“I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 NLT
It’s been a little over a year since dusting off my classical nylon string guitar to debut as a worship leader in the UK context. I was scheduled to play on Pentecost Sunday—the birthday of the Church. I recall how rusty I felt with remembering lyrics, singing melodies, playing rhythm, and lacking the finger strength to fret chords for extended periods of time.
There was excitement and anticipation leading up to the day, and I recall feeling encouraged by a fellow worship leader within the larger Regions Beyond family that the Lord has been preparing me as a worshipper for a time such as this. Coming out of an eight-year hiatus from playing in a formal setting was in no way easy, but the Lord had been stirring my heart up to that point and encouraging me to leverage all of the skills or talents He has granted me for edifying (the building up of) the Church.
Leading worship again has encouraged me to think about ministering in broader terms—not just the extemporaneous words that come from the Lord in the middle of worship but following the Holy Spirit’s lead when it comes to the overall flow of a set, the tone and tempo of particular songs, and the malleable nature of each arrangement. The Lord has always been faithful in growing His Church through music and ministering.
Musical Heritage
Like a single sustained note that continues to ring, music has been a big part of my life for quite some time. It’s been an integral part of my family heritage for multiple generations, and I can only hope to instill the same interest and passion in my children. Particularly my paternal lineage, where, down the line, almost everyone could hear pitch and sing melody and play various accompanying instruments—such as guitar, piano, and violin. My Aunt Gigi has been an avid musician in the Catholic Church for as long as I can remember. As for other formal settings, such as live gigs at bars, pubs, clubs, and churches, a few on my maternal side have played in bands.
One could describe Filipino culture as being among the most expressive when it comes to song, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a household that didn’t own or didn’t have experience singing on a karaoke machine. We love to express ourselves through song and mimic famous singers while we’re at it. Take, for instance, Arnel Pineda, the current frontman for the band Journey—who has the tone and range to be the vocal twin of the band’s original singer, Steve Perry.
Late Bloom
My dad has always enjoyed a broad array of music from different genres, and playing and singing on guitar came naturally to him. Although I enjoyed singing, I never really caught on to playing guitar until I was a year out of High School—around 18 years old. I was always keen to accompany my vocals with an instrument, and I’d learn classic and contemporary songs from a wide range of genres of music. When my musician friends were back home from University, we often hung out and played the blues. I still recall being shown how to improvise with the A Minorpentatonic scale over blues standards and how fun it was to come up with phrases and practice techniques. This is when I started to learn how to play by ear.
I brought my steel-string acoustic guitar everywhere! I was obsessed with learning and growing in technical prowess on my instrument. At community college, it would be a normal everyday sight to see me busking in the commons and main quad area of the campus, which had the most foot traffic. Other musicians would come over to join me for a jam session or singalong together. I took two music courses during my brief tenure there—one being in music theory and another in songwriting. The latter class was interesting because I had already begun writing songs since the first year I started out, so I wanted to try them out before a class of peers. Each session consisted of people taking turns playing or presenting new tracks along with newly formed ideas on lyrics and melody. I would also begin to play open mic nights at local coffee shops, covering well-known songs and trying out some originals.
SPOTLIGHT
Our lead pastor, Steve, is one of the best leaders I’ve ever had the honor of working for whether in the Church or Secular world. I’ve learned so much about the UK context from him, during our staff meetings, time in prayer, and observing his style of ministering. He’s got a wealth of pastoral wisdom, leads with abundant grace, and always has a finger on the pulse of the context he is serving.
Just this past Sunday, I was scheduled to preach the second sermon in our series “Contender,” but I fell deathly ill a couple of days before. I held out hope to push through on the morning of but sent a copy of my sermon to him the previous night in case I was unfit to minister. Without the slightest hesitation, he took the sermon and delivered it to the congregation in my stead. He’s the type of leader you want to follow into the thick of the fray—leading the charge!
Steve’s wife, Jo, has been an absolute blessing to our family, especially during Steph’s unique period of recovery. A few weeks after the acute knee injury, Jo volunteered to come over each week while I had the 2 older kids along with me to staff meetings, to help clean and keep things tidy around the house. It’s such a relief to come home to an immaculate kitchen, bathroom, hallway, lounge, and porch when you’re juggling between managing the house, caretaking, and work.
Steve & Jo at their son’s wedding in London, UK. (Caleb and his lovely bride, Brielle, were married in late May!)
US versus UK Worship
When I committed my life to the Lord in January of 2009, I got linked up with the Young Adult ministry at the Rock Church in San Diego. From there I started serving in different capacities and growing in my faith. Through a connection with a few friends who found out about my musical background, I began playing worship with the house band and started to play weekly sets for 150+ young adults. The sets featured contemporary music with the occasional hymn or acapella breakdown.
