I was informed on July 10 that when registration for WorshipGod08 closed a total of 1626 people had signed up to come. That’s both humbling and exciting.

What that means is that registration for the conference is closed. People who show up at the door will only be able to attend the main sessions. This is a problem I’m not used to having.

A few stats:

760 first time attendees
127 high school students
619 worship leaders
31 international guests (including 14 from Canada)
Largest age group: 26-40 with 571
Second largest: 25 and below with 436
Largest church size group: 101-300 with 635 people
Largest seminar: David Powlison’s “A Calm and Peaceful Heart” with 631 signed up

I’m glad to see so many young people coming, so many attendees wanting to address issues of the heart, and so many people coming for the first time.

I’d appreciate your prayers for all those who are preparing to serve those who will be at the conference, as well as for everyone who will be coming. Looking forward to three and half days of equipping, encouragement, and encountering God through His Word, song, and fellowship, as we rediscover God’s unsearchable greatness in the Psalms.

My wife, Julie, has agreed to teach a seminar at the WorshipGod conference that was called “Managing Motherhood and Ministry.” I’m grateful that she agreed because she’s had over thirty years of experience serving alongside me in various capacities and has a ton to share for women that is both biblical and helpful. She’s been a sound engineer, vocalist, designer, and pastor’s wife, and raised six children in the process, and she’s done an outstanding in all of them.

As we talked about her experiences, we thought she was going to be talking about more than just motherhood. To better reflect the content of what she’ll be sharing, her seminar is going to be called “Maintaining Priorities in and Around the Worship Team.” I know of few women who have done that better than my wife.

This Sunday, June 1, registration rates go up $25. Right now the cost is $100 for students, $125 for groups of 5 or more, and $150 for individuals.

Registration has topped 1200, but we still have room for about 300-400 more folks. Unfortunately, we have space limitations on some of the seminars so we’ve had to close a few as they’ve filled up. So the sooner you sign up, the more likely you’ll get to attend the seminars you most want to go to.

The other day I was adding up the number of people who had signed up for seminars. When I looked up at my calculator it read 943. I figured I must have punched in a wrong number. I added the numbers again, looked up, and it still read 943. I couldn’t believe it. We’re almost four months out from the conference and we’re already at 60% capacity. Seems most of it had to do with people wanting to save the $25 that was added to registration on April 1.

That’s good news and bad news. The good news is that we’re going to have a great time with a lot of folks. The bad news is that we’re already having to close some seminars. And we’re going to be advertising at Together for the Gospel in a couple weeks and at the New Attitude Conference at the end of May. We’re working on some solutions, like switching rooms for different seminars. But the fact is, we have space limitations and we just can’t increase the size of all the seminars. Most of them will be recorded, but it’s always nice to be there at the actual seminar. Once a seminar is full it won’t show up as an option on the registration page.

So if you’re interested at all in coming to the conference and want to have as many options as possible for the seminars, I’d sign up soon.

On the other hand, if you’re not as concerned about getting the seminars you want, take your time.

I didn’t think I’d be writing that four months before the conference began, but it’s true. Registration is at 1/3 capacity and already four seminars are 80% full and one has reached capacity. Now begins the fun process of determining whether we need to move the seminar locations around. We got creative this year, and are holding one workshop outside under a tent and another workshop in a large hallway. That’s given us more room, but we’re expecting more people to attend this year.

All that to say, the sooner you sign up, the better the chance that you’ll be able to go to the seminars you want. At some point soon, I’ll post which seminars are going to be recorded. We plan on recording as many as possible, but some don’t translate well due to a lot of interaction or visuals.

On April 1, the rates to attend WorshipGod08 for students, individuals, and groups all go up. But it’s not that bad…only $25 more starting in April. Still, you could save some money by registering this week.

Registration for WorshipGod08 has been moving along, but we’re still four and a half months away from the conference. If you’re planning on coming, I wanted to remind you that registration rates go up $25 each on April 1, and again on July 1.

But here’s a way you can come for free. We’re giving away a free registration to the person who sends in the best answer to this question:

What is the most awkward/embarrassing moment you’ve ever experienced as a worship leader or part of a team?

Here are the guidelines:

1. Answers have to be 150 words or less. Really.
2. Your answer must be something you personally experienced or were part of.
3. Answers should be sent to bob@worshipmatters.com.
4. You have to respond by midnight EST on Saturday, March 15.
5. If you’ve already registered, you can still play. Your registration cost will be refunded.

