Read our Blogs
Not my usual blog topic… but very topical!
Normally I pick a topic on worship and attempt to help people navigate through the challenges of musicianship, leadership and theology – or to give
What is Worship? … no … really?
Worship is a very sticky word. It adheres itself to a lot of other words and adds sometimes appropriate nuances to the ideas we are
The extra-ordinary power of Praise & Worship
I was reading again this morning, the awe-inspiring account of Paul and Silas in the Roman prison, and it reminded me of the power of
How do you choose new songs for your church community?
A hunt for new songs has a mixed sense of frustration and excitement. The possibility of finding something fresh, is often mixed with the struggle
The Power of a “Call to Worship”
Growing up, our services always began with a call to worship – whether it was called an invocation or something else, it was the same
What makes a great worship leader?
I don’t know if you’ve ever asked this question of “what makes a great worship leader” but you probably know the difference that a great
What on Earth is Worship?
In the past couple of years I have observed a new found desire for people in worship teams to recalibrate their thinking around “what is
What does the future of worship look like?
This is a question I’ve been asked a bit in recent times with questions like: What do you think the future of worship is going
Brilliant player V great musician. Which is preferable?
When you see a statement like that, you may ask: Is there a difference between brilliant player and great musician? I mean, isn’t a person
The importance of great team dynamics
Great team dynamics is one of those areas that everyone desires, but few intentionally venture into. I’ve discovered that most people just hope that their
Why Song Choice is Critical
One of the main struggles with every person tasked with creating a service that engages people with God… is choosing the right songs that will
Announcements – When is too many too many!
Announcements. Why do we do them? I guess, primarily, it’s to let people know what’s on, and why they should be interested, connected, and committed
How do you close a service?
Last week we looked at how to open a worship service – whether your doing a service live or online, it’s very important how you
How do I begin a worship service?
Whether it’s a church service, small group or conference, every worship event starts somewhere and somehow. Worship is a journey that begins with the end
A blue print for designing a corporate worship experience.
As I was growing in my understanding of worship, and the journey that people went on in worship, I learnt that positioning songs in a
How do you lead in the midst of a faith crisis
Everyone experiences a crisis of faith at some time – big or little – it can be a dark place. How do you lead, or do you lead during these crises.
How to lead from an instrument
Today it’s not uncommon to see people lead worship from an instrument. Growing up, I never saw this – probably because it’s hard to lead
Embrace the uniqueness of your church sound
One of the biggest temptations that churches have, is to listen to and copy the sounds from the larger churches. When we hear their songs
How to prepare for worship team rehearsals
Preparation is everything. As a friend of mine once said in describing what needs to happen at rehearsals… “Never wing anything”. The challenge for those
Fresh Manna
So I was charged with the responsibility of creating a farewell service for one of our pastors who was returning to his native Zambia. He
How to Introduce a New Song
There are good ways and better ways to introduce new songs… The scenario is… you have a new song that the band and singers have
Help! How do I transition to the ‘new’ music?
One of the big challenges, especially in a church that’s going through some transition, is the music. “How do we play the new music”? is
I can’t move from one song to another. Help!!
One of the biggest challenges facing worship leaders and musicians that support them is how to segue from one song to another without ugly and
Keeping Christmas Fresh
We are just a couple of weeks out from Christmas, and the shops as usual, are often way ahead of the church when it comes
How do you decide the speed of a song.
Over the years, the speed of a song, not to mention keeping any song at a consistent speed, has been one of the biggest challenges
Are your musicians a worship team or a worship band?
Is there a difference between a worship band and a worship team? I was really challenged by my associate pastor with this recent question. She
What do I do about … ? Part 2
In the last blog, I began our problem solving by dealing with drums playing in time, and singers beginning a song on time. In this blog,
What do I do about … ? Part #1
Over decades of working in worship ministry situations, there are a whole lot of random issues that are common to many teams. These are wide
How big should my worship team be? Part #2
In the last blog, I began to look at how many people should be in your worship team. Is bigger better or is smaller better.
How big should my worship team be? Part #1
One of the questions I’m asked from time to time is… “How many people should I have (on stage) in my worship team?” This is
Instrumentalists are common. Musicians are rare
I’m always keen when I’m made aware when a new instrumentalist or singer comes on the scene. Those who know the person(s) usually make comments
The Serving Musician
Last week I suggested the need for every serving musician, to spend a little time each day during the week, on their instrument, honing
Use it or lose it!
It was Sunday night after church and I was having dinner with a surgeon. My long service leave had just begun, and he asked what
Song Writing in the Local Church
I want to continue on this theme of writing for your home church, as I’ve had a few conversations with people over the last couple
Song Writing and the Local Church Part #2
I can remember the situation quite clearly. My lead pastor came to me, told me he was going to preach on Isaiah 64, and that
Song Writing & the Local Church Part #1
Well I’ve been quiet for a while as I’m on my long service leave (half way through) and so everything – just about – takes
What do I pray when I lead worship? Part 3
So… let’s get real practical. In this blog, I want to help you by giving you practical ways of praying when leading. Of course, I
What do I pray when I lead worship? Part 2
Have you ever struggled with knowing how to pray, and what to pray? If you have, then you’re in good company – Jesus’ own disciples
What do I pray when leading worship?
As I’ve spoken to leaders of worship for years, one of their greatest fears is praying in public. It’s OK to sing and play their
Worship & Transformation
Have you ever wondered if we should expect God to transform lives in our worship services? Last weekend I was at a conference for
Music Directing Your Rhythm Section Part 2
Last week we looked at the conundrum of sorting out rhythmic structures in a song. If you want the team to sound like one cohesive
Music Directing Your Rhythm Section Part 1
One of the great challenges of music directing is sorting through and designing the rhythm framework of a song. Every instrument creates rhythm – whether simple or complex
The “Science” of Music Directing
It’s now a couple of blogs ago that I began this series on music directing. Before, I called it an “Art”, and that’s true, but like many other
Why do we sing?
Hi everyone Sorry about last week – I was getting ready to go to our first Song Writers Retreat for 2017. We had an amazing
A Quick Vlog !!
I would love to hear from you so please leave a comment or register for the blog in your inbox [mc4wp_form id=”48″]
The Art of Music Directing
Over the past 3 decades of working with church music teams, I almost always ask this question: “Who’s the music director in your team?” Often,
Creating Worship Services that “Work” Part #2
So you’re prayed up and have spent the week thinking about the service. You know the service shape & sense where it’s heading – sort
Creating services that “work”
Ok. So you have been asked to create a song set to lead people in worship this week. Where do you start? Each week, the
Is corporate worship participatory or immersive?
A couple of years ago, I was asked the question “Is worship participatory or immersive?”. I wasn’t sure if it was a question asked out
They’re not ready … Yet!
I don’t know if your church is anything like mine… like me… when it comes to worshipping together. Let me paint a brief picture. You