of rekindled that for me, which was really rekindled my spark and I really

appreciate that. Love you, mom. And so I started, you know, looking for a place for us to go

to church and so we got back into church. But I always did kind of want to keep music

and church separate because I had a problem like with the idea that I would mix them.

Because worship at church is a very real, true raw thing. It's not a performance. And

I had all my training in performance, right? And so I was asked and asked and asked to

be a part of the team and I just said, no, Scott served on the team. And I was like,

I just can't, I can't do it. And then finally we had this wonderful worship leader, Melissa,

who was like a magnifying glass for the Holy Spirit. And so I caved and I said yes to her.

And so I just, but I didn't sing. I just was playing acoustic guitar and eventually some

harmonies and that sort of thing. And then she left. So that was that and I was done.

And then I got talked back into, almost talked back into coming and helping the next person

who was doing it. But I just was uncomfortable and I thought, I can't. And one day at home

church our group was trying to encourage me to become one of the leaders for the worship

team and stuff. And they'd done that a lot. And so that Sunday I got upset and I smacked

my hand on my table and I'll never forget this day because God left. And I said, listen,

that's never going to happen. Like never. So just drop it. And I get what you're doing

and that's cute, but I'm not doing it. So just forget it. I think it was six weeks later,

I was leading the worship team. Yeah. Never say never. No, I, I'll never forget. I was

driving in my car listening and Charles Stanley came on, which was again, not something that

was normative for me at that time. Right. And I said, you, you know, you've got gifts

to offer, but, and you just keep telling God, cause you think you're humble, that you're

not ready yet. Or you think that, you know, maybe you just don't have what it takes and

you think you're being humble, but you're being disobedient. And then my phone rang

and it was our pastor asking me if I would take over the worship team. And I just said,

you know what? Yes. Get me some books. I don't know why I'm saying yes, but get me some books.

And so he did. And his name was Phil and he was a wonderful pastor and he helped me grow

into a worship leader. Wow. That's a really nice story. Under duress. God wants what he

wants and he gets it. And he doesn't give up. What a lovely testimony actually to share

with us and with Trinity about how you came to be where you're at. And I have to say,

we really do appreciate all of the work that all of you give to the church and all of the

time and the sharing of your talents. And you've also raised up several new worship members of the

team, right? So we've seen many new people come and join your team as well. So not only are you

leading, but you're facilitating that raising up of new leaders as well. So I just want to say a

big thank you. We all do enjoy the music. I'm pretty sure I'm speaking for most of you who are

watching. If you would like to watch more of their worship songs or worship along with them,

and we do have a great playlist on our YouTube channel. So make sure that you check that out

as well. And I just, again, like to say thank you. Thank you for having us. Thanks so much.