Growth Plan

You have talent, gifts, and the desire to improve. But you may not knowwhat to work on or how to work on it (call it a lack of systematic intentionality). I believe that having a growth plan will help you get where you want to be. Why should I plan my growth? Why should I plan my team's growth? I believe that the gifts I have are not my own, I'm a steward of them. What does the Owner expect me to do with them? Manage them? Yes, but not just that. Manage them for increase. The story of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 reminds me that I have been given something of weight (talent) that I am given according to my dynamis, my ability. (Interestingly, this is the same word used for the power (dynamis) of the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:8.) It isn't a question about how much I've been given or (even what effort I put forth), but what I actually do with it and Whose power brings it to life! How do I know if the talent I've been given is increasing and not just leveled off? There's no way to know unless I know where I am today, and then compare "today me" to "future me." (comparing myself to anyone else almost always being pretty unhelpful, if not destructive...and certainly joy-sapping!) Five areas for a well-rounded Growth Plan for Worship Ministry are:Musical Artistry, Spiritual Formation, Relational Integrity, Technical Excellence, and Leadership Ability. Take each area individually and think about where you are now and where you'd like to be by the end of the year. As dearly loved sons and daughters, we look to honor and glorify God as we serve. Bearing much fruit is one way to glorify Him (John 15:8). Our mission includes creating spaces where people can meet with God, so what we do should serve that end. (the level of detail below isn't meant to overwhelm you, but rather to inspire your thinking)

Musical Artistry  Step one: learn to play your instrument. Step two: learn to play the song. Step three: learn to play with a band. Step four: actually make music! What are the musical skills I want to work on? Dynamics, tastefulness, styles, rhythm, timing, tempo, creating groove, memorization of music, listening, advance preparation before rehearsal, improvising, vocal harmony, vocal blend, vocal health, songwriting, strumming patters, picking patterns, sticking patterns, use of capos, keyboard textures, electric guitar tones and effects, instruments playing their musical roles, arrangements, musical transitions, prophesying with your instrument, learning a new instrument, tuning, key selection, sight-reading, musical notation, ear training, theory, personal practice time...

Spiritual Formation I like calling our journey toward spiritual maturity "spiritual formation" because of the great blueprint we have: "until Christ is formed in you" (NIV) or "until Christ's life becomes visible in your lives" (MSG). How do I want to grow spiritually? Abiding in the Vine, personal devotions, spiritual sensitivity, prayer life, worship life, character, meditation, fasting, bible study, service, spontaneous worship, generosity, being the last one in the room to get angry, teachability...

Relational Integrity Relational health is obvious - you can tell when there is tension, and you can tell when people genuinely love being together. How do I want my relationships to improve? Attitude, working out conflicts, anger, laziness, punctuality, openness, depth, listening, blessing, encouragement, follow through...

Technical Excellence Remaining unnoticed during a service requires tremendous focus and wide knowledge. How do I want to grow in my technical understanding and ability? Acoustics, EQ, gain structures, mixing, lighting, troubleshooting, miking, environmental projection, recording, visual worship leading, sound checks...

Leadership Ability  John Maxwell's Law of the Lid states that "Leadership determines the level of effectiveness." My influence is limited by my ability to lead. How do I want to grow as a leader? Influence, foresight, trust, respect, intuition, heart connection, empowerment, reproduction, vision, momentum, priorities, timing, authority, humility, song selection, increasing number of musicians, rehearsal leadership, worship leadership, segues/setups, connection to the service theme, generational inclusiveness, understanding worship history, worship values, worship theology, modeling growth, followership, activating others, stage presence...

Take time to think as well as listen to the Lord as you reflect on your own needs, your team's needs as a whole, and the needs of the individual people on your team. The Lord may pop a thought into your mind as you think. You can answer for yourself personally, your team members, or your team as a whole. What are the top 3-5 skills that you want to grow in? What are 2-3 strategies you may want to try to use to get there for each of the skills? What are some indicators that you can look for to know you're on the right track? What obstacles do you know about that will keep you from growing in these skills? What will it look like at the end of the year when you increase to the level you're hoping to? Interact! Use the power of social pressure, I mean accountability, and take a moment share what you're going to work on. Or you can just email me and I'll help! :-D

Texting to Heaven

I got a frantic call on Sunday at 9:11 AM from Jim who is a sound man at a church where I had just installed a digital sound board three days earlier. It wasn't working. At all.

