Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast

20 Creative Musical Ideas To Inspire Your Team

[This post is part of a series on Tips For Taking Your Worship Team To The Next Level. Check out the rest here.]

Worship leaders don’t get much of a break. Before you know it, Sunday is here. Again.

What are we all going to do this weekend? Our songs may differ but there are a few things I can guarantee:

  • “Four on the Floor” kick drum patterns
  • Chimey guitars with lots of delay
  • Huge intros
  • 14 guitar solos
  • Anything you would add?

It’s easy for us to get stuck in these patterns. We see what others are doing and we imitate. I’m not saying you need to reinvent the wheel every week, provide breakthrough musical innovation with every song, and be so cool that Mute Math wants to attend your church to learn a few things.

You’re not creative until you play a drumkit like this 🙂

But the introduction of something different can really “lift” the atmosphere for your band as well as your congregation. As artists in the church, we are seeking to “paint” a bigger picture of God in people’s minds. We want people to leave our services with a true sense of God and sometimes that involves trying something “out of the box”.

While not an exhaustive list, here are 20 musical ideas that may (or may not) work for you and your team:

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Why Giving Up Is Essential To Songwriting Success

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Feel like you’re stuck in a rut with your songwriting? Can’t seem to figure out what to say? Let me give you some input.

Give up.

Close your laptop. Put down your guitar. Forget that piano riff that isn’t working.

Just give it up.

For now.

If you read my last post on the one habit that could save your songwriting, you may think I’m a bit schizophrenic.

Maybe I am. But let me explain.

Does your songwriting ever feel like this? Staring at a bunch of nothing?

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Why Owning Your Senior Pastor’s Vision Is So Important

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I’ve mentioned before how owning your senior pastor’s vision is important. Not only is it important, it is essential. There is a tendency among us worship leader/creative types to walk to the beat of our own drum. The truth is, you won’t reach your full potential as a leader until you learn to serve someone else’s vision.

Serving someone else's vision is like trusting who you skydive with. You'll be glad you did.

When I finished college and was hired as a worship pastor, I wasn’t prepared to serve someone else’s vision. Bible college doesn’t necessarily prepare you for that. I had dreams and ideals. It wasn’t until I really submitted myself to a great, visionary leader that I began to grow like I never had before.

If you are on staff at a local church, you need to own your senior pastor’s vision with all your might. And if you can’t, it might be time for you to leave. I know that’s a bold statement. I know it may seem a little harsh.

But I think it’s important and here’s why:

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10 Ways to Recruit New Musicians While Strengthening What You Have

[This post is part of a series on Tips For Taking Your Worship Team To The Next Level. Check out the rest here.]

It’s an all too common scenario. Great musicians come. Great musicians go. Young, mediocre musicians get better. Young, now improved musicians go to college. Have you found yourself in that situation numerous times? Have you been so discouraged that you’ve wanted to quit? Is all this church musician transitioning really worth it?

Maybe stand on the street corner and hold this sign?

Transition comes with the territory of being a worship leader in the local church. People come for a season and move on. Young people go to college. Wouldn’t you love to have a culture where when some musicians move on, others step up to the plate? A culture where you have multiple players who are skilled and available?

Hope this helps:

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