In some cases, “Audition” has become a forbidden word in Church world. It is that difficult topic that none of us want to talk about really. We don’t know where different generations stand on it; depending on how you were raised and how you interpret Scripture, you can fall all over the map on this issue. …
Worship Team vs. Worship Band
Is the church platform exclusive for the select few or should it be a place to raise up people who are gifted to lead? There are many great worship bands that tour and record albums to spread the gospel, and many small churches that lead worship with very few people in their teams. Both bring …
Three Distractions
Dear worship leader, musician, singer, and creative artist, we know the drill: shiny guitars and red keyboards. Set designs and set lists. Countdowns and title packages. Custom patches and custom in-ears. Smiling greeters and smiling worship leaders. Jangly guitars and pumping fists. Backing tracks and backing vocals. They are, in fact, elements of weekend services. …
The ALSO Idol
In the last chapter of Joshua, there is a nugget that can be uncovered in regards to what true worship is and what it is not. This chapter starts out with Joshua gathering all the tribes of Israel together to charge them to trust and serve the Lord. He begins by reminding the people of …
Avoiding Burnout
I just spent a month in Finland visiting family and friends. Yes, a month. While it was nice to have all that time off, it was much more valuable than just R&R. It was a time to be filled up to be poured out again in service without burning out. After months of work and …
Worship on a Budget
We all know that money can’t buy you happiness. It can’t buy you anything of lasting importance at all, in fact. In the worship ministry world, it seems that often times money, which buys equipment & environments, has become equated with excellent worship. There’s a subtle undercurrent out there that pulls us into believing that unless we’re …
Worship Blind Spots
For those of us who drive, we know that a blind spot is an area that cannot be seen due to an obstruction. The best way to overcome these blind spots is by acknowledging them and finding other ways to see around them. As worship leaders, we have a duty to lead effective and meaningful …
Relational Tendencies
The more I study on strengthening my faith, the more correlations I see between “worldly” situations and “faith” positioning. I even discovered a relationship between feelings and money – and how we tend to put too much stock in both…. AND in remarkably similar ways! First of all, “money” isn’t the root of all kinds …
5 Ways to Champion Your Team
An effective leader will fight for their team. A team who serves with a sense of being inspired, protected and valued will be successful and committed. Here are 5 ways to champion your team as a leader. SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS FROM THE BEGINNING This may not sound like a way to be your team’s champion, but if you’ve cast …
5 Steps to a Maximum Impact Rehearsal
As a music director, session player, and clinician, I’m often asked to speak about my personal technique for learning, preparing, and rehearsing new music, as well as my approach to team rehearsals. However, above the technical delivery of your musicianship, I believe that your commitment to be your very best for your team and for …
Using What You’ve Got
In a perfect world we would all have our dream rigs. Our tone would sound exactly as we imagine it in our heads and we’d never need to buy another piece of gear because we had everything we ever wanted. Sounds good right? The fact of the matter is that for the vast majority of …
Why Me vs. Teach Me
When situations in life fly in from nowhere and continue to pummel us, it can become very easy for us to clench our tiny fists, shake them at the sky, and say, “Why me, Lord?!?” Maybe instead of throwing our fists of rage at the sky and shouting at God for what’s happening to us, …
Incorporating Youth // Part One
If you’re reading this right now, at some point in the not so distant past you have asked yourself something like this, “how can I get my students more involved in the main service worship?” Well I’m a youth pastor and I ask myself this question all the time. If we’re honest, sometimes it seems …
Worship Boss vs Worship Leader
Imagine you’re working excitedly on a new goal. You know it’s from God and that it will have a major impact on the worship life of your church. You want to jump in head on and go after it, but you have to stop right there. The way you do it will have long term …
5 Steps to Introducing New Music
If you’re serving on a Worship team, chances are you love new music. We are musicians, the desire to sing and play new songs seems to have been established in our DNA. We are constantly looking for new music and perhaps even writing our own. This is great. It shows passion, desire, and yes it’s …