TIL THE END -- 2010

I am so excited to announce the release of my newest worship record titled, Til The End. God has done some incredible things thru Element Church and several of those moments have been captured thru these songs. The CD will release on Itunes Tuesday, October 5th. We will be having a CD release party on Wednesday September 29th. This will be a night of worship and story telling with the songs birthed here at element. This is your chance to pick up the cd for a discounted price.

VOTE FOR FAVORITE ALBUM COVER!

On September 29th we will be releasing the brand new worship album with songs that I have written in response to the work God is doing here at Element Church. We are so excited to share these songs with the world. I believe in these songs heart and soul. I live them and breathe them. They are the heart beat of a movement here in Cheyenne, WY. My prayer is that these songs would penetrate the human heart and infuse you with a conviction to chase the dream God has placed inside of you, and to run this race as if everything is on the line, carrying our Cross, sharing the love of Jesus with a dying world, and when its all over we can say I made it til the end.

Here is where you come in. We would like to get your opinion on which design direction to go. Below you will find 3 options. Please fill out the form below with the option you like the best.

A - Black City

B - White City

C -Black Simple

D - White Simple

We are so pumped to put these songs into your hands. Thank you all elementer's who sing these songs with all your heart, and for letting me test songs on you guys.

Til The End,
Adam

Sunday Afterthoughts May 23rd

If your afraid to take risks you just end up limiting yourself.

Yesterday we took a risk. I had this crazy idea to experiment with electronic music in worship. So we made our way down to The Bakery Studio in Colorado Springs, CO with my friend, producer/engineer, Brad Nyght who made it all magic. The entire worship set was built around a DJ running the tracks, Jeremiah adding tasteful additions with modulations on his guitar and me simply rocking the mic. This was my first time leading with out a guitar. Overall we felt really good about it. It was definently a stretch for us as a church. We have never really attempted anything like it before. Ill post 2 of the tracks here. I don't have copyright to post the other 2 but they were solid.





We also used an element of silence in our service. Completely awkward. Showing a video with text talking about hearing God in the silence. Sometimes we don't hear God because we make too much noise. Silence is a form of worship. Will you choose to be silent sometimes?

Pastor Jeff preached a very good and strong word on Expression in Worship. Click here for the rundown on his message.


Set List:
Breaking Free - Adam Cruz (arranged by Adam Cruz & Brad Nyght)
Glory To God - Steve Fee (arranged by Adam Cruz & Brad Nyght)
Til The End - Adam Cruz (arranged by Adam Cruz & Brad Nyght)
How He Loves - Kim Walker (arranged by Adam Cruz & Brad Nyght)

This Sunday

We are super pumped about this Sunday at element church. I wanted to give you a little taste and see for this Sunday. Don't miss it. I hope you enjoy.



pumped about Sunday,
adam

Sunday Afterthoughts May 9th

If you missed Element Church yesterday, I'm sorry.

God's presence was so strong and moving.

As you know we like to mix things up all the time around here. So we did just that. We stripped it down to a full acoustic worship set. It was beautiful. We rocked 4 acoustic guitars across the frontline with huge harmonies and moving creative elements. Added a new tag to the end of Nothing But The Blood which was a powerful moment. We opened and closed with the AWAKE MY SOUL tag from Mumford and Sons. Such a cool song.

The kicker of the day was having Jenna LaPierre paint throughout the entire worship service. The theme was Awakening. Check out Jenna's facebook for more information on purchasing the painting that came out of that time. They are auctioning it off for there missions trip.















There was such a specialness about meeting with Jesus yesterday.

But we won't stop there...this week we are busting out more Jesus Creativity. haha. This weeks worship set is brand new to Element. Never been done before. Don't miss it. Jesus is creative. Don't put Him in a box and say "there is only one way to worship". Great moves of God from all of history have happened with so many musical styles. So we want to still press the envelope on style. There is a huge culture out there that still have not heard of Jesus and His love for them. Don't ever settle. Be creative.

Pastor Jeff delivered a great word on Routine in worship.
Check it out here.

