The Continuum of Excellence, Part 2

In my blog post in September, I gave some thoughts about using a continuum of excellence as a guide to help us improve our ministries and some biblical rationale on why it was important. I want to provide thoughts about some pitfalls of taking this to the extreme and conclude with . . . → Read More: The Continuum of Excellence, Part 2

Piper spilling the “beans”?

Recently, pastor and author John Piper tweeted this:

To date it has more than 1,300 comments and almost 2,800 likes. Foxnews ran a story on it today here. It was an interesting read as Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Jewish leaders weighed in on the issue.

“Shots” fired. Expresso-ly at coffee drinkers.

. . . → Read More: Piper spilling the “beans”?

The Continuum of Excellence, Part 1

As worship leaders, we are charged with helping our groups prepare for Sunday on a weekly basis. Part of that preparation includes rehearsal time in which our groups practice to improve their individual skills as well as playing together as a group. Sometimes, we are helping musicians who only play during . . . → Read More: The Continuum of Excellence, Part 1

The Life of a Lifelong Learner

“Commit yourself to lifelong learning. The most valuable asset you’ll ever have is your mind and what you put into it.” – Albert Einstein

To stay current in the field of worship, one must continue to learn about the field and grow as a leader and follower of Christ. New technology, . . . → Read More: The Life of a Lifelong Learner

Reinventing Yourself

Career Change I grew up in a pastor’s home, so I understood ministry well. I didn’t want to automatically go into ministry but did feel God’s call to prepare for my future. I continued my schooling through my master’s degree and felt that Christian education may be where God was calling . . . → Read More: Reinventing Yourself

Your Greatest Ability May Be…

As a professor, I get the opportunity to work with undergraduate and graduate students every day. Our purpose statement is “Equipping Worshipers to Serve.” Part of “equipping” is training students musically to prepare them to serve the local church. Currently, our constituent churches (the churches that send us students and where . . . → Read More: Your Greatest Ability May Be…

Multigenerational Worship

Years ago, someone was likely tired of kids being restless in church. They likely thought “we can solve this problem by pulling out the children and having their own worship service.” If you want to spend 5 minutes getting a chuckle, check . . . → Read More: Multigenerational Worship

Choirs are Alive and Well

Over the last 10 or more years, we have seen a decline in churches using choirs in worship. Headlines, such as this one: “Many Church Choirs are Dying. Here’s Why,” appeared to confirm the trend. I think there are many reasons for that trend, but the good news is I think . . . → Read More: Choirs are Alive and Well

Girls vs. Guys

So I get a lot of questions about the next topic. One of the popular descriptors about worship songs today is “it’s a guy song” or “it’s a girl song.” Typically what is meant by the comment is that a girl (or guy) sang the song on the original recording. I . . . → Read More: Girls vs. Guys

Reformation

This year is a big year, as it marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of the Reformation, generally marked by the nailing of Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” on the Wittenburg Castle door. The purpose for the theses were to raise questions about what was happening in the Catholic church. The . . . → Read More: Reformation