 |
C o n t r i b u t i n g F r i e n d s |
 | Jealous Bones
Derek Williams (Co-Host WTT Radio Show/Podcast) Go to any weekend service and you will see that the two most prominent leaders are the worship leader and the senior pastor. There is a unified heart message that is preached in two very different languages: one in word and the other in song. Many times the worship leader is a Psalm guy and the pastor is a Proverb guy. The worship leader is right-brained and the pastor is left-brained. If the two come together with their gifting they can have a significant impact on communicating the kingdom of God to a lost and hurting world. When they are aligned in vision and pursue an authentic relationship there is health in their church community. However, if this is the case why do so many worship leaders and pastors struggle in their relationship together? While there may be a myriad of reasons, there is one that quickly rises to the top as the greatest obstacle. If you want to destroy the dream, disconnect the communication, break the commitment and destroy the trust you have built together, the easiest way is to allow envy or jealousy to seep into your relationship. Worship leaders and pastors, young and old, struggle with a reality and fear that someone will rise higher than they ever will. The same is true for any of us. The story of Saul is one of the saddest stories of leadership in the Bible. Here is Saul, chosen by God, acclaimed by the people, full of courage, vision, dreams, and hope. He begins with humility and humanity, but ends up a desperate, fear-filled, half-crazed, alone, witch-seeking wreck. Why does this happen? Saul refuses to tolerate the song of another. The word, song, is defined as the “gifts God has given each one of us.” Saul won’t make room for anyone else to rise above him. When we read 1 Samuel, we see in the life of David an opposite side of the same coin. “After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond of love between the, and they became the best of friends,” (1 Samuel 18:1 NLT). “But all of Israel and Juday loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle” (1 Samuel 18:6). “In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it” (1 Samuel 18:20). Most will remember a television show called, Everybody Loves Raymond. Well, in the book of Samuel we see that everybody loves David. There is an immediate bond of love between David and those who encountered him. God blesses him while Saul waits on the sidelines. Whatever Saul asks David to do, he does it successfully. Success is everywhere for David. Saul recognizes this and is even more afraid because of who he fears David will become, a man who’s successes continue to grow as he is loved by the people. Something happens when the victorious Israelite army returns home after David kills Goliath. Women come out from all the towns along the way to celebrate and cheer for King Saul, and they sing and dance for joy with tambourines and cymbals. This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands and David his ten thousands!” To put it mildly, Saul is angry. “What’s this?” he says. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” From that time on, Saul keeps a jealous eye on David. In fact, the very next day a tormenting spirit overwhelms Saul. He begins to rave like a madman. As David plays his harp, Saul gets a spear. Saul is so jealous of David because the Lord has left him and is now with David. Saul is so filled with envy that it compels him to kill. Envy is a death trap. When you read through the Bible, one of the amazing prominent threads from beginning to end is the sin of envy. Envy is “I want what you have.” In fact, it goes a step further when it says, “I want what you have and I don’t want you to have it at all.” We find this to be true in the stories of Cain versus Abel, Isaac versus Ishmael, Jacob versus Esau, Joseph versus his brothers, Leia versus Rachel and Aaron and Mariam who were jealous of the higher position given to Moses. In Matthew 27, Pilate says they are going to kill Jesus out of envy. Paul says they preach Christ out of envy and strife. Envy is toxic and digs a spiritual grave. Envy sent Paul scurrying out of town. It sent Abel to the grave. It sent Joseph to a far away country. It caused the elder brother to act like a fool. It sent Moses to his knees. It even sent Jesus to the cross. Sometimes we find those seeds in our own lives. If you’re a parent you’ve seen it in your children. It’s that uncontrollable frenzy that happens in the human heart to try and make things even and fair. It’s that glazed look we get when the car of our dreams drives by. It’s the constant comparison of our life with someone else’s. It’s the absence of happiness for a friend who is climbing the ladder of success faster than we ever will. It’s even found in gossiping about the church down the street that built a better worship team, hired a more charismatic pastor, and reached out to a younger audience. Envy is deadlier than anger. “Wrath is cruel. And anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” (Proverbs 27:4 KJV) Like many sins it begins harmlessly under a disguise of ambition. However, the end result brings destruction of relationships and inner turmoil. We’ve heard it said, “If envy were an illness, the world would need a hospital.” Have you ever allowed envy to creep into your bones? Maybe it’s that feeling in your gut when someone calls the church office to ask if the pastor is preaching that weekend or if the worship leader is using the “A” team, but you’re name is not included. Jealous bones fuel an envious heart any time we feel left out, any time a sense of unfairness rises up within. Mory Silver, social psychologist, said, “I can’t imagine anyone who hasn’t experienced envy at one time or another. To be human is to compare ourselves with others.” People are compared in careers, economic status, appearance, accomplishment, and