So earlier today via Twitter and Facebook, I had solicited thoughts on the worst widely known Christmas songs. Now I love me some Christmas music, but some of it is pretty dreadful…

But I thought I would be remiss if I didn’t share my favorite Christmas song.

Hands down, all time fave, makes-me-stop-everytime-I hear-it… Little Drummer Boy

The thing that always gets me is the idea of not having a physical gift to bring like others may, but instead offering talents and abilities. “I’ll play my drum for Him, I’ll play my best for Him, Puh Rum pum pum pum!”

And with that, I wanted to share with you a video a Twitter friend shared with me…

Trent Austin from Lifechurch.tv’s Edmond campus!

Heard this song just the other day in a service and was amazed at how fresh it was… Passion never grows old! It’s amazing what focusing on and meaning what you are singing can do to a song that many would consider old…

And the verse is what wrecked me…

I want to take your word and shine it all around.
But first help me to just, live it lord.
And when Im doing well, help me to never seek a crown.
For my reward is giving glory to you.

Let’s add intention to our ability when we worship.

Recently had a chance to check out Experience, the new CD/DVD iWorship compilation from Integrity Music.

The DVD features song videos and sample from Paul Baloche’s instructional DVD.  However, my favorite feature was the live worship videos.

The tag for the compilation is “the sights and sounds of worship”.  And the live worship videos deliver in a great way. Below is a sample of one of the enclosed videos, “Revelation Song” by Gateway Worship.  It is simply stunning!

I’ve been listening to Lincoln Brewster’s latest project, Today is the Day.  It is due to be released this month.  It hits all the right notes…

The album is a great mix of congregational choruses,  inspiring anthems, sick licks, and intimate worship. From the triumphant declaration of “Today is the Day” and “Salvation is Here” to the tender assurance of “Arms of My Savior” to the call to action of “The Power of Your Name”, you will find a wide variety of songs that will work in a great number of ways.

Here’s some thoughts from the man himself on the new project…

Continuing thoughts on key relationships for worship leaders…

One of the best friends a worship leader can have is Media/Tech Director. Anyone who has ever grabbed a microphone understands that they have little control over the sound. The guy on the sound board at the front of house can have a huge impact.

My media director and I have fought for, and throughout, our friendship.  We have locked horns on numerous occasions, but always for the goal of reaching the best answer.  Through all of this, we have a relationship that is incredibly fruitful.  You can check out more from him here.

Below are a few ideas to tips for working with your media director. Once again, I am writing strictly from a worship leaders point of view. And, as always, I welcome a media directors perspective.

• Remember the first commandment of worship leading – “Don’t be a DIVA!” 

The fastest way to erode trust and confidence, with the congregation and your team, is to have an over-developed sense of self importance.  It is a mark of an immature leader to believe higher of themselves than they should.  Anyone who has had the honor of leading others in worship of God understands how humbling it can be. 

Inspect your interactions with the media team.  Watch your tone and manner of speaking.  I would often find myself succumbing to pre-service pressure and snipping in frustration. I had to deal with the source of the pressure (which wasn’t God, btw) and change the way I interacted. 

Be sensitive to condescension. 

• Communicate, communicate, communicate

Previously, I wrote about the need to create and utilize open paths of communication with the Senior Pastor.  Multiply that by ten for the media director.

They should be included in your service preparation plans and kept abreast of any upcoming changes of team personnel.  I know that sounds incredibly basic, but I have seen more than one occasion where the media team is making like Engineering on the Starship Enterprise trying to get things wired before the start of a service.  Tap that well too many times and she’ll explode, captain…

Also, your media director can be a very valuable resource.  It is easy to get stuck on your side of the microphone and finding someone who can honestly say how things sound and are coming across is a great help.   My director is someone I trust to see what is happening across my whole team and give me feedback, positive and negative, regarding the worship team’s performance.  And in turn, he understands how to offer such feedback without being overly skewed positive or negative.

• Learn to speak the language.

Right brain vs. Left brain.  Creative vs. Logic.  Often the media and worship teams can find themselves split amongst these camps.  And sharing ideas between them is as easy as one side speaking German and the other speaking Chinese.  It’s not.

Invest the time to understand and speak knowledgeably.  And don’t expect them to be able to read tea leaves when you describe things in emotional or descriptive terms. 

Sometimes it’s as simple as asking.  Allow your media team to share their world with you.  You might even want to walk in their shoes for a service or two to see what it’s like.

• Demonstrate respect through actions.

Make good use of their time.  Make sure that you are going to be where you say you are going to be when you say you are going to be. 

I know it is cliched but a failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on theirs. 

Be mindful of the behind-the-scenes efforts that are going on to allow you to minister effectively.

Those are a few quick hit tips to improve your interactions and relationships with your media director and teams.  Got anymore?  I’d love to hear them.

Continuing thoughts on the relationships of worship leaders and their impact on corporate worship…

The connection between Pastor and Worship Leader is very important in regard to corporate worship.  Even in instances where they are related, there can be a natural divergence of focus and bridging the gap can require effort and commitment. 

The thoughts I share here are strictly from the perspective of a worship leader for the benefit of a worship leader.  I welcome thoughts from pastors.

• Worship Leaders must be committed to the vision as set forth by the Pastor. 

