My Favourite Music Gigs So Far ~ Part 2 of 2

Posted on January 31, 2023 by Mark Cole

Here is Part 2 of my musical highlights from my travels around the world.

See Part I here: My Favourite Music Gigs So Far ~ Part 1 of 2

7. Alvin Slaughter Concert ~ Christian Life Assembly, Langley, B.C., Canada

I can remember one awesome June evening at Christian Life Assembly with the church packed with around 1600 people. I conducted the choir and orchestra and our guest soloist, Alvin Slaughter, just rocked the place. Alvin was the former assistant director of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and an incredible lead soloist. He is one of the best singers that I have ever worked with. It was one of those very special musical evenings!

8. Christmas Production at Centre Street Church

In 2016 I was blessed to be the Interim Worship Pastor & Music Director (covering a maternity leave) for a huge church (7000) in Calgary, Canada. One of the fun events of that year was conducting and performing in the Centre Street Church’s Christmas Production. I’m the little figure on stage leading a Christmas sing-a-long (and also on the screen).

9. Vivien Hibbert at the International Worship Institute ~ Dallas, Texas

For several years I was the Daytime Music Director for the International Worship Institute in Dallas and one morning I played with Vivien Hibbert. I really did not know what to expect. But God came down in a very tangible way that morning.

Musically speaking, it was very basic. Vivien lead a few worship songs and also played a very mellow large recorder type of instrument. I directed a small band and accompanied her on the keys and flute. But, God came down in such a heavy way that the whole place was kneeling before the Lord in reverence. The presence of God was amazing!

10. Promise Keepers Meetings ~ Vancouver, Canada

One year I was asked to be the Music Director for the Promise Keepers meetings in Vancouver, Canada. We got to put together a great team of some of the top Christian musicians from around the area and we lead worship for thousands of men that whole weekend. I can still picture the men worshipping God with their whole heart. What a great experience and honor!

11. Yoido Full Gospel Church with Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho, Sr ~ Seoul, South Korean

One of the first places the ‘Living Sound Asian Team’ got to play at, on our five month Asian tour, was the largest church in the world. We played a number of Sunday morning services at Yoidi Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea and even got to have dinner with Dr. Cho. I think the church was around 70,000 people then and it is now grown to close to a million. I was totally impressed by the passion of those South Korean Christians.

12. Nicky Cruz Meetings ~ Cape Town to Durban, South Africa

Nicky Cruz was a former New York gang leader turned evangelist. He became well-known through the book ‘The Cross and the Switchblade’ written by David Wilkerson. Nicky spoke at a number of meetings all over South Africa and our band, Living Sound, was asked to do the music for the meetings. We saw a great response to the message to know Jesus in great outdoor venues all over the country.

13. Waikiki Beach Chaplaincy ~ Honolulu, Hawaii

This was one of the last concerts of our Living Sound’s Asian tour and we could not have asked for a more beautiful setting. We got to do our music on Waikiki Beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Rainbow Towers playing in our shorts and t-shirts. We also got to play at Fort DeRussy just a few blocks down the beach. Both of those venues were some of the most relaxed and beautiful places that I have ever played. A cool experience!

Honorable mentions:

