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Round Table Discussions From Worship Leaders
Current buzz and culture as it relates to worship ministry.

	Engaging Worship? By Worship Team Training Friends Branon Dempsey September 9, 2009 Worship Leading (Source study: Five Keys Of Effective Worship," by John Chisum) 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 Branon Dempsey September 2, 2009 Worship Leading Dear Worship Team 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 Branon Dempsey May 18, 2009 Worship Leading Topic Question: 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."
	Staying Grounded As A Worship Leader By PraiseCharts Live Contributors Branon Dempsey March 17, 2009 Worship Leading From the Worship Team Training Podcast Episode 3, Derek Williams and Branon Dempsey posed another topic/question concerning worship leaders. It seems evident that worship leaders (as well as staff members) are inundated with multiple tasks inside and outside the church. Leaders constantly have to stay “on” as they are always investing into people, schedules and their families. When all is said and done, where is the staff member: spent, tired, burned out? Some worship leaders are at this stage, others may be nearly approaching. How do you stay grounded as a worship leader to prevent the abyss of burnout? List your top 5 key points: Branon Dempsey Worship Team Training, CEO/Director PraiseCharts Live Editor-at-Large 1. Balance of Exercise, Rest and Diet. 2. Intentional Daily Time in the Word and Worship 3. Dedicated Time with Spouse and Family Close Fellowship with Those You Consider as Traveling Companion 5. Connected to Your Mission Field of People In and Outside Your Ministry Derek Williams Author, Composer and Producer PraiseCharts Live Contributor 1. Serving 2. Legacy 3. People Over Ministry 4. Define what true success will be in your life 5. Ask yourself "why" before "how" John Wasson Composer and Producer PraiseCharts Live Contributor 1. Passionate, regular, intense devotional life, including Spiritual Practices/Disciplines (and lots of prayer!) 2. Be constantly growing and learning--reading, listening to other leaders, sermons, practicing your craft, etc. 3. Honest, authentic feedback and accountability from close friends to keep you humble and realistic 4. stay in close community with those you lead (singers, band members, tech, etc.) and your pastor John Chisum Worship Leader and Author PraiseCharts Live Contributor 1) Community - staying honest with brothers and sisters who love me and will tell me the truth. 2) Honesty in prayer to God - pouring my heart out about everything 3) Listening in prayer and listening to music, sermons, and podcasts from various sources 4) Humility - realizing that I am vulnerable to sin and falling like anyone else Sandy Hoffman Worship Leader and Author PraiseCharts Live Contributor 1. Meditating on, and enjoying scriptures related to worship 2. Spending time in individual/devotional worship 3. Keeping short accounts with the Lord and others (Psalm 24:3-5, "maintaining clean hands and a pure heart") 4. Following the lead of other worship leaders (walking in humility as a follower) Ryan Dahl Worship Leader and PraiseCharts CEO PCLive Contributor For me there are two ways that I know I am staying grounded as a worship leader. One is to look at whether I am motivated to lead worship in contexts that are outside of the spotlight. I recently found myself leading worship for a street ministry on a cold Saturday night. Only three people showed up, because of the rest of the street folks were scrambling to find a warm place to sleep that night. I can't say the experience wasn't a little frustrating, but it did cause me to reflect on my motivations as a worship leader. One of the other guys that leads worship for this street ministry is Andy Park. Last week I discovered that he has been out there leading worship with only 1 or 2 showing up. It is hit and miss, but his heart is in the right place, and knowing who he is in the "worship music industry" served as a check to my own attitude. If he can do it for the least of these, certainly I can. The other is to look at whether I am motivated to share the spotlight with other aspiring leaders. I know that when I'm put in a position of leadership, there is nothing more satisfying to me than stepping aside and making room for someone else to lead while I support. I'm encouraged by more and more churches who take a multi-leader approach, even on a Sunday morning. There may be two or three song leaders in any given set on a Sunday morning. I saw this modeled a few weeks ago at Hillsong church, as different people led different songs. It was clearly evident that there was one main leader. However, I could see that they were sharing the spotlight, allowing other aspiring leaders to take the microphone. How else do you build up leadership. The test is, does this motivate and inspire you as a leader. Are you threatened by the thought of sharing the spotlight? You can't escape the spotlight as a worship leader. But the spotlight offers a great point of reference for how grounded we are. Do we step up to the plate as a worship leader, whether the spotlight is on or off? Do we share the spotlight, and encourage other aspiring leaders to develop their gifts - even if they are not as polished as we are? Worship leaders, what's your response - how do you stay grounded?
