8 Reasons a Church Choir Is Important

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Mark Cole

I recently started conducting a choir after many years of just doing worship teams. Here are 8 great reasons to consider adding a choir to your congregation. (edited from Chuck Lawless)

It provides opportunities for many members to serve. Think practically for a minute: A Bible study program requires one to two facilitators per group, but a choir requires many people to serve. Open choir seats are opportunities to serve.

It helps produce good congregational singing. A praise team can achieve this goal, too, but it’s easier to worship through song when dozens of people are leading the way.

A good choir sings and illustrates joy. It’s not just the singing that makes a difference. It’s also the smiling. It’s the worshiping through raising hands. It’s the singer who closes his eyes and takes us to God through his own personal worship. It’s the large group praising God together.

It can highlight diversity in a church. Particularly when the choir leads worship from the front of the worship center, the congregation can often see diversity (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity) in front of them. That diversity among the singers is a picture of heaven (Rev 7:9-10).

It helps promote teamwork. That, of course, is the nature of a choir. Everybody has a part, and it’s the parts combined that create the overall sound. It seldom hurts for believers to learn to work together in any capacity.

It offers multi-generational fellowship. I’ve been to churches where the choir is the only opportunity for several generations to serve together. There’s something God honoring about an older saint and a teen believer singing next to one another.

A choir can be an entry-level service opportunity for members and attenders. Any follower of Christ can sing God’s praises, including a baby believer who isn’t ready yet to serve in other capacities (and, to be frank, a choir helps even the worst voice somehow blend into the praise).

It helps avoid the “single star” approach to worship leadership. That’s just naturally the case: Get enough people in the picture, and no single leader becomes the star.

The original post by Chuck Lawless is here.

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Christmas Humour (Part 3)

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Mark Cole

  

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The Difference Between Men & Women

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Mark Cole

Here is a tongue-in-cheek look at the incredible differences between men & woman! 🙂

NICKNAMES

  • If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
  • If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will  affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman.

EATING OUT

  • When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it’s only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
  • When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY

  • A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
  • A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn’t need but it’s on sale.

BATHROOMS

  • A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
  • The average number of items in the typical woman’s bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

DRESSING UP

  • A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
  • A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL

  • Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
  • Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING

  • Ah.. children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
  • A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

  • A married man forgets his mistakes. There’s no use in two people remembering the
    same thing!
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Philosophy of Worship

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Mark Cole

Does your congregation have a ‘Philosophy of Worship’? I recently came across a very well-written philosophy from ‘The Meeting Place’ church. If you are developing your own standards for your worship ministry, this is a good place to start.

worship

Philosophy of Worship

The guiding definition of worship at TMP is:  Worship is our appropriate response to God’s self-revelation. An encounter with God involves strong and real emotions and clear thinking. The following values provide a center to which we lead, and boundaries that allow innovation to occur in a context of creative confidence.

  1. Invitational and Evangelistic:

A TMP worship experience creates a place were people can encounter and are invited to believe in Jesus Christ.  Guests and regulars alike will know that God is real and reveals his presence among us.  Worship must be Christo-centric, filled with joy, portray the gospel, and invite specific response.

  1. Assume nothing and Explain everything (little | lots)

Our Sunday morning worship experiences are targeted for those who are “exploring Christ” and “growing in Christ”.  To do this affectively we assume a zero to minimal biblical knowledge or Christian worldview.  We recognize that basic Christian vocabulary must be explained often and that people do not have familiarity with even the most basic practices of prayer or public worship. Our aim is to meet people where they are at and move them towards a thriving relationship with Jesus.

  1. Un-distracting Excellence:

We will sing, play, pray and teach in such a way that people’s attention will be drawn to the beauty and truth of the content.  We value excellence as a tribute to God who is the source of creativity, and out of respect for those who have gathered. Bringing our absolute best is what we strive for.

  1. Participation and Performance:

We encourage and anticipate a strong participation during sung worship at TMP.  We value music that is current, singable, and expresses a full range of responses to God.  Sung worship provides an excellent opportunity to teach how we are able to best relate to our heavenly Father. Performance songs are used to create engagement and help elevate teaching themes.

