Archive for May, 2008

Two Useful Tools That I Use In Leading Worship

I am a firm believer in using the right tool for the right job. Here are two of the tools I have been using to help lead worship here a Hill Country Bible Church, Hutto. I hope you will find them as useful as I have.

Planning Center Online – This is the website I use to plan our services. It allows me to keep all my audio files and chord charts online in one place that’s accessible by all the team members. It has saved me tons of time.

Songsheet Generator – This is a program I use to create chord charts. It accepts files in the chordpro format. This is just a text file with the chords embedded with the lyrics. Its very easy to update, and produces great looking chordcharts.

Here is a sample output pdf of Come Now Is The Time To Worship

-=CE=-

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The Priority of Prayer

Many months ago, we went through a very difficult season on the worship team. We were all struggling…instrumentally, vocally, personally…it was an all around difficult time. There were weeks where we just felt like giving up. We worked and worked, but it seemed to no avail.

Then God moved! God placed it on our hearts to pray for our worship team, our talents, our hearts. We prayed for each other, for the church, and for the team as a whole. We prayed for the rehearsal, for each other’s personal practice time, for the services on Sunday. We did this all throughout the week. That Sunday, God answered! It was one of the best worship sets we have had. As if by instinct, everyone seemed to play with much more dynamics, feeling, and zeal. People were trying new things on their own, and they sounded great. And the congregation was worshipping our Great God!

Like a light switch, we went from wanting to quit, to wanting more. God had lit a fire in us that we could never kindle on our own. Before this, I was trying to teach dynamics. I was asking people to play different parts. I was trying so hard. The problem is, I was the one trying…it was all about me and my effort. Once I let go, and ASKED God to take the reigns, I didn’t need to try so hard. God took care of it. James says “You have not because you ask not.” So if you haven’t asked God to bless your worship team, do it!

“Not by my strength, but by my Spirit”, says the Lord! And “If you, being evil, know to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

Make prayer a priority! We can’t serve Him out of our own power…we need His Spirit. He invites us to ask, take Him up on it!

-=CE=-

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