Don't Over Play!!!

Many times, musicians that are not professional tend to want to sound as good as the pro's are.  They want congregants to be awed with their talent.  And, in some cases, they are good enough to possibly go pro.

The problem is this...over playing draws attention away from God and onto man.  If you're in a musical interlude, or a place in the song where it's a planned solo or planned for an individual to over play then you're fine.

But if you're playing the verse to a more...intimate song...and the Soloist is singing her heart out, this is not an appropriate time for a lead guitar solo.

Too many times, musicians want to play the best they know how for the whole song.  Everyone has the delusion that they are as good as Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Dino Kartsonakis, or some other very talented musician.  As a result, they want to be featured for the entire song.  This is not a good thing.  The delusion comes in because these awesome musicians know when they need to solo, what they are trying to accomplish with the solo, and when to stop playing.  It is important to encourage your musicians to stay within the parameters that you (as the leader) set for a particular song.  Let them know that there are times for soloing, and you will be sure to tell them when those are.  After all, we're not free for all worship teams, where everyone just has a good ole time.  We are worship teams that take pride in our product, joy in our service, love the Lord through our songs.  If someone looks to a particular musician during a song, then you will have your reward.  Our goal is to connect the church to God.

Matthew 6:1 says:
Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

Most people want to show off so they may be given praise on earth.  This verse in Matthew clearly states that we are not to practice our righteousness before men.  Righteousness is simply being right, or divinely right, or morally right.  I realize playing an instrument may not apply directly to our righteousness, but the verse still applies. 

Why?

Because we are trying to live a holy and righteous life.  We fail, and then He clothes us in His righteousness.   For us to live in the manner, and under His righteousness, we have to live a life as He did. 

He did not seek the respect of the people.
He did not look for treasures of this world.
He did not expect compensation for the works He performed.
He did not ask for His name to be shouted from the cities.

What He did do was minister to the needy, healed the sick, forgave transgressions, and rose the dead.  We need to strive to be like Christ in all things...including our Choirs, Praise Team and Praise Bands.

The Originals...Finding Inspiration

Sometimes we hit a block.  We have prayed, and we have planned, and we have practiced.  We also have those feelings of doubt and dread when what we have does't seem to fit what we expect.

Don't worry about it.  I know...that's so hard to do.  After all, we are the ones that take the blame if it's bad and God gets the credit if it's awesome; and that's okay.  So we always want the best we can do to be what we do.  The fact is, when everything is perfect, it limits God.

What does that mean?  If we lead the right songs, and sing the right melodies, and everyone gets those goose pimples, then they say we've had an encounter with God.  Forget the pimples or goose bumps!  If no one leaves changed, can you say you had an encounter with the King of all kings, and Lord of all lords? I would say no.

As the worship leaders, we have to inspire the congregants to worship completely.  We should be inspiring the mother who just barely got to church because the youngest of five kids has spilled cool aid on himself and two of his siblings.  We have to inspire the homeless man that came in just to get out of the cold for a few minutes.  We have to convey the message of hope and grace to the teen considering suicide.

But where does our inspiration come from?

Well, first of all it comes from God.  He is our divine source of inspiration.  But, He uses other things to help us out.

We have His word, the Bible.  It's full of inspiration.  We also have our brothers and sisters in Christ that can also inspire us.  Godly discussions and conversations will sometimes provide some insight and inspiration.  Then there are Christian authors that write books and articles that can inspire us.  And then there are Hymns.

Wait, What?

That's right.  I said hymns.  Not all hymns fit our model these days. Sometimes they don't even seem biblical.  After all, are we taking a trip on the 'Good Ole Gospel Ship' or are we being transformed in the twinkling of an eye?  But then, some modern worship songs aren't either.  That's not the topic for today though.
There is a resurgence of hymns appearing in modern worship.  Today's writers have looked to the past to learn what our grandparents learned.  They just happen to put a spin on the original for today's generation.  They are finding inspiration from these older songs.  They are being blessed by the words and melody and they are trying to find a way for us to be blessed as well.
That's what we need to do every once in a while.  Go old school and find inspiration to take some of the lines of a song, and use them as a bridge in one you're working on.  Or change the progression some to give it a different feel.
Or use one to help set a specific mood.

The point is, there is unlimited potential when look back to songs from the past.  I've found inspiration in some songs from the late 90's when I was first introduced to worship music.  Our worship team doesn't use these songs, but i still pull them out and listen to them for inspiration.  Sometimes, they help point in the right direction.  Then again, there are those that we do use.  It doesn't have to be a Hymn...

