Rehearsal Tips That Work - John J. DiModica

This month, I’m beginning a new series of articles that offer practical advice for worship ministries. In this first installment, let’s look at a few keys that will help you prepare for worship services - simple, proven techniques and methods to employ in your rehearsals to ensure that every time your worship team, choir, and band step on the platform, it will be said of you as it was said of Jesus, “He hath done all things well.”

Perhaps some of you can identify with the following scenarios…the song where one half of the band changes keys at the second chorus while the other half doesn’t; the song that starts too fast or too slow and never settles in - thoroughly quenching the Spirit; the special place in the cantata where you know things are going to crash and burn because it was never right in rehearsal...

If any of these are too close to home, you have company. In my years of experience speaking to worship leaders around the country, one comment I never hear is, “We are over-rehearsed and everything is always ready!” As ambassadors for Christ, shouldn't our work always reflect His glory in excellence? Why then, do we often settle for less?

I believe that the desire is often there for us to “put our best foot forward” for the Lord, but often we don_t know how to get there. The road to success in any endeavor, including worship, can be summed up in one word...”Preparation.” Are you ready to take it to the next level? If so, read on.

Ready, Aim, Rehearse

Let me start with some basics. I am fond of saying, “It is better to be redundant than vague.” With that in mind, let’s start out with some simple starters you may be aware of which, if overlooked, can severely hamper a rehearsal.

First of all, make sure the facility/room you want to use is available. Go through the proper channels and procedures to reserve the space you need. I was explaining this basic starting point to a class once and someone raised their hand to illustrate the importance of this step with an amusing and embarrassing story. Because they were a small church, they had to use an outside facility for their music rehearsals. The problem that occurred this time was that no one remembered to confirm whether or not the building they needed was vacant for the evening. Unfortunately, when the worship team arrived they had to forfeit their rehearsal to the deceased and the mourners! That’s right-they used a funeral home for their rehearsals! An uncomfortable and unprofitable evening could have been avoided with a little foresight. Never assume anything! Think ahead and anticipate your needs.

Along with having your rehearsal facility/room reserved, make sure you have prepared in advance all music and all equipment i.e., tapes, CDs, overheads, microphones, PA system, engineer, accompanist, etc. Your preparation speaks volumes about your commitment to excellence not to mention makes your rehearsal so much more efficient. Also, by being prepared ahead of time you are demonstrating to the people on your worship team that you believe their time is valuable. This motivates those serving with you and builds teamwork! Nothing leads like example. Nothing.

Once everyone is there and everything has been prepared ahead of time, then what? A social gathering? A prayer meeting? A Bible study? A meal? No. While these are, of course, important to the life of a church, in order to be excellent in worship, you must prepare by practicing. The focus must be on the work at hand. Rehearsal time is precious. It's like gold. If you want to excel on Sunday, you have to pay the price with time and energy at rehearsal working on the material you plan to perform. In fact, let me highly suggest providing instrumentalists and vocalists music and recordings of what you are going to be rehearsing previous to the actual rehearsal. This takes planning, but the results are well worth the effort. Furthermore, I encourage you to suggest to all of your instrumentalists to take private lessons to show themselves good stewards of the musical talent that God gave them. This is another great way to prepare for rehearsals-by improving on your instrument or voice.

Let me now introduce you to something I call “The Cumulative Approach.” This entails working on sections of music and then putting them all together once each section is perfected. An example of the opposite of this would be to learn a new worship chorus by going through the song from top to bottom a few times at one rehearsal and doing the same thing again at the next rehearsal before introducing it to the congregation. You are not rehearsing anything at this point-you are just reviewing something not rehearsing it. There is a big difference. Let this sink in...Repetition is the key to learning. Break the song down into sections. Learn each section independently. Go over the rough spots repeatedly. This is work. This is tedious. This can be tiring. This produces excellence!

Remember the scenarios I described earlier in this article? Those can all be avoided through the cumulative approach. You will not fear the weak section of a song or cantata or whatever because there will be no weak sections. You won’t modulate in the wrong place, because you will have rehearsed that modulation several times until everyone is confident with it. Do you want to know how to avoid the tempo problems? Keep reading.

As a college-educated musician with years of professional experience, I have been in almost every imaginable musical situation. I know what works and I know what doesn’t! I now pass on to you the wisdom that only years of experience can bring. I can guarantee that if you regularly institute the following eight checkpoints in your rehearsals, you will soon see dramatic improvement in your worship team's presentations.

8 Things To Rehearse


1. Countoffs - Designate the drummer as your “count off specialist.” Rather than him/her guessing which tempo to start the song, during (preferably before) rehearsal, you as the worship leader should determine the best tempo for the song. Have the drummer write down the exact tempo on his/her song list or piece of music. With the aid of a metronome at the conclusion of the previous song, he/she looks at the blinking light on the metronome or listens to the clicking and establishes the tempo before counting the rest of the band in. That is exactly what we do when we perform live with the Integrity artists. No guess work, its the right tempo every time, and it simplifies the count off procedure. Try it-you_ll like it!

2. Musical Introductions - Make them short and sweet for songs which contain vocals. Include a portion of the melody in the introduction so that the song can be recognized. Play it the same way every time.

3. Key Changes - Remember what I said about repetition? Make sure everyone understands when to change keys. Practice this repeatedly. Make sure the worship team can do it right 2-3 times in a row. Near the end of rehearsal, go over the key changes again. Playing them correctly before concluding the rehearsal will build confidence in performance.

4. Tempo Changes - It is critical for the bass player and drummer to have this down pat. The drummer is the key. He/she should play simple, eighth note drum fills that make the transition from the old to the new tempo. Nothing fancy here, just a simple eighth note fill with a retardando (rit.) or accelerando (acc.) into the new tempo. Repeat these sections in rehearsal until they are right!

5. Transitions & Segues - Same idea here. Repeat until right. Make sure everyone knows what to do. If you see that glazed look in their eyes, go over it slowly!

6. Dynamics - This is an important topic. Listening to music that is all the same volume and intensity is about as exciting as listening to a preacher with a monotone voice zzzzzzzz. Dynamics in music reflect the dynamic of the Holy Spirit, i.e….a still small voice or a rushing might wind. Write dynamics down in the music and practice dynamic changes in rehearsal. After a while they will become instinctive within your worship team. Until they are, however, practice playing with dynamics all the time and talk about them. A very simple formula to start with is strong intros, quieter verses, louder choruses.

7. Endings - Don’t you hate when half the band ends while the other half keeps going? Practice the endings until you can do them 2-3 times in a row perfectly. Make sure everyone has good eye contact with the worship leader. In a future article we can talk about band set up, but for now, it suffices to say make sure everyone can clearly see and hear the worship leader.

8. Use hand signals - There are some pretty standard ones I can recommend:


• Clinched fist = end the song
• Index finger rotating in the air = repeat the section you are playing
• Tap your head = go to the top
• Fingers pinching nose = “we should’ve practiced more!”

Work Hard AND Work Smart!

Why is it that so many worship leaders are perfectionists? According to popular personality profiles, it is safe to say many musicians are melancholy. Along with being creative, we have to battle perfectionism. To be productive, however, one must learn to delegate responsibility. As many tasks as you can delegate to other faithful people, the more your ministry will accomplish and grow. Yes, I know you feel like you can do the best job at everything! The person who allowed you to grow into your current position may have felt that way when they were training you, too. They trusted you enough, however, to get you involved, let you make mistakes and grow into the person you have become. I bet if you sat down and thought about it for a few minutes, there would be 5-10 tasks that you do regularly as worship leader that you could hand over to an eager and qualified volunteer. Go ahead...write them down. Now hand them over!

Final Thoughts

While this article’s focus is on the technical aspect of rehearsal. Let me say the obvious, without a heart full of Christ, all the rehearsal in the world will not produce God pleasing worship. Preparation in the Word and prayer must be the foundation for any successful worship leader. The Spirit gives life while the flesh counts for nothing (John 6:63). David is a good example in worship. It was David who played skillfully to the Lord whom God used to chase the evil spirit from King Saul (I Samuel 16:13-23). David had a heart for God-AND he was skilled. We too must have a heart for God and be diligent to prepare (rehearse) to worship him. We can never be satisfied with giving the Lord anything less. “Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy” (Psalm 33:3).


John J. DiModica served as Worship Leader and Assistant Pastor at a thriving church in Miami, Florida for nine years. Now living in Tennessee, he has been touring and teaching with Integrity Music since 1995 including performing with Don Moen, Paul Wilbur, Lenny leBlanc, Ron Kenoly and Alvin Slaughter. John has a music degree from the University of Miami (FL), and additional studies at the Eastman School of Music (NY) and Berklee College of Music (MA). Currently, his activities include composing, music production, session musician and private bass instructor. For help in producing a recording or to schedule John to speak, visit his website. www.InFocusMusic.com

Experience the Supernatural - Don Moen

Several years ago, I was ministering in a church in Texas. As I was meeting with the pastor in his office before the service, I noticed a plaque on his wall with a scripture engraved on it. The scripture was Psalm 107: 23-32. "Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters; they have seen the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; their soul melted away in their misery. They reeled and staggered like a drunken man, and were at their wits' end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet; so He guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men! Let them extol Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him at the seat of the elders."

When I attended Oral Roberts University, President Roberts said, "If your dreams don't scare you at night, you're not dreaming big enough." He went on to challenge us to believe God for something so big that only a miracle could make it happen! I have never forgotten that, and have made a decision to be in a place where I can "see the hand of the Lord and His wonders in the deep."