just about anything else. The same is true within our churches. Whenever we compare ourselves with others, we open the door for us to feel deprived. When life is consumed with the pursuit of fairness, we’ve turned our back on celebrating others above ourselves. Instead, like Saul, we embrace a desire to become greater than anyone else. We go from serving others to taking what we think belongs to us. Whenever life treats us unfairly, the hardest choice is to give ourselves away. It’s in those moments that God reveals the enormity of his love for us. The DNA of our jealous bones fuels an envious heart to make life fair. However, I dare you to try and make your life fair. It’s impossible. We see with Saul that he wants life to be fair and he is galled in his spirit and refuses to sing the song of David. We see that even Saul’s son, Jonathan, and his daughter Michal, love David as he mounts up the success stories. Saul is angry and allows his jealous bones to unleash a malicious grudge. He believes that by picking up a spear and killing David, he will eliminate his envious heart. God can never give enough to satisfy our envious hearts. Spears have been thrown since the beginning of time: in families, in friendships, in businesses, between nations, between denominations, between Christian leaders and church communities. If we have brokenness among us, we make a mockery out of the unity of the Body of Christ. Imagine two people who attend the same Bible College. After graduation one goes to a church of several hundred while the other starts a church plant. Several years later they get together for lunch. The first person shares how the church of several hundred has now grown to several thousand. The second person shares how it is still a struggle to get the church plant off the ground. Imagine a worship team who gathers to rehears for a weekend service. There’s dissension in the group when the vocal or instrumental solo is given to someone else. Imagine someone who works in ministry behind the scenes. They’ve seen how God has increased the influence of a gifted leader, only to be left out when success occurs. Imagine a worship leader or pastor who sees the gifting of another rise above their own, leaving them with a feeling of envy that begins to eat at their very soul. Isn’t it amazing how these instances in life seem so big to us, and keep us from experiencing the magnitude of what God longs to reveal in us? If we are to celebrate the song of another we must deal with the toxin of envy that creeps into our hearts. We must choose to transform the DNA of our jealous bones. We must fight for vulnerability. We must have courage to talk honestly and openly. We must authentically confess our jealous bones and our fears that those we love will go further than we ever will. When dreams and opportunities unfold, and influence increases, we must hold on to God’s call to celebrate the song of another. When we watch those we serve alongside lead thousands as we stand in the background, we must learn how to have a heart that overflows with joy. We must infuse humility into our jealous bones to enable us to celebrate the song of another. Only through a humble heart will we learn to serve with nothing personal to gain, love others when the lights and cameras are turned off, lead by lifting our teams higher than we will ever go, and become less so that God will become more. In the end, Samuel and Saul die and David orders tears for Saul. Not one person cries. They might have cried out of regret for what his life could have been, but for Samuel it is different. He is a fiery spirit, who never compromised, and the people love him for it. Tears are shed because of who he became. Some day, tears are going to be shed for each one of us. We get to choose. Our jealous bones will be the one thing that will kill the presence of God among us, including our teams and churches. It is a toxin that divides a worship leader and pastor who serve together. When we find those jealous bones creeping into our hearts, let us choose to deal with them in humility and authenticity. Let us choose to celebrate in Jesus name. Let us fight against the deadliest sin that separates us from celebrating the song of another. If we choose the road less traveled we will be a force in every community, in every city, for the glory of God. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Derek Williams Worship Team Training Radio Show/Podcast Co-Host For the past fifteen years Williams has worked in the non-profit and entertainment industry. He has produced media projects that have raised awareness and over $1 million to help those in need. With the DNA of a world traveler, Williams was born in Hong Kong, has ventured into the jungles of the Amazon, the bush of Africa, and the slums of the Far East, to share stories of the physically and spiritually poor. His writing credits include Restoration Road with Mitch Kruse (Credo House, Fall 2009) and as a contributing writer for HOLY BIBLE: MOSAIC (Tyndale 2009). Derek is also co-host Worship Team Training Radio Show/Podcast that reaches over 100,000 listeners. Currently he spends his time writing fiction and non-fiction, including ghostwriting for other authors. He is also the producer and director for a weekly television show broadcast regionally on NBC and ABC, as well as other cable networks worldwide. Twitter: www.twitter.com/djwilliams316 Facebook: www.facebook.com/djwilliams316 |
 | Staying Focused While Leading Worship
