About three years ago, I found myself in a place I had never been before in my ministry career: Leading worship for kids. Over the course of my ten years working in the local church, I have led worship for many demographics and types of events and even different styles. But I had never done anything like this. …
Three-Dimensional Worship: Part I // An Introduction
Let’s be perfectly honest: it’s hard to build a worship program in any church – big, small, medium and everywhere in between. Building systems and processes that pastor your people while churning out the best “product” (yes, I use that term intentionally) is difficult in any sized church. In my experience most large churches didn’t …
Three-Dimensional Worship: Part I // An IntroductionRead More
Dealing with Cynicism
Whether you like it or not, difficulties, disappointments, dashed expectations, and delays build the muscle of character necessary to maturely sustain the very thing (goal, desire, outcome) you’re pursuing. And the development of that muscle, along with the promise of a hope-filled future, is the very reason you must never give up on this journey …
Creating a Healthy Worship Culture
I recently spoke with a worship pastor friend who was seeing major decline in his team. People were leaving left and right from his music ministry, and he couldn’t figure out why. I started off with asking him some questions. Let’s call him Jeff. Josh: Have you set vision for your team? Jeff: Yeah…I told …
10 Ways To Make Your Worship Leader Happy
My last few articles have been a bit on the heavy side, and more reflective. This article may come off a little cheeky, but these are real applicable ways to help strengthen your church’s worship team! I’m going to take a moment to just point out 10 ways to support your Worship Leader. Since it …
Worship Team Building // New Member Orientation
The audition is over and your new team member is ready to get started on the worship team. You plug them in and, after their first week, you realize they weren’t as ready as you thought they were. Your first indication is that their initial rehearsal with the team keeps getting halted with constant IEM …
Worship Leading at a Church Plant
Too often, church plants consider the set up and tear down of their plant as the Achilles heel to their ministry. They tend to think “if I had a building, I could do this” or “If we didn’t have to set up and tear down each week, Sunday’s could be better.” I’m hear to tell …
After God’s Heart
David is the only person in all of scripture to be described as a “man after God’s own heart.” What makes this title even more impressive is that God was the one who gave it to him! But what does it mean to “be after God’s heart?” We know it doesn’t mean never making mistakes …
Worship While Discouraged?
I used to struggle with discouragement. A lot. My big dream of becoming an established worship songwriter, worship leader and artist for God’s glory wasn’t working out. I felt stuck in a secular at-home job with tight deadlines, often working late at night at stuff that didn’t fill me up in any way. Instead, it …
Straight Talk // Role of the Worship Leader
I love being used by God to further His Kingdom. I think most of us that read this post can ultimately say the same thing. Sometimes it’s hard, sometimes it’s frustrating, but really we love it. God uses His people in service to His church in many ways. I’ve noticed though that some areas of …
It’s a Symphony
We as worship leaders are participating in a divine symphony that has been playing for an eternity and will be playing forever. Some of the greatest pieces of music ever written are classical symphonies that have stood the test of time and continue to move people. Most of them were written for God’s glory, and …
Improvisation
This is a must for every worship leader, musician, and singer! With no improvisation, we might as well just play a cd and sing along to it. Sometimes I get asked the question, as a drummer, ‘How do you know which drum to hit and when?’ The answer is very simple. I don’t. I make …
The Art of Worship Leading – Part One
Believe it or not, the art of worship leading is a thing. By art, I mean certain disciplines that we should practice that will make us more effective and efficient as we lead our people. How we engage people and how we relate to them plays an important role in how they respond to our …
Picking The Right Songs
Music is a powerful force that stirs the hearts of people like nothing else can. Therefore, it is one of the most important expressions of worship, especially in the local church. But in surveying churches across the country in the last few years, I’ve noticed that less people are quick to participate in singing, and …
Moving in the Spirit
This is something that I feel may have been lost in some churches. The songs are played in more of a concert fashion, an offering is taken, a message is given, and everyone leaves in a rush to be first in line at the buffet. Everyone has sort of become a robot instead of true …