  • Producing & Directing the ‘Singing Christmas Tree’ for 4 years – First Assembly (Calgary, AB). (1984-1988) This production was so popular we would pack the church up to 12 times over 2 weekends.
  • Producing & Directing the ‘Easter Passion Play’ at Glad Tidings Church (Vancouver, BC), First Assembly (Calgary, AB) and Christian Life Assembly (Langley, BC) (1982-1994). We always had packed houses and doing live theatre and music always makes for great memories.
  • Producing & Directing multiple ‘Christmas Productions’ at Christian Life Assembly (Langley, BC) (1988-1994). With an 80 voice choir, 35 voice children’s choir, 32 piece orchestra, great cast, spectacular sets, special effects and live animals: these performances still stand out as a great highlight from those years.
  • Taking a music team to Nairobi in 1992 and doing some a great concert at Nairobi Pentecostal Church with thousands on Kenyans dancing and singing with us.
  • Doing a music seminar and concert at Watoto Church in Kampala, Uganda. My son, Josh joined me on the trip and we had so much fun worshipping and rejoicing with this great group of Ugandans. (1999)
  • Speaking in Finland at a worship conference for thousands of Finnish worship leaders and believers. I can still remember sensing the Presence of God as praised God in that huge arena. (2004)
  • In 1998 I was the music organizer for the choir and band accompanying Ron Kenoly at a Vancouver evening of worship as part of the Vancouver ‘Canada Arise’.  Glad Tidings Vancouver was packed with over 2000 people and we had a 100 voice choir and great band of some of the top Vancouver players.
  • In 1974 I played with Living Sound as we did a Spectacular Finale Tour in major venues all over South Africa as we ended our 6 month concert tour there. One of my favorite evenings was in Cape Town with over 2000 in attendance at the Arts Theatre.
  • In 2018 I was blessed to lead worship for a week in Richmond, BC at a Pastor’s National Convention. I was joined by some of my favorite musicians and singers for these powerful evenings of worship.
  • In 2016 I was asked to lead at another National Pastors Convention in Calgary, BC. I was joined by some of my favorite Calgary musicians and singers for this fun week of worship.
  • In 1986 I was asked to take the 80 voice First Assembly Choir and band to Edmonton to sing at a National Convention for the PAOC. It was so much fun to ‘rock the place’ for with some great soulful choir tunes.
  • In 1997 I was asked to arrange the brass and rhythm and play with some of the Hillsong Worship Team in both the Vancouver and Portland Oregon areas. We packed out a number of venues and had some great times of worship.
  • In 1983 I was asked to fly to California and play sax and flute for a night of worship with Grammy Award winner, Phil Driscoll. Great crowd, powerful music.
  • One of my yearly gigs is with a small piano trio where I play piano at the Calgary Dream Centre Christmas fund raiser. It’s so much fun to play jazz versions of some great Christmas tunes with Glenn (drums) and Doug (bass).
  • From 1990 to 1994 I produced multiple Canada Day Celebrations for thousands of attendees at Christian Life Assembly in Langley, BC. One of my favorite memories is directing a big band with a fun version of  the ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ theme followed by a huge outdoor fireworks display across the street at the Langley Airport.
  • In 1978 I put a band together in the country of Taiwan and we did a 2 week tour sponsored by a radio station. I remember getting great crowds all over the country as we shared our music and love for Jesus. (Blog on this trip: Best Summer Job Ever)

Question: Have you been to any of these places? What have been your best place to play at or visit?

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 Favourite Music Gigs So Far ~ Part 1 of 2

Posted on January 31, 2023 by Mark Cole

Here are the first six of twelve musical highlights from my travels around the world. I thank God for opening the door for me to do these very special gigs!

1. Charles Ndifon Meetings ~ Copenhagen, Denmark

In that week of meetings we saw over 15,000 people raise their hands to know Jesus. For me, this started a seven year around-the-world journey of seeing healings, miracles and tens of thousands of people accepting Jesus. (see my blog: ‘Can God Can Touch A Nation?’)

Copenhagen, Denmark

2. Living Sound Poland Meetings ~ Warsaw to Krakow, Poland

In those three and half weeks of meetings in huge Catholic cathedrals all over Poland, our band of young college students saw over 18,000 people accept Jesus. On this trip we met the man who would later become Pope John Paul II and that lead to the team playing at the Vatican a few years later. (see my blog: ‘My Wild Dream’)

03151201 cathedral

 3. Conference On The Holy Spirit ~ Jerusalem & Tel Aviv, Israel

This was my first time visiting Israel. Our Living Sound team got to work with one of the most well-known healing ministries of that day, Kathryn Kuhlman. We also did the music for her meetings in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. And then to top it off, we got to do sightseeing tours around Israel, which is one of life’s great experiences. Getting to meet Miss Kuhlman, playing at the meetings and then touring around Israel were all incredible experiences.

Living Sound at the ‘Dome Of The Rock’ ~ Jerusalem

EPSON MFP image

4. Billy Graham Crusade ~ Vancouver, Canada

I was extremely blessed to be the Chairman of Music for the Billy Graham Crusade in Vancouver, Canada. On the closing night of the crusade, there were over 65,000 people in B.C. Place Stadium, and over 3000 responded to the invitation. I learned so much working with this highly organized, extremely dedicated team of men and woman. (see my blog: ‘I Got To Hang Out With Billy Graham’)

Graham Crusade

5. Calgary Stampede ~ Calgary, Canada

I was asked to be the musical arranger and conductor for a large production number of ‘O Canada’ for the nightly Calgary Stampede Chuckwagon Races and Grandstand Show. The Calgary Stampede is called the ‘Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth’. For those who do not know the Canadian National Anthem ‘O Canada’, it is a prayer for God to ‘keep our land glorious and free’.

