Are you a perfectionist? I know at times I can be, especially when it comes to leading worship. Long before rehearsals even begin, I have a pretty good idea of how things should go; of how songs should be played, how lyrics should look, how lighting should feel, and how audio should, well, sound. I …
Culture Killer // Gossip
As a Worship Leader, I’ve come to realize that part of my job description should read, “Defender of Culture”. Because in all reality, creating and keeping a positive culture on our teams only happens with intention. It’s when we get a bit lazy that culture killers can sneak in and start to poke holes in …
I’m Just Not Feeling It
We’ve all been there…we come into corporate worship needing our weekend “escape from reality” and when we don’t get the “goosies” we were expecting, we conclude that the band didn’t “bring it” like they did last week or that the worship leader didn’t take us to that place of transcendence we were looking for. …
Refining Fire
When it comes to our character, talent and skills as worship leaders, it takes a lot of hard work to shine like diamonds. The great challenge is that as much as our circumstances and other people add pressure, we must submit to the process and start holding ourselves accountable, adding enough internal pressure to turn …
Setting Healthy Boundaries
Setting healthy boundaries is not only critical for great relationships, but most important, for living a life of intentionality and excellence. In their acclaimed book, Boundaries, authors Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend assert “Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end and someone else begins, …
Realistic Expectations
Hello, my name is Scott and I am a perfectionist……. [Hi, Scott] I am such a perfectionist that I have found myself hindered with the expectation I put both on myself and the people around me. This happens to be especially true within the church. It is not intentional and for years I simply chalked …
Worship Leader, Have You Stopped Learning?
Think back to the days of when you were an aspiring worship leader. What were you working on? What was holding you back from being ready to take the lead? Maybe you were still trying to master the guitar or piano. You might have been finishing up your bachelor’s degree. Or maybe, like me, you …
The Heart of a Mimic // Part Two
I’ve said a lot about being a mimic and why it’s bad and how it can damage you and others around you. So, I’m going to share some typical Christian blog bullet-points with the intent that you (the reader of the internet) will see them. How to tell if you have the heart of a mimic: …
The Art of Worship Leading – Part Two
In the last section, we spoke about the importance of planning our sets accordingly and preparing our teams to knock it out of the park. Worship leading isn’t all about spontaneity and “going with the flow”. In fact, the larger your team gets the more necessary and imperative it is to plan further in advance …
The Heart of a Mimic // Part One
What is a “Mimic”? Mimic, by definition means to; Imitate (someone or their actions or words), typically to entertain or to ridicule; A person skilled in imitating the voice, mannerisms, or movements of others in an entertaining way. Since we were kids sitting in Sunday school, we have been taught to be “Imitators’. Imitators of Christ, that is. …
Operating in Humility
I started playing on our church worship team when I was 12, and I was TERRIBLE! Looking back now, I am super thankful that everyone invested in the talent that God had given to me. And I think we all know the feeling of starting from the bottom and having to learn through making mistakes. …
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 …
Be A Window
“Hey Son, you make a better door than a window.” My dad had TONS of “dad-isms” he used on a frequent basis and many of them were groaners and produced a lot of eye-rolling. He employed this one when I wouldn’t realize that I was standing between him and the tv. I was impeding his …
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 …