All of us love to hear stories of God's miraculous provision. It's wonderful to be encouraged by these testimonies, but I want to be able to witness these miracles first hand! I want to be there! I want to be an eyewitness to God's miracle working power!

How does this happen? How can we place ourselves in a position to experience a miracle? By stepping out of our comfort zone and placing ourselves in a position that puts us beyond what we know and understand with our minds and into a place where we must trust God for a miracle. Every one of us wants to trust God, but we want to trust Him based on our knowledge and understanding. Isaiah 55: 8-9 says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." You see, the problem is never a question of whether or not God can provide for us. He has solutions and answers that haven't even entered our minds. (1 Corinthians 2:9 says, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.") The problem is whether or not we are willing to trust Him even though our minds are telling us there is no way out of this situation.

God wants to be our provider, our deliverer, and our healer but most of us live in a "safe zone" where we are able to provide for our families, deliver ourselves from uncomfortable situations, and provide adequate medical care to insure our healing most of the time. Only when we have exhausted our resources do we turn to God to trust Him to do what we cannot do. Hebrews 11:6 tells us "without faith it is impossible to please God." God wants us to live in the realm of faith so He can move mountains on our behalf. It pleases Him when He can provide for, deliver and heal His children. In order to get us to that place, I think He allows (and sometimes arranges) situations that are beyond our control because He wants to show us that He is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20)

Psalm 107:25 tells us "He (God) commands and raises the stormy wind which lifts up the waves of the sea." You mean God arranges storms for us? Read on. Vs. 26 and 27 describe the situation. "They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths. Their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end."

Whose soul melts because of trouble and who staggers around like a drunken man and who is at their wits' end? Those who go down to the sea in ships and have decided to do business on great waters. Those who have decided they want to see the hand of the Lord and His wonders in the deep. In verse 28 and 29, it is clear that the situation has gotten beyond our control but God steps in. "Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still."

My friend, nothing is too difficult for God! Jeremiah 32:17 says, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You."

Finally in verses 30 - 32 we get to the end of the story. "Then they are glad because they are quiet. So He guides them to their desired haven. Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders."

Have you made the decision to "see the hand of the Lord and His wonders in the deep?" If you have, your life will be filled with firsthand experiences of God's miracle working power. Certainly you will go through storms, but Isaiah 43: 2-3 says, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord you God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Notice that this passage says "when," not "if" you pass through the water and fire. God is bigger than any situation. He will calm your storm and bring you to your desired haven. And the result of seeing His provision for us should cause us to praise Him more and more!

©2000 by Don Moen

Creating a Worship Song: The Music - Tommy Walker

In his continuing series on Songwriting, Tommy Walker examines how to musically create great sounding worship songs.

Getting Started-Modeling

For those of you who are just beginning your venture into songwriting, you might want to start with a process I'll refer to as modeling. Spend some time listening to what other songwriters have written-the songs that work, the songs that touch you. Find a simple song that you really like, then write a song of your own that uses the same elements. I'm not suggesting that you plagiarize someone else's material and present it as your own. I'm suggesting that you model your song on the song of an established writer as a method of developing your own songwriting skills.

Use modeling for all components of a song while you're learning to be a better writer. If you play an instrument, figure out the chords of the other song. You might concentrate on the chord progression of the chorus, or the chords in the verse and chorus. While you're working on your lyrics, you might use the same number of syllables found in each line of the phrases from the song being modeled. Again, you wouldn't present that song as being yours, but it's a great way to learn the craft. You're building your new song on the foundation of someone who wrote a really effective song.

Modeling works well for learning rhythms as well. Write songs over rhythm patterns of other recordings to acquire a feel for a variety of rhythms.

Once you begin to develop a sense of how songs are constructed you can take the process a little further. You've already figured out the chords of the song that you're modeling so begin to alter them. Then try singing a different melody along with the new chords.

Now find a favorite psalm or poem and choose a couple of verses that work for you. The song might not be a great one and it may sound too much like the original song but that's all right at this stage. You're simply trying to get the ball rolling. And I think you'll be surprised at how well you do if you don't put any pressure on yourself to write something awesome the first few times out of the gate.

Matching Melodies And Words

Mourning Into Dancing was first born when I heard the text of Psalm 30 sung to a rather sad melody. For me, the tone of the music-the feeling it projected-didn't seem to match the message the words were conveying.

I told myself that someday I'd compose music for the same passage that would be a better match. I thought the text called for music that is bright, cheerful and would make people want to dance. It was years later when I saw the car commercial that inspired the music that would accompany my version of the psalm. I knew that this music was what the lyrics from Psalm 30 were begging for. Always ask yourself if your music is relaying the same message as your lyrics.

Forward, Always Forward

Once you begin working on a new worship song it's very important that you keep moving forward. You need to keep making progress. You want to keep your momentum up. You don't want to get bogged down in the muddy water of details.

For instance, you might be making great progress with a melody but a section of lyrics is giving you trouble. The temptation for many writers is to stop and think about it. Well, if you do you just may lose that forward momentum. In this regard, a seemingly strange yet helpful technique that many songwriters use is to sing melodies with lyrics that makes no sense. I have been mumbling nonsense to help me find the melodies for my songs from my earliest days of songwriting. Over the years I've discovered that this is a very common practice.

"Yesterday," by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, is one of the most covered songs (recorded by various artists) in pop music history. Sir Paul has made it known through many interviews over the years that the title and main lyric of this monster hit was originally "scrambled eggs," and remained "scrambled eggs" for several days while he developed the song.

The main idea is to avoid letting any little snag in the creative process stop you in your tracks. If you have a good melody idea, you want and need to move forward with it. If you allow yourself to believe that you must have exactly the right lyric before you can proceed, you risk not finishing your song at all. Choosing to insert a nonsense lyric into your song enables you to move forward with what you have, and reduces the possibility of not completing the song because of what you don't have. I've actually ended up with complete melodies without realizing I was saying something that actually made sense.

In his continuing series on Songwriting, Tommy Walker examines how to musically create great sounding worship songs.


Tommy Walker has written over forty worship songs that are currently being tracked by CCLI. These include: Mourning Into Dancing, He Knows My Name, That's Why We Praise Him and No Greater Love. Tommy has been the worship Leader at Christian Assembly Church in Los Angeles since 1990. He has produced worship recordings for Integrity Music, Maranatha Music as well as for his church label, Get Down Ministries.

Creating a Worship Song: The Lyrics - Tommy Walker

Tommy Walker looks at one of the biggest challenges facing songwriters - writing lyrics

Lyrics From Scripture

Writing lyrics is often the biggest challenge to a songwriter. So, most of us need all the help we can get.

One of the easiest and most effective types of worship songs are those written directly from scripture. I would say that approximately half of my songs fall into this category. I highly recommend this approach. First, because it's hard to go wrong using the Word of God. Second, using scripture as inspiration can be especially helpful to those who struggle with the lyrical side of songwriting.

It's important to know that you don't have to draw scripture into your song word for word. However, if I'm not going to use a scripture word for word, I must be absolutely certain that I understand exactly what the passage is saying. I want to be certain I'm communicating God's truth in the way He originally intended. Usually I will read the verse I'm working with in several different Bible translations. Bible commentaries on the verse can be very helpful, as well. This process frequently gives me new ideas so it's worth doing the work. Once I'm confident that I fully comprehend the text, I feel total freedom to be creative with it.

The song "Everyone Arise" serves as a good example. This song is taken from Isaiah 60 which reads [NIV], "Arise, shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you."

I also used a portion of Psalm 34, which says, "Those who look to Him are radiant." I love these passages because they communicate the vision of worship evangelism. They tell us that the world will see God's glory through us as we look to the Lord and give our lives in worship to Him.

So, here is how these verses of scriptures were finally translated into "Everyone Arise:"

Everyone arise and let it shine,
Children of our God your light has come,
For the glory of the Lord
And the beauty of His grace
Is rising on you now.
Though the darkness covers all the earth
They will see your light, they will hear the sound
For the glory of the Lord
And the beauty of His grace
Is rising on you now.
The song's chorus is simply a response to the text:
Praise Him, praise Him, praise Him.
Arise and shine and celebrate Him.
Let His glory rise on you, let it rise.

The presence of scripture is strong in this song. I was able to harness the power of God's Word but without quoting scripture word for word. For centuries Christians have recited God's Word together. There is a supernatural power that comes from it. We can keep the tradition alive in song. Give it a try.

Rhyme

One of the elements that make lyrics such a challenge to the songwriter is the necessity for rhyme. Our ears are so accustomed to hearing rhymes in songs that I'm afraid there is no way around it. The only time I don't worry too much about rhyme, at least true rhyme, is when I'm writing a worship song that heavily draws from scripture. This is true especially when I'm taking a more word for word approach.
Contemporary lyrics tend to more closely imitate the sound of real, everyday conversation than the lyrics of forty or fifty years ago. That is an important reason to write honestly and avoid rhyming just for the sake of rhyming. Every rhyme you make should be natural, sound natural and be motivated by the message in the song's phrase. The best rhymes are those that rhyme perfectly but still have the natural sound of human speech.

Lyrics that rhyme make phrases feel smooth and sound beautiful. Rhymes also make lines memorable, literally. People tend to remember phrases of a song because of the rhyme schemes. Remembering the words that rhyme tends to act as a key for recalling the rest of the phrases.