My favourite, of the three times that I did this, was the 100th Anniversary of the Stampede. We put together a 200 voice choir and band to perform before 300,000 people that year. I am the little figure in black conducting the choir.

Calgary Stampede

6. Bookseller’s Convention with Andrae Crouch ~ Anaheim, CA, USA

Growing up, my musical hero was the Grammy Award winning writer and singer, Andrae Crouch. During this convention, the band that I was playing with, Living Sound, performed before 12,000 people and I was also asked to play in Andrae’s band on a couple of numbers. That was so cool! I got to play with my musical hero!

Andre Crouch

Question: Have you been to any of the places that I have mentioned in this blog? What have been your best places to visit or play at?

For Part 2 check out: My Favourite Music Gigs So Far ~ Part 2 of 2

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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Going from Song Leading to Worship Leading

Posted on January 28, 2023 by Mark Cole

Leaders, how do you go from just leading songs to leading worship? How do you get a congregation to get past just singing songs to actually worshiping God? Let me suggest some insights to help you grow as a worship leader.

Signs that you are a Song Leader:

  1. You pick nice songs to sing but the congregation never arrives at worshipping God
  2. You are not sure about what to do when the introductions and endings of songs are being played
  3. You don’t have a worship destination in mind when choosing the flow of your worship set
  4. You mostly just sing the notes on the page
  5. You don’t encourage the congregation to engage in the attitudes and actions of worship
  6. You are not sure what the attitudes and actions of worship are
  7. You just sing the songs and hope everyone sings along

See: Attitude Is Everything (The Attitudes of Worship) & Actions Speak So Loud (The Actions of Worship)

Signs that you are a Worship Leader:

  1. You love to worship God at home when nobody is watching
  2. You worship God during rehearsals
  3. You understand what the attitudes and actions of worship are
  4. You engage in the attitudes and actions of worship in private and in public
  5. You memorize the music so you can focus on God
  6. You have a worship goal in mind when you plan your church worship set
  7. You encourage the worship team and congregation to engage in the attitudes and actions of worship

Years ago I attended a conference with an internationally known worship leader. It was inspiring. It was evident that this leader had memorized all the music and was intent on doing the two main jobs of a worship leader:

  1. They were worshipping God personally
  2. They were leading and encouraging the congregation and band to worship God.

How did they do this?

1. They had a worship destination in mind

They were intentionally picking worship songs that helped people focus on singing directly to God. By the end of the set they weren’t singing songs that just talked about God. They were singing songs that caused people to sing directly to God. They picked songs that helped people worship God, not just sing about Him.

Different songs have a different focus. Some songs are about God, some songs are about the theology of God, some songs teach us. Some are fast, some are slow. Some songs challenge us and some help us express our feelings. And some songs are personal prayers directly to God. Understanding the purpose of the songs you are choosing is so important.

It was evident that this worship leader’s goal was to get people to move people from general corporate singing to encountering God personally and singing directly to Him.

2. They had done the necessary rehearsal to move past the music to worshiping God

It is so important to know the music so well that you rarely have to think about it. And it is important to have great rehearsals with your band and singers so they can do the same. If all the people on the stage haven’t done their ‘due diligence’ in learning the music then the congregation gets the sense that were just going through the routine of singing songs.

3. They flowed well from one song to another

When they planned their worship set they also were also intentional about how to transition from one song to another. They didn’t allow changing songs to break their focus on worshiping God. They had worked out the logistics of what player started the next song so they could keep their heart focused on worshiping God and leading the congregation to do the same.

4. They kept their focus on God and leading people through the whole worship time.

There can be a lot of distractions when you are in front of a congregation: people coming in late, media problems and a myriad of other small details. But a strong worship leader keeps their focus on worshiping God and leading the congregation to do the same. A strong worship leader knows the main thing is keeping their heart, mind and worship set on God and helping the congregation to do the same.

What other suggestions do you have to help leaders move from just singing songs to worshiping and leading the congregation to worship God?

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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Top 10 Guidelines For Growing Worship Leaders

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Mark Cole

Worship leaders: what areas are you still working on? Which parts of your ministry can you improve on? Here are ten guidelines that I still review to make sure that I stay on track!