Obviously, the larger a program gets, the more elements we have to complicate the worship experience: congregation, pastor, tech, singers, choir, band, banners, dancers, etc., etc. On top of all this, we still have to be sensitive to God and the movement of the Holy Spirit or we'll miss the point altogether. With all of these things going on, the natural tendency is to let our focus shift each time something happens that requires our attention: a singer or player is out of tune, the drummer is rushing, or the graphics person is on the wrong slide. A former pastor of mine once said, "No matter how hard we try to keep him out, Murphy always finds a way show up." Not all complications are bad, however. There can be some exceptional musical, visual, or even technical moments that, if we're not careful, can also distract our focus from the sublime worship experience we desire. In my experience, there is no way to avoid being distracted by elements that vie for our attention. After all, we are human beings entrusted with divine responsibility. In order to stay "centered", however, we must: Understand that leading worship is a service unto the Lord. The needs of the corporate body are more important than our own worship experience. Worship leadership is a priestly (ministry to God), pastoral (caring and shepherding people), and prophetic role (communicating God's truths to people). We, as worship leaders, sometimes have to set aside our own notions and desires in order to serve our pastor and our local congregation. Understand that the weekly service should not be our first and last encounter with God for the week. Our daily time in personal worship should be the map we use to lead the people of God to the throne of God. When that personal time is lacking, we can easily find ourselves groping around in the dark, looking for the door to the throne room, all the while tripping over the trappings of worship, but not really worshiping. Obviously, we have all experienced those times when God has blessed our worship in spite of our lack of preparation. However, we should try to error on the side of preparation, both musically and spiritually, as if it were possible to error in that direction. Our attitude should be like that of David when he said, "I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." (2 Sam 24:24) - Toby Baxley Toby Baxley Originally posted on wwwtobybaxley.blogspot.com Worship Team Training Contributing Author |
 | Controlling Drums in Church
The result is a stage volume that is overwhelming – too loud for the room, and often louder than the main sound system in the room, and still unclear. People get frustrated and irritable, and some leave to find another church where they can understand the music. A major part of the solution for this problem is to control the sound of the on-stage instruments, beginning with the drums. There are three steps in controlling drums in church: 1) Contain the acoustic energy from the drums, 2) Absorb the acoustic energy from the drums, and 3) Reinforce the sound that you want from the drums and provide monitoring back to the drummer. Containing the acoustic energy from the drums is the easiest part. The sound  of
the drums travels from the drum head to the ears of the people hearing
it. The strongest part of that sound is generally direct
line-of-sight.Many churches have installed plexiglass drum shields
around the drums for this purpose. It’s cost-effective and it’s a
reasonably effective starting point. The plexiglass reflects most
sound, preventing the direct line-of-sight sound from reaching the
people in the congregation.This solves one problem and introduces a couple of new ones. Plexiglass does not absorb sound; virtually all of the sound created by the drums is reflected; that means that the sound is still in the room, it’s just not traveling to the listeners in a direct route. The drummer often feels more confident now that he’s behind the plexiglass, and often times he plays harder, creating even more sound than before. Now that sound is bouncing around the room as reflected sound. Reflected sound is, by definition, noise: it has the same amount of energy as direct sound, but because it is reflected, it has become “incoherent.” Now instead of hearing the clear “slap” of the snare from a single source, we hear reflections of that slap from various reflective surfaces around the room. The clarity is decreased, but the energy of the snare is still there, rattling around the room, muddying up the rest of the sound. The second problem with a plexiglass drum cage is that the first reflection of the sound is concentrated back at the drummer’s ears. The potential for hearing damage is greatly increased. That’s one reason some drummers want to play loudly – they can’t hear the sound as well as they used to, so they feel the need to play louder. The result of plexiglass by itself is that the total energy of sound is not decreased. Instead, it’s just bouncing around the room, making the rest of the sound muddy, and damaging the drummer’s hearing. After we block the direct sound of the drums with a plexiglass drum shield, the next step is to absorb a good portion of the sound, to keep it from filling the room with incoherent echoes. This is generally accomplished with sound-absorptive foam. Generally,  the
foam is installed in three locations: on the wall behind the drummer,
on the plexiglass itself, and as sound-absorptive “lid” over the top of
the drummer.How much absorption to install is governed by several factors, some practical and some aesthetic. Since the drummer needs to be able to see the rest of the band, it’s best to not block all of the plexiglass. Rather, install foam along the bottom and sides of the plexiglass. Generally, the foam is not installed above the height of the drumheads themselves, and often only to the top of the kick drum. On the sides, install the foam higher, particularly on the side with the snare and hihat, as these are the greatest sources of sound. Install a greater amount of sound absorption on the wall behind the drummer. In fact, complete coverage of this wall is often appropriate, up to the height of the plexiglass drum shield. Since the sound from the drums is omnidirectional it will either strike the wall first or it will reflect off of the plexiglass and then strike the wall. Absorption