10,000 FATHERS WORSHIP SCHOOL EXPERIENCE
An Interview with Coty Miller, CGNE Worship Director
Why did you want to go to Worship School?
My worship leading experience was limited before Common Ground Northeast (CGNE). I’d led worship before but without a worship team, without a band and without any expectation to do anything other than singing lyrics off of a page.
I left university feeling called to work in ministry with having only the slightest idea of what that really meant. My hope was that worship school would equip me to be the worship leader that CGNE needs.
Why THAT school in particular - 10,000 Father’s Worship School?
I was hesitant to choose this school, not going to lie. I noticed very few black people were involved with the leadership there, if any, and I didn’t want to go to a school that would teach me how to cater to the “white” church culture and congregations. I saw so much of this in popular worship music, instead of how to be a vessel to LEAD the Church.
I will admit, I was being a bit judgmental. But after doing more research (and praying), I discovered that 10,000 Fathers Worship focused a lot on spiritual growth and character development as well as songwriting and church leadership. I knew that is really what I needed.
Plus, Erik highly recommended them, and I trusted that he wouldn’t suggest a place that would strip me of my culture and identity.
How has it helped you lead at CGNE?
This worship school has helped me in so many ways, and I have seen amazing spiritual growth in my life from the intensives and the classes and the readings.
Just through the intensives alone (which is one week of class and community every day all day at the beginning of each track - I’ve gone through two so far), God has helped me unpack mysteries in my childhood and, honestly, break me from bondage (testimony on that coming soon on my YouTube channel).
I also gain a lot of insight from my teachers and coach and classmates (huddle mates) in hearing how they lead worship, getting advice from them, learning what the Bible teaches about worship and leadership, etc.
My character development, support from my huddle (class), and support from CGNE has helped me gain confidence in front of the congregation to lead worship and pray and say what I feel led to say, as well as behind the scenes in the day-to-day tasks that help Sundays run smoothly. Though I definitely have much more to learn and improve, I appreciate the grace CGNE has shown me in the past year!
What has been your favorite thing about it?
Having a consistent community has been helpful for me, especially during the quarantine phase, but even before then and now, since I am still trying to build a community here in Indianapolis, it’s nice to know I always have my huddle. But my favorite so far really has been the intensives because, as I said above, God has really used them to make some powerful moves.
What has been the hardest?
The hardest thing, by far, about worship school has definitely been keeping up with the homework and readings, not going to lie. I’m more of a podcast-listener, YouTube-watcher, and novel/story-reader, so having to study and write about non-fiction spiritual growth/theological books has been...new for me, to say the least. (Can you tell - I studied business and film in college?)
What is one practice you started since WS began that you think any attender would benefit from?
Since Worship School began -- well really a couple months after Worship School started -- I started going to counseling.
During the first intensive, which was the start of Worship School, the teachers challenged me to pray about lies I had been believing about myself. That prayer is what God used to show me where trauma occurred in my life and how it was still affecting me. The teachers are who God used to show me that it was okay good to go to counseling, that it wasn’t shameful or unnecessary, but that it could be the key to helping me become the whole person God created me to be.
I’m still warming up to my counselor (more to do with my lack of ability to open up about my feelings and issues than her lack of ability to counsel), but she has been a great help so far.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with 10,000 Fathers Worship School with us, Coty! I love how throughout your whole interview, you show how dependent on the Spirit you have been. (I also know this to be true from being able to get to know you personally!)
Follow-up Question: What is a spiritual discipline or practice that helps you rely on the Spirit's leading? Is this singing or silence or...?
One of the most impactful spiritual disciplines I try my best to do that helps me just to be able to go day-to-day and follow the Spirit is - dedicating about an hour a day to be with God without distractions.
This time could involve singing/playing piano, writing, praying, sitting in silence, and reading the Bible or a devotional. But lately I’ve been trying to let God lead in how He wants to communicate with me and what I need that morning.
I always do this in the morning before I do anything else and right after eating breakfast (breakfast wakes me up). I know that I’m more likely to fall asleep or skip it, if I try to spend this intentional time with God later in the day.
Again, thank you, Coty!
- Interviewed by Katie Erickson, Communication Director