This latest interview for Vineyard Voices is with Andrew Locke from the Manchester Vineyard Community Church, located in the shining, shimmering jewel that is Manchester, NH.
Mike: Andrew! How’s it going bro? I haven’t seen you since Estes Park in 2006, I believe. Tell the readers a bit about yourself…
Andrew: I have an amazing wife, Jessica, and two crazy kids, Eden (6) and Acacia(4). I drive a Tundra. I am a drywall contractor. We have two cats, Simon and Molly, and a wonderful dog, Toby. Life is good.
Mike: What’s God up to at the Manchester Vineyard Community Church these days?
Andrew: We’re experiencing the good problems that growth brings. By this I mean we need to be more deliberate in the way we integrating new folks into our community. From a worship leader’s perspective, addressing questions about how to be sensitive to the needs of new people (and old, for that matter), while maintaining our commitment to expressing authentic adoration of God, is critical. In addition, we have A LOT of competent musicians for a church our size, and developing opportunities to utilize their gifts is always a challenge. Right now we’re all enrolled in Management 101.
Mike: What instrument(s) do you lead from?
Andrew: I lead from guitar. Principally I’m an acoustic guy (Guild DV-52), but I am trying to become more adept with the electric (Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor II). I have no special equipment for the electric yet. I also support on bass (Cort Artisan B5 Custom) occasionally. Oh, how I love the bass guitar, I miss it so.
Mike: I’m with you there…I’m in the same boat. I picked up a Fender Stratacoustic to help my transition, and I’m also a huge fan of the bass guitar! Tell us about your worship team(s)? (How many teams, rotation, how many services you have, etc.)
Andrew: We currently rotate three teams, led by myself and our other (veteran) worship leader, Les Morris. We rotate teams on a first, second, and third Sunday basis, with a different team picking up the fourth Sunday each month. We are seriously considering going to two services this winter (we are at critical mass).
I am a big fan of the “band” philosophy, meaning that I value what can happen when a group of people plays together regularly and often. The types of relationships and trust that build can really make a difference in a ministry setting (Sunday morning, conference, what-have-you). The challenge is creating bands which are cohesive and contribute to a common vision/purpose, and that can agree on the music they want to introduce/produce. I believe there is such a thing as musical overload. This is especially true in smaller ministry settings where you have to make sure folks know the songs you’re playing or congregational participation will seem empty and awkward.
Mike: Hmmm…there are a lot of Vineyards going to two services. In 2007 two local churches in Maine built sanctuaries large enough to hold 900 people. God is definitely up to something…
In terms of personal growth, what has captured your attention most?
Andrew: Everyone’s read “The Unquenchable Worshiper” by Matt Redman, a great, simple message that needed saying. Others include “Unceasing Worship” by Harold Best (one of the more comprehensive and deep worship theology books I’ve read), “Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down” by Marva J. Dawn (a VERY challenging book concerning concepts of worship tradition, history, style, presentation, philosophy, etc.), “Practicing the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence, “A Celebration of Discipline” by Richard Foster, “A Testament of Devotion” by Thomas Kelly, “Hinds’ Feet on High Places” by Hannah Hurnard (others of her writing are questionable), “The Elijah Task” by John and Paula Sandford, “Desiring God” by John Piper, “The City of God” by Augustine, “A Pilgrim’s Regress” by C.S. Lewis, “Orthodoxy” by G.K. Chesterton, and if I neglected to mention the Bible, well, what am I doing here then?
Mike: And what about music…what’s loaded in your Ipod or CD player?
Andrew: My favorite music, that which gives me supreme joy, is Christmas music. The pinnacle for me is the Ave Maria, which can bring me to tears. Another tear-jerker is O Holy Night…I know, Christmas music?
Right now I listen to a great variety rotationally: Caspian, Sting, Allison Kraus & Union Station, Bruce Cockburn, Andrew Peterson, Peter Gabriel, Norah Jones, Fernando Ortega, Snow Patrol, Keane, Mindy Smith, Iona, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Michael Card, Jars of Clay, Coldplay, Guster, and Sarah McLachlan.
Mike: Where are you in your personal journey?
Andrew: I knew there had to be a grenade in here somewhere. You know, for the longest time, probably from the age of about twenty to twenty-seven, I felt like I was “in waiting”. I call this my wilderness experience, not like Jesus, but more like Elijah. I did a lot of growing up and messing up. I feel like I’ve been found and brought back to civilization (…and wandering in the wilderness is the best place to be found…” In the Wilderness by Michael Card). I sort of feel like I’m out in a field, plowing rows, and overturning soil (not with a roto-tiller either). I know that this next row is going to be a long, hard push, but I somehow get life from the pushing. Strange! I’m also in this weird state of being young, but not so young anymore. I’m old enough that the youth group kids think I’m forty, but all the forty- fifty- and sixty-something’s think I’m a youth group kid. At least that’s how I feel about it; it’s probably not actually the case. I’m just trying to hear the Holy Spirit and respond to him rightly. I’m trying to live a life of devotion, adoration and obedience…Easier said than done.