Set List:
Awake My Soul - Mumford and Sons
Your Grace is Enough - Chris Tomlin
Nothing But The Blood - Old Hymn
Hallelujah Our God Reigns - Hillsong
Awake My Soul (re-visited) - Mumford and Sons
Communion - Third Day

Til The End,
Adam

Sunday Afterthoughts May 2nd

Yesterday we kicked off our new series called "OPEN" - Noisy Hymns, Ego-Music, and How God Sees Your Worship. I am pumped about the things God has laid on Pastor Jeff's heart for this topic. I think that it is timely especially in today's culture of "church shopping". We have made worship so much about ME and MY "preferences" as if THEY EVEN MATTER, that we have replaced TRUE "HANDS AND FEET" worship for a "time of singing", in-which afterwards has no affect on the way we live our lives in our work place, our schools, families and communities . I know that my heart is going to be stretched on this topic as your worship pastor and I am asking God to do a brand new work in me thru this series.

My creative team knocked it out of the park for our set design this month. We put in many more hours than normal but the end result was remarkable.















Leeland's new song "Follow You" is exactly what this sermon series is all about. It will be song several times this month for sure.

I challenged our team yesterday to leave it all out on the stage. Give it everything you've got, and they definitely did. I love this worship team. Their passion to see God lifted high. I love watching each one of them worship their heart out and be moved by God during every service. Its contagious. But it doesn't stop there. When they worship God, they are moved beyond the song and they live it out. Love you guys!!!

Sunday Set List
Open Up The Gates - PlanetShakers
Glory To God - Fee
I Surrender - Kim Walker
Follow You - Leeland/Brandon Heath



til the end,
Adam

Sunday Afterthoughts 4-25

///Today was a great day at element. Pastor Jeff was on a much needed/deserved vacation to cancun. So pastor Andy filled the pulpit. He did a fantastic job and spoke boldly on Loving God with all our Strength. A great challenge to step into action with our faith.

///There was a great authenticity about worship today. The "energy" of worship in 3rd service was electric. So huge. Each service was a great time of worship though.

///We are absolutely loving the newest song by Corey Asbury called So Good To Me.

///I can't express how excited I am about our upcoming series in MAY called "OPEN" (noisy hymns, ego music, and how God sees your worship). We have some creative elements planned for the month. Jeremiah and I spent the last week in the Bakery Studio nailing down creative elements for one of the weeks. Pastor Jeff will be bringing the word strong. I'm very excited about the direction we are taking on worship. Buckle up!

Set List:
Rise and Sing - Fee
So Good To Me - Cory Asbury
Stronger - Hillsong
The Same Power - Hillsong

Sunday Afterthoughts April 18th

It has been a while since the last post. 5 months in fact. I am not promising that I am going to be more consistent, however due to the increasing interest in our elementer's wanting to know the names of the songs we sang for the last Sunday, I will be posting our set list here consistently each monday morning. And periodically some thoughts on worship, and my family. Amber and I are now only 14 weeks away from having a baby girl. So I am sure this will be used a lot more.

Set List:
The Time Has Come - Hillsong
So Good To Me - Cory Asbury
How He Loves - Kim Walker (version)
Yes You Have - Leeland

The Evaluation Room

So this weekend I had the privilege of spending some time with some great friends at The Bakery Studio here in Colorado Springs. We are working on Chris Watt's new record and also doing some song writing for various things. I love the studio and I get to come down here quite often to be a part of several projects. Something hit me as we were leaving the studio yesterday though:

As we were leaving I was reflecting on how humbling the studio sessions are for me. I feel confident as a guitar player and I feel like I'm creative and talented. But when I put myself in a PERFECT situation, where every single note, strum, tuning, hook line, riff, picking, & timing has to be spot on, I realize how far I really am from where I need to be. So I asked Brad for some "next step" feedback. What should I challenge myself on so that each time I'm in the studio I am better. I felt humbled because I quickly realized all my "lazy" areas that I never work on. Or the things that I don't think matter until I put myself in the studio.