Our Worship Team will often lead songs like:
- Holy Spirit Rain Down (Alvin Slaughter - 2000)
- New Season (Martha Munizzi - 2001)
- In Your Presence Oh God (Paul Wilbur - 1995)
- I Give You My Heart (Hillsong - 1996)
- There is None Like You (Don Moen - 2010)
- Shout to The Lord (Hillsong - 1994)

And we also pull out Hymns as well.  It's not about the newness of the song, it's about the heart and mind coming into unity and making a declaration to God.  It's about moving the very heart of God and letting Him know how we love Him, how much we adore Him, and that His praise will ever come from our lips.  Yes, you have to stay relevant to your congregation, but that doesn't mean only the newest and greatest songs. 

Our job is take the church into deeper worship, more intimate praise, and a more practical relationship with God through our praises, and then through our worship.  What ever it looks like to get the church there, then so be it.

I pray you find your inspiration as you prepare to lead your team, and your churches into God's presence!

The Order....One Mind and One Accord...

Every worship leader has this one dilemma...What should the order of the music be?

There are numerous thoughts on this out there.  What I've learned is this,  do what works.
What does that mean?  If possible, plan all the songs with one theme that's in common.  If it's not possible, then try to let the last two or three songs be on the same theme.  If we, as worship leaders, do our part to focus the thoughts and praises of the congregants in one directions, then we are more likely to enter the Holy of Holy's.

Acts 2:1-2
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Acts 2:1-2 tells us that they, the ones that had stayed in the upper room praying after the Savior ascended, were in one place, and with one accord.  This tells us something significant.  All those in that room were focused on one thing.  Everyone was on the "same page" as the person beside them.  Some ministers say it like this, "they were in one mind."  Others say it this way, "they were in unison in their prayers and worship."  Either way, it's the same thing.  They were desiring the same thing.

As worship leaders, we need to focus those we are leading to a singular point.  We have to get everyone on the same page and desiring the same thing.  Yes, it's difficult, especially when we have to compete with social media, political points of view, and we have to inspire those that refuse to grow in Christ to examine themselves and realize that they are not where they need to be.  We have to hear complaints of , "The music sounds too much like Rock-N-Roll," or, "Everything was just too loud," and even, "The music had too much of a country-western feel too it."  These examples are almost always followed by the sentence, "I just couldn't worship because of it."  These are also things we have to overcome.

I feel that if you can use a hymn or part of one or two in the services, then you need to try to do so.
For example....I would start out with the Call to Worship being Friend of God, written by Israel Houghton.  It's an upbeat song that starts off with the theme that we want.  Once the service gets to the worship set, I would lead off with something like Open up the Heavens, by Meredith Andrews, then go into either Cornerstone, from Hillsong or Your Presence is Heaven, by Israel Houghton.  Next I would slow things down a bit more with just the chorus to the hymn, What a Friend We Have In Jesus.  I would end with either the chorus to the hymn, I Surrender All, or the chorus to He's All I Need.  I might would include both.  All these songs point to being His friend, being in His presence, or His supremacy.  At the end of the worship set, the last two songs declare that we need Him, and He is all we need.  The other songs just support these two....

You must consider those that you are leading though.  Their individual tastes in music also help indicate what my be effective for them to worship with.  However, if someone says that they cannot worship to a particular style of music, then do not concern yourself with that person...they are focused on satisfying their taste in music, not the Most High God with praises.

Consider your sets.  First of all, pray for guidance.  Secondly, consider the keys and abilities of the musicians you're using that day.  Thirdly, start off faster, and end slower...this promotes a more intimate worship.  Fourthly, keep to a theme where possible.  And fifthly, make sure the songs resonate with your congregants.

All these things play vital roles in how each service is conducted.  They also help to focus or distract from true worship.  Learn how to be flexible in the style's of music.

After all, we want everyone in, "One Mind and One Accord!"

Stage Lighting....I Saw the Light

It's Sunday morning and you walk into the sanctuary to find a place to sit.  Service hasn't started yet and the stage is dark.  You're able to find a seat and sit down.

The house lights begin to dim, and the music starts.  As the house lights dim, the stage begins to light up.  Once the lighting is appropriate for the desired effect, spiraling lights and fog machines start kicking in and then you're in the church service.

There are many opinions on how much light, what kind of light, and the positions  and functions of the lighting in a church environment.  There are some that like the house lights on all the way and will not negotiate.  There are others that believe the lighting should resemble a club or concert setting, and again, these people will not negotiate.

