Gangai Victor's Blog, page 10
November 23, 2013
7 Easy Worship Leader Tips to Encourage Congregational Singing
Let's face it, we've been there.We pick the best of songs, practice and rehearse them like crazy, and then play them flawlessly on stage. Everything goes well, there are no musical shipwrecks, and we're feeling wonderful. Then, we take a look at the people and... there's... nothing! No one seems to be singing... and you're left wondering why the congregation is unable to get into the brilliant set-list we are delivering.
As a worship leader, nothing used to deflate me faster than an unengaged congregation. Frustration, anger, misery, disappointment... I'd feel all of that and more... I'd also drive myself crazy later analyzing it all, trying to figure out what went wrong. While this doesn't happen to me so much these days, I can still remember my rookie years when I went through it... often. Experience and time are good teachers, I guess!
7 Keys to Inspire the Congregation to Sing1. Keep up with what's importantThere's a danger in trying to keep up with every new song churned out by the worship music industry every day. It's a losing proposition considering the sheer quantity of new material available now. We can easily get too busy looking for the next great usable song and lose the voice of the Holy Spirit. The natural next step is to lose the congregation.We need to be striving to keep up with the Holy Spirit instead, trying to listen to His heart and finding out what He wants us to sing. If we tune into the Holy Spirit, our congregations will tune into the worship.
2. Focus on engagingIt's critical to work on connecting with our congregations over and above just musical excellence. Our musical artistry and leadership of people need to work together to create an environment that welcomes participation instead of causing disengagement. Do you have moments to pray, read scripture, be in silence during your worship session? Or it is just song after song after song?Take a video of one of your sessions and watch it later; you will easily figure out most of your areas of improvement! It's easy to go through a set like a musician playing a paid gig. We need to be thinking more about drawing people into worship.
3. Consider the song mixDo you also consider the needs of the people when you select songs? Or is it simply, "I like the song, so I will use it"? Traditional hymns, familiar classics, a new song, and so on... have a good mix of songs; don't be a one trick pony that can only pick and play one particular type of songs. A good set-list will have something for everyone.
4. How loud are you?Check your volume level, is it too high or too low? Are the vocals heard well above the musical instruments? Is the drummer pounding away too much? Is the electric guitarist overplaying all over the song? If people are unable to hear themselves, they won't feel like singing, it's as simple as that. Work on setting a comfortable and balanced sound.
5. What are we singing?Look at the lyrics... are they making sense? Are the songs fitting into the overall theme of the day? Are the lyrics worth singing together? Worth singing to the Almighty God? Appealing to the culture and tradition of your Church? Are the lyrics able to teach Godly truths and explore the Gospel? Think about how people of different age groups would feel about the lyrics that we are singing; would they make sense to everyone?
6. Infuse dynamicsIs everyone playing together at the same time from the start to the finish of every song? Is yes, then, there's a problem. Stop thinking like a musician and put on the attitude of an arranger. A good worship session needs to have some quiet intimate moments as much as those high anthemic moments. Too much of both is bad.Figure out which instruments need to be playing in which sections. More importantly, figure out when they don't need to be playing! If there are no valleys, there would be no mountains, right?
7. How familiar are the songs?This is probably the no. 1 hurdle that comes in the way of congregational singing: they don't know the song! Worship leaders and musicians learn songs faster than the average congregation. We also tire of songs quicker, and so we keep selecting more new songs, thereby successfully compounding the problem!Take time to teach the new song, repeat each section many times when playing it for the first time. Be patient with people and don't have more than one new song in a set-list. Maybe two at the most if the songs are simple enough. As a rule of thumb, more familiar songs and the least number of new songs is the way to go.
Remember, if the congregation is not involved, it's music, not worship.Your turn to share: How do you encourage congregational singing?Image: ihatepresentations.com
Surprisingly Easy Tips to Use Free Tools and Plan Worship Set-Lists Efficiently
Not every worship team has the financial and technical resources to sign up for worship planning tools. The reality is, outside of a few rich countries, they are pretty much beyond budget for most ministries. Probably why I’ve seen people use everything—from plain paper to word documents on a PC—to plan their set-lists! This post is for those of you who’re looking for free resources and tips to plan a worship set efficiently.1. Download my Easy Worship Set-List Planning WorksheetThis is a free download that will aid you to organize the most important elements of a worship set-list: songs, keys, transitions and more. Don’t forget to put in links to videos or MP3 files online also in the worksheet, so everyone knows which version of the songs to practice. Examples are given in the spreadsheet to help you figure out how to use it.2. Get SongSuggestSongSuggest is more popular as an iPhone app, but the desktop program is available for free. The program has a database of 800+ of the most popular worship songs organized by theme, and musical elements like key and tempo.