Coming up with rhymes can be very time consuming for me. It's like putting together a puzzle (not my favorite pastime), but the process is necessary and frequently rewarding when all the pieces are finally in place. I try to never let rhymes determine what I'm trying to say. Yet, there have been instances when the search for a rhyme lead me to writing a lyric that was more profound then what I originally had in mind.

There are two styles of rhyme: true rhyme and false rhyme. Here are a few examples of true rhyme:

Hand - Land
Hurt - Dessert
Make - Shake
Descend - Amend

The chorus of "That's Why We Praise Him" employs a true rhyme.
That's why we praise Him, that's why we sing.
That's why we offer Him our everything.
Another song verse that incorporates true rhyme is found in "Let's Think About Our God."

Let's think about our God, our Savior and our King.
The One who gave it all, He gave up everything.
Let's think about the Man who shed His precious blood,
So we could be His friend, His friends until the end.
The end of the first and second lines derive their rhyme on the "ing" of King and everything. The fourth line utilizes an internal rhyme with the two rhyming words located within the same line-in this case they are friend and end.

Now a few examples of false rhyme:

Sighed - Cry
Hands - Man
Mind - Time
Lie - Fight

You can see that false rhyme relies on the strength of the vowel sounds to link two words together while consonants take something of a "back seat" in importance.
The verse of "Only A God Like You" is a good example of false rhyme.
For the praises of man
I will never, ever stand
For the kingdoms of this world
I'll never give my heart away or shout my praise

The first line ends with the word man, and the word stand completes the false rhyme at the end of the second line. Since man ends with the letter "n" and stand ends in "nd," the rhyme is dependent on the sound of the vowel, "a" which is common to both words.

You might want to note that contemporary music often mixes true and false rhymes within the same song-as long as it sounds "right" and "natural." The chorus of "Lord I Believe In You" uses a combination of true and false rhyme.

Lord I believe in You. I'll always believe in You
Though I can't see You with my eyes
Deep in my heart Your presence I find
Lord I believe in You and I'll keep my trust in You
Let the whole world say what they may
No one can take this joy away.
Lord I believe.

The second and third lines false rhyme the "i" sound of eyes and find. The fifth and sixth lines use a true rhyme with may and away.

Here are a few more suggestions for using rhyme:

• Don't hesitate to use a good rhyming dictionary to help you find the right rhyme. I have a software version installed on my computer.
• If you're just starting out, you might begin by using true rhymes before you move on to the use of false rhymes.
• Be consistent and use the same rhyme scheme from verse to verse whenever you can. This will give cohesiveness to your song.
• Try testing your lyrics as though you're an actor reading dialogue. When you read your lyrics, do they "talk"? Do they sound like normal, human speech?

Let It Flow

As I discussed earlier in regard to melody, it is important that you keep your ideas flowing. This applies to lyrics, as well. When lyric ideas begin to come I want to let them flow, both the good and the bad. I just get it all down on paper or recorded. Making note of all the ideas, both good and bad, gives me more to work with. I try not to start over-analyzing too early. It interrupts the flow and draws me away from the ideas that are coming.

Don't Say Too Much

While reading the Bible I will often get excited by it's many truths. But I have learned that the inherent beauty of a worship song lies in its ability to communicate something simple in a very deep and meaningful way. If I have several different thoughts I will put them each into different songs. This is a very important point. A songwriter wants the people who hear his or her worship song to walk away knowing what the one central theme is, what the song is really all about.

Write From The Heart

The more true feeling and emotion you can get into a song the less contrived and insincere it will sound. I have found that I have to search deep into my heart and have extended times of quiet before the Lord, to reach a place of real honesty.
As writers it is our job to help other people express authentic worship to God. To do this we have to have experienced authentic worship ourselves. Once I've reached that point, I try to focus on the feelings that are in my heart. It's more important for me to get those feelings down on paper than it is to come up with a clever, religious cliché. Great songs are always songs from the heart. Learn how to listen, and to tap into the passions and emotions that are inside you.


Tommy Walker has written over forty worship songs that are currently being tracked by CCLI. These include: Mourning Into Dancing, He Knows My Name, That's Why We Praise Him and No Greater Love. Tommy has been the worship Leader at Christian Assembly Church in Los Angeles since 1990. He has produced worship recordings for Integrity Music, Maranatha Music as well as for his church label, Get Down Ministries.

Where Worship Songs Come From - Tommy Walker

Where should we go for inspiration in writing great worship songs? Tommy Walker encourages us to look at 7 areas.

Imagination
Before we discuss any other sources of inspiration we must first celebrate the imagination. Psalms 119 tells us to meditate on God's wonders. Webster describes wonder as "awed astonishment." When was the last time you were taken over by the wonder that is God? We are in awe at the vastness of the galaxies and wonder what lies beyond the stars we see at night. Just as God created the galaxies He created imagination. And to wonder is to use imagination.

One of the reasons we love songs about heaven is because the concept of heaven is so mysterious to us. Our imagination is such an incredible gift from God, yet we so rarely use it in positive and productive ways. Every object made by man at one time existed only in someone's imagination. Even the universe at one time existed only in God's imagination. To write a worship song is to imagine it in your mind before you even touch a guitar or keyboard, before you sing a single word of the lyric.
Psalm 40:3 says, "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord."

Being constantly tuned into my imagination is a crucial part of my songwriting process. Can I imagine a song that will make a hard-hearted person cry, or a person burdened with sadness laugh? Can I imagine a song played at a fast tempo, but with slow drawn-out lyrical phrases? Can I imagine a shuffle in a minor key, or an entire congregation singing rap? I just dream.

I'll constantly play out different song scenarios in my mind. Nothing is more powerful then a spirit-led imagination. Philippians 4:8 encourages us this way, "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." Fill your mind with the good things of God and dare to dream, dream, dream!

Devotions Or Quiet Times
About eighty percent of my songs come out of my personal times of devotion with the Lord. In fact, the songwriting process has evolved into a big part of my time with God.

The most important element in the writing of great worship songs is having a personal relationship with God. Luke 6:46 says, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." As we fill our hearts and minds with God's Word, His words will automatically flow out of us and into our songs.

Making quiet times a regular part of your life is also a great way to handle the busyness and hurriedness that contemporary living pushes upon us, and that sometimes we bring upon ourselves. I have never written a song when I was in the midst of the kind of pressure that comes from trying to do too much. How can God inspire us with a new song if our minds are too cluttered, noisy and busy to hear Him?

As songwriters we must do our best to make time for solitude. Time alone with our God is always the best way to get things back into perspective, relieve stress, and slow down the pace of life a little bit. Being rested and focused on God makes us more receptive to His ways and thoughts, and that includes song ideas.

Sermons And Teachings
Another good source of inspiration is the church sermon. You can look to your very own pastor for a little inspiration as well as a great song idea now and then. Whenever I'm in a church service or at a conference I always keep my ears open wide, listening for that lyrical hook to show up.

Special teaching seminars and church Bible studies can also lead you to your next worship song. The very nature of a Bible study or class is to focus on the details of God's Word. It can be like the Lord flashing a neon sign in front of you with the theme of your next song.

Good Times, Bad Times
Being a Christian songwriter has enabled me to express what is going on inside my heart to the Lord. Writing a worship song can bring a release to your spirit like few things can. When I am in the midst of extreme circumstances, whether good or bad, I make a conscious effort to evaluate the details of the situation. Then comes the obvious question: should the circumstances-good, bad or both-be communicated in a song?

I remember calling Andy, my best friend from childhood, shortly after finding out that he had an inoperable brain tumor. I wanted to comfort Andy; I wanted to ease his burden. My thoughts eventually focused on the truth found in scripture-no matter how horrible the circumstances, no matter how difficult things may seem, God is always with us. Knowing He is near always gives me great hope.

I quickly turned to one of my favorite Psalms, Psalm 46. It says, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea..." I soon knew that this was the message I needed to communicate to my friend in song. And out of that scripture came a song titled Be Still And Know. The hook line is: "Therefore we have hope and we will not fear. For our God is near."

"Be Still And Know" was eventually recorded at Christian Assembly during our Live At Home concert, and I sent the completed CD to Andy. Whenever I hear "Be Still And Know" I think of Andy and all the other people who must go through impossibly tough circumstances. Whether in this life or the life to come, we know there is always hope because our God is near.

Worship Services
Many times I'll get song ideas in the midst of a worship set, or at the end of the set when my pastor, Mark Pickerill, is closing up our time of music. Once again, it's a matter of learning how to keep your ears open. The biggest challenge with this particular moment of inspiration is remembering the idea-you have to wait until the end of the service before you can get your idea down on tape.
The song, "How Good And Pleasant," is a perfect example. This song came spontaneously at the end of a service late one Sunday night at a church I was visiting in Canada. There was an amazing sense of unity and joy shared by everyone in the room, and the next thing I knew I was singing the song:

How good and pleasant it is when we dwell together in unity
And Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord

I added the bridge (Showers of blessings...) later, but most of the song originated in that church service.

Listen To The Music
Have you ever heard a great song and thought, "Wow, I sure would like to write a song like that someday." Well, that's why listening should be a very important part of your songwriting life.

I make myself listen to all kinds of music-even musical styles that I don't necessarily prefer. I believe that my particular sound has evolved to what it is because I have made the effort to embrace a wide spectrum of musical ideas. I'm gradually learning how to hear what makes a great song, regardless of what genre it came from. As an example, the Latin groove on Mourning Into Dancing actually emerged from a car commercial I saw once on television.

