Praise Band Review - Christian Praise & Worship

I can easily describe my experience of the Visions of Praise Choir in one word...Wow!  The praise team at this church played like Jesus Himself gave them a pep talk before they took the stage.  I felt lifted as the team played through approximately 35 minutes of worship to start the church service.  If you are going to attend a service at Visions of God Christian Fellowship, you better be prepared to worship from the bottom of your heart and ready to sing like the rapture is upon us.

Interview

I conducted an interview with Kathy Sharpe, the Minister of Music at Visions of God Christian Fellowship.  I got some insight on what Praise and Worship means to the Visions of Praise Choir.

PR: What type of music would you categorize the Visions of Praise Choir?

Kathy: We do a lot of urban praise.  Similar to Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, people like that.  But, our worship borders on Hosanna, we're not so much an acoustic sound we're more bass.

PR: How many members are in the praise band?

Kathy: About 17 people.  13 singers including the director and 4 musicians.

PR: When your congregation comes in, what do you want them to leave with after worship?

Kathy: Probably a stronger understanding of being able to draw close to God.  To know that they can come before His throne through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Though a lot of people may not show it in the lifting of their hands, or they might not stand up and shout, but our target is to get on the inside.  To try to know the words so well on the inside that we can actually deliver it in ministry.  Cause if you don't have it, then you can't give it.  But for the group as a whole, it's for the people to receive it in their heart to be able to pull from that.

PR: How important do you think worship is to a service?

Kathy: Oh gosh, I think it's very important.  I've told people in the church, I've told people even in the group that when I look at the word of God I can't find one page without worship on it.  I mean, it's worship from beginning to end.  Worship isn't the songs, it isn't getting up before the people and shouting.  That isn't it.  That's just an outward show of what's going on on the inside.  So we're really striving to deal more with the heart.  Then, the music comes out.  People can sing, people do a whole lot of stuff.  But when you start dealing with the heart and then you add singing to that, it's like the combination of both is incredible.

PR: That's actually my next question.  Do you think worship is only music?

Kathy: No.  Absolutely not.  I think it's a lifestyle.

PR: Are you guys planning on coming out with a CD?

Kathy: Yeah.  We are in the process now of working on it.

PR: What's the projected completion?

Kathy: 2003.  I'm hoping the middle.

PR: Are there any events that the praise band is involved in out in the community?

Kathy: Well, we just got done with our first [music] conference not even a month ago and we do an annual concert in February.  Also, Hallelujah night.  We didn't get involved this year 'cause we had the conference at the same time.  We call it Hallelujah night but it's Halloween.  The church opens it up for the whole community and we have probably a good 1500 people that come through here for the carnival and we also have a stage set up.  We also have a couple of things for Christmas that are coming up that we're working with other churches.

PR: What's your feeling on connecting all the churches in the San Diego area in worship?

Kathy: Oh gosh, that's been a desire of this ministry for a long time...Where God is, where the people of God are, you want to hook up with them and it's not only in music.

PR: Kathy, thank you so much for letting me be a part of the Visions of God worship.  I was blessed to be able to participate in an experience that I would call "Powerful Praise".  By the way, tell your pastor that I said he plays a mean bass guitar.

Thanks again and I praise God for talented musicians like the Visions of Praise Choir that are able to bring the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ to a new level.