Mike: Any leadership struggles you’d like to share?
Andrew: Leading by conviction instead of consensus. Humble confidence, like Nehemiah, is always hard to make work. Communicating clearly where I believe God wants this ministry to go, while leaving the door open for others to contribute to that direction is hard. I think I may need to begin challenging my musicians in ways that are going to make me and them uncomfortable.
Mike: How do you sense God moving in your part of the region?
Andrew: I believe we are at war…Tiring, bloody, depressing war. The temptation is to just be satisfied with the status quo. Give up and give in. The enemy wants to devour us and our little churches. But he that is in us is greater, and if I may be so bold, I sense that God is going to kindle a desire in our hearts to begin truly affecting the community of downtown Manchester. He is going to implant a desire to draw Manchester to our breast, to heal, to redeem, to reconcile. It seems like maybe we’ve been trudging along for a while, but that our plodding will increase to a walk, then to a run. It feels like momentum may be building to really see some activity, industry, and impact, not only in Manchester, but also in New Hampshire wholly.
Mike: Based on the forum on this site (Songwriting) I’ve notice that you write music, as well as lead worship. Tell us about your endeavors with songwriting. How do you get your inspiration and who has most inspired your style of writing?
Andrew: I’ve been writing songs since I was about fifteen. I really started as a wanna-be poet. I had this little green book of “deep thoughts” that later became useful as I joined my first band, Soul Bracket (Lead vox/trumpet – we had a Blood, Sweat & Tears meets Phish meets Alice In Chains kind of sound), because I learned more about melody writing and bringing the music from concept to reality. And then I was in a band called Fishers of Men. We had a really good three years, produced a record (actually two, but we really don’t like talking about the first one), had some good impact, and wrote some GREAT music. Main influences for that time were U2, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Sixpence None the Richer (This Beautiful Mess), Peter Gabriel, Rush, and maybe some Seattle bands (Soundgarden, Alice In Chains). Since that time, I really haven’t done that much songwriting. I have a folder with lots of concepts in it. Sometimes these ideas get combined. Lyrics and music are likely to come at the same time for me, but I do tend to lead with the lyric. What this means is I’ll usually have a very small idea in my head about a lyric and I’ll immediately begin to think about what sort of sound would fit the lyric. Is it a minor or major key? Is this a three chord gem or am I going to need to think of something more complex? I fit my music to the lyric. Then, three months later, I change the music. It always ends up happening. Songs often come in groups for me and I tend to pull inspiration heavily from other songs. Music is great in that you can plagiarize all day long, and the end product can be completely yours – something new.
Mike: Thanks for sharing. Your church has somewhat recently been adopted into the Vineyard Community of Churches. How has this transitioning been?
Andrew: It’s been pretty cool. We’ve had a really great time meeting new people and becoming a part of something larger than ourselves. That’s important. To feel like we’re connected to the mission of the Kingdom WITH others has been great for us. We’ve really embraced the Vineyard identity and have received so much support from the other Vineyards in the region. It’s been huge for me because I’m not really into flying solo. I would hear my pastor, who is also my father-in law, and some of the other leaders talk about what it was like “back in the seventies.” I found myself really desiring to have the kinds of relationships they have been so fortunate to develop over the years. It really seems as though the Vineyard offers that kind of opportunity.
Mike: I have firsthand knowledge about the depth of community the Vineyards in our region have for each other. Our church recently went through a rough time and the region banded together to get us through it all. We have great love for our brothers and sisters in the East. I’m glad you feel that community.
We’ve had the opportunity to hang out at the Estes worship retreat, and I wonder what you might say to those who may be thinking about going?
Andrew: Dude, go. Get on a plane and go to Colorado. God changed my life there. Jesus totally jacked me up. Back to the relationship developing theme, one of the most amazing things about Estes was the clear sense of family that seemed to permeate everything. It was totally awesome. To see a guy from Maine hugging a dude from Atlanta, and then go say hi to someone from Seattle was just so cool. It was also a very healing environment, and God’s grace was present to heal. If you are thinking about going, LET ME KNOW! Sweet.
Mike: Any words of encouragement or enlightenment to pass on to fellow worshipers?
Andrew: Read books by dead guys, keep your life steeped in devotion, ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you all the time, listen! Walk in the light, confess to one another, pray for one another, don’t worry about the music, and just serve your congregation. Jesus Christ is building his church (Matthew 16:18)
Mike: Spoken by a true hardcore worship junky…I love it! Andrew, how can we be praying for you?
Andrew: Pray that Jesus Christ will be glorified, and that we will be most satisfied in him. Pray that we won’t choke out the message by allowing the “cares of this world” to drive us. Pray that we will fix our eyes on Jesus Christ and that we will lose ourselves in awesome wonder.
Mike: Thanks Andrew, for taking the time to share. May God fill you to the depths in your growth and your trials. Blessings.