Change Your Scenery
Sometimes the song ideas are just pouring out; it seems like they'll never stop coming. Then there are those times when you wonder if you'll ever have even one more original thought. Our minds get tired. Our minds get stuck in a rut of trying to work out a single problem, or of trying to sort out too many problems at once.
Everybody needs their batteries recharged now and then. Our minds tend to respond positively to a change of scenery. For me, going for a walk or drive alone can clear my mind and help me focus. Getting out of the office, breathing some fresh air and giving my eyes something to look at besides the same four walls serves to restore me.


Tommy Walker has written over forty worship songs that are currently being tracked by CCLI. These include: Mourning Into Dancing, He Knows My Name, That's Why We Praise Him and No Greater Love. Tommy has been the worship Leader at Christian Assembly Church in Los Angeles since 1990. He has produced worship recordings for Integrity Music, Maranatha Music as well as for his church label, Get Down Ministries.

Top Ten Fixes for Bad Sound - Kent Morris

Frequency, crossover, tired woofers or dusty chaos and cheap cables behind the console-we've got the solution. Respected audio consultant and known Baptist rebel Bill Thrasher was asked the best way to fix the acoustics of a particularly bad sanctuary design. His reply was, "Bulldoze it and start over." While mere mortals cannot demand the removal of entire structures, there are some things within the realm of possibility that are quite effective. Gleaned from the real world, here are the top ten audio system fixes:

1. Properly set the system gain structure.
Nothing is worse than having a great sound system with the knobs turned the wrong way. The idea of gain structure is confusing because the controls can be set in any position and some semblance of sound will emanate from the speakers. There are many valid methods, but one that works well in the church environment is unity gain, where each piece is set to pass a nominal level that grants enough voltage to provide a clean signal while retaining sufficient headroom to prevent clipping.

For outboard equipment, (equalizers, delays, reverbs, etc.) pushing the bypass switch puts the unit into a unity gain state, so achieving unity gain is a simple matter of comparing the audio level when the unit is engaged versus when it is bypassed. If the engaged level is lower than the bypassed level, raising the gain control to compensate will result in a unity gain setting. On the mixing console, the individual channel gain (also termed trim or preamp) should be brought up (with the main channel fader control at its zero position and the board EQ at nominal) until the console meter reads zero. Power amplifiers can be set with a CD playing and the amp "volume" controls left in the fully counterclockwise position. Rotate the controls up in level until the audio is appropriate for the room. By not bringing the amp controls fully up, the system will exhibit less noise while providing plenty of signal amplification for the room. A biblical example of unity gain is found in a paraphrased version of I Timothy 6:6-8, when Paul admonishes, "Strong signal with headroom is great gain. For we brought no boost into the gear and we can take no boost out of it. But if we have unity and no noise, we will be content with that."

2. Find and reduce the influence of resonant frequencies.
Every enclosed space vibrates sympathetically at certain frequencies. Especially problematic in square rooms or rooms with common dimensional denominators (e.g. 20'W x 30'L x 10'H), these frequencies mask other frequencies and tend to ring in sound systems. Measure the room to determine the possible problem areas using wavelengths as a guide. To illustrate: a decrease of an octave equals a halving of frequency, so 500Hz is twice as long as 1KHz and 250HZ is twice as long as 500Hz. Since 100Hz is approximately ten feet long, the room example above will probably exhibit anomalies at 50Hz, 100Hz, and 200Hz, with other harmonic issues possible. The best course is to bring in a professional who uses SMAART PRO or another program capable of separating the room response from the system response via time domain data.

For those on a budget, Bill Johnson has developed a "poor man's" method that may prove effective. Taking an Audio Tool Box (www.terrasonde.com) or at least a Real Time Analyzer (www.rane.com) with pink noise generator, run the noise through the system and, using the measurement mic in a common seating area, stop the noise and watch for the last frequency to decay. That frequency is the most powerful in the room and may be a target for acoustic treatment.

3. Set the active crossover correctly.
The most prevalent mistake is to set the crossover point between the subwoofers and the main speakers too high. Most subs respond poorly to energy above 100Hz, so setting the crossover at 90Hz may clean up the mix. If possible, a steep cutoff should be engaged below the tuning point of the sub, typically around 40Hz or so. Also, it may work to skip some frequencies between 150Hz and 300Hz if the room emphasizes them on its own. For instance, EAW's AS series enclosures sound dramatically better when energy in the 160Hz region is removed with a crossover.

4. Clean up the rat's nest behind the console and amp rack.
Technicians seldom win Better Homes and Gardens awards for cleanliness. Lurking in the mess behind the board are poorly terminated RF cables spewing interference, dreaded Radio Shack cables passing noise, and a doughnut from last Christmas. Clean it up! Coiled cables can emit trouble as well, so it is best to Lazy-S them around or, better yet, reterminate with the correct length.

5. Use the best mics on the most important inputs.
A common church sight is the $59 catalog special microphone on the soloist while the bassoon receives a $400 Austrian condenser. With apologies to bassoonists, the key is to present the lyrics in the best manner possible, so put the best mics where they will do the most good.

6. Roll off low frequencies.
Bass energy is omnidirectional and bleeds into everything on stage. Reducing the input and amplification of low frequencies is essential to a good mix. Engage the low cut (also termed high pass) filters on every channel except kick drum, bass guitar, synth, and cello. Use variable high pass controls to dial in the low cut just below the lowest fundamental note of the input. For example, take out energy below 200Hz for a soprano soloist. Roll off everything below 100Hz in the monitor mixes and run the subwoofers via a post-fade auxiliary send on the console.

7. Apply acoustic solutions to acoustic problems.
Standing waves (regenerated energy from parallel boundaries) can never be taken out with a graphic equalizer. Bring in a professional to determine what is needed and follow the recommendations exactly. A good site to learn the basics is www.Acoustics101.com.

8. Avoid wireless mics whenever possible.
The only advantage wireless mics bring to the table is freedom of movement. Otherwise, their wired counterparts win in terms of sonic quality, reliability, and cost. If the pastor demands a wireless, then buy the best one available and restrict its use to the pastor. Inexpensive wireless systems will fail quickly, have high repair costs, and prevent the simultaneous use of multiple systems in many environments.

9. Replace fatigued woofers and compression drivers.
While a new speaker system is usually out of the question, tuning up the old one makes a great deal of sense. If the speaker is from a major manufacturer, chances are it can be brought up-to-date with minimal expense. For instance, many old aluminum compression driver diaphragms may be replaced with ferro-fluid cooled titanium models for about $150. Some companies, such as Peavey and McCauley, even make field replaceable baskets for their woofers, saving the time and expense inherent in professional reckoning procedures.

Brighten up the effects and use dynamics controls.
In nature, reverb decays first in the higher frequencies, retaining the low frequency information for a longer period. In church mixing, it is often advantageous to do the inverse -- roll off the lows and let the highs come through. The idea is to use less reverb than normal in order to retain articulation and intelligibility. By returning the reverb's "wet" signal through an open channel, the board EQ can be used to take out energy below 200Hz. No high frequency boost is needed since the absence of the lows makes the highs appear stronger and the mix more polished. Then, adding some light (10 threshold, 3:1 ratio, 50mS attack and .5S release) compression to the vocals will male them appear stronger without fear of transients exceeding the limits of the system or the parishioners' ears.

Kent Morris is a veteran media system designer and Seminars4Worship instructor focused on the ministry aspects of technology. .

Song Story: I Love You Lord - by Laurie Klein

A remote mobile home gleams faintly in the crisp Autumn sunrise. Within that metal refuge in the high deserts of central Oregon, a young mother is having a quiet time with the Lord. Her toddler is still asleep. Her husband is a full time college student, and the couple is surviving on $400 per month. They have no home church, no friends nearby, and she does not drive. Even the expense of a long distance phone call might leave them without milk or bread in weeks to come.

Such is the backdrop of Laurie Klein's classic praise song, "Love You, Lord", written in 1974.

"It was a very hopeless time, a very depressed time," she summarizes. "I felt the poverty of my own life keenly at that point, both emotionally and physically."

"That morning I was so empty," she says, recalling her time with the Lord. "I knew I didn't have anything to offer Him. I asked if He would like to hear me sing . . if He would just give me something He would be in the mood to hear."

Klein describes "I Love You, Lord", as a gift from God that emerged spontaneously: "I sang the first half and put the chords with it with no effort," she says.

I love You Lord
and I lift my voice
To worship You
O my soul, rejoice!

Intrigued and moved by these words, she remembers thinking, "maybe I should write that down." She stopped long enough to get a pen. When she came back, the last two phrases came just as easily:

Take joy, my King
in what you hear
May it be a sweet, sweet sound
in Your ear.

Laurie's husband, Bill, recognized the simple beauty of the song and encouraged her to play it for a local pastor and some visiting musicians. Eventually the song surfaced at Jack Hayford's Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California. There Buck and Annie Herring learned the song and included it on Annie's Kids of the Kingdom. But its greatest exposure was on Maranatha! Music's Praise 4 in 1980.

Since then, Bill Klein has lost count but estimates the song has been released on 60 or 70 recordings. As of this writing, the most recent recording is a classic rock arrangement on Petra Praise 2: We Need Jesus. Laurie's personal favorite is Phil Keaggy's instrumental on The Wind and the Wheat.

"I Love You Lord" has emerged in at least a half-dozen dialects, but the author particularly enjoys a Pidgin English version that starts, "Me like-a You, Papa-God".

Pondering the enduring popularity of the classic, she says, I feel like God not only gave me the song, but He kissed it. He has kind of a "Midas touch." The things He touches are golden ... and I think people recognize this.