I am of the opinion that there needs to be a blend.  I believe incandescent lighting in the sanctuary is best, with about twice as much light on stage as in the congregation seating.  I also believe subtle accent  lights can be used against walls, or in custom "fixtures" for accents and helping to set a "mood."   I believe that worship is an intimate action and setting the mood helps the worshiper in their own worship.  Our God is light.  He generates the light for Heaven.  I believe, that churches have no business keeping the people in the dark.  For a concert setting, you're fine...but for worship, I want to be surrounded by the light of God.

Your Business

Everyone likes to know what's going on at other churches.  They want to know what music is hot, if they are using any audio effects or undertones (pads), or if they are using visual enhancements in an attempt to create a more intimate worship environment.

There is nothing wrong with this.  Things like this help us grow as musicians, worship leaders, and they help to create a sense of community and camaraderie among the various churches.  This is a good thing!
After all, aren't we supposed to work together to build the Kingdom of God, and to be about His business as one people?
Absolutely!

But...be careful.  Sometimes the problems of other churches come into the conversation.  Various internal issues that do not need to be outside the four walls of that church, or your church, can be detrimental to the effectiveness of the church in question.

Guard your heart and your church...Don't allow gossip to bring down a ministry that, although they may have made a mistake, is still a viable resource and a ministry tool for God.

In your conversations with other churches leadership, keep the focus on where it needs to be.  Use the sense of community to further God's kingdom, not some agenda that may or may not be feasible or honest.

Keep integrity in your worship team, your church, and your own life.  Speak up for the churches that are trying, but that are having problems.  You never know....It maybe your church one day!

Practice - Effective Time Management

Every successful worship team has to practice.  We have to find what works within our own dynamics of the teams we have.  We have to strive for excellence so that we take everything seriously.  Practicing helps us learn the music, the words, and the dynamic attributes of the songs we do.  But...Practice can either be really great, or it can be a jam session.

When we practice, we take the song by parts.  We start with the intro, then move on to verse 1, the chorus, and so forth.  We work out each section and make sure everyone has it, or is close to having it.  We will review each section several times before we move on.  This does annoy some people though.  I had a lady on my team tell me that she learns better by playing through the entire song, even if she was playing it wrong, then making changes once the song had been played through in its entirety.  Once those changes were made, she said to play the whole song again, then make changes, and continue until we were happy with the song.  This is a waste of valuable time.  When you take it in sections, you can tweak it more and have a higher chance of everyone remembering what to do than having them play the song wrongly ten times and correctly three times once everything is worked out.  Once you each section like you want it, play through it several times to solidify it in your teams mind.  Then work on the transition and the next section.  You'll find that this method works better for those teams that want to sound really good, and really want to please God with their worship.

You don't want to waste your teams time.  They volunteered to be here, but they have their own lives that they need to give attention to.  Make sure to keep them between an hour and an hour and fifteen minutes.  Shoot to accomplish everything in that time frame.  Plan your practice so that you have certain goals, and make them realistic.

Also, there are other ministries that your team may be apart of.  In my church, the two other vocalists are ladies and are heavily involved with the ladies ministries, Sunday School, and Children's Church.  I always try to accommodate these other ministries and work with them.  On Sunday's where the Ladies are having a meeting, or when the Children are having a big event that weekend, I don't have practice.  Yes this "holds us back" in terms of the number of songs we can learn.  But in the big picture, the entire church has a healthier membership due to the "breaks" they get from one ministry and the change of scenery by helping with other ministries as well.  We do good though.  We just make our time count.  We don't jam during practice, we practice.  My team provides me with valuable feedback, and they are glad to be there.

Respect the time of your team members, and make your time with them count!

What's Hot....and What's Not!

A lot of churches worship leaders will hear the number one song in the land and declare, "We have to do this song!"  In reality, not every song that is number one is number one.
What does that mean....
Just because everyone knows it and its on the radio for a thousand consecutive weeks at number one, doesn't mean that it will be a great worship song.  In fact, sometimes the pressure to take a number one and make it the best in your worship set can distract you from what God is wanting to do.

This is where knowing your congregation helps.  Knowing them provides insight to what will be effective and what may be a flop.  Use that to your advantage.  Plan out new music based not on the charts of popularity, but on the wings or worship.  You learn it and worship with it in private.  Then, if you can get to His presence with it, present it to the team and see what they think.  There are a lot of songs that are for "Positive Entertainment" and nothing really more.

What?

Yes...I wouldn't sing a song by Francesca Batistelli called "Free to be Me" in church!  How does singing about a rip in your jeans, or being late for work, or the speeding ticket help you focus on worship and entering His presence?  It distracts more than help.  That's because it's not appropriate for worship.

Use wisdom and good judgement when picking out music.  Mostly, pray that God direct you into a fountain of great music for leading the church in worship.  After all...He gives sermons to pastors,why would He not give you the music if you seek Him?