Category: Worship

Non-seasonal brief service outline based on the book of John and the song “Amazing Love: You Are My King”

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Below is an outline of a brief service built around scriptures of John and the song Amazing Love (You Are My King). We did this service last night at one of our campuses and enhanced it by adding pictures from the recent Son of God movie. It’s a different thing to do before Thanksgiving, but seemed like a good reminder of our Lord’s death and resurrection at this time of year.

If you’ve done something similar in your congregation, be sure to leave a comment below. Thanks.

Amazing Love (You Are My King) Service Outline with Scriptures from John

Greeting and Explanation of Service – Explain that we have many things to be thankful for, but we should especially be thankful for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Sing – Amazing Love, You Are My King – Verse 1 (2x) and Chorus

Read – In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:1-5)

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:10-12)

Pray (music continues) – Thanking God for who He is –

Sing – Amazing Love, You Are My King Chorus

Read – Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.

Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!”

When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

“Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”

The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”

When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”

Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”

Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”

When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement. It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, “Look, here is your king!”

“Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!”

“What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back.

Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. (John 19:1-16a)

Sing: Amazing Love Verse and Chorus

Read:  So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull. There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”  (John 19:16b-19)

Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit. (John 19:28-30)

Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus, asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:38-42)

Sing: Amazing Love Bridge and Chorus

Read: Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed. (John 20:1-8)

Read: That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” (John 20:1-8)

Prayer: Praising God for the Resurrection and committing ourselves to go wherever Jesus would have us to go and to do whatever He would have us do.

Proclaim: So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. (John 1:14)

Sing: Amazing Love Bridge and chorus two or three times

Ending Prayer

Dustin Lee - Unsplash 1

(All Scripture taken from New Living Translation. Photos courtesy of Unsplash.com)

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What’s Your Worship Vibe?

Dustin Lee - Unsplash 1

At a conference this past week in another city, a guy asked a group of us, “So, what’s your worship vibe?”

“Excuse me?” I asked. “What’s our vibe?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Who are you trying to be like?”

“We’re trying to be like Jesus,” said one of my co-workers.

“Yeah, I know that,” he said, “But what other churches are you trying to be like? Are you trying to be like Hillsong or Gateway or Church on the Move? Are you trying to be like Charismatic Baptists or Evangelicals with a Spirit-Filled vibe…”

“A Spirit-Filled vibe?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be real, it just has to seem like it.”

“Do you serve at a church?” I asked.

“Me, ah, no, I run a Christian magazine and I’m leading a break-out tomorrow.”

“Really?” I asked. “What’s the name of that breakout?”

He told us the name and I made a mental note not to attend.

Just for the record, serving in worship and church ministry is not about a vibe. It’s not about trying to be like Hillsong or Gateway or Fellowship or First Baptist or LifeChurch or Mosaic or First Assembly Anywhere.

Not that there’s anything wrong with them.

Those churches have to be who God called them to be. And every other church has to be who God called them to be.

And that’s ok.

You see, worship is not about suits and ties and formal wear. It’s not about skinny jeans and feminine shoes. It’s not about hymnals or projectors or candles or stained glass or hard pews or theater seating.

It’s about Jesus.

He is the One we should be trying to emulate.

And living that out is so much more than a vibe.

 

(Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com)

 

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Night of Worship and Prayer Outline based on Paul’s Prayers for the Ephesians

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Opening 

  • 3 Song Worship Set (Freedom, Open Up The Heavens, Holy Spirit)
  • Prayer Welcoming The Presence of the Holy Spirit, Asking God To Work In The Hearts and Lives of Those Present
  • Welcome and Offering Prayer
  • Offering as service continues

BLESSING Section

  • (Read Ephesians 1:15-18 to the congregation as if you are praying it over them. – “Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.”
  • Make any comments you desire regarding the scripture.
  • Direct the people to spend a moment in personal prayer, instructing them to share their personal needs with the Lord. Then direct them to tell the Lord what they are hoping to hear from Him during this prayer service.
  • Pray for the people, asking God to bless them before the worship music continues.