I started to grow in my grasp of musical arrangement as I collaborated with my good friend, James, who served as the music director for the group. We had a very fruitful partnership, often bringing in various instruments and vocal harmonies, as well as incorporating the occasional secular chord progressions or riffs and mashing it up with well-known worship songs to add a different element to the music.
Preparation
As I’ve shared in a previous article, one of the biggest differences between US and UK worship is the amount of songs I’m asked to prepare for each set. During my time leading worship in San Diego, I was prompted to prepare 3-4 songs at most, and the main emphasis of the worship gathering was the ministry of the Word.
At Christ Church Birmingham, we are asked to prepare 6 songs (sometimes 7) depending on the length of each song or what the Holy Spirit is doing that morning. Add to this the necessity of having an international song included somewhere on the list, and the task of arrangement becomes a unique endeavor each time. We’re free to sing an entire song in another language or in multiple foreign languages. There’s also the option of singing parts of a well-known song, such as the chorus or bridge, in another language.
Below are a couple of examples of chord charts with this in mind. You’ll notice that I try to keep all of the lyrics and chords on 1 page whenever possible so I don’t have to turn the page or scroll down on a tablet.
I typically sing a song in the Key of A, Bb, B, or C, so I transpose the chords accordingly or use a capo, depending on my other song selections and the overall flow of the set. Some of the worship team use an app called OnSong for charts and transposing songs, but I prefer to arrange songs and develop my own chord charts.
Collaborations
We have such a wealth of musical talent at Christ Church Birmingham and Redemption Hill, with many standouts in their individual craft. I haven’t had the honor of playing with every Worship Leader or iteration of the band just yet, but I have had the opportunity to form synergy with a number of the musicians in the community:
Alex and Dave - a highly skilled son and father duo. Both are multiinstrumentalists who apply expert-level music theory to arrangements. Alex loaned me a spare steel string guitar, and Dave loaned me some effects pedals (which I’m still working out how to use).
Able - a passionate worship leader from Nigeria who is gifted in Spirit-led singing, especially when there’s an extended bridge or time of response as dictated by the chorus. He’s always willing to hop on the cajon on any given Sunday.
Clare - a sharp and intuitive guitarist and singer who is always willing to support a set. She has a great ear for harmony and plays well in the pocket when doubling my lead parts or playing with a capo while I play open chords (vice-versa).
Phil - a bass player who has come out of a period of inactivity to play for the band. He’s great at staying in the pocket and keeping time during impromptu changes of a song or within a set.
Tan - a wonderful backup vocalist with great tone, who has been keen to grow in her experience in ministry. She’s always willing to try out songs and grow in her familiarity with lesser-known worship songs.
Ann - a lively and energetic worship leader from Nigeria who has a unique vocal tone. She also has a great ear for harmonies.
Shaffa - new to the faith and bold in his desire to serve, he stepped in to backup vocals, often singing the lower octaves to make the range of a set more robust.
Raquel - a gifted worship leader from the US, who has a great vocal tone and natural feel for arrangement as well as a unique talent for ministering through music.
Debbie and Excellence - a brilliant mother and daughter duo from Nigeria who sing backup vocals on many iterations of the band. They both have great ears for harmony and an instinctive feel for musical arrangement. Excellence has developed into a promising next-gen worship leader.
Noble and Treasure - brothers from Nigeria who have immense talent and natural chemistry on the keys and drums. Their percussive style of playing that seems to feed off one another makes you want to dance and praise.
Musicianship
I recently shared an article about the difference between US and UK English and how it affects various aspects of day-to-day life. It comes as no surprise that there are differences in musical terminology as well. Here are a few examples:
🇺🇸 = 🇬🇧
Whole Note = Semibreve Quarter Note = Crotchet Eight Note = Quaver Sixteenth Note = Semiquaver Half Step = Semitone Whole Step = Tone Staff = Stave Measure = Bar
When I moved to the UK, I brought a classical nylon string guitar and an electric guitar. Although I lack a lot of my own equipment, I’m still looking to expand my knowledge and grow in my overall musicianship. Here’s a list of a few things I’ve either implemented or am aiming to try out and further develop:
Spirit-led Singing - It takes frequent listening to different versions of songs, but one of the things I’m trying to work on now is the ability to find spots in a song where I can minister and possibly go off on impromptu melody based on the lyrics and melodic motifs. The entire band has to be on the same page with these segments so I usually insert a cue to give them an idea of when and where to go within a song’s arrangement.
Ear Training - there may be instances in a gathering where a song is sung acapella, and it would be helpful to catch the key and play chords to fit the melody. There are apps you can use that help train your ears to hear specific notes.
