Saturday

I have a couple of photos that my interpreter was able to take in between translating and trying to figure what I said and then the best way to interpret it. People in the states have problems understanding me, so sometime it's really a problem for my interpreters! But Aldo did a great job! When I first heard his name was Aldo, I thought I was going to meet one of my long lost relatives from Italy. But Aldo is Estonian through and through.

1. This is a picture of our break time. Notice how high the 'break' room is from the church pews and then where the picture was taken was the floor where the class is. Like I said before three LONG floors up. This picture was taken at the beginning of the week, because by the middle of the week there were two tables full of cookies, with coffee and tea and water and juice. Good food!!!!

2. Here's a picture of me and Heldur the National Director. He was always taking pictures, stills and videos. He told me he hasabout 3 hours of video besides a DVD full of stills.

3. Lunch time. I found out yesterday that we have been eating lunch in the building where the Ministry of Agriculture is located. The bowl in the top left had the consistency of very loose jello and it had rhubarb in it. The white in the very middle was a dab of sour cream. It was very good.

4. And here is one of me teaching.

5. One of the pews in the church. The seat is very narrow and hard, and the back is very straight. Notice the speaker in the middle of the row. The church has a reverberation time of about 2 seconds and the sound lasts for about 12. While teaching the class one day a tour group came through the church, they were a choir. While we were in the middle of class all of a sudden we heard this choir singing. From inside our room the sound was wonderful.

I don't think I ever mentioned a bit of the story about the church there at Olevista. I don't mean the building, I mean the people. Back when Estonia was under Communist rule the communist rulers of Estonia decided that a good way to get rid of Christianity in Tallinn was to put several denominations together under one roof. Make them fight for leadership of the church. They thought that the leaders of all the churches wouldn't be able to get along with each other. The building they picked for this was the Olevista church building. (We won' t talk about how the communist's used the tower for their listening devices and radio signals since it was the tallest building in the city at the time.) I believe that was about 50 years ago. (I might be wrong about the timing of this though). As you can tell it didn't work. What man meant for destroying the church of God turned out to be a blessing. The church here in Olevista has about 1500 members. Praise God.

Because the church is an historical landmark it's likeness is found on all kinds of souvenirs both very nice and well a little bit on the gaudy side. Like the picture of the church on an ashtray or on the side of a shot glass. Ah, capitalism at its best!

John

Sorry no photos tonight. The students took their final today and I was busy putting things in order and then grading the tests as they came back. Heldur (the National Director for the three Baltic countries for TCMI ) has been taking pictures... lots of them. No seriously I mean he's taken so many pictures that he has to put them on a DVD in order for me to get a copy of all of them. I promise I won't bore you with that many. But I know they are going to be quite good!! (Heldur reads this blog)

Class went very well here. One of the things I found out today is that they have a couple of christian musicians that have been writing praise songs for awhile now. That's just great. One of the subjects we discuss in class is the fact that each of the counties really need to raise up their own musicians. Writing songs in their national language, using phrases that are natural for their language. Praise songs that come from their hearts, that show their colors and emotions, that express the ideas of their country.

Every time I teach this class I get the same feeling, and I see the same look in the eyes of the students. It's completely overwhelming for them. It's as if I had a fire hose connected to a well of information and then pointing the nozzle turned it on. Then for an entire week I shot information at them at full force.

One thing happened here that hasn't happened before, several of the audit students wanted to stay and just take the final to see how well they learned the information.

The students here came from several different church backgrounds. They came from all over the country. They came and stayed here in Tallinn with friends, relatives and the mission house that the Olevista Church uses for just this need. We had lunch together, but all the other meals were on there own. The time away from family, from their jobs, from their loved ones shows the love they have for the lost. And it shows the love they have for worship - wanting to make their worship service experience as meaningful as possible.

The class was held in the Olevista Church here in Estonia. It's a building that I think is about 700 years old. It's a national landmark. It's a big cathedral style church. That's what made this experience different for me. People were always walking in and out and walking around the sanctuary. Even on Sunday just before the worship service was to start a group came up to the front and walked around a bit and then walked to a side aisle and walked out. Then it hit me, I was one of those people when I walked through old cathedrals in Europe. I was one of those people who walked into a church like this when the worship service was going on. This time I was on the other side. It was different. My classroom was up three floors so we weren't bothered...to much. We did have one person come up the stairs thinking that that was the way to the bell tower. We had to direct him in another direction.