This can be incredibly challenging for “creatively” driven people, but the simple fact is a leader must view themselves as an extension of the pastor.  Countless pastor-worship leader relationships have been undone by subtle struggles over power and influence.  Whatever influence God allows you to have with people should be used to promote the larger agenda of the ministry and not to feed ego. 

• Change only comes through trust. 

No amount of cajoling, debate, and convincing can bring about change like trust can.  Particularly in cases where churches are changing/adding to their style of worship, a worship leader must have a well established track record of trustworthiness.   If you find that your pastor is resistant to new songs/styles/forms of worship, begin first by checking to see if you have the equity in your “trust account”.  Understand that you do not “earn the right” to do as you wish. 

• Communication is key to properly deal with expectations.

Seek time regularly to speak with your pastor.  Ask for his input into songs/styles and for an honest assessment of his satisfaction with the worship ministry.  For some pastors this may be intimidating because they feel that they do not have the necessary musical terminology to adequately express their thoughts.  For some worship leaders this can be intimidating because we don’t like having our shortcomings, or those of our team, confronted.  Regardless, your openness to input will foster trust and confidence. 

Additionally, this is a great time to set and adjust expectations.  Be honest about your ability to produce what he is after.  If he’s thinking mass choir, and all you’ve got is 3 altos and a pitchy tenor, it is important to acknowledge such.  Let the pastor know your limitations, including personnel, equipment, and environment, but also offer a “can do” attitude and confidence.  The greater the pastor’s understanding of the issues you are working with the greater grace you may have with him.

Wanted to share this with you… I look forward to the release of the album later this year.  The two songs featured are “Healer” and “Desert Song”.  If the rest of the album is anything like these, I look forward to spending a significant amount of time on the carpet face down…

Leading worship is, above everything else, an exercise in relationship.  And as much as it is about the connections between God and man, it is as much about the people who are all lifting voices together.  To lead effectively is to navigate all of the different relational dynamics.  Regardless of your natural skill, each of these relationships has a way of coloring your corporate time of worship.

The Bible is very specific about how our interpersonal interactions affect our worship.   Ephesians 5:19 says we are to speak psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs one to another.  Matthew 5 tells us that if we are worshipping and we remember that a brother has an issue with us, we should stop and go make it right. 

It becomes apparent that God is not intending for us to focus on Him only, but that corporate worship should be about building the body of believers who are gathering.

Over the next few posts, I want to take a look at some of these essential relationships, including pitfalls to avoid and ways to strengthen. 

So, before you go into your next rehearsal or lead your next service, who do you need to go to and put things right?  Have fun!

In previous posts, we have discussed the different tracks of awareness or thinking that a worship leader must maintain while in congregational worship.  An efffective leader will be able to continually monitor each one as they progress throughout the service.  Knowing where you are with the congregation, with the band, and with all of the technical aspects will allow you to freely flow along the fourth track of awareness – following the Holy Spirit.  Here are a few thoughts about remaining open to God:

• A worship leader must prioritize their thoughts.  First a few disclaimers…  No, I do not believe that this is the least important track.  Of course, God should be the center and focus of our worship.  The Holy Spirit being the fourth track does not imply a lack of respect.  Simply, you are extremely limited in availability to what God may want to do if you have lost the congregation and are not in sync with the band or media team.  The tracks I have presented are done as a way of getting ourselves out of our own way so we can be completely open to where the Holy Spirit would like to go in a service.
• A worship leader must filter their thoughts.  Sometimes leading worship can be like a live fire exercise in the military.  You are dealing with a specifically spiritual atmosphere and there are a number of things happening.  We must remain consistent in our ability to process and judge thoughts quickly and accurately.  Determine if the thought is there to distract or encourage.  Determine if it’s directed at you personally or for the edification of the congregation.  The question I always ask myself is “How little can I say and still be obedient and effective?”.  One of the greatest abilities you can develop when trying to remain aware of the Holy Spirit is learning to discern and suppress thoughts that will detract from the worship environment.
• A worship leader should develop a plan and plan on God “interrupting”.  Being open to God’s leading in a worship service does not mean foregoing a plan.  An effective leader seeks to hear from God and develop a plan accordingly, but remains sensitive to what God may want to do.  Leading worship is different then presenting a concert.  A worship environment is dynamic and fluid.  A skilled worship leader will learn to thrive in it.

Continuing thoughts on how to effectively lead worship by developing the four distinct mental tracks…

Track #3 – The Technical

• A worship leader must focus on maintaining proper technique.  Proper breathing technique and use of a microphone may not seem like something you need to focus on, but they will allow you to perform the best you can and do it again and again.  Early on, I spent too much time trying to recover my voice simply because I would neglect basic form and technique.  Invest in training programs or voice lessons if need be.  But learning and focusing on using proper vocal technique is vital.

• A worship leader must be aware of monitors and equipment.  Nothing can undo an amazing worship environment more than the squeal of feedback.  Unless, of course, you add having a worship leader trip over something… (see here for examples…)  Sometimes the best way to lead in worship is keeping from creating distraction.

• A worship leader must communicate effectively with the media/technology team.  I don’t know where it is written, but the worship team and media team don’t have to be at continual odds with each other.  We have to develop a system to communicate that allows us to inform the media/tech team of any issue that may arise and vice versa.  There have been times where circumstances have required that I stretch the worship portion of a service.  Having open lines of communication allowed us to continue on with the service without drawing undue attention.  The more you see yourself and the media/tech team as part of the same team, the easier you will find it to work throw any issues that might arise.