Song – God, I Look To You

GREATNESS OF GOD’S POWER Section

  • Read Ephesians 1:19-23 – “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”
  • Make any comments you desire regarding the scripture
  • Pray for the people, that they would experience the greatness of God’s power 

Song About The Greatness of God’s Power – Overcome

EMPOWERMENT AND GROWTH Section

  • Read Ephesians 3:14-17 – When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
  • Make any comments you wish to add to the scripture
  • Call People to the Front as Pastors/Staff/Key Leaders Pray For Their Empowerment and Growth

Song About Growing In Christ – Here’s My Heart

UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCING THE FULLNESS OF GOD’S LOVE Section

    • Read Ephesians 3:18-19 – And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
  • Make any comments you wish to add to the scripture
  • Lead the People to Pray For Each Other to understand and experience the fullness of God’s love before the worship music continues.

Song About The Love of God – Your Love So High

CONCLUSION

    • Read Ephesians 3:20-21 – Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
  • Upbeat Closing Prayer by Campus Pastor
  • Upbeat Closing Song – I Give You Glory!

 

 

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Meet Challenges Together, Celebrate With Bacon

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I looked across the kitchen and thought, “I’m not sure we’re going to pull this off.”

While on our annual staff retreat, the worship ministry team had the responsibility for cooking breakfast for the rest of staff. We had grandiose plans of preparing 72 eggs, 120 pancakes, 72 biscuits, a variety of fresh fruit, assorted yogurts, prepackaged granola bars, milk, juice, coffee, and (cue the music) 10 lbs of bacon.

We were prepared to knock it out quickly with the retreat center’s oven, stove top, microwaves, and electric griddles. Sounds reasonable, right?

However, when we arrived, there was no oven, there was no stove top, and the microwaves were broken. Our alternative equipment was a Crock Pot, two older electric griddles, and two coffee pots.

So, an hour before breakfast, we started cooking, using every outlet we could find, which worked well for about five minutes, when we threw a breaker.

Quickly, we rearranged the kitchen, borrowed a few cooking items, started cooking bacon in the dining hall, moved the coffee to the meeting room, found the breaker room, reset the breaker, and continued cooking.

We spent the next hour working as a team, taking care of issues as we found them and resetting the breaker from time to time. Right on time, our delicious meal was presented to the rest of the staff. As they enjoyed their meal, I felt a surge of satisfaction and munched a piece of bacon to celebrate.

At the end of the retreat, when we were asked to share our best memory from the retreat, I said that mine was making breakfast with our team. We’re used to overcoming the odds (and the clock) in worship services, but this was a real team building exercise for us, with better results than a professional ropes course.

Working as a team through difficult situations will either tear you apart or bring you closer together. Why not use them (or even create them) to bring you closer together.

Solomon, the wise son of King David, once wrote, Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

My advice to all of us is this:

  • Do hard things together.
  • Create challenges.
  • Work together.
  • Be victorious.
  • Celebrate with bacon
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Baptism vs. the Brain-Eating Amoeba

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This summer, the campuses of the church where I serve have been emphasizing the importance of baptism. As a result, we’ve seen an overwhelming amount of people respond with a desire to be baptized. However, in order to continue our emphasis at one of our campuses, we had to go to war against a brain eating amoeba.

Recently, the residents of St. Bernard Parish have been undergoing a 60 day chlorine flush in their water system because of a dangerous amoeba found in the water. As you can probably imagine, this created a huge problem for campus pastor Patrick Eagan. How could he immerse people in water when there could possibly be a poisonous amoebe in the water? This problem was heightened by the fact that parish officials had warned St. Bernard residents not to let the water go up into their noses.

So, Pastor Patrick had to make a decision. He had scheduled baptisms for Sunday. He didn’t want to prevent people from taking their next step with Jesus, so, knowing he would have the full support of our church, he purchased 102 gallons of Kentwood water to fill his baptistery, plus a few more for coffee and public consumption.