	Top 5 Concerns Of Worship Leaders By PraiseCharts Live Contributors Branon Dempsey February 18, 2009 Worship Leading We have seen more changes in the contemporary church than any other time in its history. The role of the worship leader changes overtime as well due to the many demands and pressing concerns. From the differences in facilitating worship, to team leadership and staff development. Each of these environments have their own set of challenges, along with many more issues that are not listed. What are your Top 5 concerns as a worship leader? Branon Dempsey Worship Team Training, CEO/Director PraiseCharts Live Editor-at-Large 1. Time alone with God 2. Developing leaders around you 3. Connecting passion to worship 4. Be yourself 5. Do everything as unto the Lord - not man Mark Perez GroveFilms PraiseCharts Live Contributor 1. The economy! 2. Transformational style of leadership. Learning to build/pastor a ministry rather than simply manage. 3. Self leadership. Spiritual, personal, and professional development. 4. Resolving conflict biblically. 5. Avoiding fatigue. Finding rest. Terri Welch Worship Production Coordinator PraiseCharts Live Contributor 1. trying to please everyone -- so many different styles of music 2. training your team to display passion as they lead worship 3. getting pulled this way and that -- pastor wants one thing, congregation wants another... 4. finding time to do it all -- rehearse, choose songs, etc. 5. keeping it all centered on God and not just checking the box. Matthew Peterson WorshipKitchen / Integrity Music PraiseCharts Live Contributor 1. Good theology in song choice 2. Rehearsal licensing for legal distribution of music 3. Proper team training 4. Connecting with new and good songs 5. Serving a diverse congregation Brian Dunbar University Music/Theology Professor PraiseCharts Live Contributor 1. Concerning themselves with SUBSTANCE over style 2. Getting beyond "pleasing people" to a place where you can help them grow regardless of how the method fits their preferences 3. Quality communication and unity with pastoral (and board) leadership 4. Emphasis on worship over music 5. Engaging the church to be active participants rather than passive observers Tom Kraueter Worship Pastor/Author/Trainer PraiseCharts Live Contributor 1. Keeping YOUR focus on the Lord 2. Keeping the worship ministry personnel focused on the Lord 3. Getting instrumentalists and singers from varying backgrounds to work together harmoniously. (And I'm not talking about music.) 4. Handling criticisms and critiques from congregation members and from leadership. 5.Keeping the music fresh while keeping the lyrics biblically sound. Naomi Lippett Artisan PraiseCharts Live Contributor 1. seeing where God is working and partnering with Him 2. engaging with culture - listening, responding, being, extracting the precious from the worthless 3. rest 4. having a posture of humility and teachability (always being a learner) 5. creativity and in that having the courage to be who they've been made to be Sandy Hoffman EssentialWorship.com PraiseCharts Live Contributor 1. Maintaining personal worship devotion. 2. Mentoring and discipling young worship leaders & musicians 3. Keeping up with new technology 4. Building strong team relationships - even outside of the worship setting 5. Writing worship songs which flow from inside the needs of your specific body of believers Kevin Pledger Worship Arts Pastor PraiseCharts Live Contributor 1. Be a worshipper yourself through a lifestyle of obedience to God 2. Be a leader off the stage as well as on 3. Be open to ideas that are not your own (understanding that God speaks through your team too, not just you) 4. Be proactive in creating a dynamic relationship with your Lead/Senior Pastor 5. Be a person of integrity _______________________________________________________________ Worship Teams, what are your top 5 concerns for worship leaders? 2.18.09 Post: Shane 1. staying "fresh" in personal worship 2. inspiring others in team to find their own personal worship 3. dealing with other leaders who aren't on the same page 4. planning appropriate, scriptural based songs to match service 5. getting team members to practice on their own
	Worship Leader Week By PraiseCharts Live Contributors Branon Dempsey Re-posting January 29, 2009 Worship Leading Worship Leaders and Worship Teams: This week is Worship Leader Week. Below you will find a collection of our top ranking and new articles as well as worship reflections by our own PCLive Contributors to inspire your week in worship leading. A. Enjoy the great selection of encouraging articles and videos to refresh your soul. Suggestions for the Budget-Impaired Church The Biblical Story of Worship in less than 1,000 Words New Doxology (Gateway Church) How Often Can I Introduce New Songs God Songs (Part 1) Teaching Worship Songs to a Congregation Ten Ways to Improve Your Worship Team B. Words of Inspiration from our PraiseCharts Live Contributors and Artists (Read & Comment). What has God spoken into your heart that is most "critical" to worship leading? Cory Alstad - PraiseCharts Live Contributor, Worship Pastor: "This week, God put the word 're-awaken' in my heart. I thought of a book that I've been reading, where our hero and his friends are on a great journey and they find themselves in a forest. They hear some beautiful, enchanting music and are slowly lulled