Get The Paddles Out
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.
Actually Believe
So I had this experience where I realized that I had been lulled to sleep. Maybe you can relate to this, because I had forgotten that God is actually steadfast. He’s actually good. He’s actually all-powerful. He’s actually able to do what He said He would do.
Hymns Are Old Burned Up Plastic Bottles
The other night, I was tucking my son into bed and noticed some trash on his bunk bed shelf. It was the remains of an old, burned-up plastic Coke bottle.
7 Words That Could Change The Way You Worship!
Praising by only singing is like golfing with only a putter, baking using only a ¼ cup measuring cup, drawing a rainbow with only a blue crayon, or fixing a car with only a ½” wrench.
12 Ways To Say “Welcome” In Worship
“I guess we’ll go ahead and get started.”
“Please rise to your feet.”
“Good morning…um, good MORNing! ...That’s better.”
Soon Baboon Soon
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.
How To Increase Congregational Engagement
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:
Platform Modesty and Dress Codes
How modest is modest enough? The most common internal answer is “the same as me or more modest than me.”
Why Raising Your Hands Makes You A Charismatic
“So let me see by a show of hands,” I once asked when leading worship, “how many of you have never raised your hands in worship before?”
(now that wasn’t so bad, was it?)
Worship Values: What I Care About When I Lead Worship
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.”
Singers Prophesy
What if our singers’ primary role is to prophesy, to declare the emotion and heart of God?
From Friendly to Friends
Going it alone really, really stinks! Oh, it can kill you too. You may have friendly people on your teams, but how do you become true friends?
The Issue of Fear (and the way to avoid it getting its grimy hooks into your #SundaySetlist planning)
My typical planning schedule…
Drums, the Holy Spirit, and Congregational Response
Have you ever been frustrated, confused, or saddened by a lack of response from the congregation you’re leading in worship?
Why Do We Gather?
Why do we gather each week as a church?
Do you see what I sing?
When was the last time you took a breath, ready to sing the next line, only to slowly exhale, mumble, or watermelon through the next line because the words weren’t up in time?
Worship Is Display
What if worship is display? Are you comfortable with that?
Never Copy the CD*
I love what Todd Henry says in his podcast The Accidental Creative: “It is the age of creativity. Cover bands don’t change the world. Don’t be a cover band. You need to find your unique voice.”
Six Things I Learned About Rehearsals (From Leading a New Team Every Week…For Years!)
Almost every week, I lead a new team of musicians. Sometimes all we have is a Sunday morning rehearsal.
Worship Ministry Devotions
Do you wish that rehearsal would go deeper than just pulling the music together?