Tim Miller

Anyone pastoring a multi-site team of 75+ musicians in a tiny northern Michigan town has to be a little zealous about worship. But I wasn’t always that way. I started out as one of those head-banging rock guys. I agreed that music was about the message, but it was also about me. Then during a down time in gig-land I was asked to play on a church worship band. Although it sounded to me like amateur night, I said “Yes.” I got bit by the worship bug and never returned to trying to be the star of the show. That was nearly 3 humbling decades ago.

There was so much to learn along the way. Back then we didn’t have worship schools. Contemporary church music meant strumming songs like “Kumbaya” and “Alleluia.” Cutting edge was Pat Boone singing Larry Norman’s “I Wish We’d All Been Ready.” I gleaned from others through workshops and worship events that began popping up around the country, and through trial and (a lot of) error as I transitioned from volunteering 20-40 hours a week to part-time and eventually full-time ministry. One result of this wild ride is that now I’m able to invest into others who are in the same worship-learning process. Yes, I love sharing my story and the lessons which have cost so deeply to learn, but even more significant is listening to the stories of others as they identify and grow in specific areas to increase their own fruitfulness while serving to glorify the Lord.

Worship is my passion. For me it’s the best of all worlds, encompassing technical arts, singing, playing, crafting songs and creating opportunities for special moments with the Lord – both personally and as a congregation. It never gets old because there’s always something new to learn, some place deeper in myself in which to embrace the Lord.