{this is a guest post from Vince; his blog was down yesterday so he posted here}

For some strange reason I was talked out of leaving my home and my ministry on the beautiful island of Kauai, Hawaii in 2003. I was starting a new adventure in church planting back on the mainland and little did I know that I would meet a guy that would change my whole perspective on what a good worship leader is.

I first met Eric Beeman like two days after he and his wife got home from the hospital with their brand new baby boy. Like most new fathers, Eric looked like he had been locked up in a prison camp for two weeks or just got off an airplane; there’s a fine line between the two.

So much for first impressions.

When I first had the experience of being in the room when Eric was leading worship I didn’t notice him, and that’s what I noticed, if that makes any sense. Eric has always had a way of getting out of the way and letting the people he is leading point their worship straight at God. Awesome! I was standing in the back worshiping and someone pointed out; ‘He’s good’. At that time it occurred to me that at no time did a thought of judgment about how good he was ever cross my mind, the worship was happening regardless. Eric just disappeared. Beautiful. True.

Fast forward a few years. I call Eric up and invite him to have a cup of coffee. I then proceed to blindside him and tell him that I have been pissed at him and he didn’t even know it, for like 7 months. I asked him to forgive me. He did. We hugged.

Eric is a guy that I would lay my life down for, just thought you should know that.