Worship Leader, when you hear “team devos”, what comes to mind?

If I’m honest, I cringe a little. It’s not that I don’t love Jesus or don’t love learning or discussing.

It’s just that devos can be just plain awkward.

Oftentimes it’s a leader launching off into a monologue that no one understands while the rest of the team daydreams of when it’s over.

But I’m not content to leave it at that. I crave to know God deeper. I long for my team to grow. I look forward to discussions around what God is showing us.

So I’m going to share with you a 3 part devo strategy I’ve been using recently in hopes that if your team devos are stale, it can fuse some life into them.

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When you hear the word “memorize”, you probably have one of two reactions.

1. I can’t do that.
2. Not a chance.

There’s something about memorizing that is scary to us, but I don’t think it has to be.

We all know there is something good about it, right?

• It helps us be more present in the moment.
• It serves congregational worship by having a more prepared team.
• It helps your rehearsals go smoother (if people practice).
• It helps move the music from a math equation to art.
• It’s a powerful tool for maturing your musicians.
• As worship musicians, it helps us engage in worship more.
• It also means we don’t have to kill as many trees or purchase a handful of expensive iPads.

Win win, right?

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This blog post is tough. Nobody likes to have difficult conversations and nobody likes to fire anyone.

But sometimes it’s necessary. And if it’s done in the proper way can be good for everyone.

One of the tensions every worship leader faces is caring for the culture of the team and caring for each individual. When those lines are blurred, everything becomes more difficult.

But the word “leader” is in your job description for a reason. That doesn’t give you license to be a jerk. You need to love, care for, and “pastor” your team.

But it does necessitate some difficult decision-making. Get your comments ready. This conversation will need a deep-dive.

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[Today’s post is a guest post by Rob Still. Rob is a worship pastor, songwriter, and author of the new book “resurrection power“. He blogs regularly at www.robstill.com. For today’s post, we’ll select 5 commenters to receive a copy of Rob’s book.]

Dear Worship Musician or Singer, 

Congratulations on a job well done! You’ve successfully finished the Easter service (or services!) at your local church.

For many churches, Easter is like Super Bowl Sunday. It’s the big day and we want it to be excellent. Nothing wrong with that.

But sometimes it means a lot of moving parts, more demands on limited resources, and tons of pressure.

After a big project, even one that is extremely successful, it is natural to experience a let down – to feel tired, depleted, or maybe even depressed. You might be asking yourself, “Is this all there is?”

I’ve felt that way too. It is important that we tend to our hearts and care for our souls.

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It’s funny how we say worship isn’t about us – that it’s all about the glory of God. But our focus doesn’t always reflect such a passion.

What are we most mindful of? If you’re like me, I mainly think about myself.

• How do I sound?
• How do I look?
• Who is getting blessed?
• Who out there thinks I should record this song?

When the flow of worship is feeling good, I can’t wait to bask in the praises of man. When it’s terrible, I want to go find the nearest cave and camp out.

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