*This is a manuscripted adaptation (summary!) of a sermon I gave on Palm Sunday that might help guide us on the journey with Jesus this week. It would make a great resource to share with your teams this week as we lean into all its significance. Holy week is the most important week in the […]
Culture of Communication (Pt. 1)
I’ll be honest. For the last several years, I’ve found myself wrestling with my own frustration around communication. Specifically interpersonal communication. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances where grace is needed, of course, but I’m talking more about a habitual pattern of not responding in a timely manner (or at all) or responding in a way […]
Considering a Change?
How to Prepare for a New Worship Ministry Assignment
A new year naturally turns our focus toward “new beginnings” of all kinds. People are suddenly resolute to lose weight, pray more, cut back spending, and sometimes even make career changes. For those in full-time ministry the holidays are demanding, and once the dust has settled many begin to contemplate whether they want to spend […]
If you saw the announcement about the virtual 10k we’re hosting this fall, the thought may have crossed your mind, “Why would a worship school be promoting an athletic event?? Aren’t most of your students and alumni more the artist-types? Does a worship leader even need to care about being able to walk or run […]
There are three areas all leaders need to consider, be aware of, and give real weight to in order to find that sweet spot where both the leader and the church will find the most growth and fulfillment together. Prioritizing only one, or even two, will result in an imbalance that will not only be felt by the leader, but by the church as well.
Many of today’s churches tend to fall into the extreme categories of being defined as EITHER rooted/traditional OR renegade/charismatic, but how beautiful would it be to have congregations worshiping God across the full spectrum?
Q: How do I pick songs for a specific passage of scripture my pastor is speaking on?
A: I’ll never understand a worship set that has nothing to do with the accompanying sermon. It is such a wasted opportunity when we arbitrarily pick songs that people may like yet don’t serve to orient us towards where the pastor is about to take us, or don’t pick up from where the sermon lands […]
Q: Should I talk between songs?
A: Look at the Psalms. Some of them have superscriptions before verse 1. Some don’t. Some have built-in interjections like, “Selah.” I like this because, sometimes, the last thing you need to hear, as a worshiper, is someone talking. But sometimes, it’s exactly what you most need. How do you know when’s which? As a […]
We’ve all been there… We posted the song on Planning Center in the key of F, (and everyone learned it in F), then on Sunday morning the vocalist can’t hit the high-note. She needs it dropped to the key of E… Or, in the middle of rehearsal, you realize it’d be great to flow from […]
Garageband for Songwriters - Part Two
Welcome to Part Two of our series on Garageband for songwriters. In Part One, we went over how to get set up and start recording. Here, we will discuss basic editing and mixing that can be done in Garageband to make basic tracks sound great. To reiterate, the goal is to get your music heard, […]