The danger I realized is how much I do this in my walk with God. Here's the catch. Some of us don't have a true understanding of where we REALLY are in our walks with God because we are not putting ourselves in "the studio". I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT RIGHTEOUS PERFECTION, or saying lets all be perfect. Here is what I am saying. Some of us are content where we are and become complacent, we never put ourselves in "the studio" where all is shaken & revealed. God is "the studio", and I when I get a around Him I get a real evaluation of where I am at. Its there that we are challenged in our comforts, our laziness, & our compromises. We get around the ONE who is Holy and Perfect and we realize where we are, and we should ask "Father, what's the next step for me, what needs to go, what needs to be challenged, what needs to be tweaked so that I can continually become more like you?"

For several, we struggle with our devotional life, going to church consistently, surrounding our self with the right influences, having a private prayer closet, etc. These are things that put us in the "evaluation room". If we never go there, then we are in danger of becoming Revelation 3 vomit.

I have learned to love my time in the studio, because I know when I leave I am becoming a better musician. So I am learning to love my "GOD STUDIO" where I ask him to search me, challenge me, and make me more like Him. Have you been to "the studio" lately?

Headed to the Studio,
Adam

The Weight of the Race

A couple of weeks ago I was spending some time in my devotions and praying about life and ministry and such. I felt God speak this to me:

Ministry is like a relay race. The kind with a baton. The way we get started determines the way we end. Everyone hands off the baton to the other racer. Its of most importance that the guy in front does the best he can so that the next guy doesn't have to make up the slack of the other guy, which eventually leads to a bad finish for the final guy.

This is why the greeters in the parking lot, the ones folding bulletins, those leading worship, those bringing the word, those dealing with kids, student ministries, and everything else carries huge weight.

I think sometimes we separate ministries. Saying "well, that's the student department and that's the children's, etc". Not realizing that if I drop the baton as a first impressions guy or a youth worker, I potentially damage what God wants to do from the pulpit in someones heart.

As a worship leader, I must make sure I do everything I can to the best of my ability to help people receive what God has for them thru the word God has given pastor Jeff.

I think sometimes we get lazy and don't carry the "weight of the race" and that's when we start dropping batons in ministry. That goes for all areas. People begin to leave and you become a bad steward of the talents and gifts God has given you.

The flip side of that is, the beauty of working hard and to the best of our abilities. When we train hard, the end result is worth it.

We are all in this for one purpose. Many roles, one goal.

Learning,
Adam

Be The Church Day video!

Here is a link to the video for Be The Church day, where we canceled church to go out and BE the church. 6 projects and peoples lives were changed. God did a miracle. It was a very powerful thing to be apart of. This entire series has been incredible and we are seeing God change our minds and hearts towards what the church is supposed to REALLY BE! Enjoy...

http://vimeo.com/6727011

Sunday Set List

Bare Bones Sunday is what we called this past Sunday. We literally used ZERO volunteers. NONE. NO ONE. It was the WORST Sunday ever in the history of Element Church as far as presentation goes. No one greeted, no donuts, coffee, no ushers, no worship guides, no lyrcs on the screen, no screen at all, no theatrical lighting, no sound (I PLUGGED MY MIC AND GUITAR INTO MY AMP) and led worship, no First Impression people in the lobby, no door openers, no one in the parking lot. IT WAS HORRIBLE. FOR THIS REASON, we can't do anything without our volunteers. Our volunteers are priceless and they do a phenomenal job. It takes over 100 volunteers to pull off 1 Sunday morning. We didn't want to TALK about it anymore we wanted to SHOW it. The point was made.

-- We received over 90 interest cards for people to step up and volunteer.

Set List:
O Praise Him: David Crowder
Reign In Us: Starfield
Funny How: Adam Cruz
For Who You Are: Hillsong United

Sunday Afterthoughts 8-23

This week I wrote a new song based on the series we are in, called "Till the End". It was literally a download straight from heaven. I wrote it late one night and felt like it was my heart for this series. Jeff has coined the phrase "Till the End" throughout this series. So today Jeff talked about making it to the end in our Marriages. I had Amber sing the song with me at the end of service for a time for Couples to pray thru this idea. It was beautiful having her up there with me. I love my wife very much and I am committed "till the end" with her. I love being able to do what we love, together. (who knows maybe with enough prodding from you she will consider singing more on sunday's, hint hint). Regardless it was a really cool moment today to participate in that with her!