into a dreamless, comatose state. The hero wakes up in alarm and discovers that it's a trap by the enemy and they're now ensnared by him. Fortunately they cry out for help and are rescued eventually. I felt like God was saying that it's very easy in our culture to be 'lulled' into a sleepy kind of stupor - enjoying what we have, and being satisfied with just existing in that. And that it can become a trap in which we find ourselves ensnared. But he wants SO much more for us. His kingdom is advancing and we're invited to be active participants. And of course, it's not a kingdom like any earthly kingdom - in fact in a lot of ways it's the opposite. But, my prayer this last week was "God, re-awaken me to what you're doing in this world and what you want me to be about."" Dan Collison - PraiseCharts Live Contributor, Worship Arts Pastor: "Worship is intended by God to engage and involve the entire congregation for the entire worship experience...what did I plan that accomplished this...and where did I miss the mark? Those self evaluating questions are abrasive but important for us to ask as worship leaders. For me and this past weekend I believe that our worship hit the mark when there was good interaction between music, drama and the sermon. People appeared 'plugged in'. However, during the music specials the service began to feel a little more like worship entertainment than worship engagement. The congregation was less responsive and engaged. I need to think about the music specials in such a way that they ask more of the congregation....and work with my worship teams to interact more effectively with the congregation in such a way that keeps them more engaged in worship." Kevin Pledger - PraiseCharts Live Contributor, Worship Pastor/Songwriter: "To worship in the middle of a trial takes your focus off of you and the mountains you face. By changing the focus from you to Christ, you reduce your stress and worry levels. This allows the healing power of God to come in and strengthen you and encourage you. Worship no matter your circumstance!" Terri Welch - PraiseCharts Live Contributor, Worship Production Coordinator: "Fervency in worship leading." Bob Kauflin - PraiseCharts Live Contributor, Worship Pastor: "I only lead corporate worship in my church about twice a month. This past week I had the joy of being led by a group of younger musicians who were leading on Sunday for the first time. They did a great job leading us to magnify God’s greatness in Jesus Christ. Years ago the keyboard player and leader were part of a worship leading discipleship class I led. I was reminded that it’s critical for leaders and musicians to always be thinking about who they can train to replace them. Because that day is coming a lot sooner than we think. May we make the transition with joy, gratefulness, and humility."

	Joe The Artist By PraiseCharts Live Contributors Branon Dempsey December 19, 2008 Worship Leading Question: What is the benefit from using undiscovered and independent songwriter material in the Church? Recently, we received this question from an unknown artist. They write: "Here is a philosophical question for you: What makes someone use a new, undiscovered song? I have more and more admiration for the worship leaders who have taken a chance on using my music. I know of so many who use the same old songs over and over again and will not use a new song until it has gotten radio exposure. Why are people so hesitant to use new music?" Responses: Branon Dempsey Worship Team Training, CEO/Director PraiseCharts Live Editor-at-Large In this day and age the Church is exploding with undiscovered and untapped talent. Like never before, new musicians, singers and songwriters are on the rise. Technology and the Internet are at an all-time high. There are countless new music artists with the ability to record and produce from home or from remote locations. We are utterly inundated with new music and uploaded song material. But how do the good songs, singers and musicians receive attention? What makes you want to use a song in your church, from an undiscovered artist that you’ve never heard before? In the same vein of countless book authors, bloggers and film makers, more and more people are listening to undiscovered or independent artists. It is interesting to find that the talent is comparable to mainstream. In fact, a curious observation made is how others find more validity in new artists. I believe this has to do with relativity and tangibility. Undiscovered singer/songwriters are finding a credible advantage with listeners. Music is readily available, songwriting is fresh and the lyrics live in the here and now. Additionally, people enjoy and support artists who love what they do for the love of art and not for chasing the dollar. More importantly, people follow artists who offer more than just their music. Relationships, community and a trustworthy message (or supporting cause) is what people find most tangible in an artist. It's all about connectivity. My wife and I enjoy listening to the radio. There is nothing like hearing a brand new or familiar tune over the airwaves. However, we find ourselves listening more to our MP3 players and internet radio. In fact, we engage more often with our playlists than FM stations in the car. What is the upside? We can listen to our favorites, when, where and how we want. We do not have to wait through