[Today’s post is an excerpt from my most recent newsletter. Due to such positive feedback, I wanted to feature it on the blog. If you’re not subscribed to my newsletter, I suggest you do. I consider it the “Insider’s” group and it’s one of my favorite things to write. You can sign up here.]

When it comes to preparing for a worship service, what is the first question you typically ask?

What songs am I going to do?

We all ask that.

We get in frantic mode to pick the best songs everyone will like, that every church is doing, that is on the radio. Then, when it comes time to lead worship, we sing through our songs.

A job well done?

Well, not exactly. I want to share with you a different approach to preparing for (and leading) corporate worship.

It doesn’t start with a frantic hunt to find the most popular songs.

[Read more…]

The other day I was reflecting on the amazing, glorious responsibility we have as worship leaders.

We get to stand before God’s people and declare His greatness – to usher people into His presence with singing. But we also have the responsibility to do it well.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to waste the church’s precious moments with God in corporate worship with mere performance, a disorganized team, and a lack of passion. I want to connect them to Jesus.

The best way I’ve found to do that is to get back to the basics. Corporate worship isn’t simple. There’s a lot of organization, both in leading your team and engaging a large room of people to sing in unison. I don’t want to minimize that or paint a wrong portrait of what we do.

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I’ve been talking a lot about making disciples in 2013.

In my newsletter we talked a bit more specifically about how to do that – how to teach, model, give opportunity, and provide feedback. But do you know what the problem is? Before you can teach and model to someone else, you must know why you do what you do.

Before you lead people, you must know where you’re going. Common sense, right?

Well, easier said than done.

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As I wrote in my book, Beyond Sunday, it’s too easy to go through the motions on Sunday morning.

Your mind is swimming in details. Your psyche is preoccupied with pleasing your Pastor.

You not only know the songs, you know the proper inflection points and how to pronounce words for maximum impact. You even have your list of exhortations that work. You’ve become an expert at working the system and getting people’s hands in the air.

[Read more…]