I had been out of cell phone range so I didn't get it until after 10 AM. So I texted instructions to him, another tech, the pastor, and the worship leader that I'd been coordinating with through the installation.

No response from anyone.

Until 12:04 PM. The sound man called and we talked a bit about the crisis. Then he asked me if I'd heard about the other Crisis. I hadn't.

One of the people I'd texted had been in heaven for about 4 hours already. The worship leader.

Tasha hadn't been able to be at the installation on Thursday because she'd been sick for almost two weeks. She was so disappointed to not be there for the exciting moment when what she'd been working on and hoping for for months (years!) was complete.

I had been texting her updates and pics during the installation. She was giddy.

She had even been lending me tech support!

As the weight of the call from the sound tech sunk in, I looked on Facebook to try and find some communal grieving. This sequence from Tasha's wall sums it up:

We met at an EMM commissioning in July 2004. She invited me to speak at a training for the youth group worship band at her church that fall. I accepted, even though I was the backup, backup, backup, backup person to ask. We laughed. She apologized for asking me "so last minute" - the event was almost a month away. (she had no idea how I roll)

I worked with Tasha and the leaders at Mountville on and off for several years and she's always super helpful and accommodating. She's one of those leaders who is so teachable and hungry for knowledge.

And now, she's in the freest, happiest place in the world. But the transition was so quick and unexpected that I'm thunderstruck. Man, I just can't wrap my mind around what just happened! 

She was always unassuming, her email a fitting moniker: claypot33...we have this treasure in earthen vessels to show that this power is from God and not from us. Tasha, your legacy of faithful service, cheerful dedication, and love for people will live on!

52 Worship Training Events

52 Worship Training Events? What?!

So when you went to your worship team rehearsal this week, what skill did you plan on working on with your team? Did you just learn the songs or did you learn how to play music together?

Because it's the prefect lab for growth really: Two hours, five songs, and six (or three!) musicians PLUS the desire to learn and just a smidge of intentionality, and BAM! you've got a mini-seminar. And you can have 52 of them every year...at YOUR church with YOUR people! And it's stinkin' free!

Or you can just get the songs learned for this Sunday. (bleh!)

Sure, your team might accidentally get a tad better (or they might stay relatively the same for the next  year). Look behind you to see how far (or short) you've come. Do you have the same nagging musical irritations over and over?

How do you actually start doing this?

Simply and one small step at a time. Hey, this is the real world. You may be struggling to just put your song list together, or you may be doing all you feel you can do just to get there and strap on your bass, let alone prepare.

So this challenge is going out to worship leaders and to team members...since you're each responsible to double your talents. Seriously (don't get Matthew twenty-fived). That's part of why God gave them to you to manage. And let me ask you this: If you were managing someone else's talents the way you're managing your own, would you fire yourself? (thank you, Dave Ramsey)

Choose one skill to work on in one song for that week. Relax and play what you know for the others, but intentionally focus and stretch in this one song. Consider doing it first so that it has the potential of influencing all the other songs.

Skills? What skills?

Dynamics, listening, groove, steady tempo, build, tuning, blend, accents, different styles, listening (you're right, I did already say that), playing in fractions, memorization, improvisation, listening (yep), modern sound, you get the idea. Here are some samples:

• Work dynamics with 10,000 Reasons - play the chorus super loud, the verses super quiet, and use the musical interludes at the end of each to set up the next section.

• Take a familiar song, like Our God, and play it once together, once with just the bass and drums (having the piano and guitars listen), then once with just the piano and guitars playing (having the bass and drums listen), and then all together. Then talk about what each of them heard.

• Get the metronome out (oh boy), and play Be The Centre at the typical 67 BPM. Then at 87 BPM. Then at 107 BPM. Or take a song you always do at 90 BPM, and try doing it at 83 BPM.

