Worship Podcast
I love this conversation with my new friend, Nikki Lerner. It’s important on so many levels. Multicultural worship isn’t just a matter of preference and opinion. It’s Biblical and a reflection of God’s heart.
We talk about what that looks like, creativity, true humility (it’s not what you think), songs for church, and more.
Prepare to be stirred!
A conversation with Andy Squyres is one the leaves you a little more brave, thoughtful, and thankful. It’s like the opposite of talking to someone who hates everything.
But what’s interesting is Andy speaks his mind when it comes to modern worship and corporate songwriting. But he loves the church. And he’s a worship pastor.
If you’ve never heard of Andy, you need to check out his music. It’s life giving and quite refreshing. And my prayer is that this interview causes you to dig a little deeper with your art, pray a little harder for the people of God, and live your life for the Kingdom of Heaven.
We talk about the problem with most corporate worship songs, the life of a Worship Pastor, poetry over platitudes, leading people, and more.
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Do you think the church is in a creative rut?
In a recent podcast, Nancy Beach challenged worship leaders to think beyond just corporate worship songs as it relates to the gathering of God’s people. “We’re in a rut,” she said.
I often wonder if creativity is the goal of our gatherings. How important are creative elements? How important is songwriting? How important are videos, drama, stage design, and creative lighting?
I know, you’re waiting for me to condemn it all and call us back to the heart of worship. But I’m not going to do that. I simply want to invite you to a conversation.
None of us set out to make creativity the goal. Of course, we want it to serve people in seeing Jesus clearer. But are we accomplishing that?
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Such an honor to welcome Nancy Beach to the podcast. Nancy was the Programming Director at Willow Creek for over 20 years, one of the main teaching pastors, and one of the founders of the church. She is a world class coach and an amazing leader.
Nancy and I both do work with an incredible organization called Slingshot Group – an organization committed to building remarkable teams through staffing and coaching.
In this interview we talk about art in the church, pitfalls for young (and old) leaders, breaking out of creative ruts, and more. This. Is. So. Good.
Have you ever had a week go by and wonder what you’ve done? Oh, just me?
I know the weekend is game time. It’s the most important event for any local church. It’s when the church gathers together. It’s when the Word of God is preached. It’s when the saints come together to encounter the presence of God.
But it’s not everything. Matter of fact, the work that a Worship Pastor does beyond the stage is what will make those weekend experiences even stronger. We oftentimes just get by on the weekends because we’re not practicing particular rhythms. Our weeks aren’t spent on what is most important.
I understand you may not be full time at your church. You may not even be part time. You work early mornings, lunch hours, and late nights to organize your team and serve your local church.
But these habits apply to any leader – whether full time or volunteer. What will be different is the amount one does at any given time. All you need to do is pick one and focus on it exclusively.
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