on the wall behind the drummer will be a big help in keeping the reflections around the room under control. Some of the sound from the drums, of course, goes straight up, where it will bounce off of the ceiling before eventually making its way to peoples’ ears. If you have done an effective job of absorbing the sound inside the drum cage this reduced amount of reflected sound may be acceptable, or even desirable. It may still be too much sound, especially in a low-ceilinged room, or with a large drum kit, or with a particularly physical drummer. In this case, it may be necessary to add a sound absorptive ceiling over the top of the drum kit. All this absorption sounds expensive, but it is possible to cover all three sections - on the plexiglass, the wall behind the drummer, and the lid - for about the cost of the plexiglass drum shield itself. To this point, we have been reducing the overall volume of the drums. The stage volume is under control, so the musicians can hear themselves, and the sound from the stage doesn’t overwhelm the main speakers. The front several rows of the congregation are no longer being overwhelmed by sound. But now the back part of the sanctuary isn’t being reached. The third step of controlling the drum sound is to put the drums into the sound system. At the very least, you’ll need to mic the kick drum, the snare drum, and the hihat. With careful placement, a single mic can pick up both the snare and the hihat, for a two-mic minimum. As far as mic selection goes, my preference is to use a large diaphragm mic on the kick drum – either a dynamic mic like the Shure Beta 52 or the Sennheiser E602II, or a large condenser mic like the CAD E100. Dynamic mics tend to capture the “boom” of a kick drum well, and condensers can capture the “snap” of the sound. Audio Technica makes a mic (AE2500) that has both a condenser capsule and a dynamic capsule in it. Be sure that the mic can handle the high sound pressure levels of a kick drum closely miked.  Your first choice for a snare mic is a simple dynamic microphone, with the ubiquitous Shure SM57
being the most popular. It’ll take a number of accidental whacks from
overly-enthusiastic drumsticks and keep working well. Dynamic mics can
also be used on the toms, but there are several very nice tiny
condenser mics that have become popular, like the AKG C418 or the Audio Technica PRO 35. Sennheiser makes a small dynamic mic for this purpose, the E604.
These small, specialized mics generally come with their own mic clips
which attach directly to the drum itself, reducing the number of stands
and cables sticking out of the drum kit, and allowing the plexiglass
drum shield to be brought in nice and tight.In a large room, you’ll want to add a pair of overhead mics, to capture the overhead cymbals and the overall ambience of the drum kit. Small condenser mics like the entry level AT Pro37R or the higher priced Sennheiser E914 are common choices. Recently, the trend has been moving towards large-diaphragm mics overhead, including the inexpensive CAD GXL2200 or the versatile AKG C3000B. Be sure to experiment with mic placement, listening closely to the sound of each mic, to determine best placement on your drum kit. Once you route the new mics to your mixing console, you'll need to consider monitoring for the drummer. The simplest way to give your drummer the ability to hear what he needs to hear is to use an unused Auxiliary Send from your mixing console. Send that aux to a headphone amp (there are many entry-level manufacturers including Samson, Behringer, Rolls, and Carvin). Headphones with significant isolation help ensure the drummer will get the reinforced sound and not just bleed from around the ear muffs, and some drummers like headphones that emphasize low frequencies. In-Ear Monitor models which produce extended low frequencies (dual driver models) are also an option. Beyond this simple setup there are many other more advanced monitoring solutions such as a separate monitor console or personal mixing devices from folks like Aviom, Hear Technologies, Furman, and MyMix. If you have the room, I prefer using a compressor on both the kick drum and the snare, and an ideal world would call for gates on the toms, the snare and the hihat, to tighten up the sound, but most churches will stop before that point. The main goal is to prevent the acoustic sound of the drums from either overpowering the rest of the band, or reverberating around the room, by bringing the drums into the sound system with the rest of the band. You'll be surprised how much cleaner your band sounds, and how much easier it is to keep the volume under control. By David McLain and Jeremy Carter Originally posted on the CCI Solutions website. |
 | Confessions of a Worship Leader
You must worship no other gods, but only the Lord, for He is a God who is passionate about His relationship with you. Exodus 34:14 (NLV) As I have sought to walk in obedience to God's call on my life, I am often reminded that the role of a worship pastor is "to pastor a congregation in the area of worship." God's will extends beyond that of growing a worship ministry. He desires rather that a worship pastor build a ministry of worshipers. A few years ago it occurred to me how easy it is to lose sight of all we are called to be and to do as worshipers of Christ and as worship leaders. I realized that it might be helpful to create a creed of sorts; a confession for worship leaders; something that would help us not to lose sight of who we are in Christ and all that God has called us to. The following is an attempt to remind us all (myself included) of God's will for worshipers and worship leaders. Following the reading are group discussion questions. I am a Worshiper ...I deeply desire to grow and mature as a passionate worshiper and as a worship leader. I know that, like all of God’s children, I was created to worship and adore the living God. My daily worship