• Use a remade hymn like Jesus Paid It All and have all the singers circle up tightly and sing it without mics to really focus on blending and owning the words.

• Use a song born from the river (Bethel, IHOP, Life Center...O Taste And See, My Soul Longs for You, Faithful) and plan for "spontaneous" improvisation at the end of the song. Have a different member of the band pick the chord progression to use. 

The bottom line is this:

If your only growth plan is Ad Lib Music's Rehearsal Coaching (which is great) or going to seminars and conferences (which are awesome), you're missing the biggest opportunity for growth. Really. It happens weekly. At your rehearsal.

So...what are you going to do?

Rehearsal Questions

I love questions. My friend Adam Saenz taught me to be a connoisseur of questions. Questions are so important because they tell us where to look, what to focus on. They shape our future.

I recently have been asking teams that I lead the following questions at rehearsal:
Who will be there on Sunday?
Why are we doing this?
What are we actually doing?

I'll explain why these questions are important and teach you a few questions that will help your teams make better music.

Who will be there on Sunday? 

Talk about who is actually going to be there. Brenton that just lost his job. Melissa and Joe that just got married. Sam who's having a rough time in 10th grade. Amanda that just got dumped. Again. Eric, whose business is booming. Edward and Mitzy that are afraid they're going to lose their unborn child. Frederic, who is just a happy-go-lucky college student. You know, people with real lives.

It's important to ask this because you are going to create a space where those specific individuals can meet with God. Not the crowd of Australians or Texans who were in the congregation when the latest CD was recorded. Your congregation. Shape the experience to fit them.

Oh, and Jesus too. He'll be in the room. Don't sing to Him like he's far off. He is Emmanuel, God with us. Sweet.

Why are we doing this?  

Serving well requires sacrifice. There are fifty-two Sundays every year. That's five-hundred-twenty of them each decade. Each person who is serving has a different life with different circumstances, stresses, hopes, and days. We need to rehearse our purpose almost every time we gather. Otherwise, we just forget. Our purpose should be a celebration, it should inspire us, it should breathe life back into us. Remember the opposite of "without a vision, the people perish"? With a vision, the people thrive! 

What are we actually doing?

Playing the notes on the page? Making the chord changes at the same time? Beginning and ending at the same time? As musical servants, we're on this moving target of excellence. What was great last year should only be good this year. We need to keep managing our talents for increase, rather than burying them.

That brings me to a final set of questions. You know that question that gets asked after you do a song at rehearsal: "Any questions? Is everybody alright with that?" What does that really do? I think it sets a pretty low bar, musically. If you just switched that question to "Is there anything that we could do to that song to make it more musical, dynamic, emotional, artistic, or just better?" That's a whole different direction.

Artistry 

Here are a number of questions focused on artistry that I ask teams as they evaluate how the musical part of gathered worship went:

• Where was the band in the scale of "making it through the music" to "actually making music?"
• Did we say musically what we sang lyrically?
• Did the music breathe? Did it have space or did all the band play on mostly every part of every song?
• Was it alive? Did it have wide dynamics or did it never get really, really quiet or really, really loud?
• Was each part important? Was it produced well or did the band just routinely play through the chords?
• Did the music get the groove right? Did it strongly support singing? Did it cause our bodies to move?
• Would the music have stood on its own, outside of a church service? Was it that beautiful and moving?
• Did each player use their instrument as their worshiping voice, a very personal, emotional expression offered in the creation of a space for a community to worship?
• Did the music itself give words to our hearts, expressing the inexpressible?
• Was the music so "center stage" and constantly full that it tragically made us feel like we weren't even needed to sing?

What questions do you ask your team?

Drums, the Holy Spirit, and Congregational Response

Have you ever been frustrated, confused, or saddened by a lack of response from the congregation that you're leading in worship?

What can you do about it? And how do you know you're even working on what's really causing it? Well, let's talk about two of the dynamics.

