Resources for congregational worship in song
One of my greatest struggles as a growing song worship leader was overcoming stage fright. For years, nerves impaired my ability to execute my worship plan well, whether it was saying what I wanted to say, in the way I wanted to say it, interpreting a song well, or even hitting the high notes on … Continue reading 6 Ways to Beat Stage Fright
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried … Continue reading Forever Changed
Selecting a hymnal or collection of songs for a congregation is not an easy task. Oh, it's easy to grab a book with songs that I like, but choosing a hymnal for a congregation carries the daunting responsibility of providing a primary source of the spiritual language of the congregation, and a couple of generations … Continue reading Which Hymnal or Song Collection Should We Choose?
So you're going to a singing school, this Summer, or perhaps you've already been to one. How do you make the most of the week? After all, these weeks are packed with powerful worship moments, new songs, music theory, and treasured memories with salt of the earth Christians. It's impossible to fully appreciate and apply … Continue reading Homework – Getting the Most out of Singing School
Someone once said that our hymns are the music of those who are not musicians and the poetry of those who are not poets. Hymns are the spiritual language of the church set to song. Every generation needs to express its faith through song, and every generation does. More importantly, every generation needs to express that … Continue reading Resources for Hymn Writers
From time to time, worship leaders run into dead ends when trying to find a song that makes a particular point. We have lots of songs that allude to baptism, but many of them were not actually written with baptismal regeneration in mind–baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I believe that the New Testament teaches … Continue reading “Holy New Creation”, a Brand New Hymn
It's Tuesday night, you're sitting at the computer browsing a digital song concordance (or perusing a hymnal), sipping a bold cup of joe, and making a song list for the upcoming Sunday worship. Sometimes, these lists practically write themselves and sometimes, it takes a bit of digging to compile a solid song set. In churches … Continue reading Digging Deeper: The Invitation Song
"It's not about the music, just the words" "We're just singing" "We need to be careful about emotion in worship. It is the flesh and must be suppressed" All of these christianese expressions are well-meaning, but discouraging and naïve. In many places, singing is not really treated with regard or used as a teaching tool. … Continue reading The Sermons that Keep on Preaching
No, I'm not talking about making your church sound like a trained chorus, though that is a blessing wherever it's found! I'm talking about getting them singing—getting 100% participation, and getting each singer to give a little (or a lot) more. Before we get there, it's important to talk about why we would even need … Continue reading 5 Steps to Better Singing
Get them singing 