of God is a time of precious communion; priceless moments of adoration of my Lord Jesus Christ. As I pour out my heart before Him, like David of old, I long to speak the intimate language of worship and praise. In these moments I choose to rehearse God’s goodness and His matchless character; I thank Him for His mighty deeds and His loving-kindnesses toward me. This is the foundation not only of my day, but also of my role as a worship leader. I know that the task of leading God’s people in worship a high and holy calling. Worshiping God in the secret place builds within my own heart authenticity and consistency; which in turn adds vitality and integrity to my efforts to lead God's people publicly. I look forward each week to doing my part to usher God's people before His Throne. It is an honor and a joy for me to be able to serve God in this way. It is my passionate conviction that God receives, as far as it depends on me, all the praise and glory that He deserves. I realize that, in the heart of a worshiper, there is no room for ego or personal jealousy. I have learned that only in humility and servanthood can the calling of a worship leader truly be fulfilled. Even so, I must confess that at times I struggle. For in my weakness, I too can desire glory. Still, I know that God will not share His glory with another... and any talents I may have are only gifts borrowed from God. I am also careful to walk in love toward my brothers and sisters in the Lord, for this too impacts my ability to worship. I admit that this is a challenge at times. But I have learned that bitterness and unforgiveness are the mortal enemies of true worship. Therefore I must avail myself to the cleansing blood of Christ. For as I daily confess my sins, His righteousness covers me. Only in this way may I truly walk as a vessel, purified and useful to my Master. I hunger that other believers in Christ might fully realize that they, too, are called to be passionate worshipers. In light of all that God has done for us through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, how can we be passive? We must respond with joyful abandon to the goodness and love which God has for us. I know that the Father deeply desires (and Satan fears) that believers would learn to fully walk in their calling as worshipers. This is my calling. This is my passion. I am a worshiper . . . and I am a worship leader. I Am a Worshipper - Discussion Questions In your opinion, what ways does this reading challenge the experience of the average Christian? What ideas or thoughts in these paragraphs are new or uncommon to many believers? What barriers do you think stand between most Christians and a deeper worship life? What do you see as two or three primary life motivations of this worship leader? How does a passion for worship impact this person’s character? Their relationships? Their world view? What role does humility/servanthood play in the life of a worshipper? Why is this true? In what practical ways do you see a worshipping lifestyle drawing someone toward greater maturity in Christ? How does a heart for worship contrast with the role “self” typically plays in our lives? How is Satan impacted by our worship of God? Why might it matter to him whether we live a lifestyle of worship or not? Is living a lifestyle of passionate worship really an option for New Testament believers? Why or why not? Worship Team Training - Eric Walker (Contributing Author) |
 | Engaging Worship? By Worship Team Training Friends
Many people can lead the singing in a church service. Many bands have a great sound and one may think that the high quality of caliber is something to be praised. But what is effective worship leading? Can worship truly be engaging and transforming, leaving the worshiper in awe before God? Would worshipers truly know that they experienced true worship rather than great music? What is the barometer of true worship engagement at your church?  9.17.09 Post: Brenda - Worship Leader"I'm grateful to be part of a church were performance is not the reason for worship. Rather, it is a means to meet God, give thanks and praise and be in awe of the Great Creator." 9.27.09 Post: Laurie - Worship Leader"Yes worship can be engaging but it is very different than simply enjoying a good music set; a good music set may even impact you emotionally, but it is worship? It is my prayer in every worship service that people have an encounter with the Living God allowing lives to be forever changed. When considering if I am being effective in my role in leading the congregation, for me, initially it is a visual thing. But it can be a discouraging thing for a leader if they are only looking for a visual affirmation of engagement because some people will never appear engaged. My congregation is not very demonstrative in their worship, there are a few, but some of them just recently started clapping, lifting hands - no way! I know my congregation, I can sense when they are uncomfortable and when they are really enjoying themselves. My idea of participation is different than someone else’s. As I have said before, some people will never enjoy singing, so what do I do to encourage that person to participate in corporate ’worship’? The things I ask myself each time I lead are; am I worshipping in spirit and in truth? Am I praising God? Am I glorifying God? Am I in unity with my team? While I think about all these things and pray about them, I realize I need to be obedient and lead in the manner that I have been asked and know works well for the group I am leading. Sometimes when it seems you are in a desert and there is nothing particularly ‘engaging‘ is the time when someone in the congregation will come up to you with an encouraging word and share what God has been doing in their life that week and then tell you how one of the songs you‘ve used in the set really resonated with them. My husband and I have just been talking about this on our own today… no matter how much we practice, or how skilled we are, we need to be in the place where we allow ourselves to be pushed aside and allow the Holy Spirit to lead, responding spontaneously to the leading of the Spirit. We need to be authentic. As most of us leaders are gifted as encouragers, I think we need to do that more, sharing personal anecdotes and experiences and relating personally with our congregation, letting them really feel that they know who we are, not viewing us as the band, as some have called us. It is my honour and responsibility to praise and glorify Christ. That is my barometer; am I bringing glory and honour to Him. I’d sure like to hear from more leaders on this one." |