The Holy Spirit

So, there are those unexplainable moments when we as worshipers (on and off the stage) are compelled by God's Spirit in our encounter with Him. It has little to do with the music and much to do with either His divine moving or (very often) our own choice in drinking from the Well and experiencing the spring that's described in John 4. There's this spiritual dynamic that when our hearts are engaged, our spirits are activated, and our bodies choose to express this sense of God among us, Emmanuel. Sometimes we so deeply resonate with a truth we're singing or we have a moment of intimacy and vulnerability with the Father or we share this joy of being with fellow believers singing to our Creator. It's more than magical, beautiful or delightful in such a way as to seem removed from everyday life!

From a leadership perspective, what we can do to enable those transcendent moments is to listen to what God is saying and then obey. I think this almost always results in us activating people - calling them to make a draw on the faith and Spirit in them. The only formula in this, in the words of my friend Daniel Hazelwood: "I'm peering into heaven, looking at that model of worship, singing to a God who's not far off. The God that I sing to is hovering in this room and He's giving me windows, so I know when to sing, what to sing, and why." (You can listen to a podcast that goes more in depth here) This is the core of our calling as worship leaders.

Okay, so that's one side.

Art

The other dynamic is art. Beauty. Things that take our breath away and cause an emotional response. There is a power in music that touches us where other things can't. Don't dismiss a conversation about engaging our emotions because you want to avoid emotionalism. Clearly, manipulating people (through any of our senses) is wrong. Creating a culture where worshipers "can't worship" unless they feel something is not helpful or healthy. So what does it look like to healthily engage and celebrate our souls, our emotions, as part of our entire beings?

I believe God has given us the power of music, the language of the soul, to engage that part of us. So let's talk a little about how music works, how it does things to our emotions that are beyond reason. I'll focus this conversation on the rhythm section of our band: the drums and bass. What role do the drums have in the music we worship with at church? They signal sections and dynamics, they help phrase the melody, they establish subtleties of rhythm and tempo intensity, and reinforce the root rhythm/accent patterns. That got a bit complex, but the bottom line is that they function as the railroad tracks (along with the bass guitar) for the rest of the band to ride on.

Implication?

That implies several things:

1. The drums and bass are hugely essential and play a core role, not a support role
2. They need to be mixed that way for the songs written in modern worship to sound right and to have the groove they're written and recorded with
3. The rest of the band needs to fit around them, playing primarily melodic and harmonic roles - that's why the acoustic guitar plays an accent role, not a primary role, and why the piano shines as a melodic instrument rather than a rhythm instrument in a band setting

The Dreaded Resistance   

It's worth spelling out some of the resistance we each feel in trying to implement this:

1. Sometimes our rhythm sections are weak and we don't feel like they can carry it (or they really can't carry it), so out of need we carry it (read: overplay). If your rhythm section is weak, I'm a big fan of starting with one song each week and learning new ways of playing for that one song. Take small steps, but take steps in this direction.
2. The feedback we've gotten from certain members of the congregation makes it seem that they don't want to hear the bass and drums (I contend that if we play the music well, they will love it, or it's more a commentary on the song rather than our arrangement)
3. The sound engineer doesn't like the drums or too much bass (don't look at me that way) :-D
4. The drums don't sound good...they're not tuned, they're not quality instruments, they're over-muffled, they're not the right kind or size for the room, etc.
5. The drummer hasn't realized that he or she has elbows and wrists, and plays completely from the shoulder...whack! (They need to learn a combination of sensitivity and assertiveness)
6. The bass player thinks that if he or she plays the right notes in the same tempo (or precisely what the kick drum is playing), then they've done their job. (This is not true)
7. We're just plain scared to change the way we play to be more musical. I won't lie, it's risky and can be downright hard...until you crest the hill...then you'll wonder why you ever played like that
8. Part of why the drummers play "safe" is that they haven't been given the requirement or space to play their "railroad tracks" role - there's not been a need for anything else (our overplaying actions speak louder than our "please play out" words). Once the rhythm section has taken its place, you may find yourself removing the muffles and storing the drum shield. (No, I didn't just say that)

The Effects of our Choices

These are not hard and fast rules, but as musicians creating art, we need to know what the effects of our choices are. We can each play three things: melody, harmony, or rhythm, each in different priority. For example, if I pound the guitar or piano, though I am playing melody and harmony, I'm primarily playing rhythm. This effect is accentuated on the big, fast, or medium tempo songs. And of course there are songs or parts of songs where things other than the rhythm section will take center stage, like the beginnings of some songs or the slower ballads.