I am a little wiped out now, but I won't be leaving for Bulgaria until Sunday. I leave here tomorrow at 3, fly to Frankfort and then to Vienna. I think I get into Vienna about 8. Then I'll leave for Sofia Sunday afternoon. So I won't have a lot of time at the Haus, but at least I can sleep in a familiar bed for one night, before I'm on the road again.

It was a great first experience here in Estonia and in Tallinn, and I look forward to coming back when the chance occurs again.
John

Here are some more pictures.

The first two are of the class
The next one was taken when we were up on the bell tower. I really didn't feel that same with my back against the railing.
The next one was in the inside of the Russian Orthodox church. This is the first time I was in a Russian Orthodox church. It has a similar layout as the Romania Orthodox I was in last year. I'm sure the Icons were all different and in different places, but very similar in architecture and layout.
And you guessed it. This last one was one more shot of my GQ photo shoot.

Well, today was my last full day of teaching. Tomorrow we have one class sesson left. Then we will use one class for a review, go to lunch, come back and then the students will take their final.

As I have been saying all week long, this has been a great class and wonderful students. Today was the day we used some class time to actually plan a worship service using all the resources and material and ideas that we have been talking about all week long. They were in groups of 5. I gave them a verse of scripture to use as the main theme for the service and then they had to plan the service.

We had a great time with it. Very creative worship! If we were able to put them into practice, God would be greatly praised! I guess you can say He really was praised anyway just in our planning.

Right now I'm in the hotel doing this blog. There is student brass band here. Students from about junior high through early high school. They are outside right now warming up. I think I'll go out and take some pictures and listen.

John

Wednesday

Here are some more pictures
1. A class photo. I had to pay each one (okay bribe each one ) of them $5.00 to look like they were interested in the class!!
2. My interpreter Aldo and me.
3. I guess I was making a point. Either that or I just asked directions to the WC and I was making sure I knew how to get there.
4. The Big Russian Bell.
5. My big break. I had a GQ photo Op.

We had another great class today. We started the section on contemporary issues so the class was really into it. They had lots of questions and we had a lot of discussions.

I learn something every year. Actually it's the same thing, but I keep forgetting it. We are so blessed with so many resources available to you in the States. Right in the middle of a worship planning session if we need to find a video or new song, we just get right on line with our wireless laptops and do some surfing. then when we find something that we think might work, we download it and not even worry about how much it might cost us. We need it, we buy it!

We plan with several people around us all working together to strive for the best possible worship service for that particular weekend. Some of us remember what it was like to plan the service pretty much by ourselves. But even then we found some volunteers to help us out. Here a lot of the leaders are out there on their own. No help, no laptop, forget getting Internet service, no money. But they are thrown into the 21st century trying to plan a 21 st century worship service without some of this technology. What I stress in class is, it's not about the technology, it's not about the latest and greatest new toy that's important. It's about making worship a meaningful experience for them in their church using what resources they have. Being creative with those resources. Using what they have and they way they have done worship in new and fresh ways. To refresh what resources they have. Make it come from the heart.

It's a great class of students. All are striving to make worship the best it can be for their church.

We have a day and a half left and then the final. Tomorrow will be one more day of notes. A day where they get to put into action some of the worship ideas and thoughts we have been working on all week long.

John

Here are the pictures I promised yesterday

1.Our guide Neeme showing us the big Russian bells in the bell tower of the church. This one happened to be the BIG one. Neeme was a former student of mine. It was really good to see him again. As I mentioned yesterday, the church here lets people come in and look around. To look at the church it's free, but they do charge a small fee to go up the bell tower. Not everyone that goes up gets to see the bells. This was kind of a private tour just for the students in the class.

2. A view from the bell tower platform 60 meters up. This is a picture of the Russian Orthodox church.

3. The Baltic Sea

4. As you can see the tower still goes higher, 63 meters more!

5. These are some of the towers along the old city wall.

There is one thing I noticed here in Estonia about their church and more specifically their worship services. They don't seem to as diverse in their styles of worship as other countries I have taught in. That could be because of the ratio of Christian to non-christian in the country. 80% of the country is Protestant. In most other Eastern European countries it's more the other way around. Yes, some churches just use hymns in a very traditional style service and others use a more contemporary style, but there is not much difference between them. And there is not much variety in those styles.

I did notice that when I attended the Russian Baptise church on Sunday that all the married women had their heads covered. That was what reminded me of the diversity or lack there-of here in Estonia. Your teaching tends to take on a little slant when you see things like this.

