Vacaville, Calif.—In a day and age when worship styles can be a touchy issue, the members of Orchard Avenue Baptist Church, Vacaville, California, have embraced a unique team of worship leaders. The change came about when the church was challenged to stay relevant to young families while maintaining a rich heritage of hymns.
Several years ago Pastor Ken Doan began teaching about worship while blending different styles of music in corporate worship. Through this process the church has teamed church musicians who have been involved in ministry for many years with new members who have musical ability. The result is a worship team of more than a dozen people, covering nearly every age group from teens to a pianist who just turned 90!
Josh Lieurance, worship and youth pastor, has artfully incorporated the diverse group into a unified team of singers, musicians, and tech support. Because of the great involvement, the church is able to rotate participants so they may sit with their families at least once a month.
Pastor Josh began working at Orchard Avenue Baptist
a year ago and first recruited two brothers, Brandon and Spencer Cross, ages 12 and 13. These talented young men began practicing and playing with the existing team members. Because their father is in the military, Brandon and Spencer have since moved. However, the church still has a couple of teens involved and plans for more in the near future.