10. Never stop growing

  • Are you practicing your singing and playing on a daily basis?
  • Are you taking lessons and improving your craft and leadership?
  • Are you changing and growing with the new trends, styles and songs?

9. Develop your organizational and admin skills

8. Keep working on a good relationship with your pastor

  • Do you have a weekly meeting with your pastor?
  • Are you supporting your pastor in private and public?
  • Have you ever had your pastor and his wife over for dinner?

7. Mentoring is one your most important jobs

  • Are you looking for and developing the potential leaders on your team?
  • Are you giving room for new leaders to lead a song or worship time?
  • Jesus spent over 3 years developing His team, are you following His example?

6. Develop a great team

  • Do you have a system for bringing along new musicians?
  • Are you developing multiple musicians for each position?
  • How are you helping your team grow spiritually?

5. Learn to pick great worship songs

  • Are you teaching your congregation the great songs from around world?
  • Do you ever go outside your preferences in musical styles?
  • Are you developing a balanced repertoire of fast, medium and slow songs?

4. Be a great worshipper

  • Are you keeping it real? Be authentic, are you the same on and off the stage?
  • Are there areas in your life that are holding you back from God’s richest blessings?
  • Do you love the Lord with all your heart and are you a passionate worshipper?

3. Love the church like Jesus loves the church

  • Are you building God’s kingdom or yours?
  • Do you love the people you are leading?
  • Jesus laid down His life for us, are you willing to lay down your life?

2. Love your spouse and family

  • Are you carving out regular time in your schedule for your spouse and family?
  • Are you taking one day off per week?
  • When is the last time you had a date with your spouse?

1. Love and spend time with God daily

  • Are you reading your Bible daily?
  • When is the last time you memorized a Bible passage?
  • How is your prayer life? Are you praying and obeying?

Here are some related posts:

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 help train 100,000 worship leaders around the world. If you would like to support this you can help by giving on this PayPal account.

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The Relationship Between God And Music

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Mark Cole

By Suzanne Provagna –

One of the characteristics I love about God is that He is direct. Every word has direction and meaning just like the first commandment: 

“I am the LORD your GOD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.” – Deuteronomy 5:6

Please allow me now to be direct. Worship begins and ends with God. True worship music begins and ends with God. It is for God and to God. God cares deeply about music and we need to study how it is to be used.

The evidence is in the Bible.

I believe that it was a strategic decision that God only waited until the second of the sixty-six books in the Bible to record the first song. The first recorded song is that of Moses and Miriam found in Exodus 15:1-18. The song includes these great lyrics:

“The Lord is my strength and my song; 
He has become my salvation. 
He is my God, and I will praise Him, 
my father’s God and I will exalt Him!”

How and when God places the first song in the Bible is not an accident.

It is also recorded in the Bible that God Himself, sings over us.

For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a Mighty Savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With His love, He will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” – Zephaniah 3:17

When my children were young I would sing over them. I could have held my daughter and said, “Hush little baby, don’t you cry” but I didn’t. I sang it. “Hush little baby, don’t you cry, momma’s gonna sing you a lullaby”. I would hold my child and sing to her when she was upset, scared, or hurt. And sometimes I sang to her simply because my love for her was so great that I felt like I had to sing.

Does God sing over us for the same reasons?

And, what does it sound like? Imagine it. GOD, ALMIGHTY, THE CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH rejoicing over you and me with singing? Quieting us with His love. One thing I know is that it is personal. When you sing over your child it is personal and when God sings over us it is personal.

If GOD the CREATOR of the UNIVERSE sings over us, music must be important to GOD. If music is important to God, then studying how music is used in His worship services must be important to Him as well.

It is recorded in the Bible that Jesus Christ sang to God, His Father. Matthew and Mark both speak of Jesus Christ singing a hymn with His disciples.

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, “Drink from it, all of you… When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” – Matthew 26:26-30 

God wanted it recorded that Jesus Christ sang a hymn with His disciples. Jesus did this just after eating His Last Supper. Why there? The Last Supper – one of the most profound events in the Bible filled with such deep emotion. What was Jesus feeling? Love, loss, sadness, fear, sorrow, loneliness. He knew He was going to be betrayed. He knew He was going to feel horrific physical and emotional pain.