  1. Creative and Consistent

We foster creativity in the arts as an essential part of our worship.  We value creating consistent experiences so that everyone could describe with confidence what a guest would encounter in a worship service should they respond to an invitation to attend.

  1. Honest and Transparent

TMP is a community of broken and restored people. This is valued through personal stories of transformation, illustration of truth using first person experience, and candor that values both grace and truth in the application of scripture.

  1. Christo-centric and Biblical

A TMP worship service does not speak of or address God generically, we name the persons of the trinity specifically: Jesus who saves and reconciles us, the Father who forgives and adopts us as children, and Holy Spirit who indwells us and empowers us for mission. Overall our worship focuses on the person of Jesus Christ. The content of scripture will be woven through all we do in worship, and our singing, praying, poetry, drama, etc. will always conform to the truth of the Bible.  We point out how scripture influences these creative ideas.

  1. Prayer and Connection:

In worship we model and explicitly teach what prayer is and how people can pray. In prayer we direct our concerns about our circumstance and this world to God, and in prayer we become a caring, repenting and renewed community.  Worship gatherings both cultivate corporate prayer, and provide opportunity for prayer ministry to those who would seek it.

Notes:

Audiences we are specifically mindful of in shaping and leading worship:

  • Our worship services will engage challenging content appropriate to both teenagers and adults
  • Our worship services are shaped with the knowledge that there are many people who are exploring Christianity who attend and participate
  • Our worship services consider the spiritual life continuum (exploring, growing, close & Christ centred), and content is intended to engage growth of all by challenging the ‘Growing in Christ’ (the largest part of our community)
  • There are many children and students involved in TMP Kids and Transit, and we must respect the time constraints of leaders and participants in these environments.

Music Team

Expectations and Conduct

Vision – We will be people who champion and live out the vision of The Meeting Place: Reordering our lives for the compassionate cause of Jesus in our friendships, city and world

Rehearsals – Will be held on Thursday nights from 7:00PM – 9:30PM and are mandatory.  We do our absolute best to be ready to play by 7PM, this honors one another’s time.  Music will be made available in the correct keys two weeks prior to the rehearsal.

  • We know and understand that we honor and respect one another by coming to rehearsal knowing our parts
  • Guitar players will be in contact with each other to determine parts
  • Vocalist will be in contact with each other to determine parts
  • The Worship Pastor and/or worship leader will make themselves available to address any concerns or answer any questions regarding parts, arrangements, keys, etc.

Sunday – The scheduled band will be at the church ready for sound check/rehearsal at 7AM (Times will change for special services and summer schedule).  The band will also attend the pre-service Blue Room meetings at 8:30AM and 10:20AM.

Availability – It is our desire that Music Team members are serving once per month to gain ownership of and experience the journey/momentum throughout the year

Attendance – We understand that our conduct off the stage will speak volumes to our community and that when in the congregation we are partnering with the scheduled team by leading from where we stand.  Our aim is for 75% attendance, however, we also understand that there are extenuating circumstances.

Lifestyle – As Christ followers we are all called to make disciples.  This implies that as worship leaders we are saying, “Do what I do”.  We do not look for perfection, rather, we look to be people whose lives are pointing to Jesus and living for His Kingdom.

Disagreements/Conflict – Will be handled appropriately and without gossip or slander.  The Worship Pastor will be made available to help resolve conflicts, address concerns and any pastoral needs.

Dress Code – Both men and women will dress in clean, well-fitting and appropriate clothes.

 

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I Wish I Had Learned These Earlier

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Mark Cole

A teacher once gave these wise words to his senior class. They make a lot of sense.

100-words-of-wisdom

1. You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

2. Never cancel dinner plans by text message.

3. Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.