That same Saturday evening in St. Bernard, a man came to the service and said, “I’m tired of being a Jesus Fan. I’m ready to be a Jesus Follower. Can I be baptized tonight?” He was baptized that very day in pure Kentwood water.

I’m proud to be a part of a church where creative solutions can be found to help people take the next step in their faith development.

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The Absolute Best Worship Style

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Almost everyone has an opinion about worship style. Interestingly enough, most people do not refer to (or even care about) biblical worship, but comment more about music style, sermon methodology, tradition (or the absence thereof), and permissible clergy (and laity) clothing.

When Isaiah saw the Lord in Isaiah 6, he experienced the greatness of God, realized the extent of his own sinfulness, and witnessed his sin being atoned for. However, the end result of his worship experience was Isaiah saying, “Here am I, send me.” God wants our ultimate worship. He formed us after Himself so we could experience His presence and accomplish His purposes. When we realize who He is and all He has done for us, our only reasonable response to Him is worship.

The Apostle Paul, in Romans 12:1, shared these words: Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice to God; this is your spiritual worship.

Fully surrendered worship of all that we are for all that He is.

That is the absolute best worship style.

Related Posts: 

I Am Greater Than You 

Leading People Into God’s Presence Is Not Enough

Night of Worship Outline based on Isaiah 6:1-9

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Night of Worship Outline Based on Isaiah 6:1-9

Sometimes people ask me how we put together an outline for a night of worship. For Celebration Church, we often base it around a scripture or a theme and then pray about what needs to be included. On these nights, the worship leaders and scripture readers have the freedom expand on what is written and said. Here is our concept outline from last night’s service before it was entered into planning center. I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Night of Worship and Prayer Based on Isaiah 6:1-9

Opening 4 Song Praise Set – 20

Freedom (Bethel) 

We Believe

Holy Spirit, You Are Welcome Here

You Make Me Brave

Welcome and Explanation of Service/Optional Offering – 2-3

Adoration Section

Scripture Reading – It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending Him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.  –  Isaiah 6:1-4 NLT

  • Prayer acknowledging the Holiness of God – 2
  • Revelation Song – 5

Confession and Thanksgiving Section

Scripture Reading – Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” – Isaiah 6:5 NLT – 1

  • Lead time of corporate confessional prayer – 4
  • How Can It Be? Song with lyric video.  Example –

    – 5

Scripture Reading – Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said,”See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” – Isaiah 6:6-7 NLT – 1

Story – In 1860, a lady named Susan Warner became friends with a Christian teacher and learned of a sick boy who was in serious condition. She was so concerned for the boy that she asked her sister Anna to write a song that would bring comfort to him. The song did bring a smile to his face and continues to bring smiles and comfort to children and adults alike today. But more than the comfort and smiles, it reminds us of the assurance that Jesus, God the Son, loves us so much that He gave His life for us to cleanse us of our sin. – 1

  • Jesus Love Me – Hymn acoustic Verse 1 and Chorus 2x (last time a cappella) – 2

Scripture Reading – Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” And He said, “Yes, go…”  –  Isaiah 6:8-9a – 1

In committing ourselves to go and follow the Lord, we must be willing to do whatever He wants for us to do. That includes going to the ends of the earth and walking across the street from our house. It includes giving to advance the kingdom of God. And it includes being willing to pray for the nations and our neighbors. Tonight, we’re going to have that type of prayer.

Supplication

Campus Pastor or representative to lead people through the following times of prayer.

