The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

The Sisters Westside Church welcomed renowned worship leader and globetrotting evangelist Rick Pino and his worship team for the weekend. After an extensive tour throughout Europe and the U.S., Pino and three of his fellow band members spent two days at Westside leading local church members and visitors in worship.

Pino is a resident of Austin, Texas, where he lives with his wife and two children. He founded and operates the Heart of David Movement, which focuses on developing what he calls "musicionaries" and hosts outreaches to cities across the globe.

Leading groups and congregations throughout the world is nothing new to Pino. He started at age 11 with a guitar and dislike for leading worship, but he said he persevered and continued to pursue it after seeing what it could do. Since then, over the past 20 years, he has traveled the globe in the heart of evangelism and worship, expanding his reach to 62 countries. Most recently, he spent time in Europe traveling through Ireland, England, and Greece as well as a prior 10-day trip through India.

But unlike some of the larger well-known worship leaders of today, he doesn't seek out large audiences or publicity. To him, size and location have no bearing when it comes to where he will or will not go.

"It's not about the next big song or celebrity," he said. "It's about the heart of worship. We could visit New York City or a small town like Sisters. But what matters to us is bringing the presence of Christ to the people."

Pino's music has been described as intimate, prophetic, joyful, and militant. He says his worship includes a "hint of rock" as well, and he encourages people to move freely during it.

Having someone like Rick Pino visit the small community of Sisters Westside was no small feat and humbled many. Jerry Kaping, lead pastor of Westside Sisters, expressed his appreciation throughout the weekend as he opened his doors to Pino and his team.

"This means so much," he said. "It means that no matter where God takes Rick he still answers the call to come help a church like ours. Personally, it inspires me to never forget that no matter how small or big a church, city, region, or country is, that my job is to always do what Rick has done here, to be willing to go encourage, inspire, and love on everyone that I can. For someone like Rick to come to the town of Sisters makes me realize just how important Sisters and Westside Sisters is becoming in the grand scheme of things."

Rick Pino's worship team drew many people from near and afar for the weekend. Visitors came from Seattle, Portland, and Burns. And Westside reported that the weekend drew in approximately 600 people for the event.

The group led worship Saturday night to a standing-room-only sanctuary and closed the weekend with a Sunday-morning worship session and sermon led by Pino.

While Pino and his team came to lead worship, they did more than just perform this weekend - they inspired and influenced people in their community. As Westside grows and expands, Pastor Kaping believes this weekend inspired many to become more in the community of Sisters.

"This is our community, our people, our tribe," said Kaping. "We are part of the culture in Sisters. This event was another reminder of what we are called to be and do."