4. If a street performer makes you stop walking, you owe him a buck.

5. After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are more hills to climb.

6. When entrusted with a secret, keep it.

7. It is better to fail aiming high than succeed aiming low.

8. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

9. Don’t dumb it down.

10. You only get one chance to notice a new haircut.

11. If you’re staying more than one night, unpack.

12. Never park in front of a bar.

13. Expect the seat in front of you to recline. Prepare accordingly.

14. Strong people don’t put others down, they lift them up.

15. Hold your heroes to a high standard.

16. A suntan is earned, not bought.

17. Never lie to your doctor.

18. All guns are loaded.

19. Don’t mention sunburns. Believe me, they know.

20. The best way to show thanks is to wear it. Even if it’s only once.

21. Take a vacation from your cell phone, internet, and TV once a year.

22. Don’t fill up on bread, no matter how good it is.

23. You never look good trying to make someone else look bad.

24. Don’t linger in the doorway. In or out.

25. Follow your heart but take your brain with you.

26. If you want to know what makes you look unique, sit for a caricature.

27. Never get your haircut the day of a special event.

28. Be mindful of what comes between you and the Earth. Always buy good shoes, tires, and sheets.

29. Pretty words are not always true, and true words are not always pretty.

30. When you’re with new friends, don’t just talk about old friends.

31. Eat lunch with the new kids.

32. When traveling, keep your wits about you.

33. It’s never too late for an apology.

34. Don’t pose with booze.

35. If you have the right of way, TAKE IT.

36. You don’t get to choose your own nickname.

37. When you marry someone, remember you marry their entire family.

38. Never push someone off a dock.

39. Under no circumstances should you ask a woman if she is pregnant.

40. It’s not enough to be proud of your ancestry, live up to it.

41. Don’t make a scene.

42. When giving a thank-you speech, short and sweet is best.

43. Know when to ignore the camera.

44. Never gloat.

45. Invest in great luggage.

46. Make time for your mom on your birthday, it’s her special day too.

47. When opening presents, no one likes a good guesser.

48. Sympathy is a crutch, never fake a limp.

49. Give credit. Take blame.

50. Suck it up every now and again.

51. It ain’t over till it’s over.

52. Don’t stare.

53. Address everyone that carries a firearm professionally.

54. Stand up to bullies. You’ll only have to do it once.

55. If you’ve made your point, stop talking.

56. Admit it when you’re wrong.

57. If you offer to help, don’t quit until the job is done.

58. Look people in the eye when you thank them.

59. Thank the bus driver.

60. Never answer the phone at the dinner table.

61. Forgive yourself for your mistakes.

62. Know at least one good joke.

63. Don’t boo. Even the ref is somebody’s son.

64. Know how to cook one good meal.

65. Learn to drive a stick shift.

66. Be cool to younger kids. Reputations are built over a lifetime.

67. Words are free, it’s how you use them that may cost you.

68. Success isn’t given, it’s earned.

69. Don’t lose your cool. Especially at work.

70. Always thank the host.

71. If you don’t understand, ask before it’s too late.

72. Know the size of your boyfriend/girlfriend’s clothes.

73. It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.

74. Be a good listener. Don’t just take your turn to talk.

75. Keep your word.

76. Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.

77. Carry your mother’s bags. She carried you for 9 months.

78. Be patient with airport security. They are just doing their job.

79. Don’t be the talker or texter in a movie.

80. The opposite sex likes people who shower.

81. You are what you do. Not what you say.

82. Learn to change a tire.

83. Be kind. Everyone has a hard fight ahead of them.

84. An hour with grandparents is time well spent. Ask for advice when you need it.

85. Don’t litter.

86. If you have a sister, get to know her boyfriend. Your opinion is important.

87. You won’t always be the strongest or fastest, but always try your hardest.

88. Never call someone before 9 AM or after 9 PM.

89. No one can whistle a symphony, it takes a whole orchestra to play it.

90. Make the little things count.

91. Knowledge comes from learning, wisdom comes from living.

92. There is a fine line between looking casual and sloppy. Find it.

93. You’re never too old to not need your mom.

94. Lessons in life will be repeated until learned.

95. Know the words to your national anthem.

96. It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.

97. Smile at strangers.

98. Make goals.

99. Being old is not dictated by your bedtime.

100. Don’t be afraid of change, it’s a big part of life.

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A Letter To My Younger Worship Leading Self

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Mark Cole

Dear Younger Worship Leading Me,

In a few decades you are going to look back at your years of worship ministry with a desire for a second chance to handle some things differently. You will think about certain services, special events, entire seasons of ministry or strained relationships and long for another opportunity to make some adjustments.

letter-to-me

The reality is that it will be impossible for you to go back and make corrections to most of those situations. But with a little humility, resilience and resolve now, you have an opportunity to get some of them right the first time. So here are a few things you are going to learn.