  • Praying for the Nations – Ask people to pray for the nations of the world. Direct them to choose a particular nation and pray for God to work there – 3
  • Praying for our Neighbors – Direct people to pray for the needs of those in their oikos. – 4
  • Personal Prayer – Direct people to take time praying for themselves. – 4
  • Pastoral Prayer – Directs people to lift their hands in the air as you pray over their needs. – 2

Prayer Song – Here’s My Heart, Lord – 5 – 

Repeat Scripture Reading – Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” And He said, “Yes, go…”  –  Isaiah 6:8-9a – 1

Spoken – In submitting ourselves to go, we must be willing to go wherever He leads us. As we prepare to leave this evening, we must remember that we are His ambassadors sent into a lost and dying world to share the good news that Jesus loves us so very much…
Closing Song – Upbeat – 5 (Suggested Song – Live With Abandon, Newsboys)

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Great Websites For Church Video Resources

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Some churches are blessed with great video departments who can crank out quality ministry videos quickly. Others have small departments who produce quality work, but are limited on personnel and equipment resources. Most churches have no video department, but would often still like to use quality video in ministry.

Wherever your church fall, sooner or later, you’ll find yourself searching for a quality video for worship music, sermon illustration, or teaching tool. Below is a list of great websites which may help your video ministry needs.

http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/ – Worship House Media is often my first go to site when searching. They provide mini-movies, worship tracks, countdowns, worship stills, motion backgrounds, and resources for small groups and church software.

http://www.sermonspice.com/ – Sermon Spice offers pretty much the same resources as Worship House Media, but they include extended video illustration resources, many of those created by individual church ministry teams, meaning the quality sometimes varies.

http://www.danstevers.com/ – Dan Stevers creates quality creative videos for church worship services. You won’t find countdowns or worship tracks on his site because he sticks to creating quality mini-movies of the highest quality. This is one of my favorite sites because he also offers his videos in various languages, which is a blessing for churches with multilingual venues.

http://www.wingclips.com/ – Wingclips offers movie clips that illustrate and inspire for worship services and teaching environments. It offers you the opportunity to search clips from hundreds if not thousands of movies by movie title, scripture, category, or theme. This is a good site with prepared ready to use downloadable clips, but I often find that where they begin or end clips are slightly odd.

http://skitguys.com/ – Eddie James and Tommy Woodard, better known as The Skit Guys, have been around for years, providing entertaining yet thought provoking drama for worship and ministry use. Their website features ministry videos and motion backgrounds, but also downloadable scripts for churches who wish to perform their mini-dramas live. I’ve found this site extremely useful for seasonal emphases.

https://www.bluefishtv.com/ and it’s sister site http://www.rightnowmedia.org/ – These websites focuses much more on teaching resources than the other sites listed. On these sites, you’ll find great children’s resources, full Bible study videos by well known Bible teachers plus full Bible study teaching kits as well as great testimonies from students and adults alike on a variety of topics. I’ve used illustration and testimony videos from this site before for worship, but it’s often taken extra time to find because that’s not the main purpose of the sites.

Recently, I’ve also found great video resources produced by other churches and ministries by searching the following websites:

http://www.lifechurch.tv/churches/ – LifeChurch.tv, the largest church in the United States, offers most if not all of its resources to other churches for free. Create a username and browse.

http://www.sermonsearch.com/ – Centered around sermons and preaching resources, but continually offer a wider variety of video illustrations

http://store.centralchristian.com/Central-Videos-C109.aspx – Video store of Central Christian Church in Las Vegas, Nevada

https://seeds.churchonthemove.com/resources/video – Free resources from Church on the Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma

https://vimeo.com/ – Great place to follow high resoluation quality video ministries of churches. My favorites are Hillsongs and Elevation Church.

https://www.youtube.com/ – More and more, churches are sharing great video resources with others directly on youtube. Other for profit sites will share their products here with links to their sites for purchase. Most often, the quality is not as good as vimeo.

http://www.godtube.com/ – Sort of like drinking Christian resources from a fireman’s water hose. Great resources can be found, but the organization of the site seems a little scattered.

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I learn about more resources everyday, so I’m sure I’ve missed a few great ones. If you can think of some, please share in the comments section.

 

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Leading People Into God’s Presence Is Not Enough

The purpose of a worship leader is not just about leading people into the presence of God.

