Justin Rice
Worship Director
Tell us about yourself:
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in a family with a musical Christian background. I grew up as the son of a former Baptist minister, and accepted Christ at an early age, discovering my own faith during a Mexico mission trip in high school. In a family of pianists, I picked up the guitar at age 16 and after a few lessons taught myself all of the Dave Matthews songs I could find the correct music for online. I first began leading worship for my college group at my home church of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church at age 18. After graduating from Westmont College in 2002, I moved to San Diego and began to help lead the junior high worship band at College Avenue Baptist Church. I continued to help out with their high school program and in 2005 helped found a contemporary worship gathering of La Jolla Presbyterian Church. That same year I met Laura Brommelsiek and after over 2 years of dating we were married in April of 2008. I look forward to a bright future here at NCPC, hoping to bridge the musical traditions of the past with the modern styles of this current generation.
What do you do as Worship Director?
I organize the worship team and music for our 9:30 service on Sunday mornings.
What is the best part of your job?
Watching a multi-generational congregation connect with the living God through music every Sunday morning
What are the five most important books you have read?
Civility by Steven L Carter
Emerging Worship: Creating Worship Gatherings for New Generations: by Dan Kimball
Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi by David Crowder
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
Comeback by Dave Dravecky
What talent do you wish you had?
Organization.
What is your favorite movie quote?
From my all time favorite movie, Almost Famous:
Jeff Bebe: Some people have a hard time explaining rock 'n' roll. Rock 'n' roll is a lifestyle and a way of thinking... and it's not about money and popularity. Although, some money would be nice…But what it all comes down to is that thing. The indefinable thing when people catch something in your music.
Russell Hammond: From here on out, I am only interested in what is real. Real people, real feelings, that's it, that's all I'm interested in.
What do you order at Starbucks?
Peets Vanilla Latte, iced if it’s a hot day
What food do you absolutely love? What food do you hate?
I love most food, unfortunately way more than I love exercise
What scripture guides your life?
Romans 12
Place Your Life Before God
1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (The Message)