I realize I'm on a bit of a soapbox here, but you can ask any pro musician and they'll tell you that what separates the amateurs from the pros is their ability to when and what to play, and primarily what not to play. Restraint is king. There is no subtly and eloquence if you just say everything you know. Neither is there art if you play everything you can.

How does this challenge you? How does it encourage you? How does it give you language to take to your team and develop the band and techs? What further questions do you have?

Best Practices: Audio

So you either are a sound engineer, you know one, or you play one on TV. (if you're in the middle category, you can forward this to them)

Here is a list of "best practices" to keep in mind as you serve as a Technical Artist. I call you a Tech Artist because mixing live audio is both a science and an art. You have to think like an engineer and listen like an audiophile. You must make cuts like an accountant and create beauty like a musician. You get to mix colors with the accuracy of a hex code and the nuance of the little dude who painted "happy little trees" on TV. Godspeed to you!

The Four Main Elements

There are four main elements to how things sound:

1. The Source
(the people speaking, singing, and playing; the instruments; the recordings)

2. The Gear
(microphones, cables, mixers, amplifiers, effects processors, speakers)

3. The Operator
(your skills, personal taste, philosophy & approach, direction you received)

4. The Room
(characteristics of the walls, floors, ceilings, angles, and the laws of physics)

It's helpful to acknowledge each of these elements and take a look at each one individually when troubleshooting. They are interconnected, but the task of troubleshooting calls for us to separate them and then see how they are affecting the whole. Get to know each one. Study them. You're responsible to manage each of them for increase!

Muting Open Channels

Always mute any channel that is not currently being used. Think of an unmuted channel as adding risk. Risk of feedback, risk of phase cancellation, risk of interference, risk of buzz, risk of a bad recording, and on and on. (They even make units called "gates" to automatically mute (or close) a channel until a specified level is coming through it.) Sure, it makes the operator's job to be more closely tuned in to what's going on so that someone doesn't walk up to a dead (muted) mic, but it's a best practice. Think mute=safe. Be safe.

How much energy should be in the room?

I specifically didn't say "how loud should it be" since perceived loudness is just that: how loud you feel something is, is not an objective thing. There are many factors like mix, EQ, preference, how much sleep you got last night... Many churches use a dB (decibel) meter or SPL (sound pressure level) meter to set a standard "level." This is a bit of a "surgery with a butter knife" approach, however I still recommend it because it is at least completely objective. The disclaimer is that it can sound piercing and uncomfortable when the meter is reading 87 dB and pleasantly energetic when the meter is reading 94 dB. But agreeing to a range (with the church's leadership) can be a starting place for a conversation. The typical range for churches is between 85 and 95 dB, with the meter set to "slow response" and "C weighting."

Headphones

What are headphones for? Not for mixing. Not for EQing. I think they're best used for identifying - what is a certain player or singer doing? Always only listen with one ear, keeping the other ear for listening to what everybody else is hearing. Why can't you mix and EQ with headphones? They're in a different room with different speakers than everyone you're mixing for. They sound different. Don't do it.

Gain Structure

Starting at Unity gain matters because that means that the signal coming through as not being affected at all. You're not boosting or cutting in at all - it just comes through, which will sound the best just like it is. So make sure that the trim is set right, the faders are set right, and the master output is set right, and of course, the amplifiers should be set already. You may have to adjust the trim, but start with everything at Unity. Think of the trim (or gain) as "sensitivity" - the more sensitive a mic is, the more likely it is to cause feedback.