3. Chord ChartsThere are so many online resources out there to find and download chords for worship songs. Ultimate Guitar Tabs, Worship Together are good places to start. You can use my free Chord template to create customized charts for your team. For a more automated solution, store your lyrics and chords in OpenSong and use the export option to download printable chord charts. It also has a quick transpose menu to change the chords to any key. And, yes OpenSong is free!
4. CommunicateYou can use Box, DropBox, Skydrive, Google Drive etc. to store your files in the cloud and send their links to your worship team. Another tool you could look at is Padlet, which will enable you to collaborate with your team and build your worship set-list together.
5. VisualsI’ve already written about many free church projection software that are available. For a simple solution, there’s OpenSong. If you want all kinds of extra bells and whistles, go for VideoPsalm.
There you have it: 5 free tools to plan and finalize your worship set-list using only free resources.
Your turn to share: What are your favorite tools that you use when planning your worship sessions?
18 Smart Quotes About Worship
".. Worship doesn't happen when a guy gets on a stage with a guitar. It happens when faith-filled eyes behold the glory of Christ" - Matt Pappa
"Whenever the method of Worship Becomes more Important than the Person of Worship, We have already prostituted Our Worship." - Judson Cornwall
“Don’t let your life give evidence against your tongue. Sing with your voices… sing also with your conduct.” - St Augustine
“You cannot divide human beings into those who worship and those who don't. Everybody worships; it's just a matter of what, or whom, we serve." - Paul David Tripp
“Ultimately, it is the very life of man, man himself as living righteously, that is the true worship of God, but life only becomes real life when it receives its form from looking toward God.” - Benedict XVI
"When you put biblical truth to the songs used in churches, you'll have the congregation leave singing the sermon. You'll have God's thoughts, things that are God-breathed, stuck in their heads. It's sad to think about a really catchy tune paired up with bad theology because that could, honestly, do a lot of damage in church " -. Laura Story
"Worship leaders, let's choose to praise rather than perform when leading." - Tim Hughes
""As we see the beauty of God and feel His weightiness in our hearts, our hearts begin to desire Him more than we desire sin. Before the Bible says," Stop sinning, "it says," Behold your God." - JD Greear
"My vocation is love" - Mother Teresa
"Praise is the Rehearsal of Our eternal Song By Grace We learn to Sing, and in Glory We Continue to Sing." - Charles Spurgeon
"I desire only Him and to be wholly His." - Brother Lawrence
"Worship is love on its knees before the beloved; just as mission is love on its feet to serve the beloved" - NT Wright
"Let's determine to finish well by helping facilitate a lifelong conversation and sense of community between God and the people He has called us to serve." - Paul Baloche
"The desire is your prayers; and if your desire is without ceasing, your prayer will also be without ceasing. The continuance of your longing is the continuance of your prayer." - Augustine
"He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist." - Louis Nizer
“We don’t just show up on stage; we bring along the oil of praise in jars of practice and rehearsal so that when the Lord shows up, our worship shines as the light with which His Church shall welcome Him!” - Gangai Victor (yes, shameless self reference!)
“As worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience. Holy obedience
saves worship from becoming an opiate, an escape from the pressing needs of modern life.” - Richard Foster
"We must never rest until everything inside us worships God." - AW Tozer
A Surprising Life-Hack to Excel at Worship or Just About Anything
Here’s a confession: I am pretty much an average singer and musician.In fact, if I were to ever do a concert, I doubt anyone will pay to attend it!And yet, I keep hearing people telling me how much they enjoy worshiping with me. Some have even asked me what my secret is. And I’ve never really had a specific answer to give them till now. Since I know my many limitations, I have to admit that worship works despite me, and acknowledge it’s all the work of the Holy Spirit!However, it doesn’t mean we do nothing either. God’s generous grace invites us to contribute too!So having thought about it, yes, I think I do have a secret to share in this post. And it’s not just for leading worship, I believe it applies to every goal you want to achieve!Ready? OK, here goes, this is my top tip:Fall in loveReally? That’s it? But……yes I know you already love Jesus.…yes I know you already love to sing for God.…yes I know you already love to make music for God.…yes I know you already love to lead worship.…yes I know you already love to write God songs.Sure you do, but there’s one more thing you need to fall in love with:The routeUnderstanding 'Route' and 'Outcome' A powerful session of congregational worship is an outcome. A moving worship song that edifies our church is an outcome. A popular blog post is an outcome. A bestselling book is an outcome. A hit worship record is an outcome.So how do we get there? Simple! We faithfully walk the route, and the outcome will follow.What then is ‘route’? Route is… cooperating with the Holy Spirit. Route is… spending quiet times in prayer every day. Route is… personal practice times honing your singing and musical skills. Route is… hard and long hours of team rehearsals. Route is… walking with the people entrusted to you and mentoring them. Route is… slogging over words, words, and more words to write that blog post or book. Route is… spending time to train yourself to get better at whatever it is that you do.
