For the second year, the Spirit West Coast festivals and WorshipTogether.com are joining forces at this year's festivals to bring the WorshipTogether.com online resources to you "live" with a mini training conference for worship leaders, musicians and tech teams.

WorshipTogether.com was launched in 1998 at a critical juncture in contemporary church history – when the baton of faith was being passed on to an emerging generation of younger leaders, and the infectious spirit of this new breed began transforming corporate worship everywhere. The first time that its web users gathered in Nashville for a LIVE worship conference, names like Chris Tomlin, Delirious, Matt Redman, David Crowder and Tim Hughes were new to the church. But now their influence is felt through the corridors of Christianity and our “Sunday morning” liturgy has been significantly expanded. Many of these younger pioneers have quickly matured into world leaders, yet worshiptogether.com is still exploring new territory, searching out fresh new voices.

During all three days (Aug. 3-5) in Monterey, attendees will have the choice of these distinct seminar streams:

1. New Song Café
        - The stories behind the songs from the worship leaders that write them
        - Crafting a congregational worship song
   
   New Song Café webisodes are a primary feature on WorshipTogether.com . Each mini-documentary profiles one of WT's standout songwriters introducing a new worship song - telling the behind-the-scenes story of how and why it was written, and demonstrating unique chord voicings and arrangement ideas. By being onsite at SWC, WT is able to invite some main stage artists into this "up close and personal" setting to talk candidly about their songs and to give the worship leaders in attendance a chance to ask the questions they have always wanted to ask These sessions include free chord charts. Because of our desire to encourage emerging songwriters, we will usually devote one of these New Song Cafés to a class on songwriting for congregational worship.

2. Tech Café
        - "Technique" for the worship team
        - "Technology" for the worship team
        - Rehearsing and sound-checking the worship team
        - Learning to play the guitar by ear (bring your guitar)
   Even though our primary thrust is to resource the church with fresh, quality worship songs, we are cognizant that worship musicians are asking for help with “technique” and “technology” in order to present these songs excellently. Therefore, we always present the Tech Café as a companion to the New Song Café.

3. Unplugged Worship Gathering
   
   Some of our on-site worship leaders like Vicky Beeching and Brenton Brown will host a more casual worship circle, incorporating current favorites as well as newer songs introduced at the New Song Café; an oasis in our sophisticated world of hi-tech, highly-produced worship endeavors; unrushed and unreserved; straight from the heart.

4. Amazing Grace
        - Worship & social justice in the Bible
        - Worship & social justice in church history
        - Worship & social justice in our generation
   As a result of our partnership with Walden Media on their upcoming movie "Amazing Grace" - the story of 18th century British politician, William Wilberforce, and how the ministry of hymn-writer John Newton helped spur him on to abolish slave trade in the British Empire - we are including sessions on on worship and social justice. A timely prophetic challenge delivered in a worship setting – with an opportunity to respond.

Some of the festival's worship artists will be participating at the seminar workshops along with WorshipTogether.com personnel. There is no additional fee (with festival admission) to attend the conference sessions, but registration is required - see below.

Last updated 4-6-06