 | Reverence VS. Relevance? By Worship Team Training Friends
Yesterday, Lifeway Music simulcasted a great streaming video topic: Reverence VS. Relevance conducted by Mike Harland and Ed Stetzer. Presently, we are beginning to hold a discussion on this subject and would like your response. We believe this will be useful for other worship leaders and ministries as they too deal with the same issues in their churches. Watch part or the full video and respond with your thoughts. Reverence vs Relevance from LifeWay Productions on Vimeo. 9.02.09 Post: Bill - Worship Leader"When the "Jesus Movement" began to knock on the door of the church's cultural mores ( about 40 yrs ago ), the reaction was a mixed bag. Some currently well respected Denominations insisted on hair cuts and women wearing their hair up before folks were allow in the Sanctuary. Reverence was perceived as an inside/outside thing. Now I'm just begining to understand the importance of the "heart attitude" in this whole matter. Christian Media, I can safely say, was morally out of control in the 80s. They looked good though LOL. I think reverence begins in the heart. Any cultural style can be made relevant if it draws my heart to worship." 9.02.09 Post: Roy - Worship Leader"These days, I am concerning myself with the question of CONNECTING WITH vs COMMUNICATING AT. My observations at churches I've visited lately: Churches that concern themselves with Connecting with God usually do and when they do, reverence is one of their responses. These churches can have different styles but similar aims. These churches also seem to connect very well with each other and those visiting in an authentic way. Here the deep longing for the seeker to connect with God is met. They experience God and those worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth instead of hearing about Him. Churches that concern themselves with Communicating at a crowd or demographic (desiring to reach them with the love of Christ) seem to spend a lot of time, energy and resources to communicate to the seeker that they are not religious and that they are current with the culture of the day and many do this very well. (relevant to culture) not sure how they are doing at facilitating an encounter with God as much as they inform the seeker about how God is. We've all seen both styles attract people and distract people. When it comes to worship, I'm living with this as a definition - "My (our) response to Who He is and to What He has done." If I'm close here, then I'd think a church that concerns itself with Connecting with HIM has a far better chance of RESPONDING to Him than one who has as a primary concern- being relevant to it's crowd. I believe a group of people desiring to connect with their God and with each other, grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, can do it with great intentionality, with a blending of technology and mystery and bring Christ to their community with acts of love that are RELEVANT to the needs of people all around them. When this group of people begin to only concern themselves with the ENCOUNTER and their response ceases to manifest itself in acts of love toward others, then we're back to religion." 9.02.09 Post: Laurie - Worship Leader"I feel strongly that our responsibilities as a lead worshipers are to be sensitive to whom we are leading into praise and worship of our Savior... it must be blended, if that means we are incorporating hymns, contemporary and older choruses. That being said, each service will probably look different; sometimes we might have only hymns, sometimes more contemporary songs than older choruses, but it should be a goal for the leader to encourage participation of everyone in the song service. 'Worship' is much more than singing or music, Bill mentions media, Lando talks about bringing art into the service too... what more can we bring into the service to encourage the participation of all those attending. Many do not come to hear us sing or play, they have no appreciation for music..... just something to think about." 9.02.09 Post: Wayne - Worship Leader"Well, when you break this all down this discussion is really about worshiping God, the creator of all things, and our methods and motives for doing so. When trying to apply a hierarchy among the terms "reverence" and "relevance" with regard to worshiping the Almighty, it is my opinion that we must decide which dynamic will provide the most honor and glory to Him, and His name. To me, the answer is simple when looking at it in this way. The more important thing is to be "reverent". After all, is it possible to worship something that you don't revere? Let's look at the definitions of the two words to get a better idea of their differences. Reverence: profound, adoring, awed respect. Relevance: practical and especially social applicability. Is there really a debate on this? Should we be more concerned with the social applicability of what we're singing, or doing... or should we be more concerned with showing our Creator the respect that He so deserves in everything we do? Winner: Reverence. Hands down. Does this mean that I am irrespective of people and the social aspects of music and it's relation to