The students are great. I have young adults to ....well let's just say adults older young adults. :)

They do seem to be a little reserved. But someone told me that, that is the culture here. But we are learning from each other about worship and what God really wants from us in our worship to Him.

Today we are half was through the class. We started contemporary issues at the end of the day yesterday, so today and tomorrow should really be fun! Just throwing new ideas at them and seeing how they use them within the context of their culture or if they even can use them. Or even how to use them or change them to fit what they want to do.

Better close now, my ride (Heldur) will be here soon to take me to the church.

John

Tuesday

Great day in Tallinn! We had a great class today. Lots of good questions and lots of new ideas for the students to think about. We even had some time for some very deep discussion about worship styles and music. I'm sure we haven't finished that discussion yet!
I've already told you where the class is held, but what is so different, is that because the church is an historic site, people are coming in and out walking around the church all the time. There is a tower on the church that reaches 123 meters. The people can climb up it also. After the last class today we climbed up to the section where there is a landing you can walk on and around the tower. That was 60 meters high. A bit scary!
Sorry no pictures right now. It's a little late here and I'm beat. And I have several papers I have to read tonight and grade, so it's up to the room when I'm finished here.
Oh, yeah, it turned out to be 11 buses last night!
John

Monday

Monday
Here are some pictures I took.

1. My class
2. Inside of building
3. Front of sanctuary
4. At lunch (4 floors up in a building across the street)
5. See I really was in Estonia

First day of class. There 16 in the class now (one was missing from the picture). We kept adding students as the morning progressed. The morning started with only 8. The room is on the second floor of the church, but this is so high that it’s really like the third floor.
Class went well for the first day. Lots of good questions.
The students are from all over Estonia and one student is from Belarus. Oleg now has someone to talk to in Russian. There is another student who lives and pastors a church in a city in Estonia where about 90% of the people are Russian.
There are a couple of pastors, several worship leaders and choir directors in the class. All most all of the worship leaders and choir directors are volunteers. When we discussed the concept of costly worship, they understood what that means. They know the time that it takes to do their job well. The time of preparation. The time of rehearsals, and the time on Sunday morning when the they are involved in the worship service. The price it costs them away from family time and loved ones. But it’s a service they willing and gladly perform because it’s for the Lord and His Kingdom.
ps. When I got to the hotel tonight there were 3 bus (coach size) loads of people all waiting to get their room key and waiting for the 2 small (3 people with luggage small) elevators. So it was 8 flights up by stairs. Puff, puff, puff!!!
Just looked out the window now there are 6 buses. No breakfast tomorrow morning for me.
Pps the only internet is wifi service in the lounge. I got down here to get on line and realized that I had forgotten my wifi card back in the room. Walked up 8 flight of stairs (remember all the line of people before… well add 3 more bus loads to that line) got my wifi card and came back down again to do this. I’m sure I will be finished with this before the line goes down, so it may be another 8 flights up the stairs for me today yet.
John

Saturday/Sunday

1. Mid-summer celebration public


2. Mid-summer celebration public

3. Giving the greeting at Olevista church


4. What the pulpit really looked like

5. Me at the piano











Sunday.
We started off today by going to the Olevista church for the the 10:00 service. Today they asked if I could bring a greeting (which I was ready for) and three specials, which put a little stress in my life. I sang two songs and played a piano arrangement of Give of Your Best To The Master.
After the service was over we jump into Heldur's car and drove over to a Baptist church. On the way over we picked up Oleg. We stayed there for about half and hour. then we hopped in the car again and drove back to the Olevista church where I gave a greeting and sang one song to their second service. About half way through that service we left and drove over to a Russian Baptist church to listen to a youth choir from Kiev.
4 services in one morning (and afternoon).

Saturday

Here are some more pictures

1. Russian Orthodox Church

2. Mid-summer Day Celebration with the Olevista Church on the Baltic sea coast

3. Mid-Summer Day Celebration with the Olevista Church

4. Praise the Lord

5. Boat on the Baltic Sea

Saturday pic's

Here are some pictures of what yesterday was like.