I love being a part of a church that is helping people experience life. I love that when I come in, I leave different. I love having a pastor that isn't afraid of man, but fears God and preaches what God says to preach. I love serving with a team that is WILDLY CRAZY ABOUT JESUS. It's contagious.

We had some 247 kids in our E:Kids ministry today. Absolutely in sane.
Had a packed house all 3 services

I love walking out into the lobby and feeling an intense BUZZ in the air of anticipation and passion for Jesus and what He is doing here at Element Church.

To say that I am incredibly STOKED for our next series "BE", would be an understatement. We have things planned at Element that have never been done before. EVER! YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS SEPTEMBER 6th! AT ALL! Make sure you do everything you can to be here at Element, and don't think you'll just listen to the podcast or check it out online. The rest of the weeks are going to be incredible as well as we take a look into what the church should really "BE"!

Jesus was worshiped today, the Word was preached and lives were changed. LOVE IT!

Had a GREAT night of Settlers of Catan at the Andrews house. I won!!! Cannot EVER get enough of that game. lol

Off to bed. Excited about Lead Team meeting with the guys tomorrow morning. Finishing up the book "IT" by Craig Groshel. Really good book.

Set List:
Today is the Day - Lincoln Brewster
Sweetly Broken - Brandon Heath
Came to my Rescue - Hillsong United
How He Loves - Kim Walker
Till the End - Adam Cruz

Till The End,
Adam

Sunday Afterthoughts and updates

Man I have entered this summer at full speed. I feel like I have been out of Cheyenne more than in Cheyenne. I always have thoughts that I want to blog to help keep everyone in the loop with what is happening with Amber and I and here at Element but I am not doing a very good job so far.

-- I am tired from today & I have no voice left. Someone told me to go drink a few shots because it helps. Hmmmm. I think ill pass, any other thoughts?

-- God was worshiped today! God's presence was thick today. We as believers bring the presence of God with us when we gather. I love gathering in a corporate setting to lift high the name of Christ. On the contrary its of vital importance that we worship (in song and word) privately.

-- We began our new series called "UNTOUCHABLES" today. Thru the month we will be taking straight aim AT THE CHURCH. Jeff talked about the issue of Character today. Very challenging. I am truly stretched like I have never been thru the words God gives Jeff.

-- Getting pumped about next week for our Tailgate baptism party. I think we are baptizing some 28 people. Going to be sweet. Remember next Sunday following 3rd service.

-- I have already designed the graphic for our next series and will start work on the new promo video which will show next Sunday. Untouchables and this next series are going to be intense here at Element. I am excited for the freedom God is bringing to all of us thru this next 7 weeks.

Alright I am headed to partnership class. And then sleeping lol.

Set List for Sunday July 12th:
Today is the day - Lincoln Brewster
Spring of Life - Kristian Stanfill
Mighty to Save - United
From the Inside Out - United


Adam

Light Tech

Currently Element Church is looking for a Light Tech.
Being a Light Tech means programming and running our motion and par can light systems for our Sunday morning worship experience. We will provide all training necessary to do a great job on Sunday mornings. This is a very fun opportunity / working environment to be creative here at element church!

Email me at adam@elementweb.net if you are interested. I have an application for you to fill out and we will get you plugged in right away.

searching,
Adam

afterthoughts, a confernce, and a blog long due

Sunday was one of those times you'll never MAKE happen and you'll remember and hold to for a long time. The presence of God was so thick in that room and you Elementers just pressed in for it. Man I was moved and loved meeting with Jesus. I hope all your hearts were moved and brought closer to Jesus.