I also think that's why it has translated well into other languages and cultures.

The Kleins, now parents of two grown daughters, live in Dearpark, Washington. Both have served on staff at various churches over the years, but their focus these days is House of Mercy, through which Bill acts as consultant to worship leaders of various denominations. A sampling of their song writing, including a stunning version of "I Love You, Lord", is available on a 1996 independent recording called All My Days.

Now 47 years old, Laurie Klein is more driven by a thirst for intimacy with God than ever. God has placed the phrase, "prepare Me a place" on her heart as a personal theme for this year. "We're called to prepare room for Him," Laurie explains. The heart of a worshiper becomes evident as she speaks. "We must be prepared to meet Him no matter who we're talking to or what we're doing, whether we're worshiping in church or worshiping with all the tasks that make up our day."

That, she has come to understand, genuinely makes a "sweet, sweet sound" in God's ear.

Phil Christensen is the Worship Pastor at Chapel of the Hills Community Church in Sandy, Oregon.


Article Source: http://www.ccli.com/WorshipResources/SongStories.cfm?itemID=7

A Lifetime of Worship Worship for Lifetime - Darlene Zschech

Worship Notes with Darlene Zschech

We often hear the phrase “Worship is a lifestyle”. What does this really mean? It simply means to live a life of love. To love extravagantly. The first commandment, to LOVE the Lord your God with AL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with your entire mind, means exactly that. You make a heart and mind decision to continually seek first the Kingdom of God, and to OBEY the Spirit of God in your life, as He calls you on to a greater and deeper knowledge of Himself.
Worship requires something of you, and that is OBEDIENCE.
Why do people cringe away from obedience? I believe it is because it requires a response. John 14:21 says, “Whoever has my commands and OBEYS them, he is the one who LOVES me. My Father will love him who LOVES me, and I too will LOVE him and show myself to him.”
And verse 23 says: “If anyone LOVES me, he will OBEY my teaching. My Father will LOVE him and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not LOVE me will not OBEY me. These words you hear are not my own, they belong to my Father who sent me.” LOVE and OBEDIENCE are tied together.
Every time you open up your heart in obedience to God and worship Him with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul, our beautiful Lord responds with His magnificent presence. You need to continually be in the presence of God. Not only on Sundays, in a corporate place of worship, but in that secret place that maybe only you and the Lord will ever know about.
It’s in this place of worship that you find yourself needing to respond to the Lord, to whatever He is asking, as WORSHIP PULLS BACK THE LAYERS OF YOUR HEART – TO EXPOSE WHAT’S REALLY THERE.
CONFESS
In Isaiah 6 … When Isaiah caught sight of God he was moved to confess his sin.
When your humanness is confronted by the magnificence and holiness of God, you are made SO aware of your need for God’s grace and his cleansing power in your life. If you have unforgiveness, anger, jealousy, bitterness … ask God to forgive you. Romans 12:1 teaches us how to live this life of worship and love.
TRANSPARENCY
Psalm 51 says it so well, that when you are in the presence of the Lord, you become totally transparent and honest and your heart and soul cry out to pray “create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me”. Read the Message Bible translation – it will inspire you to greater heights.
CLARITY
As you simply and wholeheartedly LOVE and ADORE your God, you receive revelation and understanding of your kingdom purpose. Romans 8:28 reveals that “… in all things God works for the good of those who LOVE Him, who have been called according to His purpose”. Many Christians spend their lifetime frustrated at never knowing their Kingdom purpose. I challenge you to get in the presence of God, have an open heart to hear His voice, for He desires ALL He has planned for you even more than you do!
HUNGER
Another heart response is that your hunter for the things of God, your hunger for His Word and His truth increases. John 7:37 ... If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scriptures have said, streams of living water will flow from within him. Say YES to the Lord calling you to know Him more through his Word. It is LIFE to your soul.
REST COMES
Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Joy and strength are found in His dwelling place, in His presence. If you feel like you are continually running on empty, then again, you need to respond and obey the Spirit of God and GET IN HIS PRESENCE. If I have learned one thing, it is that we were never meant to live this supernatural call, with purely natural ability. You will not make it … BUT if you take God at His Word, live in His presence, life a life of love, and respond to His voice, you WILL live your entire lifetime growing in the knowledge of Christ, always fresh and strong in the Word, and living a life that people will want to follow.
…. And you thought worship was all about songs!

A New Perspective - Don Moen

According to Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, the word "perspective" also means "point of view". It is described as "the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance and to view your own task in a larger framework".
In Numbers 13, Moses sent out 12 men to spy out the land of Canaan. After 40 days, they came back and told Moses and the people that it was truly a land flowing with milk and honey, just as God had promised, but the people who inhabited the land were huge and the cities were fortified. They saw many feared enemies there and all but two of those men shared the same perspective. In verse 30, Caleb said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it". Joshua shared Caleb's perspective. The other ten men decided it was not worth the risk so they spent 40 years in the wilderness and never saw the land. In verse 33 they said, "There we saw the giants; and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." It all depends on your perspective.
Joshua and Caleb knew that they were part of a bigger plan promised by God. In Deuteronomy 6:10-11 God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob large and beautiful cities which they did not build, houses full of all good things they did not fill, vineyards and olive trees which they did not plant. They had a different perspective, which determined the way they reacted to adversity.
Perspective changed the way Elisha's servant saw his enemy. God opened his eyes and he saw what had been there all the time; (2 Kings 6:14-17) Therefore he (the king of Syria) sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, and said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Seeing an army of horses and chariots of fire can certainly change your perspective. They were there all the time but the servant couldn't see them. When God changes your perspective, although your enemy is strong, you know that God is stronger. And although your enemy may seem big, you know that God is bigger! It's how you see things. It's your perspective.
As a young boy, I took piano, violin and trombone lessons. Music was something that was around our house all the time. As I grew older, I began to focus on the violin as my major instrument and eventually, began to play in symphonies, operas and ballets. I spent quite a bit of time "wood-shedding" various violin passages from the classical pieces I was playing in the symphonies and when we were performing, I was concentrating and focusing mostly on my part. I took for granted all of the beautiful sounds and textures produced by the orchestras and it was several years before I began to appreciate these sounds. What was it that changed my way of listening to an orchestra? One thing. Perspective. My perspective had changed.
I had spent several years travelling with a musical group doing quite a bit of arranging and orchestrating for various projects and as a producer, I would sit in the control room of studios and listen to the musicians as they played my arrangements and orchestrations. I knew I had a lot to learn, so I began to study as much as I could about orchestrating and arranging. I began to analyze how the combination of different instruments made different sounds and I was amazed at the endless possibilities.
After several years of this, I returned to the symphony, once again as a violinist. Although I was playing some of the same pieces I had played years earlier, I was amazed at how beautiful they were! I had never heard such beautiful sounds. Now I was listening through the ears of an orchestrator, not just a violin player. I heard things I hadn't heard before, although the sounds were there all the time. I was enjoying the music from an entirely different perspective.
Jesus was always operating from a different perspective. In Matt. 14:13-21 we read the story of the feeding of the 5000. Jesus had been ministering to multitudes of people all day. When it was evening, and the people were hungry, the disciples recognized that they had a problem. They came to Jesus in verse 15 and said to Him, "This is a deserted place and the hour is already late, therefore we need to send the people into town so they can buy some food." They had two observations and came to a logical conclusion. Because of their perspective, they pursued the solution most of us would have pursued. I can hear the disciples discussing among themselves. "We've got a problem here. We have 10,000 people and no food. All we have is a little boy with 5 loaves and 2 fishes. There is no way we can feed all these people with this. We need to send them into town to get food."
But Jesus did not even consider those elements as hindrances. In verse 16, He said, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." Jesus was already seeing things from a different perspective. The disciples couldn't see it. So Jesus said, "Bring me what you have". In verse 19, Jesus commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass. He didn't wait to see if His prayer was going to answered. Why? Because He was seeing things from a different perspective. He didn't see 10,000 hungry people, He saw 10,000 full and satisfied people because of God's provision. Then He blessed and broke the loaves and the fishes and gave them to the disciples to distribute. You all know the rest of the story. Everyone was fed and there were still 12 baskets full of what remained. Our God is generous with His provision! He didn't provide only what was needed. He provided more than what was needed! What is your need today? Identify it. What do you have that Jesus can bless? Identify it. Now, visualize God providing for your need by taking what you have and multiplying it. Ask Him to let you see things as He sees things. Take a moment and do this.
In Luke 8:41-56 Jairus came to Jesus because he had a 12-year-old daughter who was dying. He needed Jesus to heal his daughter. But while he was there, someone came and told him that his daughter was dead. The obvious thing to do was suggested to Jairus in verse 49. "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the teacher". However, Jesus saw things from a different perspective. He said, "Do not be afraid, only believe and she will be made well". When He came to the house He found all of the people weeping and mourning for the dead girl. When Jesus said, "Do not weep; she is not dead but sleeping", the people laughed at Him because they knew she was dead. At least from their perspective she was. If you will allow yourself to see things from a different perspective, there is always hope for any hopeless situation. What is in your life today that is sick and dying and perhaps dead? Is it your marriage? Is it a dream that God has given you that you've never seen fulfilled? Perhaps you are only seeing it from one perspective. What is Jesus saying to you today? Only believe. With God, nothing is impossible.

A Prayer for Worship Leaders - Tommy Walker

As I was preparing to write an article for worship leaders this month I just couldn't bring myself to do anything but pray. Therefore, this is simply one worship leader's prayer for worship leaders around the world in this time of need.