Microphones and Wireless

Not all mics are the same. Well, of course, but specific mics work better for specific situations. Condenser, dynamic, ribbon, piezo, then there are different pickup patterns (unidirectional, omnidirectional, cardioid, shotgun...) Sure, you can use an SM58 on your kick drum, but it wasn't designed for those frequencies. Get to know what you have and how best to use them. And there's this myth out there that wireless mics are better than wired mics. Here's the real story. To get the same quality of mic in a wireless version, you'll have to pay about 5 times more. Implication: If you buy a $200 wireless mic system instead of a $100 wired mic, you'll be getting the quality of a $40 mic, plus you'll be prone to the downside of wireless - drop outs, interference, and buying batteries. Wireless mics are great, or better said, great wireless mics are great. Never pay less than $500 for a wireless system or $100 for a wired mic. And stick with brands like Shure, Sennheiser, and Audio-Technica. Really! Consumer/Prosumer brands like Nady, Behringer, Mackie, Bose, Telex, Rolls, TOA, and Shure's PG Series are to be avoided like wilted lettuce. (OK, Dave, off the soapbox)

Even Coverage

A well designed room and system will have even coverage, but in many churches it does not sound the same in every seat in the room. It's your job to know what it sounds like everywhere and do your best to make it sound great wherever the majority of the people are. This may not be where the sound board is located. Discretely move around the room, or sit in different places the weeks you are not scheduled to get to know your room.

Sound Check

Sound check is done with the main speakers on. Get a rough mix in the house, starting with the monitors off. Then add a little bit of each person to the monitors so that they can hear themselves. Asking the band members "Can you hear yourself?" is the best question because they need to hear themselves. They just don't need to hear everything. It's just not possible. It'll make it sound muddy and unpleasant in the house. They need to realize that their primary monitoring should come from the actual mains not from the monitors. So if I ask them "Can you hear yourself?" and they say "no," first say "Okay, I need to help you with that, so what can I turn down so you can hear yourself?" This is called subtractive mixing (to hear something, first take away other things). To start setting the first monitor mix, zero everything out in that mix and then guess by putting just what you think they might need in the mix.

Input Check

How many times have you gone for rehearsal or service, only to figure out halfway through that the left channel of the keyboard isn't playing, or monitor #1 is actually monitor #2, or... Input checks make sure that none of that happens, so simply start on one end of the board and make sure that every input is labeled correctly. This is the time to set gain structures. If you do an input check every week, you shouldn't have to do too much gain structuring week to week.

Physical Arrangement

Make sure everything and everyone is in the best spot. For example, have the monitors the right place. Is this music stand blocking the monitor from the person listening to it? Is the best microphone is being used for the application? Are people spread out well/evenly? Are the cables run neatly? Are the right DI's hooked up to the right amplifiers or instruments? Is anything that's not being used put away off the platform?

Speakers

Aim the speakers toward the heads of the listener. I know that sounds obvious, but how often are monitors and guitar amps aimed at the knees? And get them close - every time you double the distance, it makes it sound about ¼ as loud. Think about that! (This is the Inverse-Square Law, and other factors might reduce the effect, but it's still a useful perspective) And how often are mains aimed at empty seats or back walls? Dan Keeney (Joyce Meyer's sound guy) talks about it in terms of light: imagine that the speakers were a flood light. Would they light the people's ears?

Checklists, Input Lists, & Cue Sheets

In the high pressure world of live audio, you need quick reference guides to help you in moments when your head is full of other stuff. What channel should I tell him to plug into? What was the frequency to get more oomph on the kick drum? Did I replace that 9V in the wireless? Who is getting up next? (and what mic needs to be ready?) There's no reason to keep all the details memorized. Having printed tools will help you make less mistakes. Turn the potential oops into oomph.

Subtractive Mixing

When thinking EQ, always "take the problem away" first [cut first] rather than adding. If something sounds "tinny," cut some of the high frequency rather than boosting the low frequency. You can mix this way as well - if you can't hear the lead vocal, turn the background vocals down rather than just turning the lead vocal up. If you can't hear the bass and drums enough, try turning down the acoustic guitar before turning the bass and drums up.

