Pastor vs Worship Leader

Pastor vs Worship Leader  In my circles, the term “worship leader” is still a relatively new thing, and actually not even used in the majority of our churches unless you are referring to the Pastor. But there are a growing number of churches in our Synod that are starting to use some blended styles of [...]

How to Modernize a Hymn – Part two of a two part series

“Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” by Michael Schroeder Let’s consider the doxology put to music, “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” which is hymn number 334 in “Christian Worship” (the Lutheran Hymnal). By looking at the hymn, it’s apparent that it is written in the key of G because it has one [...]

How to Modernize a Hymn – Part one of a two part series

I don’t think there are many Christians, even those who use nothing but Contemporary music, that doubt or question the depth and the beauty of the lyrics contained in our wealth of hymns. But sometimes, they are difficult to comprehend or are just too musically foreign to those that we are Called to reach. There [...]

Responding with Scripture

Some comments that I’ve heard concerning contemporary music and how to respond using scripture:  The guitar does not belong in the church because it’s the devil’s instrument and it’s association with rock music The music of the strings makes you glad (Ps 45:8) I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the [...]

The Psalm of the Day

Our traditional liturgy has a chanted responsive singing of a Psalm each Sunday.  To me, this is a powerful and enjoyable part of our traditional worship services that I did not want to dispense of in our blended worship services but the format just did not fit.  We tried several different approaches of including a [...]

Try a Little Variety!

Do you use the same singing routine week after week?  If you use only hymns – try a few contemporary pieces. If you use only contemporary songs – try a few hymns. Try singing a familiar congregational song acapella. Try a “call-and-response” type song. Ask a few talented singers in the pews to sing in [...]

Interviewing a New Candidate for the Praise Band

We ask:                       Do you practice your instrument on a regular basis? We should ask:            Are you committed to God and to a life of worship? We ask:                       Do you have any band playing experience? We should ask:            Can you control your temperament? We ask:                       How long have you been a member here? We [...]

Ten WEB Resources that I cannot do without as a Worship Leader

http://www.Biblegateway.com – I’m hooked on the searches by keyword and the access to multiple translations. Free lead sheets for Contemporary Christian music: http://www.leadworship.com http://www.worshiptogether.com http://www.greatworshipsongs.com Free sheet music for new hymns & new arrangements of traditional hymns: Truevine – http://truevinemusic.com/ Redmountain Music – http://www.redmountainmusic.com/alb/lyrics.html Tim Bode’s Music Page – http://home.comcast.net/~timbode07/musicdownload.html Indelible Grace – http://www.igracemusic.com/ http://lifewayworship.com [...]

Fellowship with Musical Diversity

Is diversity in musical style akin to a lack of unity in faith? The simple answer is “no”.  Here’s why: I profess a unity of faith; even in the most blended of services at my church; through the creeds, the prayers, the liturgy, through a set of common beliefs based on, and anchored in, God’s [...]

A Pastoral Use for Youtube

The following is an excerpt from a Pastor’s electronic newsletter to his congregation: This Sunday our musicians will be introducing a new song by Chris Tomlin called “All the Way My Savior Leads Me.”  This song is rich in content as well as musicality. Please preview and enjoy this song before Sunday by clicking here to [...]