our society? Of course not. What it does mean, though, is that reverence will take precedence in my worship planning. It's just that simple. God bless you guys! And thanks for inviting me to take part in this!" 12.02.09 Post: Luke - Worship Leader'This discussion is reminiscent of the faith / works conversation that has been such a fundamental point of contention and confusion for many Christians. The question of “reverence vs. relevance” strikes at the core of what the purpose of our ministry is as worship leaders. On the one hand, our unwavering goal should be to bring glory to God, and yet we are given the responsibility to lead others into the same pursuit. Creating an environment for the congregation to express themselves to the Lord in a way that is relevant to their experience is an essential part of effectively leading them. If we do not have reverence, we miss the point, and if we lose relevance, we fail utterly. Once again, I think back to the faith/works discussion, recalling verses like Ephesians 2:8-9 that states that we are saved by grace through faith, not of works, so that we have no room for boasting. Matthew 5:20 takes the other side with Jesus saying that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees we will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. So is it faith, or works? Reverence, or relevance? James 2:17 states that faith without works is dead. Unless we mix our action with our faith, there is no life. Christ is inviting to take everything we know to do, and mix it with everything we believe God will do, and use that as our approach to life. It cannot be one or the other. It is a cooperative relationship between us and the Lord. Our action, skill, talent, sweat, heart, and knowledge, mixed with the wisdom, anointing, truth, heart, and power of the Holy Spirit. Our natural and His supernatural. We need to learn how to live in the tension between our work and God’s work. Is it reverence, or is it relevance? My answer is yes. Both. Without a doubt both. There cannot be one without the other. They are both the responsibilities of the worship leader. As Jesus said, “These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” (Matt 23:23) This is a relationship, not a formula. We need to allow the Lord to teach us what this tension looks like in each of our own bodies of believers. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:13 |
 | Lead Singer or Lead Worshipper? By Worship Team Training Friends
Like the battle over music styles in the Church, there is much debate over song leaders versus worship leaders. It is apparent that some churches are moving towards a lead singer/rock band approach. What is the difference between a lead singer who leads the band and singers from one who actually leads the worship and congregation? How does one make the shift from passive to active? Can there be a balance or is it of any worth? Brian Mulder Worship Leader, Chicago, IL. Somewhat oversimplified, but: A lead singer sings and is primarily concerned about the sound of the music and the “in the moment” response of the people to the music A worship leader worships and is primarily concerned about the heart and the lasting response of the people to the presence of God. A song leader leads songs, a worship leader leads worshipers Steve Goomas Music Producer, Keyboardist, Teacher/Leader As long as they are leading a congregation into worship I see no difference. If one is more performance orientated then it is a performer doing worship music. If by one you mean the church you have a time of performance and a time of worship. If one means leader you work on whatever skills you need to require to do the task at hand. Pastor Kevin Pigg Senior Pastor of Crossbridge Church One can lead a song without ever leading worship. Worship comes from a heart that is fully consumed with God to the point that it oozes out and infects all those around him or her. If what was just written is true, then one can actually lead worship without even leading a song. Karen Lafferty Author/Songwriter (Seek Ye First), Worship Leader and YWAM. When I am in a congregation and attending what should be a time of focusing on GOD and adoring only HIM, I am often distracted by the "performer/ rock band lead singer" approach. I do much performance myself in concerts, but even then, I'm always praying it is setting an atmosphere and that the lyrics and presentation is worshipful and pointing people to as deeper relationship with God. There IS a place for "performance/presentation" but I think we rob people from intimate times with the Lord, which they need, when she "show" is receiving more attention than God. Ultimately though, I believe it comes down to the heart and intention of the leader. They can sing solos without drawing attention to themselves. Pride is an ugly thing, and God can't use it. It corrupts worship and leaves the people empty. One example of a soloist really "worshiping for us all" or "singing our hearts" is Rita Baloche and the song "But for Your Grace". When I hear her sing that... it's like I am singing it myself. Whether I'm actually singing along with her or just listening, I AM worshiping. So in my opinion, a lead singer CAN lead the people into worship, but too often I see them trying to lead the congregation to their CD table instead. Michael Peeler Worship Pastor of University Baptist Church Song leaders, or even band members, are people who take up the spotlight and often show up for a gig. They believe they have something special to offer and it needs to be shared on every song. They lack an overall connection to the purpose and vision of the church and/or the music ministry. Their involvement is often just another “to do” item on a list of ways they do good works and “bless” others with their attitudes and abilities. They can be over confident and hog the spotlight or they can be so unsure of themselves that they don’t add