commercials. We do not have to hear the same song countless of times. Besides, there is not just one song that is king of the airwaves. Just as God is the Ultimate Artist of Creation, He breathes his creativity and originality into people. As we experience the art from these individuals, we can’t help but to see God’s beauty and ministry through their songs. Like staring at a pastoral landscape, we join the artist in their craft in order to connect, relate and give God praise. - Branon Dempsey Ryan Dahl PraiseCharts Live Contributor PraiseCharts CEO It seems evident that we are moving into a new era of music with the dawn of the internet. It is about so much more than just music – it involves all kinds of “intellectual property.” People don’t just read books by popular authors now – they subscribe to blogs written by unknown amateurs – and they genuinely find value there. I am rather amused by comments from the “professional authors and musicians” who scoff at the amateur status of content found on the internet. However, what was initially a balance to the “professional-only” era (pre-internet), and became a deluge of truly amateur content from people looking for their 15 minutes of fame – I think that now we are coming into a more credible middle ground, where high quality “non-professional” content is readily available to everyone and anyone. The radio is not the fortress of new music any longer. Quite frankly, my wife and I are bored of our local Christian radio station because they play the same 30 songs over and over. Furthermore, less and less artists are going to make millions from their music in the future. On the flip side, more and more artists are going to have their music heard by niche audiences, and they are going to write music out of the pure joy and love of doing what they are called and gifted to do. If you are going to set out to become the next Chris Tomlin, I think you are shooting for the stars. If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, you might be disappointed when you arrive. What’s wrong with the moon anyways? Ten years ago, no one could leap higher than a tall building. - Ryan Dahl Bob Kauflin PraiseCharts Live Contributor & Worship Pastor Ministry: www.sovgracemin.org Church: www.covlife.org Blog: www.worshipmatters.com A number of questions are being asked here. I’m going to limit myself to answering two. What makes someone use a new, undiscovered song? While it can encourage unknown songwriters to have churches singing their songs, there’s no reason to use a song simply because no one else has heard it. The church doesn’t have any inherent responsibility to support struggling songwriters. The fact is, a lot of songs are unknown because they just aren’t that good. The way for an unknown songwriter to get others to sing their songs is to write increasingly better songs. Songs that really serve the church. Songs that are easy to sing and remember. Songs that are filled with life changing biblical truth. When we as worship leaders choose songs based on whether or not they’re well known, we’re allowing an unknown majority to determine what we sing, rather than prayerfully considering what will best serve our congregation. There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a song to teach my church. They include biblical faithfulness, lyrical and musical freshness, the history and experiences of my congregation, and musical accessibility. But as far as I know, “hit status” isn’t a requirement. There are songs that are widely sung that, for different reasons, I wouldn’t use on a Sunday morning. On the other hand, I may choose to use a song that’s not the “best” song because someone on the team or in the church wrote it, and it really serves the particular season we’re in. We’ve found that people are often more receptive to a song when they know the person who wrote it. But everyone will be served that Jesus will be glorified if unknown songwriters continue to improve the quality of their songs, and worship leaders increasingly choose songs for the right reasons. - Bob Kauflin Worship Leading Community: "Why are people so hesitant to use new music?"
	12.10.08 Post: Dan Question: Why are people so hesitant to use new music? Answer: Probably because it is easier not to and to put it in a weird financial metaphor-type thing: the return on investment is immediate and at a higher yield when using the accepted latest songs. 12.10.08 Post: Austin There is a thought process that I used to subscribe to - Something along the lines of use songs, or a certain percentage of songs that are "familiar" to the congregation, so they can more easily enter into worship. But familiar to who/whom? Everybody's playlist is different, and so much worship music in America today is cookie-cutter, photocopying of someone else's creative output, co-opted for Sunday morning in the interest of engaging the people. J.S. Bach wrote so MUCH music. One influence is that for different parts his life, his JOB was to compose weekly music for the church to worship with THAT WEEK. So EVERY SUNDAY was some music that was JUST WRITTEN (kinda makes reading music a necessity, huh?). This Sunday morning, most worship leaders are choosing songs from a 25-song "recently played" list, an then we wonder why worship music is so bland, why the worship leaders seem dry and passion-less so much of the time. Yes, new music is not the norm, so moving in that direction causes a backlash. But for your worship team, your church to start finding its own songs, its own sounds - it's so worth it, what a DEAL. That's a sorrow we should ALL be trading in for joy... 12.10.08 Post: Dan I'm with Austin. The question is indicative of a problem we have in modern worship. We need to stop looking to leverage what's out there and focus more on creating. If we did then maybe Christian music would move beyond its "niche market" status and actually start to positively impact the culture. 