There you have it. Here’s a video that might inspire you.

We had to work through a few bugs to get the registration open today. Thanks for your patience.

Now that it’s open, here are a few things to remember as you register:

• You have to choose your five seminars at the time of registration (out of the 45 that are offered). Seminar descriptions can be downloaded at the “Who Should Attend” page and the registration form.
• Groups can register individuals at the lowest price. So if you have a student who is part of your group, they can pay the student rate.
• Bring as many people from your team as possible. That will enable you to attend more seminars, keep everyone on the same page, and enjoy some great fellowship.
• Whenever possible, pastors should attend with their worship leaders, for the reasons I just cited in the previous point.
• Set up this blog on your RSS feed to keep track of updates, interviews, and important information.
• The cheapest time to register for the conference is before April 1. At that time all prices go up $25.
• Administrative questions about the conference should be sent to worshipconference@sovgracemin.org.

Please let us know if you have any needs, questions, or comments. We look forward to interacting even before the conference starts.

We moved the original date for opening registration for the WorshipGod08 conference from January 14 to January 28 because we’re still nailing down the logistics for all the seminars. You’ll choose the workshops you want to attend when you register, so before registration starts we have to know what and where all the seminars are going to be. I’m excited about the diversity of the seminars, especially in the tech area. At the last WorshipGod conference we ended up not having enough room on the workshops for all the tech personnel who came. This year we plan to offer two tech seminars during each slot, so space won’t be a problem.

When registration opens you’ll be able to download a pdf of the seminar descriptions to help you decide which seminars you want to attend. Obviously, the sooner you sign up, the better the chance that you’ll be able to attend the seminars of your choice.

Twenty years ago worship conferences were rarely heard of. That’s no longer the case. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of conferences put on by churches, ministries, and music companies, devoted exclusively to the topic of worship.

As I’ve attended and participated in different events over the years, it’s made me think hard about why we’re putting on a worship conference. I mean, does the church really need one more worship conference? Should we put all the hours, energy, and prayer into hosting WorshipGod08 when there are so many other worship conferences to attend? Obviously, my answer is yes. So I thought I’d share a few of the reasons we’re sponsoring this conference.

1. Content and Context: We attempt to combine biblical depth, musical training, leadership expertise, heart issues, and Spirit-led creativity all in a gospel-centered, local-church context. Sometimes we have well known speakers and musicians, but the popularity of a speaker isn’t our main concern. Our goal is to help church musicians serve their churches more effectively and we try to bring in people we think will serve that end. They include pastors and leaders we’ve known for years in Sovereign Grace.

2. Doctrine and Devotion: We teach on and model congregational worship that is both Reformed and charismatic. In other words we believe in the absolute sufficiency and authority of Scripture, but also believe all the gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 121 Corinthians 12 [12:1]Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. [2]You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. [3]Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. [4]Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; [5]and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; [6]and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. [7]To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. [8]For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, [9]to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, [10]to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. [11]All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. [12]For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. [13]For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit. [14]For the body does not consist of one member but of many. [15]If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. [16]And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. [17]If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? [18]But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. [19]If all were a single member, where would the body be? [20]As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. [21]The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." [22]On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, [23]and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, [24]which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, [25]that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. [26]If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. [27]Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. [28]And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. [29]Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? [30]Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? [31]But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. (ESV)

3. Select Exhibitors: All the exhibitors at WorshipoGod08 will be invited. We stand behind and support all the ministries and companies you’ll be interacting with.

4. Free Materials: We like to give away a lot of stuff, because we want you to go home encouraged, enthusiastic, and equipped.

5. Books and More Books: We stock a bookstore not only with books that will help you lead worship, but also with ones that address your devotions, your marriage, your family, your finances, and all the other other areas of life we can glorify God in.

6. A Heart to Serve: While we still have a great deal to learn, and continue to benefit greatly from other churches and ministries, we feel God has enabled us to make a small contribution to equipping leaders and musicians to serve their churches more biblically, faithfully, skillfully, and joyfully.

There are other reasons, but this post is already long enough.

I’d love to hear from you if you have thoughts on a previous WorshipGod conference, or a question about the upcoming conference. Feel free to leave a comment.

And thanks for stopping by.