Lord, as I ponder the horrific events of terror that have recently taken place in New York and Washington D.C., I find that in the midst of my tears, there is a resolve in my spirit to stand up and be counted for You and Your kingdom like never before. Therefore, I pray for worship leaders everywhere and ask that You move them into action like You're moving on me. There is no question that this is our moment!

Churches are filling up everywhere. People want to somehow feel close to You, God. In Exodus 33:14-16, You said that it's Your presence that distinguishes us from all the people of the Earth. People are so longing for Your comfort and a sense of Your nearness. Raise us up oh Lord. Let us be strong and courageous as we act as Your ushers to welcome lost and hurting people to Your throne, to Your glory and Your grace, to Your salvation and Your peace, to Your hope and love, and to the sweetness of Your life giving presence!

Give worship leaders songs that will help the nations cry out to You. Give them prayers that will pierce through the darkness. Give them creative passion that will help them take your presence to new places in fresh new ways. God, when their hearts begin to ache for America and other nations who have strayed so far from You, let them ache all the more so they will be moved like You are moved - so that they will act quickly, gracefully, and continuously!

Thank you Lord for letting us be Your ambassadors in this pivotal time in Your Church. What an unspeakable privilege it is that You've chosen us to have a small part in all this - that You picked us to be a part of this chosen generation that would declare Your praises in this dark time! In the end, may we look back and say that this was the beginning of the greatest spiritual awakening in the history of the Church. May we be able to say that this was when you could hear the praises of God ringing in every church and every street. May we be able to say that this was the time when the nations began to gather together and sing out the name of Jesus as the name that is above all names. May we say that these were the times when worship leaders and worship teams from everywhere led the battle like never before. Let it be Lord, let it be!

And give us courage Lord Jesus, to wave the banner of Your Gospel high! This is a time when it is so wrong to proclaim a faith that is utterly exclusive. Yet while we know that Acts 4: 12 says that there is only one name by which men can be saved, we know that through Your blood, we profess the most inclusive faith of all. For in John 3:17, the Word says that You did not come to condemn the Earth but that the world, meaning the whole world, could be saved through You! So as worship leaders who represent a historic Church, rich in the tradition of declaring Your truth and love in song, we promise to make Your name Jesus, the most famous name of all!
And though we are hard pressed on every side, we are not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed. [2 Cor. 4: 8]

We are known, yet regarded as unknown, dying and yet we live on, beaten and yet not killed, sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, poor yet making many rich, having nothing yet possessing everything. [2 Cor. 6: 9, 10]

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race that's marked out for us. [Heb. 12: 1-3]
I believe You hear this humble prayer Lord Jesus. Now be ever with us as we boldly take every opportunity to give You all the glory, honor, and power that You so deserve! Amen.

Website: http://www.getdownministries.com
©2001 Tommy Walker

Appointed And Anointed - Don Moen

Many times I have felt unqualified to lead worship. As worship leaders, we can psych ourselves out, knowing that we're inadequate to accomplish the purposes of God. When I begin to think this way, I have to remind myself: God would not appoint me to do this without anointing me. After all, there must be a reason why God arranges for me to minister. I must depend on Him to give me the mind and the tools to do the job.
Over the years, the Lord has helped me deal with my feelings of inadequacy by teaching me the following tips:
1.Be content to operate within your gift. Many times we are tempted to try to be like someone else. Don't fall into that trap! You can only be who God made you to be. God has given many gifts to the body; don't be fooled into thinking you can be all of them wrapped into one person.
2.Don't be tempted to make something happen. This is a very serious trap to avoid at all costs - even if you believe the congregation isn't responding to your leadership. Amos 5:21-24 reminds us that many times in trying to make something happen our songs become noise.
We've all been in services where everything is great - the songs flow, the keys are perfect, the worship is deep. And the pastor's comments top it off: "That service was just right. Keep it up!" It's tempting to create a formula based on last Sunday's song list instead of depending on the Holy Spirit to guide us from week to week.
I know we're talking about job security here, folks. But the calling God has given you as a worship leader is a very high calling, indeed. There is no room for manipulation or phoniness. Worship is serious business. Think of it! God is trusting you to lead your congregation into his presence (Is. 62:10), clearing the road of obstacles and lifting up a standard for the people to follow. What a privilege!
3.Never underestimate the work of the Holy Spirit. Psalm 22:3 says God inhabits the praises of His people. Even though you may not "see" or "feel" God's presence during a time of worship, it does not mean He isn't with us. If we've offered up sincere praise and worship, the Holy Spirit is to be moving through the entire congregation, ministering to all who are willing to receive.
Be prepared to allow Him to move as He wishes, without getting in the way. There is a lot more happening than you think. Guard your heart. Keep it pure and God will do great and mighty works.
4.Be a worshiping leader. Some worship leaders are raised up by God and have wonderful musical gifts. But what if you are the senior pastor and don't have a worship leader - or much musical talent of your own to lead a congregation? I've had pastors call me, saying, "I'm not a musician," or "I can't sing that well. Can you help me find a worship leader?" I encourage them to lead the worship until God raises up someone to fill the gap. Why?
We all would like to have "perfect" worship services - you know, the songs are in the right key, they move at the right tempo, and everything seems to "flow." But it's interesting to note that most of the pastors who call me in search of a worship leader want something beyond a spectacular production on Sunday morning. They desire to move into deeper worship with their congregations.
To such pastors I say: You can lead people into the presence of God because God has entrusted you with the leadership of the church. A church could hire the greatest worship leader in the world, but if the pastor is not a worshiping pastor, the church will not be a worshiping church.
A worship leader's purpose is to direct a congregation's worship toward the Father. If you know you are appointed by God to lead His people into wholehearted worship - whether you're a trained worship leader or not - God's anointing will be there. Don't allow your own sense of inadequacy to keep you from stepping out in obedience and dependence upon the Lord.

Called to Serve - Darlene Zschech

Many are CALLED but few are CHOSEN John 15:16

Lately God has been speaking to me about being a musician and singer in the King’s house. We’ve been called to serve in the King’s house, and it’s the biggest honor you could possibly have in this lifetime.

The day came when I was faced with a choice to serve the Lord, and for me, from that time there was no going back. I wanted to give Him 100%, and I didn’t care if it meant stacking chairs. Better one day in His house than a thousand days anywhere else.

The privilege and honor of serving God is awesome. There is a continual feast in the King’s house, and I see it like the parable Jesus told in Matthew 22.
He described the Kingdom of heaven like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. Then he sent his servants to the invited guests to tell them it was ready, but they refused to come. The king sent servants once again, but the guests paid no attention and made excuses why they couldn’t attend.

There is such a feast all the time in the King’s house, and God is always saying “Come”. The invitation is open to us, and all we have to do is RSVP.
There is always a little bit of fear in us to step into what God has for us, (even though we really want to be there). But He has prepared the way and the banquet table is ready foryou.

We have all the reasons and excuses why we can’t, but don’t let things like negative mindsets or lack of confidence hold you back from running into the King’s house and serving Him.

God is a builder, not a magician, and the most worthwhile things in life are built over time. There is no quick instant way to all God has for you but all He needs to know is that you will be willing and obedient to His call on your life.
When my husband, Mark, chose me as his bride, I didn’t have all the skills I needed, but I knew that I was chosen and that I was dearly loved. When we were married I was very young and lived in a world of insecurity, but I desperately wanted to have a great marriage. Because I believed in the future that was before us, and God was the centre of our lives, I knew it would work. It would have been very easy for me to choose to stay in my insecure world and believe lies instead of truth, but in doing that I would have forfeited our incredible future together. This same principle applies to you.

The wedding feast is ready, all you have to do is RSVP to Jesus Christ and His call on your life. You don’t have to know it all, but you do have to accept the invitation.

The one who calls you is faithful and He will DO it. 1 Thess 5:24
I thank God for that scripture. You need to know that with Christ you CAN, and with Christ, you WILL!

You have to ask yourself the question: “Am I really doing all that I can to serve in the King’s house? As a worshipper of Christ, am I walking away from my fears and putting my trust in His ability and not my lack?”

Worship is the very first commandment: To love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all of your strength. Worship should be a priority in your life – to love Jesus, to put Him first in your life and to serve Him, whatever He calls you to do. Live to delight the heart of God!

Three Keys to a Great Worship Rehearsal

One of the things that I’ve learnt over 18 years of church music ministry and 6 years of traveling is how to get the most our of my rehearsal time. In my last two and a half years of traveling and ministering around the world, I’ve had to work with a new worship band every second week and I’ve often had very little rehearsal time. It teaches you how to be organized.

Here are three quick points to remember when preparing for a rehearsal.

1. Pick great songs

One of the secrets to worship leading is picking great, anointed worship songs. Great songs are easy to play and sing, help the singers focus on God quickly, and have the special touch of God on them. Great worship songs agree with God’s Word. A great song for your worship band will be within their ability to play well. It will be a song that your congregation loves to sing and worship with.

2. Be prepared.

Musicians are often notorious for not being organized.

* I make sure all my charts are ready and clear. It’s important to have all the copies ready and on the respective music stands before the rehearsal starts.

* I pick songs that can be easily learned in the time that I have to rehearse. I make sure I know the songs backwards and forwards. The most important parts of the song are the intros, form and endings. You should also know when you want the different instruments and vocals to come in on that particular song. If you have time, playing a recording of the song really helps. Musicians learn more from listening than almost any other source.

