My family and I are making a big decision about where to live. We had an unexpected (yet long-prayed-for) opportunity that came upon us suddenly last Friday.

Does your church have non-leaders leading, non-singers singing, non-musicians playing, non-communicators communicating, etc.? Many churches live in this uncomfortable reality.

I just returned from an overstuffed, extended weekend in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was my first time back in the US since moving to Costa Rica about 20 months ago.

This year has been both a punch to the gut and a kick in the pants. How are you responding?

What am I taking to heart?

I received this question from a pastor:

"How do you describe the minimum level of vocal ability that a person needs to possess before they will perform on a Sunday morning? As you might guess, this is prompted by a church member who very much wants to sing with the team, but frankly probably falls below the standard of what we would like to have on stage...."

Have you ever tried to actually measure how loud the congregation sings?

Maybe you’re a worship leader who is caught in the unrelenting cycle of leading weekly worship gatherings while managing songs, arrangements, schedules, teams, relationships, and life.

You feel the need for... 

• A deep walk with God (Intimate, Consecrated, Scripture-soaked)

• A deep love for people (Shepherd, Launcher, Encourager, Leader)

• A deep understanding of music (Listener, Craftsman, Fluent)

“The measure of a worship leader’s success is not better services, but building worshippers.” 

I was leading Sunday morning worship at this church. I greeted the assembled worshipers and… got back a very wimpy response. I felt like I was looking at a room of corpses.

As we approach the end of the year, I encourage you to take a moment between sips of 'nog (stay tuned for a killer recipe) to reflect on the state of your team's relationships.

What’s your worship team like? And by “worship team,” I mean the musicians and techs together.

Are you like a Worship Family? A Worship Indie Band? A Worship Elevator? Let me describe each one.

How can you know if it’s time to form a leadership team for your worship ministry?

Every week, when we make music together as worship teams, we have essential musical decisions to make. So here’s a humorous yet insightful story of what it takes to make music together.

Today, I’m giving you an outline rather than paragraphs. That’s obvious.

But what’s not obvious is how much what you do impacts congregational engagement. I want to challenge us, as leaders, to grow in BEING:

Have you ever wished your teams, pastors, and congregation were great at giving each other feedback?

I was preparing for a coaching session with a new worship leader and reading a chapter in the book we’re working through called “How To Lead Worship Without Being A Rock Star.”

My typical planning schedule…

The most eternally creative thing you can do is make a decision.” – Dave Miller

Almost every week, I lead a new team of musicians. Sometimes all we have is a Sunday morning rehearsal.