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The Presence of God is not a fix that only comes over someone when they’re overcome by some song (although music can certainly help us develop a greater awareness of the presence of God). Christians have the presence of God within us through the Holy Spirit who lives within us once we express our faith in Jesus.

Jesus said in John 15, I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

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The purpose of a worship leader is not just about leading people into the presence of God. It’s about doing something much deeper. It’s about remaining in the presence of God, listening to His voice, hearing from Him, and living a fully devoted Christian life. It’s about studying and obeying God’s Word, tithing, and giving sacrificially for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. It’s about making disciples and caring about the spiritual well being of those you lead. It’s about taking up our cross daily, dying to ourselves, and allowing Jesus to be the one that everything’s about. It’s about cooperating with other pastors and leaders to accomplish the purposes God has called your specific church or campus to complete.

Leading people into God’s presence is not enough. Worship Leaders have to live His presence.

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The Number One Complaint About Church Visuals

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Serving in worship ministry affords me the privilege of hearing friendly (and sometimes unfriendly) complaints about what happens in worship. One area that is often criticized is the operation of the visuals placed on the screen during the worship service, especially when it regards the timeliness of the presentation of the song lyrics.

Creative backgrounds and interesting animations certainly help enhance worship services, but they don’t mean much if the people worshiping are distracted because the lyrics to the songs they are trying to sing are late. Unfortunately, this is an ongoing problem in many churches.

So, here’s the bottom line: Song lyrics need to be on the screen before people have to the sing them. If the people have to guess at what the next word or line or phrase is, then their worship experience has been hijacked, meaning they’ve been temporarily or permanently disengaged from what is happening.

How To Avoid Lyrical Delay: Prepare and Practice

Prepare – It is the worship leader’s job to provide the correct worship lyrics and sequences in which the song is going to be presented. This serves as a guide to the technician who is creating and/or displaying the lyrics.

  • Very important point – The sequence of the songs, meaning the breakdown of when and how many times the verses, choruses, bridge(s), and tags are included in the song presentation is first and foremost the responsibility of the worship leader.
  • If the correct song sequences are not communicated to the technicians building and then operating the song playlist, it is doubtful that the presentations of the songs will be presented properly. The blame for this failure is most often given to the visuals operator, but most often it actually belongs to the worship leader.
  • Sometimes, a worship leader refuses to plan the sequences of the songs because he simply wants to be led by the Spirit. It makes sense to these worship leaders that if he and the visuals technician are both being led by the Spirit then everything will come together perfectly without prior coordination. The Holy Spirit can certainly lead two different people simultaneously, but if we use this excuse for not preparing, we are basically blaming God for our laziness and mistakes.
  • It is the visual technician’s job to review the song playlist prior to the run-through and worship service ensuring that the correct song version has been included and that it is in the right sequence. If this has been done, the operator and worship leader can be more confident that the right words will be displayed at the right time.

Practice – If there is a run-through prior to the service, it is responsibility of the visuals technician to practice along with the musical worship team.

  • The following cannot be said enough – The run-through is not just practice for the band. It’s also practice for the visual technician. Believe it or not, the visual technician needs to practice just as much as the band, if for no other reason than to catch mistakes, correct typos, and reorder the sequences of songs built improperly.
  • If practice happens, sequencing or presentation issues can be found and corrected prior to the service. If this does not happen, the visuals technician is basically just hoping everything is going to be ok.
  • The rehearsal also allows the visuals technician to reacquaint themselves with the flow and the feel of the song, allowing himself to anticipate where the worship leader is going if an extra chorus or bridge needs to be added on the fly.
  • Sometimes, when a visuals technician is also responsible for building the song playlist, he tends to feel like he’s already done his homework for the service and therefore doesn’t deem it necessary to practice with the band during run-through. When these things happen, the operator is allowing prideful arrogance to step in between himself and a successful worship service.

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When I was growing up, my parents used to say, “Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.” The same can be said for the worship leaders and visuals technicians of our day who are partnering together to avoid the number one complaint about church visuals.

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