Surround yourself with people who will stretch your thinking and actions but also hold you accountable. Taking necessary risks might cause you to make some mistakes but the discernment of others will help protect you from your own stupidity. It might be exhilarating when you succeed alone but it won’t be when you fail alone. And you will sometimes fail.

People will always remember how you treat them when you’re off the platform more than how you lead them on the platform so know more people’s names than new songs. Consider their interruptions as divine appointments instead of distractions. Drink more coffee with senior adults and ask their opinions before initiating change. Be more patient with needy people and chronic takers. And remember to thank those who make sacrifices to invest in you, your family and your ministry.

Be on the front end of learning newer musical and technological languages. But don’t assume it’s always appropriate to be an early adopter of them. Being conversant in a language doesn’t mean it should be used when it doesn’t fit the voice of your congregation. Learn more theology than musicology and practice leadership development more than you practice your guitar.

Always ask how something might impact your family before asking how it might impact your worship leading. Leave more things at the office when you go home and be home when you are home. Taking a Sabbath each week will not only help your spiritual and physical health, it will also help the relational health of your family. Stay longer instead of bailing for a new place of ministry every couple of years. If your ministry frequently moves your children away from their friends and foundations, then how can you expect them to even like church when they are no longer required to attend?

What you know about worship leading now won’t be enough to sustain you through your entire ministry. So read more, study more and ask more questions. Be a lifelong learner who understands it’s never too soon or too late to learn something new.

Finally, I know it is sometimes overwhelming to balance the stresses of ministry and family. So when leading worship is discouraging; when it seems like no generation is ever completely happy; when you can’t sing too many or too few hymns; and when you wake up on Monday morning and wonder if this is really worth it; you can rest assured that you’ll also be able to look back at those decades of ministry and acknowledge with certainty that it was.

Sincerely,

Your Older Worship Leading Self

By David W. Manner. The original post is here.

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The Lord Has Chosen You

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Mark Cole

I love this message to the priests in charge of worship:

The Lord has chosen you to stand in His presence,
to minister to Him, and to lead the people in worship
and present offerings to Him. ~ II Chronicles 29:11

ii-chronicles-29-11

If you are leading worship in your congregation on a regular basis, chances are it is because God has chosen you for that role. He has given you the skill and desire to do the job. So keep growing, keep learning, keep seeking the Lord. It is a sacred calling. Don’t take it lightly. How we lead, the songs we chose and the teams and musicians we develop have a huge impact on our churches.

But, keep your priorities right. Our first priority is to minister to the Lord: to lift our personal worship to the King of Kings, to live a life worthy of His calling. Never neglect your personal worship times. Spend time reading your Bible and spend time worshiping the Lord in your personal times with Him.

It is a high privilege to lead our congregations in praise and worship to the Lord. Let us never take it lightly.

Check out my new book: ‘Leading Worship: Notes from a Grand Adventure‘. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life! Pick up the Kindle version for only $3.99 and the paper back for only $13.30.

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Dealing With Criticism

Posted on September 10, 2016 by Mark Cole

Dealing with criticism positively is an important life skill. At some point in your life you will be criticized. Sometimes it will be difficult to accept – but that all depends on your reaction.

how-to-deal-with-criticism

You can either use criticism in a positive way to improve, or in a negative way that can lower your self-esteem and cause stress, anger or even aggression.

There are two types of criticism – constructive and destructive – learning to recognize the difference between the two can help you deal with any criticism you may receive.

Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving. ~ Dale Carnegie – How To Win Friends and Influence People

When challenged by another person, it is common to react in a negative manner. Consider how negative reactions make you look – and more importantly how they make you feel.  The way in which you choose to handle criticism has a knock-on effect in various aspects of your life, therefore it is better to identify ways in which you can benefit from criticism and use it to your advantage to be a stronger and more able person.

Constructive and Destructive Criticism

The difference between constructive criticism and destructive criticism is the way in which comments are delivered.

Although both forms are challenging your ideas, character or ability, when someone is giving destructive criticism it can hurt your pride and have negative effects on your self-esteem and confidence.  Destructive criticism is often just thoughtlessness by another person, but it can also be deliberately malicious and hurtful.  Destructive criticism can, in some cases, lead to anger and/or aggression.

Constructive criticism, on the other hand, is designed to point out your mistakes, but also show you where and how improvements can be made. Constructive criticism should be viewed as useful feedback that can help you improve yourself rather than put you down.

When criticism is constructive it is usually easier to accept, even if it still hurts a little.  In either scenario always try to remember that you can use criticism to your advantage.

A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. ~ Proverbs 28:13

Dealing with Critical People

Some individuals are critical by nature and do not always realize that they are hurting the feelings of another person.

If you know a person who is critical of everything, try not to take their comments too seriously, as this is just part of their character trait. If you do take negative comments to heart it can create resentment and anger towards the other person, which could damage the relationship.

Remember, people who criticize everything or make scathing remarks to be hurtful are the ones that need help – not you!

The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words. ~ Proverbs 10:32

How you physically react to criticism will depend on the nature of the criticism, where you are and who the criticism is coming from. The key thing to remember is that whatever the circumstance is, don´t respond in anger as this will cause a scene and create bad feelings – and possibly a bad image of you.

Try to remain calm and treat the other person with respect and understanding. This will help to defuse the situation and potentially stop it from getting out of hand.  Show that you are the stronger person and try not to rise to the bait, do not use it as a reason to offer counter criticism.  If you challenge the other person you may start an argument that is probably unnecessary.

Taking the Positives Out of Criticism

We all make mistakes all the time, it is human nature.  As we go through life we have plenty of opportunity to learn and improve ourselves. Therefore, no matter what kind of criticism is aimed at you, analyze it to find something you can learn from it.  In material matters at work, school, church or social clubs for example, try to take criticism on board to help you improve.  When somebody is attacking your character it is hard to accept, but that does not mean you should ignore it.

Also bear in mind that the criticism aimed at you may not make sense at the time. Generally speaking, there is usually some truth in criticism, even when it appears to be given out of spite and bitterness.  It is often the case that a slight on your character is a fair reflection of how another person sees you at that point in time.  Take a step back and try to see things from the other person’s point of view, perhaps ask a friend for their honest opinion – use criticism wisely and as a learning experience.  See if it is possible to learn a little about how others perceive you, you may be able to use criticism to improve your interpersonal skills.

We all learn by making mistakes, and learning how to deal with criticism positively is one way that we can improve our interpersonal relationships and life skills.

Adapted from ‘Skills You Need‘ ~ Author Unknown: The original post is here

Check out my new book: “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’. It is now available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions.  This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

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My NEVER AGAIN List

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Mark Cole

By Don Gossett ~

Never again

First ~ Never Again will I confess “I can’t,” for –

“I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13.

Second ~ Never Again will I confess lack, for –

“My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19.

Third ~ Never Again will I confess fear, for –

“God has not given me the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” – II Timothy 1:7.

Fourth ~ Never Again will I confess doubt and lack of faith, for –

“God has given to every man the measure of faith.” – Romans 12:3

Fifth ~ Never Again will I confess weakness, for –

“The Lord is the strength of my life.” – Psalms 7:1

“The people who know their God shall be strong and do exploits.” – Daniel 11:32

Sixth ~ Never Again will I confess supremacy of Satan over my life, for –

“Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” – I John 4:4

Seventh ~ Never Again will I confess defeat, for –

“God always causes me to triumph in Christ Jesus.” – II Corinthians 2:14

Eighth ~ Never Again will I confess lack of wisdom for –

“Christ Jesus is made to me wisdom from God.” – I Corinthians 1:30.

