Insights & Information

P&W assistant Compton adds to contemporary service vision

Photo of Harper Compton playing the guitar and singing

Compton

The Praise & Worship team seems to be growing as fast as attendance, and Worship Leader Jared Hoots said that’s due in part to assistant Harper Compton.

Over the last several weeks, the team has added an ensemble, incorporated violins, flutes, synthesizers and other new sounds, and began introducing songs with related scripture.

“Having Harper has been a blessing to me, because it has freed me up to be able to focus on the High School Ministry, without feeling like our contemporary service is being neglected,” Hoots said. “I think you can look at the progress we’ve made over the past year, with the addition of several new instruments (violin, flute, synth), an ensemble, and several new lead vocalists, and see that we aren’t just trying to maintain, but to grow and expand.

“This would not be possible without the role that Harper has played. One example: Harper came to me and had a burden to make scripture more of a focus during our Sunday morning set list, and so now we organize each song in response to a passage of scripture, which we read corporately before we sing,” Hoots said.

“I really feel like this has made a huge difference in our focus as a congregation over the past several months, and believe with all of my heart that Harper has a passion for God and for worshipping Him in the most biblical way possible. It has been an honor to serve alongside him and see him grow in his knowledge of scripture, and ability to lead corporate worship.”

Although he officially joined the staff on a part-time basis Jan. 15, Compton is no stranger to music at Triad. Son of music pastor Scott Compton and accompanist Lori Compton, he joined with Hoots and Hannah Hurst to write the “Not Without You” theme song for Triad’s building campaign.

Compton also leads the praise and worship bands for both The Crossing middle school and Radiate high school youth ministries — a post he’s filled since 2012.

Finishing up an online bachelors of religion degree from Liberty University while working at Vestal Buick GMC, he considers his assistant worship leader position under Hoots another step toward an eventual position as a full-time worship leader someday at a church.

Photo of Harper Compton playing guitar and Jared Hoots singing

Compton joined Hoots (right) as assistant praise and worship leader in January.

“When I first graduated from high school I thought I wanted to coach basketball and I ended up having the great opportunity to do so for three years,” Compton said. “During most of that three years basketball was my passion and what I most loved to do, but then God opened an opportunity up for me to lead worship.

“I remember one Sunday Pastor Rob (Decker) was speaking about a woman who wanted to be a missionary but ended up marrying a man who did not have that same dream and so she never did become a missionary. But at the end of her life she looked back and asked, ‘What if I had been a missionary?’ At that moment, I knew that basketball was not my passion, but leading in worship was. I am so thankful and blessed for how God has worked these opportunities out for my good and for His glory.”

Compton said that the move into the new Worship Center/Gym later this spring will further enhance the worship experience for those who choose that service through its improved sound system, acoustics and projection equipment.

“I once heard someone say that ‘to say you can only worship with traditional music is wrong, but to say that you can only worship with contemporary music is also wrong,’ ” he said. “There is nothing more worshipful about one style of music versus another, but we certainly can have our preference, and that is why we have two services with different styles of music.

“We have set goals for what we would like the service to look like, some of which hinge on the turning point of entering the new facility. We feel we are in a position to set goals for writing and recording our own music based on how God has blessed us with musicians with great talents. One of these goals includes the use of the ensemble which we have recently begun using on a regular basis.

“We feel this is a unique way to use those who wish to use their talent of singing to worship God every week as well as engaging and encouraging the congregation. This service has changed and developed drastically over the past year and a half, and it is exciting to see how God is bringing together our family of people to lead in worship.”

Preparing for worship

Hoots said that having Compton as assistant worship leader is important because of all the preparation that goes into each service on Sunday.

“Most people probably think of the worship leader as the person who sings most of the lead vocal during the Sunday morning service, but there's a lot more to it than that,” he said.

“Harper and I meet on Tuesday every week and spend several hours discussing this week’s sermon (after being prepped by Pastor Rob) and selecting songs that will coordinate with his message.”

After the songs are selected, Hoots said he and Compton organize chord sheets, select videos, decide which special instruments to use, arrange each song and then communicate to the band and ensemble. Practices follow.

“This is a lot of work and it takes quite a bit of time but is essential for us to be our best for the Lord and point hearts and lives toward Him. If we do it right, everything we do should be to bring honor and praise to Him alone.”

Phase 2 Shot of TBC B&W 17

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9:00am Traditional Worship
10:30am Contemporary Worship