Harmonies - going along with ear training, I’m looking to develop my instincts when it comes to adapting to a melody by singing a higher or lower harmony. I can hear or understand harmony on a guitar more than I can on vocals.
Voice Leading - I started rearranging songs with chord tones that connect more smoothly together. This helps make the song more interesting and helps the congregation track with the melody.
Reggae Style Strumming - there are a few different ways to play a song in this genre. Some strumming patterns incorporate a bass sound with your palm and a percussive slap with your thumb, all while hitting the 2nd and 4th upbeats.
Nashville Tuning - an alternative tuning that changes out the normal E-A-D-G strings of a 6-string set and utilizes lighter strings from a 12-string set. The result is a more airy sound that mimics a 12-string guitar.
Partial Capo - these capos allow you to bar 3 strings, such as the A-D-G strings, and mimic alternate tunings while keeping open strings for droning notes.
Dimming the lights - for whatever reason, our church doesn’t do much with the lights to establish ambiance during a worship set. In the US, we would often dim the lights to give space or a sense of privacy as people engaged in worship. I’ve asked a few questions about this and have made suggestions.
NEW PRAYER REQUESTS!
Pray for our close family member who recently had two strokes and is under close, attentive care. We believe Jesus can heal and reveal Himself in profound ways in the midst of suffering.
Pray for Steph’s recovery from an acute knee injury (Hoffa’s Pad Impingement Syndrome). Also, pray for me, as I’ve taken on full-time caretaking whilst doing the work of two people in looking after the house and children. She shared a bit about our situation here.
🤕 ❤️🩹
Pray for a smooth transition to a new home in Birmingham as our landlord will be moving back to the UK from Dubai. We know that the Lord has already prepared a neighborhood and opportunities to serve and be a light to new people.
Pray for our neighbors Ray and his wife, Lorraine, who is currently battling cancer (a tumor in her brain). Ray seems to be doing alright, but we haven’t seen much of Lorraine. I was able to catch her one day as she was leaving to give her a hug and reassure her of all of those who were praying for her treatments and recovery. She broke down in tears as I briefly ministered to her.
Pray for students who are moving to Birmingham for University over the summer to prepare for the Fall term. Our church is linked up with Fusion UK to welcome, facilitate encounters with Christ, and engage in ongoing discipleship of students.
NEW PRAISE REPORTS!
We have a number of new believers who have expressed a newfound faith in Christ and desire to publically proclaim their commitment at our Baptism Service (on June 30th). It’s been an honor to be part of people’s journies and stories of faith. Please pray for Shaffa, Mary, Tanya, Ryley, and Elouise.
I am grateful for the opportunity to disciple Excellence, an up-and-coming worship leader who has displayed a heart for service, an interest in developing her skills on guitar, and God-given gifts to minister to the next generation of God’s people. The team at Redemption Hill all chipped in to bless her with a new acoustic guitar, along with a case, capo, and strap.
Excellence and I called back up after the sermon to lead a time of response.
I’ve also seen immense potential in Coral’s two sons, Joseph and Zion. Joseph has been building his chops on lead guitar, and Zion has gotten more comfortable accompanying him on keys.
Pastor Jake from Coastlands Community Church in San Diego visited the UK. He took part in our daily/weekly UK rhythms and served in various capacities at Redemption Hill and during the joint service at Christ Church Birmingham.
Circled up to check in and pray for one another 🙏🏽
There are some legends in this photo—then there’s me in the back 😅
Our youngest, Shilo “Roo” Ruah, has been growing and developing well. He’s shown real tenacity and swift growth in terms of reaching certain milestones (crawling, sitting, standing, and soon… walking).
Roo’s first experience in the ‘sandy pit.’
Our sweet ‘PrincessDalia,’ turned 3 today! We’re so grateful to God for all of her unique qualities and the immense joy she brings to our family!
Mommy & Daddy’s Prima Ballerina 🩰
I’ve had the pleasure of developing ideas for sermon series and have created slide packs for PowerPoint and Keynote. The Lord has led me to focus on fostering biblical literacy in our context by preaching through books of the Bible from the Old and New Testament and incorporating Topical series to help us discern and think critically about the intersection of faith and culture.
A 4-week series looking at Old Testament messianic prophecies regarding the most important event in human history!
An 8-part series looking at and critiquing cultural clichés.
I designed the graphic and helped Coral divide 1 John into 13 sermons.
I divided Jude into 4 sermons: ‘Contending for the Gospel,’ ‘Denyng the Gospel,’ ‘Perservering for the Gospel,’ and ‘Glorying in the Gospel.’
GIVING
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