Think on this – He knew He would see His mother at the foot of the cross and know that her heart was breaking. He knew that He would bear the sins of the world and the wrath of God. In the middle of this, what did He do? He chose to worship God by singing a hymn to His Heavenly Father with His earthly disciples.

Why did God chose to record this special moment of Jesus singing a hymn to His Father? I think it is because music expresses deep emotion in a way that words alone cannot. Singing to God helps us to keep God first in the middle of chaos and tragedy. Music is important to God.

And finally, here is another great reason that music is important to God. When we sing praise to God here, the angels in heaven join us in singing praise to the Father.

The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and worship Him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: You are worthy, our Lord and GOD, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.” –Revelation 4:10-11 

And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain…. Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels numbering thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” –Revelation 5:9-12

Is worshiping God through music important? Yes! Is studying how God wants music used in His worship services important? Yes!

If we don’t understand GOD’s purpose for music in worship, we can misuse it.

The third commandment says: “You shall not misuse My name.” Misusing God’s purpose for music in worship services is both dangerous and sad. It is dangerous because offering a sacrifice of praise that is not pleasing to the FATHER has consequences. There are frightening examples in the Bible of what God has done when unacceptable sacrifices were offered to Him. Worship music is not entertainment time, it is not done to announce the beginning of the service, it is not done because people like music, or to wake them up.

Often we could miss the opportunity to communicate through music our gratitude to God, our love, our deepest places of trust, and our complete surrender to Him. Music at its best expresses God-glorifying emotion. Our most intimate, strongest, purest affections should be reserved for GOD Himself. I believe He gave us singing for that purpose.

Studying music and how it is to be used in worship services is important to our Creator. As worship leaders we are called by a great and awesome God to lead others into His presence. May we always rise up to the privilege and responsibility of leadership by continuing to study God and music.

Worship music begins and ends with God…

The original blog is found here.

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Tough-Minded Or Tender-Hearted Leadership?

Posted on January 15, 2023 by Mark Cole

Jesus is arguably the most successful leader of all times. In only three and half years, He gathered a small group of followers together and changed the world. Today, Jesus has billions of followers who are doing His work in every corner of the earth. No other leader compares to His success.

When I look at the life of Jesus and His leadership style, two main characteristics stand out to me. He was tough-minded in His mission and tender-hearted in His ministry. One moment He would take on the religious leaders of the day and put them in their place and the next moment He would take a small child in His lap and bless them. Jesus knew when to be tough-minded and when to be tender-hearted.

MOuntains

Tough-minded but tender-hearted. How do we achieve that balance in our leadership and learn to lead like Jesus? Here are some leadership lessons to learn from Jesus’ leadership style.

Tough-minded on focus and tender-hearted in flexibility. Jesus was always very tough-minded about His mission on earth but tender-hearted in His love and giving ~ (John 3:16-17). Great leaders need focus to gain success, but they must be flexible and agile in all circumstances to be truly successful.

Tough-minded on values and tender-hearted in appreciation. Jesus was tough-minded about His core values: Love God and people ~ (Matthew 22:35-40). But He was also tender-hearted in His appreciation of His disciples ~ (Matthew 16:13-19). Great leaders understand that their values are the stamp of their leadership, but they will go out of their way to show appreciation for others; for who they are and what matters to them.

Tough-minded about creativity and tender-hearted in imagination. Jesus always showed great creativity in His teaching and healing ~ (Mathew 13:31-34 +  Mark 8:22-26). Great leaders know that creativity is the essence of innovation, but they must be soft-hearted enough to engage and embrace the imagination of others if they want to fuel innovation.

Tough-minded toward vision and tender-hearted in valor. Jesus had a clear vision of what He needed to accomplish in His short time on earth ~ (Matthew 16:21-26). Jesus also encouraged His disciples to grow on their own ~ (Luke 10:1-20). Great leaders know to be successful they must have a clear and succinct vision so others know the direction, but they must also encourage acts of courage, flexibility, and boldness to ensure that their vision is successfully achieved.

Tough-minded on standards and tender-hearted about purpose. Jesus never compromised His standards ~ (Matthew 28:18-20). Great leaders understand you must not compromise on standards, but they also recognize that each person has their own purpose, and they allow others to express their meaning ~ (Matthew 16:13-20).