12.11.08 Post: Austin But honestly, this is a theme I've been thinking/discussing/hearing for YEARS. Pointing out/critiquing the issue is one thing. WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT is the real question. It's about excellence, yes It's about creativity, yes It's about CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE that encourages, nay DEMANDS creativity, artistic expression It's about a wholesale change in the approach we have as Christian musicians, that we are CALLED to be ARTISTS, not just musicians or singers. Many Sundays, I give my kids a dollar or two so that they will put it in the collection plate. For now, that's fine, but it's not a sacrifice for them. But when I give my tithe, it's a sacrifice of praise, and it's something that I prepared ahead of time, before coming to the sanctuary to meet God. So, I wonder if God on one level can view the offering of the popular worship song I sing on Sunday as SOMEONE ELSE'S OFFERING that I have co-opted. Is this firstfruits? is this a part of myself that I have prepared ahead of time to bring to the Lord? and I don't think this is just for Austin, that God is calling me in my own walk and life - I think this is for the ENTIRE Body of Christ, that the worshipper people get a revelation that they are called to be Artists, to be creating something that comes from themselves that they then offer to God as an offering.... hmm.... quoting from Leonard, WL for MorningStar in Charlotte: Where I pray most every morning, there is a huge map of the world. When you get up close, you can see all these islands. Most of them are claimed by the U.S. or France or the U.K. or other European countries that discovered them. It shows me that as people, if we discover something we claim it as our own. This works with worship also. But in order to discover something new you need to set sail and leave the old. I know there are things in worship, in the Word, and in the Spirit that no one has discovered, but it seems that if we are afraid to leave the familiar we will never find it and it will never become our territory. LEO Leonard Jones, 12/10/2008 12.10.08 Post: Dan Excellent thoughts. Good discussion. I will say that I tried to implement a "homegrown" emphasis in the worship music I led at one point and it had limited success. The biggest impact was clearly on the musicians (but even that was only 50/50 positive). The vast majority of the feedback I got was negative from the congregation. I eventually gave up when it became apparent that nobody wanted that. They wanted a top 40 worship jukebox. Is that wrong? I guess it depends on your church's view/take on music ministry in general. People don't want that from churches. People don't go to church to get a dose of "real life". They go to church to get away from real life don't they? I dunno. I just wish my darn fingers would do what I tell them to on Sundays!
	Choose Wisely By PraiseCharts Live Contributors Branon Dempsey October 31, 2008 Worship Leading I love the old Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Remember the part when the Grail Knight encouraged Indie to choose wisely? There is allot to be said about this statement. How is making the right choice involved when selecting your worship team? Read this week's Topic Forum and hear what others are saying. If you'd like, give us your response and join the conversation! Forum Question: Choose Wisely - enough said! There are many perspectives and standards in the selection process of worship team members. We have ministries who audition or choose individuals from inside the church, we also have some who borrow members from other churches in order to fill-in. How is the right choice made? What are the repercussions that happen afterward? This opens a big can of worms. Considering these individual team members are Christ followers, we place a high value and expectation that the leaders and upfront singers have a solid authentic walk in their relationship with God. What about selecting other participants and band members who may not have a churched background? Responses: Bob Kauflin Worship Pastor Ministry: www.sovgracemin.org Church: www.covlife.org Blog: www.worshipmatters.com The key issue for me is who is gathering on Sunday morning. If what we’re engaged in is a media production, drawing a crowd, or a motivational event, then it’s not as important who does what. But if we are the gathering of the church, the called out ones, those whom Jesus Christ has redeemed by his blood, who have professed faith in his substitutionary sacrifice, and are seeking to live for his glory, then it matters. In talking about the church Acts 5:13-14 says, “None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.” I’d say that we’ve come a long way from “none of the rest dared join them” when we’re inviting non-Christians to be involved