support or leadership to the group. Most importantly, they fail to see themselves as team members. Confident song leaders can certainly front a worship group, but, without a grounded understanding of their role as a worship leader, the individual runs the risk of merely entertaining the crowd in attendance. Worship leaders can be singers and players. These are the folks who are focused on others. They strive to use their talents to glorify God and not draw attention to themselves. These folks range from the incredibly talented players and singers to the growing musicians who are determined to develop their chops, but keep God and the needs of others first. These people are the backbone of the ongoing weekly worship leading groups in a ministry. They have bought into the vision and have a great sense of their individual role in the whole. These musicians are the ones sensitive to the Holy Spirit and the congregation each week. They survey the moments in worship and, as they sing and play, seek to bring others into God’s presence through participation. Worship leaders may not be as polished as song leaders fronting a band, but the heart of a worship leader is centered on the goal of praising God, not seeking platitudes from man. Roy Cochran Worship Leader, Teacher and Surfer of Carlsbad, CA. A few things come to mind. The Bible says that as followers of Jesus, we are kings & priests. In the temple time of worship, the priests facilitated the offerings of the people. If the people didn't bring an offering, what would the priest do? Provide it for the person? No, he wouldn't. The priest served the Lord and His people by preparing their sacrifice in the way the Lord had prescribed. I'm thinking of 1 Corinthians 12:7 which teaches us that spiritual gifts that God gives are designed to glorify God and help the entire church and 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 which teaches that LOVE ALONE gives MEANING to our acts of worship. Lastly, I think you'd have to have a definition of what "actually leading worship" means. In leading at many different churches, I've found that for some it means: 1.) the congregation is participating and singing loudly. (I've also seen that happen at a John Mayer concert - arguably though, worship of John might have been going on for some) 2.) the songs tied into the sermon and supported the topic ( In the service debrief, the leadership gave the WL two thumbs up - great job of worship!) 3.) people closed their eyes and raised their hands ("did you see the response of the congregation? They worshipped!") 4.) the worship band's style was culturally relevant ("Our team ROCKS! I can bring anyone to our church! I love our worship!) 5.) you started on time, sang 4 songs and ended on time. (You were organized, well thought through, the songs were presented with excellence and you were respectful of the teaching time. Great job of leading our worship time.) 6.) THAT was anointed! ( "we sensed God's presence as we worshipped together!") I really can go on and so can you. My point is "the worship team" is being sent MANY messages from their leadership on what they want to see happen in "THE WORSHIP TIME" which in actuality, provides a WORKING definition of "WORSHIP" to that worship leader. The passages in 1 Corinthians 13 teach that LOVE ALONE gives meaning to our acts of worship and thus QUALIFIES our expression as worship or as something else. (I think we might have another discussion point here??) This is not an easy question for me as, I think, one has to discern and know the intent of the heart to know whether one is performing a song for God's glory or one's own, or to know or discern whether one is concerned with their congregation connecting with and responding to Jesus or is just performing the current worship songs and song set ups. I think worship teams should ROCK (meaning they should passionately be connected to the music and the message they are communicating). I think worship teams should be technically superb (meaning the best THEY can bring). I think worship teams can include a diversity of instrumentation and styles and creativity. I DEFINITELY think the worship team should not suck! I think worship leaders and worship team members should be INTENTIONALLY GROWING SPIRITUALLY AND MUSICALLY in their community so that the WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO gives power to WHAT WE DO - our expressions and acts of worship. I think the Worship leader/pastor and the Lead pastor NEED to be on the same page and definition of what they believe is to happen in that time we call "worship"; both from a presentation aspect and from a congregational response aspect - Question: "If EVERYTHING we asked for in prayer for our worship time came to pass - what would THAT look like?" All this to the end: WAS GOD WAS WORSHIPPED BY HIS PEOPLE and WAS HE GLORIFIED in our expression! 5.18.09 Post: Dav"This designation is only given by the singers heart, and only God truly knows that. I think any of us at times has sung a song with incomplete worship intentions because of the desire to get the song or production right, and that becomes most forthright in our minds at that time. As a leader I identify that for my worship to be authentic I need to take the time needed to understand the song and make it accessible to those who hear it for the sake of worshiping there Lord. A song is nothing but words and melodies, its the worshipers heart that makes it praise!!! There are so many ways to get people to connect, and no one way works for everything except in the area of the quality of delivery. My prayer is that I never become the reason or distraction of a persons worship, I hope it starts with the worshipers inner Holy Spirit and finds a voice to a song being played at that time." |
Worship Team Training®
::inspire ::create ::transform
Workshops and Resources to Inspire, Create and Transform the Leading of Worship.
