Worship

In June, after months of being forced to hold worship services in an online-only format (thanks to COVID-19), California churches were allowed to begin meeting in person again. This time, with a limit of 100 people or 25% of the building’s capacity. Just a few weeks later, Governor Newsom ordered that churches “discontinue singing” while gathered for worship services. This resulted in an uproar from many Christians. How can we hold a worship service without worshiping? How can the government dictate whether we praise God or not? Didn’t Jesus say that we must sing?

I have been leading worship in a full-time capacity for twenty-two years. Still, nothing could have prepared me for a global pandemic, hybrid worship, and a situation that began in our church on Sunday, March 15, 2020. On that Sunday, our worship team did most everything we would normally do on Sunday with one major difference… there was no congregation in our worship space!  Like most churches across the country, and around the world, we found ourselves in an unprecedented scenario. One no one could have foreseen and one for which no seminary education could have prepared us. Our church had to learn how to minister to our people solely through livestream technology on Sundays and Zoom meetings throughout the week. 

As a worship leader, your first priority is to lead your team. If I’ve learned anything about leading teams over the past 23 years in ministry, it’s that the culture of the team determines the effectiveness of the team. Create a culture of camaraderie and connectedness, and your team will be much more effective.

Church facilities are important resources that churches must steward well. Between building construction, lighting, seating, stage design, HVAC, energy efficiency, and LED screens, there's much to consider. Below is a list of eight church facilities conferences to consider attending either in person or virtually to better your church facility.

Worship is the whole of your church service, yet the music tends to be the focus when we use the term, ‘worship.’ Many worship leaders and music directors understand the fundamentals of worship as a whole, and most have significant musical training. Yet, there are some major issues with many worship sets you may encounter. If done, these issues tend to throw off your congregation.

Attending worship conferences provides an opportunity to learn from others, be refreshed, and see how other worship leaders navigate the joys and challenges of that role. Investing in yourself by attending a conference helps you return to church the following week with new ideas and solutions to issues you may have dealt with for years.

I have made many mistakes over many years of leading music and worship. I share this freely with churches and worship teams I consult with. Articulating the basics articulated for both yourself as the leader and your team greatly improves your game.

Worship teams and audio techs exist in order to help lead our congregations to worship and love God. We all have the same goal, to provide excellence in leading worship. So why do Audio Techs and Worship Leaders frequently experience conflict, having a hard time supporting and respecting one another?