My band knocked it out Sunday. Take me aside. They worked hard and helped be the conduit for worship to flow thru. Great job Bryant, Jeremiah, Jeremy, Mark, Amanda, Jason, Todd, Ben, Katie. Everyone needs to know how much each of these people mean to me. They are a direct influence on people experiencing life. Thank you for all the time you guys put in.

I brought the team down for the Enter Worship Conference this week. We are starting day two. Last night was a very powerful time of worship and a challenging message. A great start to the week. We are very excited about what God is going to teach us.

Here are a couple team shots:
(We let the ASCENT guys hang in our presence, we all know they wish they were ENTER peeps, LOVE YOU!!)

4 Things that Create a Healthy Worship Team (2)

I am continuing the blog series on what I have seen that creates a healthy worship team. You can read my previous post here. Again I have by no means figured this thing out, but as I continue to grow these are things that have helped me as a leader.

#2 - Coach Others To Do What You Do
This is a brand new concept to me. As a staff here at Element, this year, we have made it an intentional part of our ministries, to begin coaching people. I am learning how to do this and finding ways to be coached at the same time. It is healthy for your team and the congregation to realize that "blank" church worship does not rest on your shoulders. Its healthy for them to see other people leading worship, and its healthy for you to let others lead.

Now realize as I said in the previous post, NOT just ANYONE can lead. In fact this is a lot more of an EXCELLENCE issue. While many people can be on worship teams as instrumentalist and vocalists, not everyone is designed to LEAD worship. WHICH IS OK!
Character, style, personality, talent, and most important, does your lead pastor approve with direction of the church, all play HUGE roles into finding worship leaders.

Its important to find these leaders and invest into them thru coaching. Provide them with all that you are learning and avenues in which to grow. Have them help you with song selections and song structures, styles and formats. This will give them tools necessary to develope into a worship leader. Then give them opportunities to lead. Maybe a song here or there on different weeks. And then give them an entire set.

BE ON THE PLATFORM WHILE THEY LEAD! Its one thing to be out of town and say "hey your on this week". Its another thing when you say "hey I am backing you up this week". Give them center stage and let the lead it all. This is a very healthy approach for your congregation. It teaches them that its not about 1 guy, and 1 style. and again giving them opportunity is what will help them develop into who God may be calling them too be even if they mess up, and even if its not done as well. You have to be willing to create growth opportunities. JUST REMEMBER WHERE YOU STARTED! (I KNOW I DO)

As things grow you HAVE to multiply yourself. If you are never coaching anyone then you will never have anyone PERIOD.

This is a concept that is hard for a lot of leaders. To share their SPOT. However, its the most healthy for you, your team, and your church.

Being Coached,
Adam

4 Things that Create a Healthy Worship Team (1)

At the beginning of this year I began to feel God stir my heart for some specific directions to take the worship team. As I met with Jeff from time to time we talked about next steps for the team. I have by no means figured this thing out, and in fact these are things I am currently struggling with and learning my self. But these are some specific things I feel like God has placed inside of me to help create a healthy worship team.

1 - Multiply your Team: I really struggled when we launched Element Church with what the worship team would look like. I wanted excellence and believe that that is a key component to a great experience and there are several team models out there.

I don't believe in the "ANYONE WHO LIKES TO PLAY AND SING, CAN PLAY AND SING" model. That model is not effective at all. Every time I have seen it and talked with the worship leader they are stressed out and very frustrated and most of the time its more of a distraction than anything. Also,you may be leading someone in a direction opposite of where God is calling them because you don't want to offend their lack of ability to play or sing.

But on the flip side which is where I tend to lean, is the "ONE BAND, THE SAME BAND, EVERY WEEK" model, no hick-ups, no unpredictability, no major mess ups, so on and so on. The problem with this is that you are limited. When everyone leaves the church and moves on and you haven't been raising up knew people, then you have no-one. You also may limit someone's development into the next greatest worship leader because they were never given the opportunity. There is a balance. I tried Church Wide Auditions, and I've tried private auditions, both have there plus and minus's. The key is to be multiplying your team. Allow people to sit under your other band members on rehearsal nights and learn. Encourage each team member to be investing in someone else. You will never have a shortage of quality musicians at your disposal. And you just may be allowing the next Chris Tomlin come thru your ministry.

