Vision for 2025: Worship in Community

Welcome to 2025!  As we begin a new year, my personal prayer is that this would be a year of His presence – a year to know Jesus more, to pursue His heart, and to become more like Him.

At the beginning of each year, I ask the Lord for vision and direction for our community at Adoration Music Academy.  I am excited to share with you the vision for this year as well as new opportunities that will be launching soon.

As I prayed into the new year, I felt that our verse for 2025 is Matthew 18:20: “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Previously, we have focused specifically on our personal worship to the Lord.  There is a beauty and value to our personal worship and secret place alone with Jesus.  Samuel ministered to the Lord, David worshipped alone in the fields, and Jesus climbed the mountain early in the morning to be alone with His father.

But Jesus also said, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”  He promised to be present in a unique way when we gather together with other believers with Him as the center.

The Jewish rabbis of the day would have connected Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:20 with the Shechinah glory of God that filled the Tabernacle.  Just as God dwelt among His people and rested on the Ark of the Covenant, now God again dwells among His people and rests on Jesus in our midst.  “Where two or three are gathered, I am there.”  He dwells in our midst when we gather with Him as the center.

This is the dream: His presence.  Without Him, our hearts are chaotic – formless and void, just as the world was in the beginning before He spoke.  But when He is present among us, everything is made right.

The vision for us this year is community in the presence of Jesus and in worship.  Practically, what does that look like?

1.  A greater awareness of His presence when we are with other believers.  Whether it is having dinner with family, meeting with friends after church, or even taking one-on-one lessons, we are gathering in His name.  As a result, He is here; and we can be aware of His presence.

2.  Worshipping with others.  This year, let us be intentional to gather with others and worship.  Perhaps we could worship together with our families once a week, or host evenings of worship at our homes.  For those who take piano lessons with me, we will specifically be focusing this year on the skills necessary to lead worship so that you feel confident to lead in these settings while keeping your focus on Jesus.

3.  Joining the new Adoration Community – a community of worship pianists in the presence of Jesus.  This is a new program that will be launching soon!  Whether or not you are taking lessons/courses, and regardless of your current skill level at the piano, I would encourage you to pray about being part of this exclusive community.  It will be an amazing opportunity to gather with other worship pianists and encourage each other, cultivate the heart of worship, and develop your skills at the piano.  More information will be coming soon!