What You Do Matters
Coach Dave Ross and I were brainstorming the details of the upcoming keynote for the October 18th Worship on Purpose workshop in Lancaster. These are the tasty breadcrumbs from that conversation.
It’s easy to lose sight of it, but “What You Do Matters.”
Why is it easy to lose sight of it? Your drummer calls off on Saturday. One of your kids has trouble making friends at school and wasn’t invited to a birthday party. Your pastor changes your plans at the last minute. You doubt your calling. You feel blah. Your worship leader didn’t provide you with the correct chord charts. Again.
You are in the grind of serving in worship ministry. But there is SO MUCH at stake. What you do matters!
It’s not “just church.” We are worshiping the living God! Every little thing we do can be worship or can just be works.
For example, think about how we learn songs and prepare for rehearsal. There’s a cool phrase we use on worship teams here in Costa Rica: “estudiar la canción.” It means to study the song. Not listen to it on the way to rehearsal. But take time. Dissect. Understand. Internalize. Study.
And not just the instrumentalists and singers. The whole team “studies!”
Musicians: timing, dynamics, theology of lyrics.
Sound techs: energy shifts, alternating vocals, spotlighting instruments, and balance.
Lyric operators: slide timing, not distracting.
Lighting/backdrop: supporting the mood without distracting.
If you had to describe “studying the song” in your role (musician, sound, media, lighting, etc.), what would that look like for you this week?
In the Old Testament, the most common Hebrew word translated to “worship” in our English bibles is the word that means “to serve.” Your service = worship.
That’s probably not a new idea to you. But is your preparation also service? Is your preparation also worship?
Our preparation is a spiritual act, not just a technical duty. I hope this perspective raises our bar on preparation.
Because preparation is worship, what’s one keystone habit you could start practicing that would make your preparation more consistent, meaningful, and worshipful?
What you do matters!
Let’s be prayerful, intentional, and consistent.
Let’s commit to showing up prepared.
Let’s commit to studying songs, praying over them, and practicing with excellence.
Let’s prepare our hearts as well as our hands.
Worship begins long before the first downbeat. Your preparation and response create space for others to respond to God.
If you want your entire team to learn more about this approach, consider bringing them to the October 18th training. It’s only $149 for all your team, including lunch. Sign up today at https://www.adlibmusic.com/events/lancaster-october-18-2025.
-Dave Helmuth
(purchase my book, "Worship Fertilizer: (the first hundred)" HERE)
What You Do Matters (Nº 449)
Five Faders w/ Dave Helmuth
Don't be another passionate, unhealthy leader (who doesn't know they are unhealthy) who misses their calling, has a moral failure, burns out, or burns others. (dang, that's dark!)
Be a Five Faders leader who is the best version of yourself and helps your team to do the same!
We'll explore the motivations we each have:
Artists notice nuance.
Shepherds consider the individual.
Priests overflow with simple love and pure devotion to Jesus.
Educators bring out the best in others.
Producers plan, in order to exceed usual limits.
The Five Faders model is not just a tool, it's a game-changer. It will help you understand your motivations and those of your team, paving the way for healthier and more effective leadership. The good news is that a Five Faders team is fantastic! The bad news is that if we don't know what motivates us, our passion often blinds us and we are an unhealthy expression of our Fader.
In this small group, we'll not just learn about the Five Faders, but also put them into action. We'll explore how to apply the concepts to our teams in a practical way, and learn from each other, which is one of the best ways to grow in your lowest Fader.
DATES AND TIMES
Mondays from 9 to 10:30 AM Central, from January 6 to February 24 (8 weeks)
BUY THE BOOK
https://amzn.to/4mWlA6a
WHO IS DAVE HELMUTH
I'm a coach who leads Ad Lib Music, the worship coaching organization I started in 2002. We have coaches in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Texas, and South Dakota. I'm the author of the Five Faders book. I serve as a missionary in Costa Rica, where my family of nine and I have lived since 2019.