Dave Helmuth 10/22/25 Dave Helmuth 10/22/25

Which Fader Is The Greatest?

Which of the Five Faders matters most? The logical answer is “my Fader!” :)

This question makes sense, but it isn't the most useful one. Often, the underlying concern is finding justification to challenge a leader or team member who is out of balance or unhealthy.

Dave Helmuth 10/15/25 Dave Helmuth 10/15/25

Resurrender

There’s a song the 16 church worship teams will sing at this Saturday’s workshop in Lancaster. Though it’s not widely known—currently at number 473 on Planning Center Online’s Top Songs chart—it carries a message our community especially needs.

Dave Helmuth 10/8/25 Dave Helmuth 10/8/25

The Five Faders Book is HERE!

Have you appreciated receiving the Worship Fertilizer or any of the many resources from Ad Lib Music?

Can I ask you a big favor?

The Five Faders book launches TODAY!

Dave Helmuth 9/24/25 Dave Helmuth 9/24/25

What You Do Matters

It’s easy to lose sight of it, but “What You Do Matters.”

Tony Guyer 9/17/25 Tony Guyer 9/17/25

How to Pursue Excellence in a Volunteer Culture

A close friend of mine, who is also a tech supervisor, sent me a picture of a young volunteer mixing the broadcast audio for the live stream at his church. This young unfaithful servant had his feet propped up on the desk and was leaning back in his chair while the music portion of worship was taking place.

James Gagliardi 9/10/25 James Gagliardi 9/10/25

Stop Turning Away Middle School Band Students

I’ve never known what to do with orchestral band instrumentalists who want to join the worship team. It feels like they come from a different world. But there’s hope for us!

Dave Helmuth 9/3/25 Dave Helmuth 9/3/25

Hospitality Can Transform Your Team

If You Can Be Anything, Be Kind

I am not often envious of my daughter’s wardrobe, but she has one shirt that I covet. On the front, it says “be kind,” and on the back, it says “everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” It’s a simple concept that has become my personal mantra as a worship leader and church planter.

Dave Helmuth 8/27/25 Dave Helmuth 8/27/25

Creating A Multiplication Culture

I turned 50 in February. I’m not sure how it happened. I’m pretty sure yesterday I had all my hair and it was much darker, I could see at night while driving, and there were more days ahead of me than were behind me.

Dave Helmuth 8/20/25 Dave Helmuth 8/20/25

Something’s Not Right

Did you ever feel like something was just not right in your sphere of ministry? Wade Mullen wrote an extremely helpful book called Something’s Not Right. It was invaluable to me during a very difficult time as a worship director on staff at my church.

Dave Helmuth 8/13/25 Dave Helmuth 8/13/25

Steady Beats Cool

I love that my kids are multi-instrumentalists. Most mornings, we have family worship from 7:30 to 8:00. We take turns choosing the songs and rotate on the instruments from piano, bass, drums, acoustic or electric guitar, violin, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, percussion, and of course, voice.

Dave Helmuth 8/6/25 Dave Helmuth 8/6/25

Origin Story: The Five Faders

Have you ever wondered where the Five Faders came from? This is its origin story!

Dave Helmuth 7/30/25 Dave Helmuth 7/30/25

Did Jesus Lie About The Whole Yoke Thing?

I was overwhelmed during a season of life and ministry that felt so heavy. I felt no traction. I wanted a clear, big picture to shoot for and a simple strategy for making daily progress.

Dave Helmuth 7/23/25 Dave Helmuth 7/23/25

Life As A Volunteer

I’ve railed against referring to them as volunteers for years because “volunteer” seems like the lowest possible standard you could set for your team.

Dave Helmuth 7/16/25 Dave Helmuth 7/16/25

Nick-of-Time Is My Nicotine

This Fertilizer is for my fellow procrastinators, those who have made a habit of getting things done in the nick of time to the point that it’s as addictive as the nicotine in cigarettes.

Dave Helmuth 7/9/25 Dave Helmuth 7/9/25

The Berkey Water Filter and the Scarcity Mindset

“Dad, aren’t you going to use filtered water to soak the oats?” Aspen scolded.

Dave Helmuth 7/2/25 Dave Helmuth 7/2/25

Skeletons In Your (Head) Closet

Crack open Ezekiel 37 for a minute. It reads:

The hand of the LORD was upon me,

Dave Helmuth 6/25/25 Dave Helmuth 6/25/25

Functional To Flourishing

I was talking with an audio coach in rural Illinois and we were reflecting on the realities that many churches don’t realize how far from their potential they have settled for, how they’ve grown accustomed to simply functioning on the lowest possible rung.

Dave Helmuth 6/18/25 Dave Helmuth 6/18/25

Need A Suppository?

I was reviewing a worship video recording for a local church. I was struck by the singular thing they could do to improve their music quickly and increase congregational engagement exponentially.