Pay Attention

Pay attention to what? The details, the energy in the room, the transitions, how things start and stop, and what instrument or groove is making the song work, what you really need to hear, what you can do with less of, what person or instrument is carrying the moment. Because it's such a common mixing mistake, ask yourself "Do I really need that much acoustic guitar in the mix right now?" and "Do I really need that much keyboard in the mix right now?" As your "producer's ear" develops, and your relationship with the band deepens, you may be able to make suggestions to the band like "Can one of you guitar players use a capo?" or "Drummer, can you focus on just laying a solid groove down to the rest of the band can build on you?" or "Keyboard player, would you consider playing with only your right hand and staying 1 or 2 octaves above middle C so that I can have you louder in the mix?" or "Do any of you singers know a harmony to that song?" (okay, stop laughing and pay attention)

Start Strong as a Technical Servant

When the worship leader comes in, they're thinking of at least 14 things...they've picked songs, arranged them, practiced them, thought of segues, thought of setups/intros, prayed, contacted musicians...and now they'll bring a moment of spiritual formation - a devotional, prayer, or sharing time, then they'll rehearse the band which will include making sure they can hear what they need to hear, they'll think about musical transitions, they'll listen to what isn't working musically in a song and figure out a way to tactfully redirect the musician at fault...then on Sunday, the spiritual and congregational component will be added - what is God saying, are people engaged, should we do that chorus again, and on and on. Point being, get there early and set stuff up. Take care of as much as you can before they get there so that they don't have to think about the tech stuff. Ask beforehand what players are in the band and set up the platform for that. Offer yourself as a proactive servant.
   

So what am I missing for the Best Practices: Audio?

How To Make Decisions

“The most eternally creative thing you can do is make a decision.” – Dave Miller

Here are a few principles to help you make decisions. Church is two or more gathered [Matthew 18:20] centered around Christ, to acknowledge His authority and presence, discerning and declaring the will of God, making decisions for the Kingdom, declaring those decisions and acting on them corporately.¹ Always start (and complete) the decision making process with our hearts – affections, our minds – attitudes, our souls – ambition, our strength – activity,² centered on Christ. Unless you just want to build your church, instead of His.

Remove fear.

Fear of what people will think, fear of what it will take to do what the decision implies, or fear of making the wrong decision are always bad motivators and will cloud your decision. Fear = Fog. Fear = False Evidence Appearing Real. It will mess you up. Go ahead, imagine what it feels like to make a decision without the weight of “what will they think?” attached to it. I couldn’t help but grin either.

Make sure you clarify what decision you’re making and which ones you are not making.

Decisions always impact other things, but it’s important to not try and make all the decisions that will be affected by a single decision at the same time. It will immobilize you. Just imagine shopping at the grocery store for the next 175 meals in a single shopping trip. Hope you like Spam.

Identify what’s making it a difficult decision

There’s something intoxicating about problem solving that is so detrimental to decision making. Don’t confuse decision making with problem solving.³ Sometimes when I am trying to make a decision, I’ll stop and back up from all the processing I’ve been doing and I’ll listen for the answer that I’ve kinda known God was giving me, but I was mentally debating because I didn’t understand, like, or know how it would work.  If you had to say (ignoring any implications of the decision) what you think God’s saying about the decision…what would it be if you had to make a call right now?

Decide how long of a time frame each decision should take to make. (5 minutes or 5 months?)

Some decisions take time. Some don’t. Some leaders can make decisions quickly. Some can’t. Neither is always right/wrong. Agreeing at the start how long a decision needs to take will help everyone. There’s a freedom in knowing that even though this decision will take 2 months to make, that end date gives hope and forward motion. Never delay a decision that should be made quickly. It’ll be like that email that you didn’t want to respond to right away, that somehow ended up way down in your inbox only to be discovered months later. Never rush a decision that needs time. You can nuke a steak, but it’ll get hard and you’ll feel discomfort in your stomach.

If it’s a complex decision, simplify it by breaking it into several decisions.

It’s the same principle of eating the elephant (How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.)

Filter the decision through your core purpose, your WHY, the big picture.

Every decision. That’s not an overstatement. Every decision should support your WHY. Even if it seems insignificant, or the exception, or your really want it. If it doesn’t support what you’ve decided you’re about, don’t do it. On the contrary, if it does support your WHY, make sure you clearly share that when you communicate the decision.