* It’s also important to know the drum and bass patterns for the song. Another very important area that is overlooked is the exact tempo. I write the metronome markings down and if there is any doubt, I pull out a metronome to double check the tempo.

* I also make sure I know what is happening in all the vocal parts. My charts have all the vocal parts written down so I can easily help any singer learn their part easily.

3. Lead the rehearsal with energy

Good leadership is the key to a great rehearsal and worship time. If you are prayed up, prepared and full of enthusiasm and energy, you will have a good rehearsal.

I always try to start my rehearsals on time, keep them moving quickly, have fun, find ways to encourage the band and try to communicate what needs to be done in the clearest possible way.

Rehearsals are mainly about learning the music, but if God comes down in my rehearsal time, I won’t hesitate to spend time worshipping. It’s the presence of God that makes the biggest difference in our worship. If we just sing songs without God’s presence, it’s really just noise. God makes the difference.

by Mark Cole (Arranger, Worship Leader)

Source Article: http://www.praisecharts.com/index.php?module=users&action=article&id=04

Song Story: Holy Ground - by Geron Davis

There are some songs that seem to insist upon being born and nothing, not even teenage overconfidence and procrastination, can get in their way. No one knows this better than Geron Davis. In 1979,

19-year-old Davis was helping to prepare the new building that his church congregation, pastored by his father, would soon call home.

"We had just completed a brand new sanctuary in the little town of Savannah, Tennessee," he says. "About six weeks before we moved into the new place, my dad started saying: 'Son, I wish you'd write us a new song for the first Sunday service.'" Davis, who had been writing songs since his earliest teen years, replied that he would do it. After a couple of weeks, Davis's father asked, "Son, you got that song?" He replied, "No, Dad, but I'll do it." A similar exchange followed weeks later.

On the Saturday before the new building's dedication, church members worked all day, preparing for the opening service. At midnight, after the other laborers had left, Davis' father turned to him once again and asked: "Son, did you get us a special song for the first service?" Davis answered: "No, sir. But I'm fixin' to."

Once his father had left, Davis finally sat down at the church's shiny, new grand piano and thought to himself, "What do we want to say when we come into this place for the first time?" The answer came without hesitation.

"Literally, as fast as I could write the words down," Davis says, "they were there. Within about 10 or 15 minutes, I had the entire song finished: 'As I walked through the door, I sensed his presence/And I knew this was a place where love abounds/For this is a temple, Jehovah God abides here/We are standing in his presence, on holy ground.'"

Did Davis realize that he had written something powerful? "Are you kidding?" he laughs. "I was a 19-year-old kid, dead-tired on my feet. I was ready to go get into bed."

The next morning, Davis taught the song to his sister and brother and they sang it in church. "The power of God moved in...it was a wonderful time. Of course, my mother was in the audience, so I expected everybody to love the song. But, I didn't really understand at that point what God had done."

Soon thereafter, Davis helped record "Holy Ground" for a friend's album. Another friend heard the recording and asked permission to shop the song around; 24 hours later, he returned to Davis with news that Meadowgreen Music was interested. When the company bought the tune, music executive Randy Cox told Davis: "This song will live beyond you. It will be bigger than you can imagine." Davis remembers thinking, "Yeah, sure," only later to realize that his words were right on target.

Though the song was not recorded by any major artists at that time, it quickly caught on in the church, and in 1986 was Word Records' best-selling anthem. At the end of the millennium, it remained Word's No. 2 selling anthem of all time. It has since been recorded by countless artists and appeared in numerous hymnals.

Davis speculates that the reason for the song's popularity lies in its accessibility. "The most satisfying thing is not how many units we've sold or how much money it's made, but the fact that I have done something that becomes a part of the fabric of people's everyday lives," he says.

"It's not just something they sing on Sunday, but something they sing in the special moments of their lives: at weddings, at funerals, in times of sickness, of trouble, of heartache.

"It blows me away that God will take a country boy from the foothills of Tennessee and let him write a song as a teenager that would have the impact that this one's had. It just kind of proves that little is much when God is in it."

In addition to touching the hearts of the average man and woman, "Holy Ground" has also spoken into the lives of the rich and famous. While still serving as the governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton became of fan of the song. Following his election to the presidency, Clinton invited Davis and his wife, Becky, along with their choir, to sing "Holy Ground" at his inauguration. Also present were celebrities such as Colin Powell, Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger.

When Bill Clinton's mother, Virginia Kelly, died in 1994, the President asked that "Holy Ground" be sung at her funeral. It was at Kelly's memorial that her good friend Barbra Streisand first heard the song. Streisand later wrote in the liner notes for her album Higher Ground: "It's hard for me to describe that electrifying moment. The music lifted us, elevating our spirits. I knew then I had to sing that song and others like it. The idea for this album was born at that moment. The lyric says that when we are in God's presence, we are on holy ground. But since God is everywhere, that would make every square inch of this planet holy ground."

After the album's release, someone asked Geron Davis: "How does it feel to know that you 'electrified' Barbra Streisand?" Davis replied, "Here's a lady who's sung on Broadway. She has sung duets with every famous person in the country. She's produced, starred in, and directed movies. You think a 19-year-old's song is gonna electrify her? That's not what electrified Barbra Streisand. What happened to Barbra Streisand-and I believe she would agree-is that she got into the presence of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. She was electrified not by my song, but by the presence of God that she felt in the room.

"The presence of God has the same effect on everybody. It doesn't matter how powerful, how wealthy, how well known you are. When you come into God's presence, friend, we're all on level ground."

"Holy Ground," Geron Davis, 1983, Meadowgreen Music Company/Songchannel Music. Lyrics printed by permission of author.

Phil Christensen is worship pastor at the Church on the Mountain near Mt. Hood, Ore.

Source Article: http://www.ccli.com/WorshipResources/SongStories.cfm?itemID=6

How to Start a Worship-Shaped Youth Ministry

Trevor Rubingh, pastor of New City Church, Jersey City, New Jersey

Philosophy of Ministry

* find out what moves teens, don't impose your style
* always look for ways to incorporate teens in the planning
* assume they are leaders waiting to be hatched
* assume they are the church
* “the church exists by mission as fire exists by burning” - this is not a bonus thing you can do with youth - this is youth ministry. Your neighborhood is the mission field. If you do this, your church will grow, as it should.
* put their talents into play within one month. If it's drama, one month. If it's drums, one month. If it's keyboard, one month.
* always strive to make things transferable and reproducing. Don't just teach teens. Teach teens how to teach.

Action Steps

1. Pray and seek God as you begin
2. Go to your pastor with this vision and make sure he/she is on board
3. Form group of interested leaders - adults
4. Identify gifts of volunteers and staff and choose a ministry based on those gifts
5. Create application process. Announce to kids formation of team(s)
1. either through existing children's ministries/outreaches or youth groups
2. make it prestigious and desirable; let them know there are limited spots available
6. Choose your applicants based on need, effort and parental support. Hold an organizational meeting with parents present
7. Keep something going for kids who aren't in teams - but make it discipleship focused. You will have to let things go that don't fit the new vision. There is a cost - but that's OK.
8. Structure for Youth Team meeting - 2.5 hours
1. Discipleship - 1 hour
2. Games - ½ hour (optional)
3. Rehearsal - 1 hour
4. if it's drama, rehearsal is practicing skits; if it's instruments, rehearsal is literally years of practice, but you can start the kids playing in public within months
9. Rewards/Attendance system
10. Positive and negative disciplining
11. Awards system or points system - have kids earn their rewards
12. Attendance counts
13. Promotion & Reproduction
1. after one year, make sure to promote kids to a new level of leadership
2. from the beginning be training kids to take over within 3-5 years
14. Get in the door soon - even if it's 6x/yr youth services or children's sermons

Article Source: http://www.calvin.edu/worship/worshipers/youth/worship_youth_min.php

Introduction to Playing the Bass on a Worship Team

The bass is perhaps the most overlooked instrument of the worship team. Though it doesn’t play a high profile role, the bass is the worship team’s musical foundation, providing the harmonic and rhythmic structure upon which all the other instruments build. If a worship team isn’t in the groove, it’s often a bass issue.

* Types of basses:
o Electric bass guitar. The most common bass used on worship teams.
o String bass. Also called stand up, acoustic or contrabass, it has a less defined tone than the electric bass guitar, so care should be taken in its miking and amplification.
o Acoustic bass guitar. This is essentially a hollow-bodied electric bass guitar. In intimate settings it can be played without amplification, otherwise there is little difference between it and the electric bass guitar.
o Fretless bass guitar. The lack of frets gives the fretless bass a distinct woody tone that is favored by many jazz players.
o 5 and 6 string bass guitars. Identical to 4 string electric basses, but they extend the instrument’s range on the low end with a B string and increase its solo capabilities on the high end with a high C string.

* Open strings of a 4 string bass (sound an octave lower than written)

* Common playing techniques
o Fingers. Bassists most frequently play with the “meat” of their index and middle fingers. Remember that good tone comes from the fingers rather than the amp. Picking notes with the thumb or tips/fingernails won’t result in a robust tone.
o Pick. A pick can be used to produce a bright, defined tone. It is especially common in the repeated eighth note bass lines typical of punk and new wave. In a worship team setting, it is too harsh to use regularly.
o Pop and Snap. Funk players create percussive bass lines by hitting the low strings forcefully with the bone of their thumbs and pulling the higher strings and snapping them against the frets. This technique should be used sparingly in a worship team setting.
o Harmonics. An advanced technique in which the player plucks the strings while touching the string lightly at a “node.” It creates a bell-like effect.
o Pedal Point. A meditative musical technique in which the bass stays on the same note while the chords move. (For example: C, F/C, G/C, C) The bassist can often play a pedal point even when it’s not indicated in the song.