New blood can stretch you as a leader as well, from style, to song selections, to creative ideas. Find that balance for you but in order for there to be a healthy Worship Ministry that will last forever you must multiply your team in an excellent, quality environment.

learning,
adam

I HATE YOUR NOISY WORSHIP

Here is a post I did last week as a guest blogger on Jeff's blog. I wanted to add a few more thoughts God has awakened me to, but for those to make since I thought I would first re-post that blog. More to come!!

Over the last few months God has been forming something deep inside of me in regards to worship. For years I have been a Christian, worshipped at churches, camps, conferences, etc. But lately something changed. There is something beyond a band, beyond lights, beyond a stage, beyond hymns, it’s more than a traditional service and it’s bigger than a modern service.

In Amos 5: 21-24 it reads: I hate all your show and pretense – the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living!

You must define what worship is. I see it this way. THE GOAL OF WORSHIP IS FOR MY HEART TO CONNECT WITH GOD’S HEART. That’s it! Its not about singing 1 song or 5 songs. 15 minutes of worship or 50 minutes of worship. The GOAL is that our hearts would connect with God’s heart. Alright so, if that’s the goal then what happens next is God begins to give us His heart. My heart should be changed in worship and I begin to get His heart. So the question is, WHAT IS GOD’S HEART? WHAT DOES HE CARE ABOUT MOST! I think its evident that he was passionate about lost people, hurting people, the poor, the lonely, the outcast and the broken. That is who he was around, that is who His heart breaks for. So in worship, if my heart is connecting with His heart, and I begin to have heart change and get more of his heart, and I begin to feel and care about what He cares about. Then I have to ask the question, WHAT AM I DOING ABOUT IT.

See this is where I think Amos 5 is key. WITHOUT ACTION OUR WORSHIP IS NOTHING BUT “NOISY HYMNS OF PRAISE”, or as the message puts it “I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.”

My goal for worship at Element Church is to facilitate and environment where your heart will connect with the heart of God. I want them to get fired up about what God cares about and leave to change the world. See most of us leave our worship times at church and do nothing, absolutely STINKING nothing. And then God shows us Amos 5. Too many of us in communities across America do nothing. We want the world to come to us and we never become the hands and feet of Jesus. BECAUSE OF WORSHIP the poor should be fed, the needy taken care of, cities given what they need most. But its not just pastors, its YOU connecting with the heart of God and partnering with a passion bigger than you. I love how the message says it:
“Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it.”

This is also why EXCELLENCE is key. Without excellence you become a distraction. Distractions hinder heart-connection. When things are done well, with preparation it actually creates an environment of freedom and flexibility. Lights, Stages, Rock N Roll, music, instruments, hymns, cathedrals, and sprung buildings are all tools to help CONNECT OUR HEARTS WITH THE HEART OF GOD AND CHANGE THE WORLD!

Adam

Sunday AfterThoughts!

Today I wore flip flops!!

This is my favorite season. I love flip flops. And it was a busting 60 degrees today, so I started early.

We had some hickups this week with the worship team. But they did awesome. Adjusted well. And God was worship. I really felt like today everyone was connecting. I love seeing physical demonstration of what God is doing in peoples hearts during worship.

Jeff closed the Wild Goose Chase series today with a passionate, fire-up, finale. I love being behind a man with so much vision and executing passion for a church and its impact in a city. COME ON CHURCH! Its game time!

We have SO many things happening here at element, there is buzz in the air.
1) We are launching 3 services in 2 weeks
2) We are launching our new series Sunday School
3) We are launching our brand new website by the end of this week
4) We are dropping 40,000 easter eggs from a helicopter April 4th
5) We are doing an easter service in a way I am sure will surprise you all!!

I love this church!

Set List for 3-15-09
Everyone (praises) - Desperation Band
Blessed be your name - Matt Redman
Beautiful Jesus - Kristian Stanfill
Mighty to Save - Hillsong United
It is well


Buzzing
adam