Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast

How to Practice Better – Worship Leading

In a previous post I talked about how important practice is. But not just practice…deliberate practice – practicing those things that will make you more effective at what you do.

When we think practicing we typically think of pianists and football players. But what about something like worship leading? How do we practice that? Yea, I could try to lead worship more often but what about those times when I’m by myself?

What are some deliberate things I can do to become a better worship leader?

1. Listen Deeply

If you are a worship leader you should be listening to other worship leaders. But you are not just a casual listener. You must become a listening nerd šŸ™‚ This is not just background noise. Listen deeply. Analyze it. Write down what different worship leaders do: How they interact with a congregation, what songs they do, how they arrange, how they navigate spontaneous moments, how they interact with the band, etc.

2. Read

In a previous post I recommended my favorite books on worship leading. Go read. It’s important to not only learn the practicalities of worship leading but also expand your view of God. Shameless plug: also, reading blogs like this one will help you gain knowledge and stay focused. This is a fantastic resource as well.

3. Sing all the time

if you are a vocal worship leader, don’t save all your singing for rehearsal and Sunday morning. You need to exercise that muscle. I’ve heard it said that leading worship is one of the toughest things on your voice. You sing, shout, and talk, all while pushing hard. Seek to daily strengthen your voice by singing in the car, at home, & on airplanes (maybe not that one).

4. Look for places to lead

Don’t wait for pastors to come to you, asking to lead worship. Make it happen in ‘smaller places’. Grab your friends and worship. Strong Christians love to worship. So go do it. Often.

5. Practice continual prayer

How do you expect to hear God’s voice when your leading worship if you’re not listening in the everyday? Live a continual posture of, “God, what are you doing? How can I accomplish your purpose today?” You’ll be surprised what opportunities and divine appointments will arise because of this.

6. Practice loving people

If you don’t like people, worship leading will be frustrating for you. It’s all about people. It’s all about connecting. It’s all about a journey with others. This may seem abstract but it’s definitely something you can practice. Engage in conversation. Smile. Pray for others. Connect. You’ll see a huge difference on stage if you’re living this everyday.

7. Listen to your pastor

When your pastor preaches, listen to what he says. Write it down. Internalize the DNA of your church. Make it yours. Even if he’s not a musician and doesn’t know as much as you do, respect the vision God has given him and implement it with all you’ve got. Practice it.

Anything that I missed? Help me out. How can I practice as a worship leader?

The Best Worship Songs…Ever

I always wonder who comes up with this stuff. The best worship songs ever? Who decides? Is this God’s top 50?

In all seriousness, what is your current favorite worship song? I’m always on the lookout for great songs that resonate with people’s hearts. Just for fun, if someone mentions my current favorite worship song, I’ll send you two of my CDs for free. One for you, one to give away.

Let me know. On your mark, get set, comment.

3 Ways to Engage Non-Christians in a Worship Service

Do you ever feel a little weird leading worship when there are unbelievers in the room?

Imagine how they feel. It’s more than a little weird to step into a room of jubilant people singing weird songs, clapping their hands, maybe dancing, and maybe, just maybe waving the dreaded streamer. I remember the first time I raised my hand in worship (notice I said ‘hand’. Singular. Gotta start somewhere). It was a big deal for me. I also remember the first time I encountered a streamer waving dancing lady. No comment.

In a related post I talked about 8 ways to engage people in worship. But I want to narrow our focus today. How do we more skillfully engage non-christians in our worship services? If a healthy church is one that has a consistent influx of unbelievers, we need to learn how to connect them.Ā And I don’t believe it involves watering down the Gospel.

I feel this tension every time I lead worship.Ā I’m glad they’re there. They don’t know what’s going on. I desperately want them to experience the power of God.

Here are some ways to engage:

1. Play good music

It makes sense that as unbelievers step into church they aren’t thinking about how to flow in the Holy Spirit and which isle to dance in. They are watching people. They are watching you. They are listening to the music. They are reading the lyrics. Don’t allow sloppy music. Work hard on being good.

2. Sing easily understandable songs

When I’m picking my setlist, I ask the question “will unchurched Joe understand this?” I know I may personally like the song that talks about burning for God in an ocean of wind, but will that make any sense to an unbeliever? Probably not. Focus on songs that articulate the Gospel and aren’t too abstract.

3. Address them

It’s so important to acknowledge unbelievers and empathize with their situation. Bring them along with you. This involves speaking to them, being real, being likable. Don’t freak people out with your personality. Tell them it’s OK if they don’t sing and just stand or sit there. In the meanwhile, pray that the lyrics and presence of the Holy Spirit will reach them deeply.

What would you add to the list? How can we better engage non-Christians in our worship services?

The Weekly Wrap-Up

I’m beginning a new tradition here on the blog: The Weekly Wrap-Up. This is simply a way for you to view my posts from the past week in case you missed something or want to review. Enjoy.

Monday

How to Turn Setbacks into Stepping Stones

There is something that I believe with all my heart.Ā There are no setbacks for the man or woman of God. Only stepping stones. ā€œWhat are you talking about,ā€ you may ask?

Read the full post here.

Tuesday

10 Tips for Great Arranging

Ever been in a worship team situation where all you hear is a mess of noise? Each musician in the band seems to be the captain of their own planet, ignoring the rotation of all the others. This is all too common for musicians toĀ show off what they can do instead of submitting to what a song really needs. Since Iā€™ve already addressed the need for bothĀ preparation and spontaneity, I want to focus on one very important aspect of preparation; and that is the arranged song.

Read the full post here.

Wednesday

Which Drink Are You?

My post for this morning may seem vain at first sight. But this is for real. No joke. Iā€™m sitting in Starbucks and Iā€™m baffled once again by how much money people pay for coffee. I mean,Ā people stop in here 2-3 times a DAY for their drink. Starbucks is an experience so many people canā€™t missā€¦daily. Amazing.Ā Iā€™m probably a once or twice a week Starbucks drinker (since we use a fabulousĀ Keurig at home).

Tell me your favorite drink here.

Thursday

Do You Disciple Your Worship Team?

What I love most about leading worship (I guess besides actually worshiping God) is making disciples. Each member of the worship team is someone called by God whom I have the privilege of pouring into.Ā I believe sometimes we can short circuit what God wants to do through our worship team because we give excuses. ā€œI canā€™t afford to hire good musicians.ā€ ā€œI just donā€™t like asking him all the time.ā€ ā€œThis schedule is just too busy for people.ā€ ā€œThereā€™s too many services at this church!ā€Ā Or we just get into ā€˜weekly maintenance modeā€™ and lose the big picture of what we are doing.

Read the full post here.

Friday

A Songwriter’s Arsenal

As a guy whoĀ writes songs for my church to sing, Iā€™m always trying to improve. Here are a few things I use that assist me in myĀ songwriting process. Hope this helps.

Read the full post here.