in leading/serving roles in the church. We may see people saved in the short run, but there are certainly other ways that can happen that don’t blur the distinction between the church and the world. In our sincere desire for the church to be a community where non-Christians feel welcome and see the gospel in action we can blur the distinction between those who are owned by Christ and those who aren’t, between those who have trusted in Christ and those who haven’t, between those who live for the kingdom of light and those who live for the kingdom of darkness. If that sounds polarizing, it’s because that’s the way God describes our position - inside or outside of Christ ( Rom. 12:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:17 2 Corinthians 5:17; Col. 1:13Colossians 1:13. Christians are those who have been reconciled, redeemed, restored, and made right with the Father. We gather as his people to celebrate and remember the grace we’ve received in Christ. Unbelievers are welcome to come and observe our common bond in the gospel, and hopefully be affected by it. That’s always our prayer. But for the sake of the Gospel and the purity of the church let’s encourage them to put their trust in the Savior through our example, witness, speech, love, and proclamation—not by asking them to participate in worship that is only possible through the regenerating work of the Spirit. We don’t want to potentially lead them and the church to believe they’re already part of the redeemed community before they’ve been redeemed. - Bob K. John Telman Worship Pastor Musicians in a worship band are no different from the singers. They are people of deep relationship with Jesus. It is expected that they also sing and even more, live a lifestyle of worship. This is paramount otherwise we would be better off singing to a recording. Musicians, most often are seen by the congregation. They are people who exhibit all emotions. Just because they play an instrument does not make them an exception to the criteria that we hold for singers. Skills are important. Spiritual maturity is also important. That does not mean that the musician selected for ministry needs to have an M.Div but he needs to be equally in love with Jesus. My father had only one criteria for ministry when he lead worship 30 plus years ago. "Does he have a song in his heart for the Lord." - John T. Terri Welch Worship Programming Assistant i used to attend a church that had paid soloists. there was always a debate around budget time whether we should be paying people to sing. but they were awesome to hear. God-centered music played well can lift the congregation's spirits up to feel the presence of God, and God can use any vessel He wants to communicate His presence. God-centered music played badly but earnestly by believers can also lift the congregation's spirits up, but it may have a tougher path. On the other hand, what if a new Christian sees someone that he recognizes from the worship band drunk in a bar or something? i think if a church makes the decision to use non-Christian musicians, then the church has to talk to the musicians they are considering hiring, and talk to them about the musician's lifestyle -- no judgment involved of course -- not every non-Christian out there is doing drugs or drinking to excess. i hope regular exposure to the gospel and to followers of Jesus would have a positive effect on them, and God would grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth. but i would also hope that if there are members of the congregation who wanted to play, that they could be trained, and encouraged to sharpen their skills. perhaps have several worship teams, and let the B and C team play every 4 to 6 weeks. - Terri W. Ryan Dahl PraiseCharts CEO This is a tough issue to answer emphatically, one way or the other. To me, this issue brings out more than just dichotomy of "Christian" vs. "not-Christian." What about the entire span in-between? At what point does a person's character and lifestyle exclude them from being able to participate in the worship band? You could have someone who has publically declared their faith in Christ, but during the week, they are hanging out in the bars and having an affair. On the other hand, you could have someone who is brand new to the whole idea of church, but they have a background in music, and they would love to get involved to experience more of what church is all about. All that to say, this whole issue is very complex. There is no Bible verse that gives a clear answer. So, this is how I would answer it. Somewhere down the line, the leadership of the church has to determine what direction they are going to go. Then, they should make it very clear, up front. Then, anyone on the team or in the church should support that decision without making a big theological issue of it. I think the theological issue at stake here is the ability for people in the church to submit to leadership and authority in the church. Some decisions don't have clear, Bible-verse answers - they just need to be made through wisdom and integrity. This is one of those issues. It is not wrong to have a non-Christian play guitar on a church stage. It is also not wrong to refrain from having a non-Christian play guitar on a church stage. It is wrong to have strife and unsubmissive attitudes by people in the church in response to whatever decision is made. - Ryan D.

