An Open Letter From Holland Davis

Dear Friends of Ocean Hills…

Over 5 1/2 years ago, Pastor Skip Heitzig invited Roxie and myself to partner with him in a great venture of faith called Ocean Hills Church.  We had no idea what God had in store for us, but with excitement we came alongside of Pastor Skip and faithfully served to build a strong, healthy and vibrant ministry.  When I arrived, we didn’t have a sound engineer, we were lacking equipment, we didn’t have musicians and within the first year we saw growth and stability.  Today, Ocean Hills has  a strong worship ministry with a media department that reaches the world through the internet, the ability to record live worship CD’s and a well developed infrastructure that is ready for growth.

Our time has not been without challenges.  When Pastor Skip received God’s call to return to Calvary Albuquerque to bring health to a difficult situation, he asked me to stay and be a stabilizing factor at Ocean Hills.  During the ensuing transition there were many faces in the pulpit, but Roxie and I remained a constant presence through our teaching, serving and leading God’s people in fulfillment of Pastor Skip’s request.  This year that commitment was completed when the board announced Jim Nicol as Senior Pastor of Ocean Hills Church.

With so much accomplished, Roxie and I believe that a new season is upon us.  It was the Apostle Paul that said… forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. (Phil 3:13b, 14, 12 NKJV).

Therefore, it is our strong conviction that God is leading us out of Ocean Hills into a new venture of faith.  We have mixed emotions as we “lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of us.”  We have sorrow because we have fond memories of our time at Ocean Hills and we will miss worshipping with you all.  We also have excitement as we move forward into the future.  But most of all we have gratitude for the privilege of serving our Lord together.

We want to thank Pastor Skip Heitzig for inviting us to come.  We serve well together and I look forward to continued opportunities to serve in the future.  We want to thank the board of elders for inviting us to continue our service at Ocean Hills.  We want to thank Pastor Jim Nicol for continued partnership in ministry at Ocean Hills.  We especially want to thank over 50 staff and volunteers who I personally had the privilege of working side by side with each and every week.  You make ministry such a joy and so easy to serve.

As we move forward into the future, we covet your prayers.  We also encourage you to continue the work which was started by Pastor Skip and myself.  Be a community of the Word, a community who worships and a community who serves in love.

Roxie and I look forward to seeing what the Lord will do in you and in us as we continue to walk according to His ways.

Blessings…

HD

PTSD Seminar at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa

I am leading worship at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa this Friday and Saturday for the Military Ministry conference. Come join us

Jesus Movement Stories…

I need your stories. Stories from the Jesus Movement and stories of how you have allowed God to shine through your life. Email to me.

Let It Rise Promo Video

Hey everyone… just a heads up on mynew book coming out the end of May 2009!!! You can pre-order your copy through Barnes and Nobel (best price). If you want more info… check out my website – HOLLANDDAVIS.COM

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!!!

LET IT RISE: A MANUAL FOR WORSHIP
Written by veteran worship leader and songwriter…
Holland Davis

From The Publisher
Let It Rise is a comprehensive resource for worship leaders
and worshippers alike. A collection of theological and practical
insights gathered from over 30 years of worship ministry. This book is
a practical, informative, and easy to read. Written with a great mix of
common sense, humor, and sensitivity, Let It Rise is an
invaluable resource for worship leaders everywhere, particularly for
those who are just getting started. It is a working manual that covers
all aspects of worship leadership.

As an added bonus, this book gives the reader a free download of Holland
Davis’s platinum-selling song “Let It Rise.”

CLICK ON HERE TO SEE THE PROMO VIDEO FOR LET IT RISE… A MANUAL FOR WORSHIP

Golf…. Happy Gilmore Style!!!

This week I had the privilege of golfing in the Christopher Laurie Memorial Golf Tournament.  If you don’t know who Christopher Laurie is, he is the son of Greg Laurie… pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside.  His son died in a tragic car accident less than a year ago.  Our golfing party was right behind Brittany Laurie who is Christopher Laurie’s widow.  100% of the proceeds of this event go to supporting the youth night at the Harvest Crusade.

One of the members of our party had just seen Happy Gilmore… so we just had to relive the moment!!!

Southern California Worship Conference

This year I had the privilege of conducting a workshop at the Southern California Worship Conference held at Calvary Chapel South Bay. It was very similar to the Worship Life conference…. some of the same worship leaders and workshop speakers, but a one day version of it. I was asked to speak on the subject of Technology In Worship… which when I told my tech team caused them to laugh. I have a great team and rely heavily on their expertise so that I can focus on ministry.

Because I’m primarily a Bible teacher and not a tech guru, the approach I took was more centered around the theology of technology. I wanted to approach the subject from the standpoint of purpose. What is the purpose of the church and how does technology fit into that purpose? If one boils down the primary focus of the Church down to one word… I would have to use the word COMMUNICATE. We are in the business of COMMUNICATING the gospel. This revelation came to me when I attended NAB in Las Vegas. Acres of vendors and booths all organized around the mission of COMMUNICATION. I was blown away by the variety of ways that are available to COMMUNICATE to people. That’s when it hit me… what we do in church is built around COMMUNICATING the gospel. That’s where technology comes in as a tool that can enhance or confuse the message.

One of the most profound messages for me personally came through Pastor Steve Mays. I can’t remember all the details of the message, but during his message I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to me. Lately God has been asking me questions and two came that morning. The first question was… Can you say Amen and Alleluia? It came while Pastor Steve was teaching out of Revelation 19. If I truly believe that my hands are in God’s hands, that He directs my paths, that God causes all things to work together for good… then whatever comes my way I can say Amen (to His will) and Alleluia (to the manifestation of His will). To be honest… it’s easier to say Amen than it is to say Alleluia. It’s easier to say… whatever Your will is, I accept. It’s harder to say… Praise God for this difficult situation I’m in.

The second question God spoke to me was… Am I being Incarnational? This takes some explaining. There is a theological concept called Incarnational Reality. It is the reality that Christ lives in us and lives through us. If I am a believer and disciple of Christ, then Christ literally lives in me and thus lives through me. The question is, do I live in the present reality of that truth? Do I truly live… fully alive and fully present… or am I living in the past reality? Do I believe the lies of the evil one that would seek to distract me from believing the truth of who I am in Christ as revealed through God’s Word? If I truly believe that Jesus lives in me… and that He lives through me… I wonder what changes in lifestyle that would make? Not from a legalistic stand point because the LAW says so. But from a relational stand point because I want to give myself entirely to my Lord and Savior.

Kevin did a great job… God was glorified…. now we move on to Worship Life 2008 a few weeks later.