1. Radio interview. Me and Oleg

2. Old Tallinn

3. Town Plaza

4. Hari Krishna

5. Old Tallinn from the highest hill. The white steeple on right is Oleviste Church.

Tallinn

Saturday June 23, 2007
What a day. We started the day by going to….. Wait the day actually started at 4 in the morning. That’s when this bright light came streaming into my room. It was like being in a spot light. I took off my blindfold (yes that’s right, and now you know why) and looked at the clock…4:15 AM. I looked out the window and sure enough there it was, already up. Now back to my story… we got to the Oleviste Church around 10:00 with Heldur and I was interviewed on the radio station there. Then it was off sighting seeing until 5:00. At that time we headed out to the country where the church was going to celebrate Midsummer Day. Besides what I mentioned yesterday about the day it is also St. John’s Day. They had a whole special day named after me!
I was asked to give a greeting there. I guess there were around 150-175 people there. It was quite a drive out there. And it was right on the water too.
After the church celebration we drove back to Tallinn and after driving around for awhile we found another celebration that was open to the public. They had a rock band playing, people dancing, and the bonfire. We didn’t get there until about 11:45 or so. it’s after 12, or should I say 0:00 and I have to say, it’s still a bit on the twilight side. Also there is music all around.
I’ll post this tonight and then put pictures up tomorrow sometime. I took a lot of pictures today. I have to see which ones I want to post tomorrow….er I mean this afternoon.
John

TALLINN

June 22, 2007
My trip to Tallinn was a very easy one. It was non-stop from Vienna to Tallinn.
The Tallinn terminal was very new and most of the signs were in both Estonian and English which made it easy to get around.
After waiting for my luggage to arrive I went out and Heldur met me. He had a student with him. Oleg had just come in from Belarus, Heldur drove us to the church from the airport. The church is almost 700 years old. During the 1950’s the Communists put several Christian denominations together and said that they were all to use this building. Since then they have been getting along fine! And so is the church. Here are some pictures of the outside of the church. I’ll have more of the inside as the week progresses. [church pic above]
The church is in old Tallinn, so we walked around and found a place to eat lunch. After lunch we went sight-seeing. It’s a very pretty city. The weather was just perfect as you can see from some of the pictures.
Right now it’s 7:18 PM and the position of the sun makes it look like it’s about 2 in the afternoon.
Tomorrow is Midsummer Day. It’s a National holiday in which everyone celebrates by gathering around public bonfires lit at night. It’s also a day that the Estonians call Victory Day. It 1919 the Estonians forces defeated the German forces at the Battle of Vonnu. On that day Estonia became an independent country. So there is a celebrative spirit around the city now.
The church is setting a bonfire tomorrow night, so I’m going to be going to that.
Enjoy the pictures of Tallinn.

Austria

Alex got us to the airport in time with no problems. The flight was good, but it was packed. Every seat was full. Pam had an aisle and I had a window. we were hoping for an empty seat between us, but that didn't happen. There was a high school men's choir from the Elder School out of Cincinnati. There were about 80 in the choir and then parents and friends also came along. Nice bunch of guys. The guy in between us was in the choir.
We got to Vienna about 8:40 AM. Robert was here to pick us up. When we got to the haus it felt like we really hadn't been gone all that long. Because we are over here around the same time every year, it really feels like home.
I got my tickets for my in country trips. I fly out Friday morning for Tallinn (by way of Frankfort - never been there before). Then I'm back here the next Friday and fly out on Saturday for Sofia. That will be interesting. I've always gone from one country to the next without coming back to Austria first.
The weather is a bit on the hot and humid side over here right now!
I meet with Brent tomorrow to talk about worship teams and leadership issues. He's a worship leader here in Vienna at the church where Rob Prokup is the minister.
Well that's about it for today.
We're here and we're tired!
John

Conference

This week I'm with Pam at a library conference in Grand Rapids. So, I have some time on my hands during the day. Since being in Grand Rapids I had the chance to go to several Christian Publishing houses. Baker Book Discount house is right down the corner from me. I picked up Emerging Worship by Dan Kimball, The Worshiping Artist by Rory Noland and Worship 365. I started reading Worshipthreesixtyfive by David M. Edwards. The subtitle is The Power Of A Worshiping Life. It's a very good read and he is bring out some some very good ideas and thoughts. His premise is about living a life of worship. Worship is a biblical principle for everyday life. Go David!!
I think I have enough books to read and keep me busy for awhile.
jts

coming up

This coming Sunday Pam and I fly to Michigan. Pam has a Christian Librarian Conference to go to. The conference is in Grand Rapids at Cornerstone University. While she is at the conference I'll be hitting the different Christian book publishers that are in Grand Rapids. I'm hoping to find some books on worship that I can use as reference material for the class.