Congratulations!

So how do you make decisions?

¹Concept from Keith Yoder, Teaching The Word Ministries, ²Verbiage from Myron Augsburger 1968, Faith for a Secular World ³Concept from Doug Fike

http://adlibmusic.com/

Tools

Every worship leader needs tools...

To keep growing

To be inspired

To develop the band

To pastor the team

To find new songs

To lead well

In some ways, the Worship Fertilizer is a toolbox containing many such tools - articles, resources, training events, etc. I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite tools. I’d love for you to share your tools with me. (Especially folks like Chad Fisher - he’s a tool nut!)

After you read through this, would you simply post a comment to let the rest of us know what your favorite tools are?

Blogs (I subscribe to all of these) 

David Santistevan's blog is very practical and well-written.

Rob Rash gives really great advice, training, and thought leadership.

 

Jon Nicol over at WorshipTeamCoach.com give provocative, compelling, and informative stuff!

Books

Dan Wilt’s book How To Lead Worship is an excellent all-in-one tool to develop your worship leadership. I've never met a leader with the breadth and heart of Dan Wilt. I want every worship ministry to be influenced by his teaching. Scholarly ideas, everyday language. It’s brilliant, really.

Tom Kraeuter is a long-time worship teacher and seminar presenter. His stuff is biblical and simple. Often funny. I know churches that use his book, Becoming a True Worshiper, as required reading as part of the application process to serve in the worship ministry. He also has aworship ministry devotional service for the whole team and a free video series. (he’s prolific!)

Bob Kaufflin’s book Worship Matters (and hisblog) focuses readers on the essentials of God-honoring worship, combining biblical foundations with practical application in a way that works in the real world.

The Heart of the Artist by Rory Nolandis a classic dealing with... (as the title says). Some chapters include: *Servanthood Versus Stardom *Excellence Versus Perfectionism *The Spiritual Disciplines of the Artist *The Artist in Community.

 

3 Word Lessons For Worship Leaders and teams is a collection of simple (and often humorous) ideas meant to inspire you, make you laugh, give you food for thought, and generally help you get better at what you do. Super short, these would be great to use as discussion starters at your weekly rehearsals.

Training

Gateway Worship Trainer is the training program that Gateway Church created to train their leaders. It’s free and there is a whole video curriculum to develop your CORE, CHARACTER, and CRAFT. Wow!

 

WorshipTraining.com is fantastic! Just check out the wealth of courses and training videos available. The deal is that for $299 per year, the whole church gets access to unlimited everything! It’s very, very worth it. (you can even get limited, but worthwhile, access for free!)

 

Rehearsal Coaching. I bet your band is in a rut. Your keyboard player hogs the middle, acoustic player beats the guitar at one volume, bass player is bored, drummer doesn’t signal the sections, electric player noodles, singers all sing melody all the time. And everybody overplays. Well, maybe it’s not that bad. You may not know how to fix what ailing your band, or you may know, but you’re in that spot where you’re so used to a certain player’s bad habits that you feel weird addressing it. We’ve all been there. Whether it’s your worship band, garage band, or touring band, you can have Ad Lib Music come to a rehearsal and get you unstuck! We’ll be gentle.

New Songs

WorshipTogether.com is a great resource for new songs. They created the “New Song Café” that shows videos of the songwriters teaching their song. Subscribe to get a new one about every week.

 

CCLItv is a free source for new songs and training. Browse three Channels: OpenMic - Fresh new worship songs...straight from the churches themselves. Instruct - Brief video workshops covering worship leading, worship teams and musicianship. FirstTake - Great new worship songs from the worship artists, songwriters and companies you trust.

Websites (subscribe for regular updates)

ChurchLeaders.com has lots of regular articles for worship leaders.

 

MinistryMatters.com is a site dedicated to supporting Christian ministry with resources, community and inspiration.

So, what are your favorite tools? (and hey, if you can't quite figure out how to post a comment, shoot me an email at dave@adlibmusic.com)