	Back To The Basics By PraiseCharts Live Contributors Branon Dempsey September 29, 2008 Worship Leading Worship Organic: Back To The Basics of Worship Leading. Does this phrase resonate with you? Does it seem that we have moved away from the organics of worship and the simplicity of worship leading? We have seen a plethora of worship music, leaders and artists with a rise that has never been seen before - a more stronger emergence since the 1970's Jesus Movement. We now have an overwhelming stock of tools, technology and an ever increasing list of new songs and ways to facilitate worship services. Forum Question: Some classify worship leading or worship itself by a style, genre, song and artist. When was the last time that your discussion revolved more around "Who" we worship rather than "what" your worship sounds like? Like you, even the more well known, respected and responsible worship leader will genuinely tell you that their focus-point of worship is on the Lord himself. Here's the case in question: in where we are today, how do we get back to the basics of worship and worship leading? Responses: John Chisum PraiseCharts Live Contributor Worship Leader, Doxa 360. I am voting for a return to worship organic. It is disheartening to see the flash of worship performance, that seems to erode the song from the people. There is the sense that we have models in the church that suggest a worship-as-church-growth-tool. In addition, we have church leaders that have become disenfranchised with the reality of biblical worship, the reality of lament, and the reality of people who are struggling in their souls. Another point in question are worship leaders that are more concerned with imitating well-known and established worship leaders rather than being true to themselves and to their local places of worship. There is a danger about presenting a platform in the Church to satisfy an artist itch before the congregation. Where is reality? Where is the full-throated song of the people in the ears of God? Cory Alstad PraiseCharts Live Contributor Worship Pastor I hear you about this, John. I think you're correct in some of your assertions about inauthentic worship, incorrect motivation, etc. I think, though, that part of the answer to this lies in your question "Where is reality?". I think that the answer is: right here. This is reality. Part of the problem is that we live on a broken earth and we are broken people. Do I always have the right motivation when I get up on our stage at church to lead worship? Nope. Does God, in his mercy, still choose to use me? Thankfully, yes! I agree with you that we need to be holding each other accountable in who we are as worshippers and as leaders. No question - this is a high calling and it needs to be taken seriously. Worship is not about the top 10 ccli songs. The only problem, unfortunately, is - who decides what the 'song of the people' is? Do I get to, as a worship pastor? If so, what if I pick a top 10 ccli song, simply because it puts into words the prayer that I feel our people need to sing? I don't think that's a bad thing. Worship is about the heart. I have a friend who is always saying "Cory, sing a NEW song! Not the latest greatest worship song on the charts - a NEW song!" And I agree with him - but, if part of our goal when we gather, is to encourage each other - we have to be sensitive to our congregation's needs. Bringing in 6 new songs every Sunday might not be the most sensitive thing I could do! I think that it is extremely important for worship leaders to be very discerning in the songs they pick for their congregations. Is this song true? Is this song something that our people could sing authentically? Is this song something that we NEED to be singing because we're SO not there yet? But you're right that we need to move away from the temptation to always pick what's popular, or try to imitate someone that we're not. Just some thoughts! Bob Kauflin PraiseCharts Live Contributor & Worship Pastor Ministry: www.sovgracemin.org Church: www.covlife.org Blog: www.worshipmatters.com I think John is highlighting one of the unfortunate tensions between congregational worship and the Christian music industry. There’s no question that God is behind the proliferation of worship songs over the last few decades, but there have been some unfortunate side effects in many, not all, churches. Our focus has changed in a number of ways. We’ve allowed a concern for numbers and technological excellence to highjack a concern for ministry and the work of the Spirit. We’re more concerned about singing songs that are popular and have a groove than singing songs that pastor people’s hearts. Our congregations have become audiences. We put less focus on being faithful and more on being successful, whatever that means. Obviously the reasons for the shifts are rooted in our struggle against the world, our flesh, and the devil. But I think there are more specific reasons. We’ve substituted the power of therapy for the power of the Gospel, the authority of “what works” for the authority of the Word, and the work of our planning for the work of the the Spirit. It’s a bad trade in each circumstance. Worship isn’t a mystery. It’s loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It’s making much of God’s glory in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, so that he becomes bigger in our minds, our hearts, and our lives. Music is a tool to those ends, not the end itself. In spite of some of the wayward paths we’ve pursued in our churches, God is still on his throne and is seeking and producing worshipers who worship him in spirit and truth. He will have a people who are committed to proclaiming the excellencies of him who called them out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). There will come a day in the new heavens and the new earth when every creature will join in one song, with unhindered passion: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Rev. 5:12)! May our churches reflect that scene more and more, for the glory of the Savior. Ric Flauding PraiseCharts Live Contributor Music Composer I read the post from John Chisum...Amen & Amen. I have been saying this for years, after coming from places that are more focused on flash rather than God’s heart. As for myself? I have been returning to more traditional (may I say "timeless") forms of music worship, and I think there will be a trend that way (not that I care about "trends" per se). People want the truth, people want sincerity, people want the meat of things. This is why for me, after many years in the more cont. - seeker churches, I have been moving elsewhere. I have been in the Christian music community for over 30 years now, and have seen it all regarding irrelevancy. Let’s return to the Truth. Terri