Tough-minded on accountability and tender-hearted in admiration. Jesus knew that there was a price to pay for change and encouraged His disciples in the correct attitudes to accomplish that change ~ (Matthew 20:17-28). Great leaders knows they must show results and be responsible, but an important aspect of their success is acknowledging and appreciating those who have helped them secure those results.

When we have confidence in our people, and we treat them with a tender heart, they trust us with the tough decisions and stick with us through even the toughest times.

(Adapted from http://www.lollydaskal.com/leadership/tough-minded-leadership-tenderhearted-skills/

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10 Tips On Improving Your Worship Band Rehearsal

Posted on January 14, 2023 by Mark Cole

I have spent many days and evenings at rehearsals. It is the price you pay if you want to do music at a good musical level. It is the price you pay if you want to get past the music and be able to worship God freely.

I have had rehearsals with orchestra’s, choirs, marching bands, studio sessions, vocal sections, brass & string sections and worship bands in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Caribbean and North America. Along the way I have picked up a few ideas on how to have a good rehearsal. Here is what I have learned so far:

rehearsal

1. Rehearsal Space

Preparation for a rehearsal starts long before the actual rehearsal. First you need to get a good rehearsal space. Depending on the size of the group, that could be your house, a recording or rehearsal studio, a church or a hall auditorium. Things to consider include good lighting, ventilation, acoustics and musical and sound equipment. The best place to practise is usually the place you lead worship. 

I always show up early and make sure the space is organized, clean and ready to go. I also do my own personal set-up ahead of time. I don’t want anything to slow us down or distract us from our rehearsal.

2. Musicians

Next, you need to organize the people you need to come to the rehearsal. That usually happens weeks ahead through email, texts and phone calls. You should also check out PlanningCenterOnline.com, this service has become a great tool to help in scheduling.

People are busy. Make sure you give all involved the necessary lead time for them to be there. With my church worship team and tech people, I usually book them 4-8 weeks in advance.

I also have a rule that I stick to. If a musician is not available to rehearse midweek, then they don’t play Sunday. This rule gets the best results in the long run.

3. Songs

Picking great songs is a crucial step in the process. Questions that you should ask yourself include: What does God want? Are these the best worship songs for this situation? Will these songs works for my congregation? Can the band and singers successfully perform this style? Is this the best key for this song? What is the best tempo and metronome marking for this song?

For more ideas on picking great worship songs, see my blog: “12 Keys To Picking Great Songs For Worship”

4. Charts

Next you need to prepare the charts. Different band operate with different charts. In my early years, we didn’t have charts. We played everything by ear. Someone lead a song and we just picked it up by listening. Later on someone wrote out the music and we followed along. Today many worship bands use words topped with the chords.

I personally prefer a full vocal chart with notes, words, form and chords. The more time you spend working on a great chart and arrangement, the less time you need to work on explaining those details to the band in your rehearsal. Great charts make for a much more efficient rehearsal. (Worship Charts: 7 Keys To A Great Rehearsal)

Personally, I rarely use other people’s charts. Most charts have mistakes. I almost always make my own charts and tailor them to how I want the music to go. I also make special capo parts for acoustic guitar players and written parts for any brass or strings sections.

5. Distributing Charts

Once the charts are written. I put the charts online in Planning Center Online, Dropbox, or in a pdf form and send the  band links to download them. Then I send notes to the players about which areas will probably need their attention. I also photocopy all the charts and bring them with me to rehearsal.

Lately, the band has been bringing their own copies or downloading their charts to their iPads so photocopies haven’t been needed. If your band is making the transition to using their iPad’s, check out my blog on ‘How To Use An iPad For Live Music’.

6. Pre-Rehearsal

The sooner the band gets the charts and links to the music (i.e. MP3’s and/or Youtube) the more chance they have to rehearse. My habit has been to send out the list and music for Sunday on the Monday or Friday before. My midweek rehearsals have usually been on Thursday, so that gives the musicians and singers four to six days to prepare. Some people send out the lists weeks in advance. But I personally find that most people don’t rehearse until a day or two before the rehearsal.

I also send out notes to the different musicians who might need to work on a specific part. This helps them zone in on specific challenging sections and parts.

7. Leader’s Preparation

The next most important step is the personal preparation of the leader. After the leader has spent time with God then their next responsibility is to know the music inside and out. I take time to know what the drummer’s groove should be, the basic bass patterns, what each vocalist should be singing and the form of the song; including the intro, ending and exact tempo. I am currently using multitracks.com Playback app to run tracks and clicks to the band and singers.