Ninth ~ Never Again will I confess sickness, for –

“With His stripes I am healed.” – Isaiah 53:5

Jesus “Himself took my infirmities and bare my sicknesses.” – Matthew 8:17.

Tenth ~ Never Again will I confess worries and frustrations, for –

I am “Casting all my cares upon Him for He cares for me.” – I Peter 5:7.

Eleventh ~ Never Again will I confess bondage, for –

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” – II Corinthians 3:17.

Twelfth ~ Never Again will I confess condemnation, for –

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” – Romans 8:1.

The original post is here.

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Worship Teams: Moving From Good To Excellent

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Mark Cole

How do we as individuals, leaders and worship teams go from good to excellent? How do we take from the past and learn from the present to lead our congregations in passionate worship of the Lord? Here are four main areas that we can grow and work on.

Excellent-good-average

1. Love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength

Loving God with all our hearts must be at the center of all we do. Here are two of the main ways we can grow in this area.

a) Reading God’s Word daily: I am passionate about the power of God’s Word to change and transform lives. That is because I have seen God’s Word transform my life. If you are not reading your Bible on a daily basis, I want to encourage you and help you make that an important daily habit in your life. Please check out my Bible Reading Challenge.

b) Praying daily: Jesus spent daily time in prayer.  Praying and spending time with God needs to be one of our top priorities. Only God can change the hearts and minds of the people we minister to. What is God saying to you in your prayer times? Learn to be listen and be obedient to what He is saying.

2. Love each other 

Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”  Two of the main ways we do this are:

a) We serve each other:  Jesus said it this way: 

“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.  But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,  and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Two of the main ways we show our love is by serving each other and laying down our lives for each other.

b) We are kind to each other: We should endeavour to have God’s Spirit working through us in all our actions. The fruits of God’s Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness. (Galatians 5:22). None of us gets it right all the time. But our heart should be to love our fellow believer and be forgiving, just as Christ has forgiven us.

3. Grow as passionate worshippers of God

Two of the main ways we do this are through are attitudes and actions:

a) Attitude is everything: We need check our hearts and spirits and come to worship God with great attitudes: The Biblical attitudes of worship are: thankfulness, honesty, reverence, faith, humility, joy and with our whole heart. (Check out: The Attitudes of Worship). If we come with those attitudes, God is pleased and something powerful happens in our worship time.

b) Actions speak so loud: People will believe your actions before they believe your words or the lyrics of the song you sing. I believe we should use the Biblical actions of worship as our standard: Throughout the Bible, the people of God have worshiped Him through singing, playing instruments, lifting of hands, clapping, shouting, dancing, bowing down, standing and giving (their whole lives). (Check out: The Actions Of Worship). Let us never to content to do things the way we have always done them. Let us raise our worship to the standard of God’s word. 

4. Work on becoming excellent singers and musicians

There are four main ways that we can do that:

a) We work hard: Becoming excellent at anything takes hard work. If you are not willing to become disciplined and put in the time and energy, you will not improve.  Always come to rehearsals and services knowing your part. Learn to memorize your music.

b) We are faithful: Teams only improve by consistently working together. We need faithful people who will go the 2nd mile to be on time and be faithful to their responsibilities.

c) We accept correction: We can all improve and we all have blind spots. Each of us needs people and leaders who can challenge us and speak the truth in love.

d) We keep learning and growing: None of us has arrived. There are always new things to learn and areas to improve in. If you are not growing, you are growing stale. We all need to be pushed beyond our comfort zones to new levels of excellence.

What area is God speaking to you about? Where do you need to move from good to excellent as an individual and as a team? May we never be satisfied with just going through the motions. May we always be passionate worshipers and lovers of God.

Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions.  This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

This blog is part of my vision to train over 100,000 worship leaders around the world. If you would like to support this vision you can help by giving any amount through this PayPal account.

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