Interview with Kathryn Scott
Causeway Coast Vineyard Church
Coleraine, Northern Ireland
Writer of “Hungry” (Falling On My Knees)
And “At The Foot Of The Cross” (Ashes To Beauty)
By Pastor John Marvin
Sr Pastor
Portland Metro Church
www.portlandmetrochurch.org
Kathryn, how do you personally define worship?
The real stuff of worship happens before we start to sing - it's the choices that we make in the small corners of life; the way we treat our spouse; the way we love our children; the way we honor our employer; the way we respond to the poor; the way we are with God when no one else is looking. It's these things that make sense of the songs we sing - they aren't meant to be our worship - they are meant to express, or give voice to our worship.
Causeway Coast Vineyard Church
Coleraine, Northern Ireland
Writer of “Hungry” (Falling On My Knees)
And “At The Foot Of The Cross” (Ashes To Beauty)
By Pastor John Marvin
Sr Pastor
Portland Metro Church
www.portlandmetrochurch.org
Kathryn, how do you personally define worship?
The real stuff of worship happens before we start to sing - it's the choices that we make in the small corners of life; the way we treat our spouse; the way we love our children; the way we honor our employer; the way we respond to the poor; the way we are with God when no one else is looking. It's these things that make sense of the songs we sing - they aren't meant to be our worship - they are meant to express, or give voice to our worship.
What specific goals and objectives do you have for the church as you lead worship?
My main goal is to create a safe place for people to encounter God for themselves. This affects the songs I choose; the way I lead; the way I respond to the Holy Spirit - everything.
How do you go about planning for worship, both in terms of long-range planning and weekly planning?
I make sure that I have had some time to reconnect with God for myself. I love to do that through walking!! I don't always have the time - but as long as it's still a part of my life that I come back to when I can, then I know I'm on good ground. Then, when I'm preparing for leading worship - I'm thinking through 'who am I leading in worship' - it's all about serving those people, so I have to spend some time thinking through who they are, and what they might need to express to God through the songs I choose. On the long term planning side of things, I talk over with the Pastor what the overall strategy is for our direction as a church and make sure that we are heading the same way through the worship teams as well! We are all part of the same team (leadership of the church), and so we can't afford to go in a different direction to everyone else :) I also invite his critique and thoughts on what we've done so far - there's nothing more helpful than someone who is on your side telling you things to think through that you can improve on.
How do you review the weekly gatherings? What do you look for in terms of evaluating your effectiveness?
We have a staff meeting on a Wednesday morning where we tell our stories of God intervening in our lives and the lives of those outside the church that we know, and how He is bringing them to himself. Then we review the service - the wonderful things, and any things that we could do better. I'm always keen to know if people were able to connect with God - to make sure that I either didn't push the boat too far, or not far enough!
Are you thinking of any specific age group or style as you plan the worship service?
Our church mostly has young people, but we do have quite a lot of couples in their forties and fifties, and then one or two couples in their sixties and upwards. Truthfully, I'm not so much thinking of age when I plan - I'm more thinking about who will be there in terms of what songs they might know. On any given Sunday we will have a good number of people who aren't yet following Jesus - and so, I try to use a hymn at some point along the way, because nearly everyone knows them - even if they haven't gone to church since they were a child. I also try not to introduce too much new stuff at once - again, I want people to be able to grab a hold of songs and sing them from their hearts - that's hard to do if they don't know them.
What piece of advice would you give beginning worship leaders regarding the planning and leading of worship?
Listen to your senior pastor and try to facilitate the vision of the church as you lead worship. Listen to the Holy Spirit - if you see that He's on a certain song, or present to do a particular thing in the room at that moment - just sing it out - there's something that happens when we announce what the Lord is doing (not manufacturing what isn't there - but recognizing His move when we see Him, and 'saying or singing what we see'.)
How do you incorporate being led by the Spirit into the planning of the worship service?
Usually I just plan the set based on the things we've already talked about. Songs are vehicles - the real deal is all about where the journey goes. So, almost in a sense it doesn't matter what songs we use (as long as people know and connect with them) - it matters that we listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit as we actually lead, because that's how we know where to go.
How do you do the same during the worship service?
While I'm leading I start to sense that the Lord is present to do a certain thing - or that we need to linger for a moment on a particular song. I try to simply be obedient. Sometimes I've given an altar call right there in the middle of worship, and people have given their hearts to Jesus then and there. Sometimes I've sung out that people are going to be healed because I've sensed that the Lord is doing that right then at that moment - and people have been healed. Sometimes I've just led worship and not sensed those things at all, and so I've led as sensitively as I can. The temptation can be to 'make something happen' - but we are just waiting to see what the Lord will do, and then be obedient when He moves.
Kathryn, do you have any last words?
Pastor John, It was lovely to meet you! God bless you so tremendously as you continue to serve Him. I just feel like I have to say 'He gives rest to the weary' - it's wonderful and right to rest too - just in case you were feeling tired and not sure if you were letting Him down by taking time out as well.