Other areas to know would be the lead lines for the keys and the lead guitar and the basic strumming and playing patterns you want each player to play. The more you know the music and what you need from each player and singer, the better results you will get. Here’s an extensive list to help you with all the details: Worship Rehearsal Checklist.

8. The Rehearsal

The next step is the actual rehearsal. Start and end on time! If the start time is 7 PM then start right at 7 PM. Be highly organized and keep the rehearsal moving. Make sure everyone tunes their instruments ahead of time. Learn the new material near the beginning of the rehearsal when the energy level is higher. Know the potential problem areas of the music before you get there.

My order for the rehearsal is usually: Greeting the team members as they arrive, do a quick sound check, pray, run the most familiar song to double-check the mix, learn the new song, go through the rest of the song list in order, do one final run-through of the new song, prayer, thanks & goodnight. Lately, I have also been doing a short ‘vocals only’ rehearsal after I dismiss the band to tighten up the harmonies and blend. 

Also, expect and foster a Christian attitude among the band members. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Communicate clearly. Spend time worshipping God as you sense His Presence in your rehearsal. Remember, your actual goal is to worship God, not just do music well. What do the best worship bands do? They worship.

What do the best worship bands do? They worship.

9. Listening

As a leader it is important to really listen. Don’t get so caught up in your own playing and singing that you don’t listen to the whole arrangement. Is something out of tune? Is someone playing the wrong chord or note? Is that the right tempo? Is someone dragging or rushing? Is the groove for that song correct? How is the vocal and band balance? Is someone too loud? Is the band too busy? 

Great music has ebbs and flows, learn the dynamics of the song. When should the different players be sitting out of a section of the music? Generally speaking, the band will only get to the level that you expect from them. Don’t be timid about talking to the band and singers if you hear something out-of-place. 

If you want to understand more about how much each player should be playing, check out this blog on ‘The Fraction Principle: How To Make Beautiful Music By Playing Less’.

Also.. an important part of listening is getting a sense of what the Spirit of God is doing in that service. Is the Presence of the Lord resting on a particular song? What do you sense God is doing?

10. Excellence

Don’t be afraid to challenge the singers and players to play to the best of their ability. People want to be part of something good. Learn to speak the truth in love. Challenge people to practice the music and memorize the music. Expect excellence!

Here are some final tests for your worship, music and rehearsal:

  • Is this song really working at a musical level?
  • Does this music minister to people and work for your congregation?
  • Is the band and singers just playing music or are they also worshipping God?
  • Does this music glorify God and do you sense God in this music?

Question: What can you add to this list? What is working in your rehearsals?

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 via PayPal..

Posted in Church, God, Jesus, Leadership, Music, Wisdom, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Jesus’ Top 10 Quotes

Posted on January 8, 2023 by Mark Cole

I love reading the Bible and especially the words of Jesus. Picking just 10 quotes from Jesus is difficult, all of His words have such depth and meaning. But, here are my favourite Bible verses from Jesus.

Jesus ~ “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” ~ Matthew 27:37-39 NLT

Jesus ~ “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.” ~ Luke 6:31 NLT

Do to others- the Golden Rule

Jesus ~ “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” ~ Mark 16:15-16 NIV

Jesus ~ “But seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” ~ Matthew 6:33 NIV

Jesus ~ “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” ~ John 3:16-17 NIV

For God so loved
For God so loved the world

Jesus ~ “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” ~ John 14:6 NIV

Jesus ~ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” ~ Matthew 6:34 NLT

Jesus ~ “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying.  Everyone who lives in Me and believes in Me will never ever die. Do you believe this? ~ John 11:25-26 NLT

Jesus ~ “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” ~ John 10 NLT

Jesus ~ “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” ~ John 4:23-24 NLT

Worship in Spirit

Check out my Mark’s 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.

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Bible Reading Challenge

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Mark Cole

Studies have shown that the single most powerful catalyst of people’s spiritual growth is personal Bible study and reflection. Getting our minds and hearts into God’s Word changes us! I know that it has changed me! Do you want to be better this next year than last? Then take this challenge with me!

The Bible

The Passion: To pursue God.

The Challenge: To read through God’s Word

1. Big Goal: Read the Whole Bible Chronologically in a Year

Read in both the Old and New Testament each day.