Welch PraiseCharts Live Contributor Worship Programming Assistant i agree. one church i attended -- the praise teams attended a worship seminar where they said "The singers on the right side of the stage hold the mike in their right hands. The singers on the left side of the stage hold the mikes in their left hands." My friends who were on praise teams at the time were just incredulous -- talk about focusing on the inessentials. to me, worship is about fervency, not about going thru the motions, and making it performance based. worship needs to be people coming together and sharing their hearts with God. their clothes don't need to match, their singing doesn't need to be perfect. it needs to be from the heart. it is irrelevant of worship services where everything -- the sound, the lighting, the harmonies, etc -- is perfect, but there's no underlying passion. that's why i love that song "heart of worship" the pastor of that church had no singing or music for weeks until everyone realized worship was about God. when they started back with worship, the guy sang that song --.."I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it, when it's all about You." Kevin Pledger PraiseCharts Live Contributor Worship Leader I believe that Matt Redman's Pastor was on to something when he called his church to kick music to the curb for a period of time. Of course that time period birthed a new song in Matt's heart as a result, "Heart of Worship." But God calls us to bring more than a song to Him. He wants our very lives! Our dependence should be on the freely given grace of God and the arms that can hold the whole universe or a single hurting child equally as tight. This mainly goes to the heart of the leader. His or her heart MUST be in direct tune with God's. There must be an ongoing relationship that involves personal worship on behalf of the worship leader. One in which songs (whether original or written by someone else) come from the leader's heart poured out to the Lord in worship from a place of humility and awe. Then those whom the leader leads in weekly worship will follow. But as worship leaders, we should not fool ourselves into thinking we are fooling others into thinking we are something we're not. Worship is transparent by nature and definition. Not only to the God of our worship, but to others as well. It makes us somewhat vulnerable, yet strong at the same time. But what a privilege! Ryan Dahl PraiseCharts Live Contributor PraiseCharts CEO I think that worship music is a very localized experience. Each contributor is speaking out of his/her own experience, which may or may not match my own. One guy might be trying to pull off a “Christian/Worship Artist” mimic stunt on stage. The next guy might be genuinely engaged in heart felt worship. One church might be really targeting totally unchurched people who are not comfortable with congregational singing (so the performance approach is has a strategic ministry mind set), and another church might be full of "churched" people who want to sing, but just can't follow the latest and greatest new songs being presented every week. The bottom line is, I think we need to be very careful not to take broad brush strokes of criticism across the "worship music landscape" of the world. I love all the music of modern and popular worship songs and artists. If you write a great song that is sung all over the world, there will be rewards for that. What we really need is people that will lead worship by living the worship life. There is no worship other than the worship life. Music and songs are all peripheral to the worship life. The world is full of hypocrites. If you focus on them, you'll get depressed and exasperated very quickly. Focus on yourself, and your own local world where you have a very tangible responsibility to make a difference based on the passion that God has put on your heart. Daniel Collison PraiseCharts Live Contributor Worship Pastor At the point Sally Morgnathaler wrote Worship Evangelism in 1995 the praise and worship movement that began in the 1960’s and 1970’s was bourgeoning. The Charismatic and Contemporary Driven music streams were peaking in growth. The Worship Evangelism paradigm resonated with many evangelical churches because they were intrinsically passionate about evangelism, the praise and worship movement was successful at drawing larger numbers of people into church buildings, and the seeker model was difficult to transfer to many settings around the United States. Hundreds of churches across America began to view corporate worship as the new frontier for church evangelism. The misinterpretation of Worship Evangelism became a problem in two ways. First, for the more savvy churches, the attendance in worship services grew enormously; however, as David Olson reveals in “The American Church in Crisis” the people coming to the large attractional worship experiences were transfer Christians. Second, the spiritual culture of the United States was rapidly changing. Unlike the 1980’s and early 1990’s non-Christians were no longer taking the initiative to visit churches. The modes of evangelism had changed without the worship driven churches taking notice. If summed up in one phrase the Worship Evangelism movement could be called “a numerical success and a Kingdom failure”. In Like 13:18-21 Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to the mustard seed and the work of flour in bread dough. In both cases the core elements expand outward to produce fruit that far exceeds their original size. The fruit of Kingdom work is new conversions to Christianity not merely the reorganization of Christians. This topic reminds me of a quote that I read by Micheal Frost and Alan Hirsch in their book "The Shaping of things to come". They wrote: "...the relationship between the traditional Christendom mode of church and the world around it can best be described as being fundamentally attractional. The church bids people to come and hear the gospel in the holy confines of the church and its community. Evangelism therefore is primarily about mobilizing church members to attract unbelievers into church where they can experience God. Rather than being genuine 'outreach,' it effectively becomes something more like an 'in-drag'. Now, we are not suggesting that people can't experience God in a church service. Of course they can, for in the preaching of God's Word and the worship of God's people his true voice can be heard. But if the church limits God's agency in this world to particular times and places that the vast majority of not-yet-Christians have no access to, or no desire to attend, then the gospel is effectively hobbled...If they won't come to us, we have to go to them. This approach, being incarnational, is the opposite of being attractional."