worship.”
“Couldn’t we practice Wednesday night during adult Bible study?”
“No, and Shade, that’s where you come in.”
Shade looked like he was about to bolt from the room. She just might have to follow.
“I’ve had a mid-week youth service on my mind for quite some time. We’ve been discussing it in Worship Committee and with some parents. If we don’t get this thing off the ground soon, we could lose the regular teens we have.”
Shade sat forward in his chair. Yep. He was gonna run.
“Don’t you have a youth group here?” he asked with such innocence. “I thought I saw something in the church bulletin.”
“Those Sunday evening programs are recreational and run by parents because we’re currently without a youth pastor. I’m talking about an actual worship service for teens. Thursday nights, no more than an hour.”
“I hear you, Pastor, but where do I come in?”
Pastor Charles laughed and leaned forward to rest his arms on his desk. “Don’t worry, son, I’m not going to ask you to be in charge of anything. It wouldn’t be fair to you, or us. I realize you’re new to all this. Kevin and Kelly are going to lead the music, and Max is going to lead an interactive Bible study. What I need from you is your commitment and your help.”
“I’m not sure what I can do.”
“Be a part of this youth service team. Participate in the music portion, help Candi keep Kevin and Kelly reined in, and be there as support for Max.”
Candi shrugged. “I don’t understand. If I’m in the choir room directing a children’s choir, how am I supposed to help Kevin and Kelly?”
Pastor Charles lifted his calendar pages again. “I’m thinking July thirtieth for the launch of the youth service, and August twenty-seventh for the children’s choir launch. That gives us time to prepare and means the youth service should be up and running before you start the choir.”
Candi flipped through her planner like a crazy woman, noting dates and scribbling thoughts as fast as they came to mind. What he was asking was not impossible. She could even say she knew it was coming. How she felt about it was a whole different terror she had yet to explore. For the first time since Cornerstone began, there would be a new worship service—and she would be tucked away with a room full of screaming kids while an ex-Dead Lizard took the platform.
She looked over at Shade who had yet to say another word. While she nursed the sting of losing a certain amount of control over her music program, he looked to be two breaths away from actual medical shock. She wondered if the church’s first aid kit had one of those silver blanket thingies she could throw over his shoulders.
She turned her gaze to the pastor. Do something.
“Shade,” Pastor Charles started in his best pastoral tone of comfort and encouragement. “Just think about it. I know what you’ve been through and where you’re coming from. You’ve been nothing but honest with me, and I appreciate that. Things are happening fast for you here, but that’s because you’ve stepped into a whole new ballgame. I’m not ashamed to say that if I can get one messed up seventeen-year-old to come to church because the former lead guitarist from Dead Lizard Highway plays in worship, I’ll take it. The truth is, because of who you are now in Christ, you are an evangelist.”
Shade rested his elbows on the arms of the chair and clamped his hands together. Now who had the white knuckles?
“I’ll think about it.”
“Just so we’re clear,” Candi began, “you want a choir camp over the summer, and a children’s choir in the fall.”
“Yes.”
“Then you want Shade and me to work with Kevin and Kelly on worship music for a youth service to start in July.”
“Yes, and there’s one more thing.”
Candi and Shade again exchanged glances. This time it was clear they each expected their heads to explode if he handed them one more monumental task.
“I’ve
“Couldn’t we practice Wednesday night during adult Bible study?”
“No, and Shade, that’s where you come in.”
Shade looked like he was about to bolt from the room. She just might have to follow.
“I’ve had a mid-week youth service on my mind for quite some time. We’ve been discussing it in Worship Committee and with some parents. If we don’t get this thing off the ground soon, we could lose the regular teens we have.”
Shade sat forward in his chair. Yep. He was gonna run.
“Don’t you have a youth group here?” he asked with such innocence. “I thought I saw something in the church bulletin.”
“Those Sunday evening programs are recreational and run by parents because we’re currently without a youth pastor. I’m talking about an actual worship service for teens. Thursday nights, no more than an hour.”
“I hear you, Pastor, but where do I come in?”
Pastor Charles laughed and leaned forward to rest his arms on his desk. “Don’t worry, son, I’m not going to ask you to be in charge of anything. It wouldn’t be fair to you, or us. I realize you’re new to all this. Kevin and Kelly are going to lead the music, and Max is going to lead an interactive Bible study. What I need from you is your commitment and your help.”
“I’m not sure what I can do.”
“Be a part of this youth service team. Participate in the music portion, help Candi keep Kevin and Kelly reined in, and be there as support for Max.”
Candi shrugged. “I don’t understand. If I’m in the choir room directing a children’s choir, how am I supposed to help Kevin and Kelly?”
Pastor Charles lifted his calendar pages again. “I’m thinking July thirtieth for the launch of the youth service, and August twenty-seventh for the children’s choir launch. That gives us time to prepare and means the youth service should be up and running before you start the choir.”
Candi flipped through her planner like a crazy woman, noting dates and scribbling thoughts as fast as they came to mind. What he was asking was not impossible. She could even say she knew it was coming. How she felt about it was a whole different terror she had yet to explore. For the first time since Cornerstone began, there would be a new worship service—and she would be tucked away with a room full of screaming kids while an ex-Dead Lizard took the platform.
She looked over at Shade who had yet to say another word. While she nursed the sting of losing a certain amount of control over her music program, he looked to be two breaths away from actual medical shock. She wondered if the church’s first aid kit had one of those silver blanket thingies she could throw over his shoulders.
She turned her gaze to the pastor. Do something.
“Shade,” Pastor Charles started in his best pastoral tone of comfort and encouragement. “Just think about it. I know what you’ve been through and where you’re coming from. You’ve been nothing but honest with me, and I appreciate that. Things are happening fast for you here, but that’s because you’ve stepped into a whole new ballgame. I’m not ashamed to say that if I can get one messed up seventeen-year-old to come to church because the former lead guitarist from Dead Lizard Highway plays in worship, I’ll take it. The truth is, because of who you are now in Christ, you are an evangelist.”
Shade rested his elbows on the arms of the chair and clamped his hands together. Now who had the white knuckles?
“I’ll think about it.”
“Just so we’re clear,” Candi began, “you want a choir camp over the summer, and a children’s choir in the fall.”
“Yes.”
“Then you want Shade and me to work with Kevin and Kelly on worship music for a youth service to start in July.”
“Yes, and there’s one more thing.”
Candi and Shade again exchanged glances. This time it was clear they each expected their heads to explode if he handed them one more monumental task.
“I’ve
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