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The Heart of Worship
September 16, 2008
Matt Redman has a classic song called “The Heart of Worship”. The song came to be one day when the church was going through spiritual apathy.
Culture of Crucial: Recruiting People, Not Musicians or Singers
September 3, 2008
I’ve been in some great discussions with other ministry leaders at my church about recruiting volunteers across the board. The Children’s Pastor thinks that the musicians and singers are the “jocks” of the church and that the volunteers in the children’s program are the “band nerds” of the church. Isn’t it funny how the tables have been turned after all these years? I kid, I kid.
Anyway, It just got me thinking that we as leaders need to be careful in EVERY area of ministry to fight for a Culture of Crucial. What I mean by that is that we have to create an environment where every single volunteer feels that they are a crucial part of what’s going on at your church.
Five Fundamentals for Selecting Band Members
September 2, 2008
I’ve found it’s very tough to have a worship band without worship band members. Acoustic environments are nice, but sooner or later, as your church or ministry grows, the need will arise to add instruments and form a band. The question then becomes, once you’ve gathered a pool of potential prospects, what are the things that we look for and value most in a band member? The following are, by no means, law, but some simple suggestions from someone who, several times over, has gone through that delightful process of auditioning and selecting band members for worship.
When Vessels Break (Mike Guglielmucci and Healer)
August 21, 2008
Dear Worship Community,
I write this article today from my home office and studio. Looking outside my windows I can see the rain and wind increasing from Tropical Storm Fay. Although she is located several hours south of our home I can see and feel her presence. As the sky grows darker and more ominous I can’t help but think of the storm we’ve encountered over the last twenty four hours in the world’s worshiping communities. Read more
Worship Leaders of The Bible, Part 2: King David
August 20, 2008
I’ve decided David wouldn’t have made it as a worship leader in today’s church. Not that his songs wouldn’t hold up. Oh, they’d hold up, alright! But there’s just not enough grace. King David was one messed up dude, y’all. Lies, murder, adultery, and that’s just the beginning of it. With all of the systems of accountability we have in place these days, I can say with a good deal of confidence that David would be banished from most churches’ stage for life- and rightfully so, maybe. After all, serving in a position like lead worshipper means you are now called to a higher standard. But, somehow, David persevered. He messed up; there’s no questioning that, but he also rose from it. The question, then, is how is that even possible and can a resurrection like that happen in my life and my career as well? Read more
Orchestrating an Effective Rehearsal
August 13, 2008
Rehearsals are one thing that every single worship leader in any capacity cannot get out of. If you are on staff, you lead rehearsals. If you are a volunteer, you need rehearsals. If you are a tech guy (or gal), you attend rehearsals. And since we all can’t get away from them, we should take a look at how to make rehearsals effective. Effective rehearsals lead to encouraged and motivated teams.
Planning Ahead
August 11, 2008
I heard a great quote the other day that was aimed at pastors who plan sermons last minute week to week. It went something like, “When pastors wait until the last minute to plan a message, is it them or the Holy Spirit who does the procrastinating?”
Church’s Got Talent - Hiring a Worship Leader
August 4, 2008
Face it. It’s bound to happen at some point. Maybe your church is beginning to grow and the needs cannot be properly fulfilled by a volunteer. Perhaps you have a staff transition and you find yourself in need. Maybe that talented high school student is graduating and moving away to college and you find yourself ….
Worship Leaders of The Bible, Part 1: John the Baptist
July 29, 2008
A lot of people think John the Baptist was Baptist. You know, like, a member of the Southern Baptist Convention or the Georgia Baptist Convention or whatever- you get the idea. This, obviously, is not the case. “Baptist” here means something more like baptizer or washer. A preacher who communicates regularly for my church often refers to him as “John the Washin’ Man.” He was the one who baptized followers of Jesus’ way- even before Jesus arrived on the scene! And, just as a side note, John’s worship leading is of a much different style than you’d find in your average Baptist church- the one I grew up in included. John the Charismatic could have been a more appropriate term were his name a reflection of his denomination or worship flavor as some have supposed. Maybe John the Pentecostal, I don’t know. Anyhow, John the Baptist is an extremely influential lead worshipper we see in scripture, yet there’s not one mention of him sitting at a piano or holding a guitar. John did two things well, two fundamental, essential things well, and if you or I ever hope to become effective lead worshippers for God’s glory we’ve got to begin modeling our worship leadership in large part after what we find John (a) implementing and (b) having success with.
10 Tips for Worship Leaders: How to Enhance On-Stage Presence
July 24, 2008
If you’ve ever seen a group of children perform a song for a gathering of parents and spectators, you’ve seen the teacher or leader who places his or herself directly in their line of vision and proceeds to mouth (very clearly and expressively) every word and indicate every gesture at the appropriate time so that the children can follow along and all look like they know what their doing.
