Picking great songs for your congregation and worship band is one of the most important tasks of a worship leader. Great songs have a sense of God’s Spirit on them. Great worship songs make you want to sing them again and again. Great songs cause your spirit to rise in worship to the Lord. I
WhenI was 19 years old, I had just finished doing a 10 month tour of Southeast Asiaand United States with the Christian band, Living Sound II. So I began to prayabout what God wanted me to do next. Early one Tuesday morning, I had a dream. Normally, I never remember my dreams. But, in this
Pastors and Worship Leaders: Are you looking for a script that really works for a one hourGood Friday Service? Here’s one that I developed and have used successfully. If you like this script and are planning to use it this Good Friday.. May I suggest that you support this blog with a small gift ($2-$5)
One of the things I’ve learned in my adventures with God is to expect the unexpected. When I was finishing my third year of music at the University of British Columbia, I had the pleasant surprise of being asked to go and replace a missionary and work in Taiwan for the summer. The missionary, Bob
Here are the main milestones and photos from my adventures so far… Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights James 1:17 VANCOUVER, BC – THE EARLY YEARS 1954 – Born to Bud Margaret Cole, December, Vancouver, BC. 9 lbs, 6 oz. 1959 – My
Worship leaders: what areas are you still working on? Which parts of your ministry can you improve on? Here are ten guidelines that I still review to make sure that I stay on track! 10. Never stop growing Are you practicing your singing and playing on a daily basis? Are you taking lessons and improving
Worship Leaders: our true success come from spending time with God and His word. God is the source of life, creativity, power and true success. In Colossians 3:16-17, Paul gives 7 keyson how to live a successful life! Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.Teach and counsel each other with
No matter how long I have been leading worship, there are always areas that I need toimprove on. Whenyou are doing well, it is too easy to get comfortable. But the truth is, none of us ever arrives. My prayer is that this list challenges you,like it challenges me,tomove ahead with what God has called
So you’re playing keyboards for your worship band this Sunday! Here are some proven steps and practices to help you do a great job. 1. Download the charts MP’3 Get yourcharts early. Start practicing as soon as the charts are available. Download from PlanningCenter.com or other online sources. (Dropbox) Put thecharts on your iPador
Worship leaders, do you have a process for deciding what songs you are going to sing this Sunday? I was recently asked how I decide what to sing. Here is some insightinto what has worked for me. 1. Compile a list of the top songs for your congregation What are the main songs that your
Leading people in worship to the Living God is an awesome privilege and really involves fourmajor areas: music, worship, leadership (people) and your relationship with God.The more you understand and growin each area, the stronger your worship leading should become. I have been leading worship with congregations ranging from 70 to 7000 people for over
Have you ever been in a great worship service and the worship leader and team seemed to disappear and your complete focus turned to worshiping Jesus? Strong worship leaders know that worship is never about them, it’s about putting our gaze and attention on Jesus. Here are some keys to leading people toward Jesus in
One of the keys to having anexcellentrehearsal is preparinggreat worship charts. I have found that worship bands frequently go into rehearsals with haphazard charts. No one has taken the time to really think through all the details of the songs. Next levelleaders are preparedand a big part of that preparation is working on excellentcharts. There
It’s one thing to have a great voice. It is quite another to possess the skills it takes to make your worship leader want to schedule you as often as possible. Here are some solid tips on how to improve. 1. Master the threevital elements of singing The three most important features of your voice
Leaders, how do you go from just leading songs to leading worship? How do you get a congregation to get past just singing songs to actually worshiping God?Let me suggest some insights to help you grow as a worship leader. Signs that you are a Song Leader: You pick nice songs to sing but the
When I am auditioning new singers, one of the main things I listen for is their ability to sing in-tune. There are few things that ruin singing more than beingout-of-tune. If you are a singer or working with singers, here are 7keys to help improve musical pitch. 1. Warm Up The Voice One of the
Solid prep work is essential for excellentrehearsals. Here is an extensive checklist to help you with many of the details. A)Pre-Rehearsal Checklist (1-3 weeks ahead) Book all players and singers (I usually book everyone a month ahead… and I use planningcenter.com and follow-up late members with texts if needed) Prayabout the worship list. Ask God
Picking great songs for worship is one of the most important skills a worship leader needs to learn. There are many different kinds and levels of worshipsongs. Some songs are written about God, some songs are written to express our feelings, somesongs are sung prayers, some songs are upbeat praise songs and some songs are
Sometimes I lead the worship band and sometimes I play in the band. Both are important roles and have specific responsibilities to do them well. As both a leader and a player/singer, here are my ten most important rules as a team member: 1. I will be available at least twice per month and answer
I have spent many days and evenings at rehearsals. It is the price you pay if you want to do music at a good musical level. It is the price you pay if you want to get past the music and be able to worship God freely. I have had rehearsals with orchestra’s, choirs, marching
In any qualityorganization there are codes of conduct and concrete expectations. A number of years ago I attended a worship conference at Gateway Church in Dallas and was totally impressed by their worship team. Based on Gateway’s code of conduct and my own experience, here are the standards and guidelines for the worship teams that
Years ago, I realized that I often had only one shot at communicating with an audience in some of the countries that I would visit. So, I asked myself, if I could only speak once to an audience, what were the most important things on worship that I could share? Here are my top five
How are you doing as a worship leader? How do you know if you are a good worship leader? Let me suggest a fewguidelines that will help to quantify your leadership. 10 Tests Of A Good Worship Leader 1. Is the congregation singing with you? When you look out at the congregation, are they singing?
During my 30 years of worship leading and leading church music departments, I have discovered that one of the best ways to take any stress out of music ministry is to be organized and well prepared. During my busiest seasons I have had 120 people on my worship team. That included a 6 piece rhythm
I love it when congregations sing so loud that the soundman has trouble hearing the worship band over the people singing around him.Worship leaders– if the congregation is not singing, we are not doing what God has called us to do. Here are a few things that I’ve learned that can discourage your congregation from
For most of my years working with worship teams, I have been both the Worship Leader (WL) and theMusic Director (MD)or Band Leader. But, many worship leaders prefer having someone else to direct the musicians so they can concentrate on leading the congregation in worship. A few years back, I worked for a 7,000 member
I have worked with average to great singers on the road, in the recording studio, in church and other musicalsettings for many decades. Here is what I have learned so far abouthelping singersimprove: 1. Learn to breathe properly Learning to breathe deeply and with control is the foundation of singing. I played saxophone for many
Lately, I have been reminded about the importance of memorizing the music when I lead worship. I have found that memorization brings my leading of the congregation and worship of God to a whole new level. I lead on either the guitar or the keyboard depending on the situation. Playing and singing at the same
Years ago, I learnt that the old proverb, ‘actions speak louder that words,’ was true. If people hear you saying or singing one thing, but your actions speak another thing, they tend tobelieve your actions rather than yourwords. I am in love with the Creator of the universe. He has given my afull and abundant