* Adjusting the bass’s tone. One of the biggest problems a worship team bassist faces is finding a tone that complements the overall sound of the ensemble. Often the bassist prefers a bright tone that cuts through the team’s sound or a boosted midrange that gives the bass a unique character. However, this often doesn’t provide the worship team with the low range they need. Here is one way of adjusting the bass amplifier to achieve a sound with character and low end:
o Turn all the low range completely down.
o Adjust the mid and high range until the desired tonal character is achieved.
o Now bring the low range volume back up.

* Tips for playing the bass on a worship team:
o Synchronize with the kick drum. The bass guitar and kick drum occupy the same low range, so they need to reinforce each other rather than fight each other’s rhythms. This doesn’t mean they need to play exactly the same rhythm, but their fundamental rhythms should be the same. If they both play their own rhythms, it will result in “popcorn.”
o Hear the beat’s subdivisions. Following the worship team’s tempo is only part of the bassist’s job. The bassist also needs to feel the song’s inner rhythm. Do the eighth or sixteenth notes swing? Does the song push ahead or lay back?
o Chop off the pianist’s left hand. Well, hopefully the bassist doesn’t have to go to this extreme, but the pianist does need to be sensitive to the fact that the bass is already providing the bass line. If the pianist plays double octave bass lines it will create low end mush.
o Don’t overplay. As the bassist gains more technique, there is more temptation to play complex bass lines. Octaves, high fills and intricate rhythms may be appropriate sometimes, but they often obscure rather than support the sound of the worship team. These advanced techniques are often at the expense of the structural bass notes that the worship team depends on. A sparse bass line usually makes a song come alive in a way that a flurry of notes doesn’t. Save your flashy licks for those few moments in a song that need some spice to push them forward.

* Greg’s favorite bass line of all times: Chic “Good Times”

Questions? email Greg Scheer:

greg@gregscheer.com

Article Source: http://www.calvin.edu/worship/lit_arts/music/bass.php

The Instrumental Soloist as Worship Leader - Barry Wilson

When the Body of Christ comes together to worship there is usually one whose job it is to organize and lead corporate acts of praise, adoration and thanksgiving. Depending upon a church's tradition, one of the following types of leadership - or variation thereof - will probably be employed by the leader to organize and encourage the worshipers to worship into a unified whole.

In the liturgical tradition there is usually an organist, sometimes assisted by a choir, who leads congregational singing with only slight indications as to when singing will commence or end. Perhaps one organist will be of the "head bob" school while another will relay upon a member of the clergy or choir to provide visual cues.

Perhaps the most predominant method of leading corporate singing is the vocalist/conductor who may beat time or use conducting gestures. This style of leadership was born in the evangelistic meetings of the early portion of this century and enjoys wide use from the smallest fellowships, whose leaders may not have any type of accompaniment at all, to mega-churches where a leader may enjoy the accompaniment of not just piano and organ but handbells, brass or full orchestra.

Within the last 30 years. the vocalist/guitarist and the vocalist/ keyboardist have become preferred alternatives in many churches. In the early days, these leaders were effective in only small, intimate worship situations, but thanks to advances in sound reinforcement technology they can be effective in nearly any size setting.

The newest concept is the team approach where several vocalists stand before their congregation and sing in harmony, perhaps taking turns to speak, interposing non-congregational songs into "sets" of choruses and hymns. Sometimes a solo leader who coordinates the efforts of the team.

PROCESS OF A PARADIGM SHIFT
Throughout most of my twenty-two years as a leader of congregational singing I have been a vocalist/conductor. However, long before I know how to draw a common-time pattern in the air above an imaginary plane, I was a trumpet player. As a college freshman, working towards a degree that would have prepared me to be a high school or college band director, I dreamed of playing professionally someday. But when the Lord called me into vocational music ministry in 1974 I automatically assumed I would not need my trumpet so I became a voice major and sold my Bach Stradivarius to get money to buy my fiancée an engagement ring.

In 1980, I became aware that winds of change were blowing through the world of church music. More and more music was being published for both solo instruments and ensembles. Someone had even coined the term "churchestra." I began wondering if there might be some way I could integrate playing trumpet into my ministry. With the help of family members, I secured a new instrument, began practicing, joined a local community band, and began looking for trumpet music I could use in church. Sixteen years later I'm still scrounging for good solo literature that is within my technical abilities. However, I recently discovered a way to use my trumpet that both glorifies God and energizes the congregational worship of my church. In addition to singing and using conducting gestures, I now use the sound of the trumpet in a leadership role.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Using solo instruments to lead worship is not a new concept. In the early 18th century, Johann Sebastian Bach led worship at Weimar from the pipe organ. During the early part of the 20th century, Charles M. Alexander broke new ground in evangelical music with the inclusion of the improvisational piano styles of Robert Harkness and Henry Barraclough during his evangelistic meetings. At the same time, Alexander was sanctifying the piano for use in church, Billy Sunday's soloist/song leader, Homer Rodeheaver, was becoming famous playing his trombone during congregational singing.1 In his early years with Billy Graham, Cliff Barrows followed Rodeheaver's model on the trombone. In spite of these models, even worship leaders with strong instrumental skills tend to neglect the solo instrument as a worship leading tool.

DIFFICULTIES
Using instruments other than keyboards, guitars, and voices to lead worship presents a new set of problems. To begin with not all instruments lend themselves to "leadership". (For the life of my I can't imagine a bassoonist leading a congregation in "Majesty"). To provide good leadership an instrument should play in approximately the same range as the human voice. Trumpets and tenor saxophones play well in this range. Leaders who play instruments with normal ranges outside that of the voice should be careful to use the team approach.

Some instruments also face problems of transpositions. For example, a B-flat trumpet cannot play directly from a vocal score because it sounds a whole step lower than what is written. Sight transposing can be done, but that skill comes with much time and practice. Other solutions to the transposition problem include writing tunes out by hand or purchasing transposed instrumental music.

Most instruments require the use of both hands, therefore, it's difficult to give signals to accompanying musicians. Even when it is possible to play an instrument with one hand, like the trumpet, it's quite difficult to be that coordinated. Good planning is a must when leading with an instrument. One of the biggest problems I face is due to the fact that I am not skilled at improvisation. I need printed music for just about everything, so the instrumentalist who can play "by ear" has a distinct advantage. However, one should keep in mind that congregational singing is not the proper place for the Jazz-oriented musician to show off his creative improvisational skills. Unless you have a strong group of back-up singers, be careful not to embellish too much. In other words, don't stray very far from the melody.

GETTING STARTED
Here a few suggestions designed to help instrumentalists use their instruments effectively.

1. Practice, practice, practice! If life and ministry make it impossible to practice regularly, avoid using your instrument in worship. The Psalmist put it well when he said, "I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." (II Samuel 24:24b NIV).

2. Use sparingly. Don't play every Sunday nor on every song on the days you do play. Use your instrument to bring variety to worship.

3. Form a team. Instrumental worship leading works best when there is a choir or team of strong vocalists reinforcing the words.

4. Control the volume. Some instruments, like the trumpet, may be offensively loud. On the other hand, if you are a flautist, you may need to invest in a good microphone.

5. Plan ahead. Since your hands and lips will be busy working with your instrument, plan keys, transitions, modulations and repetitions ahead of time. The Holy Spirit seems to guide me better during the planning process than in the "heat of battle."

6. Program solos. From time to time, instrumental solos are quite appropriate. Solos provide an opportunity to express musical ideas that might cause confusion if attempted during corporate singing. And they are good to introduce new melodies. For example: introduce a new song by playing it once or twice on your instrument, then have a soloist sing it once or twice. By this time, your congregation will be ready to attempt it.

TWO WORKING SETS

THEME: THE NAME OF JESUS
Hymn: "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" (Key G; accompanied by piano and organ with worship leader singing and conducting)
Prayer: (pianist or organist should play softly and modulate to Eb)
Chorus: "There's Something About That Name" (Key Eb; trumpet plays on first repetition but drops out for second V7/V modulation.
Chorus: "His Name Is Wonderful" (Key F; trumpet joins on second repetition)
Chorus: "Praise the Name of Jesus" (A cappella)

THEME: THE MAJESTY AND GLORY OF GOD
Chorus: "Majesty" (Key Bb; first repetition, trumpet solo with accompaniment, second repetition, congregation)
Chorus: "How Majestic Is Your Name" (Key C; begin leading with voice then switch to trumpet on refrain)
Scripture: Psalm 19:1-4 from Psalms Now by Leslie Brandt (Concordia Press). (keyboard transition beneath reading)
Chorus: "Great Is the Lord" (Key C; no trumpet)
Solo: (select a trumpet or vocal solo to fit theme)
Scripture: Psalm 8 (from NIV or Brandt)
Chorus: "The Majesty and Glory of Your Name" (Key C)

Choral music by the same title and can be found in Songs For Praise and Worship (Word), an excellent resource, or The Baptist Hymnal (1991, Convention Press).

Notes
1. Hustad, Donald P. Jubilate! Church Music in the Evangelical Tradition. (Carol Stream, IL: Hope Publishing) 1981.

Barry Wilson is Pastor of Music and Education at First Baptist Church of Perrysburg, Oklahoma.

Source Article: http://www.ccli.com/WorshipResources/Articles.cfm?itemID=5