Bible Reading Plan — the Bible Chronologically #2

Option: Add one Psalm and One Proverb to your daily reading (Billy Graham suggestion)

2. Smaller Goal: Read the New Testament, Proverbs & Psalms in One Year

New Testament Bible Reading Plan — 2 Chapters A Day

The Result: Changed lives as we hear and apply what God reveals to us.

Three Options:

    1. Daily reading sent by email every morning with links to Biblegateway.com. Just add your email at the bottom of this link.  1. Whole Bible NLT Chronologically or 2. New Testament/Psalms/Proverbs
    1. A Bible reading guide that you check off daily and use with your own Bible: Just print off this page.
  1. Buy your own NLT Chronological Bible from Amazon to read from.

If you are looking for some other Bible reading options, check out the Top Bible Reading Plans

Also…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.

Posted in Church, God, God Adventures, Jesus, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

21 Things You’ll Regret When You’re Old

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Mark Cole

Life goes by fast. Don’t live life with regrets.

1. Not traveling when you had the chance.

Travelling is a great education. You begin to see the world in a different light and understand the diversity and cultures that make up our amazing world.

2. Being self-absorbed

If you go through life caring only about yourself, you’ll end up with no one by your side. Learn to care about the needs of those around you.

3. Being scared to do things.

Looking back you’ll think, “What was I so afraid of?” Learn to go outside your comfort zone. That is were real growth begins.

4. Not exercising.

Regular exercise has been shown to improve overall health in numerous ways, keeping the body and mind healthy and strong. If a gym isn’t your scene, go for a hike or a walk or ride your bike. Find an activity that you enjoy and stick with it.

5. Not continuing to learn.

Be a life-long learner. Find new areas to expand and grow. Learn a language, learn a musical instrument. Read new books and learn new skills. Schedule a time for learning. Teach with others and to others. Every teacher is a cleverly disguised student. Learn to be the best you can be.

6. Caring too much about what other people think.

No matter what you do, there will always be someone who criticizes you. Learn to rise above. Do the best you can, learn from your mistakes and move on.

7. Being afraid to say “I love you.”

When you’re old, you won’t care if your love wasn’t returned — only that you made it known how you felt.

8. Not listening to your parents’ advice.

You don’t want to hear it when you’re young, but the infuriating truth is that most of what your parents say about life is true. Take time to honor and love your parents.

9. Holding grudges, especially with those you love.

What’s the point of re-living the anger over and over? Forgive, forget and move on.

10. Neglecting your teeth.

Brush. Floss. Get regular checkups. It will all seem so maddeningly easy when you have dentures.

11. Missing the chance to ask your grandparents questions before they die.

Most of us realize too late what an awesome resource grandparents are. They can explain everything you’ll ever wonder about where you came from, but only if you ask them in time.

12. Working too much.

No one looks back from their deathbed and wishes they spent more time at the office, but they do wish they spent more time with family, friends, and hobbies.

13. Not taking time to appreciate the moment.

Modern society is constantly on the go, but stopping to take it all in now and again is a good thing. Be thankful for what you have and not anxious about what you don’t.

14. Failing to finish what you start.

Failing to finish what you start. Stick with it, you can do it. ~ “I always wanted to play a musical instrument, I wish I hadn’t quit.”

15. Not playing with your kids enough.

When you’re old, you’ll realize your kid went from wanting to play with you to wanting you out of their room in the blink of an eye.

16. Not taking the time to develop contacts and network.

Networking may seem like a waste of time when you’re young, but later on it becomes clear that it’s how so many jobs are won.

17. Worrying too much.

There will always be something to worry about, but constantly stressing can seriously affect your health. Jesus said, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

18. Getting caught up in needless drama.

Who needs it? Don’t get caught up in other people’s arguments and things that won’t matter 10 years from now.

19. Not spending enough time with loved ones.

Our time with our loved ones is finite. Make it count. Family is so important.

20. Not being grateful sooner.

It can be hard to see in the beginning, but eventually it becomes clear that every moment on this earth — from the mundane to the amazing — is a gift that we’re all so incredibly blessed to share.

21. Failing to develop a relationship with God

Every good thing in life comes from God. You will experience much more peace and contentment in your life when you realize that there is a God who loves you. If you want to develop a relationship with God, check out Jesus.

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.

Posted in Exercise, Family, God, Healing, Travel, Wisdom | Leave a comment