Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast & Blog

Archives for March 2011

Why Owning Your Senior Pastor’s Vision Is So Important

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I’ve mentioned before how owning your senior pastor’s vision is important. Not only is it important, it is essential. There is a tendency among us worship leader/creative types to walk to the beat of our own drum. The truth is, you won’t reach your full potential as a leader until you learn to serve someone else’s vision.

Serving someone else's vision is like trusting who you skydive with. You'll be glad you did.

When I finished college and was hired as a worship pastor, I wasn’t prepared to serve someone else’s vision. Bible college doesn’t necessarily prepare you for that. I had dreams and ideals. It wasn’t until I really submitted myself to a great, visionary leader that I began to grow like I never had before.

If you are on staff at a local church, you need to own your senior pastor’s vision with all your might. And if you can’t, it might be time for you to leave. I know that’s a bold statement. I know it may seem a little harsh.

But I think it’s important and here’s why:

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10 Ways to Recruit New Musicians While Strengthening What You Have

[This post is part of a series on Tips For Taking Your Worship Team To The Next Level. Check out the rest here.]

It’s an all too common scenario. Great musicians come. Great musicians go. Young, mediocre musicians get better. Young, now improved musicians go to college. Have you found yourself in that situation numerous times? Have you been so discouraged that you’ve wanted to quit? Is all this church musician transitioning really worth it?

Maybe stand on the street corner and hold this sign?

Transition comes with the territory of being a worship leader in the local church. People come for a season and move on. Young people go to college. Wouldn’t you love to have a culture where when some musicians move on, others step up to the plate? A culture where you have multiple players who are skilled and available?

Hope this helps:

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The One Habit That Could Save Your Songwriting

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How many bad songs have you written? How many bad ideas have you generated? No need to raise your hand. If you’re a successful songwriter, I’m sure it’s enormous. If you haven’t had tremendous success, it’s probably because you’re avoiding this one crucial habit of a successful writer.

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Interview with Andrew Ehrenzeller

The most refreshing album I have listened to in quite a while has been Andrew Ehrenzeller’s Beauty is What Remains. His music reminds me of a cross between Jason Upton, Dave Matthews, Steven Curtis Chapman, and the International House of Prayer.

I’ve been refreshed with every listen and I honestly can’t put it down. Andrew’s music is prophetic, intimate, and powerful. His voice alone demands your attention. I really believe this album needs to be heard. It’s that good.

Andrew was gracious enough to do an interview with me during a ministry trip to Norway. This was my first time recording a Skype interview, so I apologize for the low quality 🙂

If you can’t see the video, click here.

The winners of the CDs are:

  • Sarah Spegal
  • Jamie Cambers
  • Reba Schneider
  • Aaron Van Luven
  • Rob Still

If you won, The CDs will be in the mail next week!

    If you did not win, I strongly recommend you buy the album. You won’t regret it!

    What Worship Leaders Shouldn’t Learn From Rockstars

    In a recent post I talked about the positive things worship leaders could learn from rockstars. Feel free to check out that post here. But there are also some things worship leaders should not imitate. A lot of things. Worship Leaders may look like rockstars, but there are some profound differences. There NEED to be some profound differences.

    Wouldn’t you say?

    There are many temptations for a worship leader. With the popularity of songs, artists, bands, & musical innovation, it’s easy to get caught up in the spotlight. Worship leaders, first and foremost are servants. We set the table for the saints to come and feast at the table of the King. We must decrease while Jesus increases. We need to shine the spotlight on Christ.

    [Read more…]