You see, we love the outcome, but the route required to get there doesn’t quite excite us as much. Fall in love with it, it just might make all the difference to your life, your ministry, your relationships, and your Church.My friend, passion is not just loving the outcome, it’s also loving the route. Fix the route—the outcome will fix itself.It’s time to be awesome. Fall in love again—you will excel at everything you do!Your turn to share: Is there an outcome you’re wishing for now? What do you think you need to do to get there?
The Worship Kenbook - Your Smart Resource to Build a Powerful Worship Ministry
Ken?? what exactly does that mean?'Ken' is a tiny word with massive meaning: Range of knowledge Span of insight Perception Understanding Cognizance Really? So Kenbook is not something about Barbie’s boyfriend?!Nope!The Worship Kenbook has been written to provide inspiration, artistic insight, fresh perception, and expand your span of insight and knowledge—about praise and worship ministry.This book for worship leaders/musicians will challenge you as a worshiper, and guide you to take your praise and worship ministry forward. 8 reasons why you should read The Worship KenbookWhether you’re a rookie or a seasoned worship leader or musician, this book has something for everyone. This comprehensive guidebook will help…1. cultivate an authentic life of worship2. create inspired set-lists that consistently come to life in corporate praise and worship sessions3. make the most out of your rehearsals4. go beyond using only songs to worship5. deliver fluid praise and worship sessions prayerfully and artfully6. engage with your congregation and facilitate people to connect with the Lord7. mentor others8. lead God-pleasing, Trinitarian worshipAnd more! Take a look at what others are saying"I would challenge any one of you to read this book and tell me you were not able to connect in some way! ...worship ministers, you now have clear principles to help guide you..." - PETER SILAS, Author of "The Prophecy of the Sacred Cross", USA
"The Worship Kenbook" is not just another 'how to' on Christian worship but God's prophetic message delivered to both the parishioner and the worship leader with a great sense of passion to it." - YOHAN PERERA, Founder of The Virtual Preacher, Sri Lanka.
"a comprehensive guide to both the spiritual and practical aspects of leading worship, gleaned from many years of experience. It is a true gem and it will prove a great resource for worship teams" - ALASTAIR VANCE, worship leader & songwriter, Story Church, USA
"It's simple, thoughtful, and useful for worshippers and worship teams... it is evident that much study, experience and love has gone into creating this resource. Study, practice it and glorify God!!" - ROBERT MARTIN, worship leader & songwriter, Hosanna Youth, India
The Worship Kenbook crosses denominational lines and is a helpful and insightful read for worship leaders, choir members, drummers—everyone participating in leading corporate worship.In fact, some worship leaders might want to consider using this as required reading (all or parts) for their worship team!" - ERIC DYE, human rights advocate and editor of 'Church Mag'
"Great learning and encouragement for worship leaders. I love the simplicity and personal sharing, which I am sure all will be able to relate with."
- LENNY SOARES, worship leader & songwriter, Living Waters, India
"If you want a book to help revive your worship team or learn the basics on how to start one from scratch, this is the book for you." - ONLINE BOOK CLUB's official review
Sounds great, so how do I get my copy?You can buy it at Amazon and read it on your Kindle device. Don’t have a Kindle? No worries, just install the FREE Kindle app and read it on your smart-phone or tablet (available for Android, iOS, and Windows). You can even read it in your computer's browser. You only have to buy it once to use it across multiple devices, how about that!Despite its wide range of content, The Worship Kenbook is a quick first-time read, but a lifelong re-read! This is a resource that you can always refer, to build and maintain an anointed praise and worship ministry that edifies your church.Be awesome, hit the “Download” button and get it…now!
For more information:
http://www.theworshipkenbook.com/
November 16, 2013
The Worship Kenbook - Your Resource to Build a Powerful Praise and Worship Ministry
Ken?? what exactly does that mean? 'Ken' is a tiny word with massive meaning:
Range of knowledge Span of insight Perception Understanding Cognizance
Really? So Kenbook is not something about Barbie’s boyfriend?!
Nope!
The Worship Kenbook has been written to provide inspiration, artistic insight, fresh perception, and expand your span of insight and knowledge—about praise and worship ministry.
This book for worship leaders/musicians will challenge you as a worshiper, and guide you to take your praise and worship ministry forward.
8 reasons why you should read The Worship KenbookWhether you’re a rookie or a seasoned worship leader or musician, this book has something for everyone. This comprehensive guidebook will help…
1. cultivate an authentic life of worship
2. create inspired set-lists that consistently come to life in corporate praise and worship sessions
3. make the most out of your rehearsals
4. go beyond using only songs to worship
5. deliver fluid praise and worship sessions prayerfully and artfully
6. engage with your congregation and facilitate people to connect with the Lord
7. mentor others
8. lead God-pleasing, Trinitarian worship
And more!
Take a look at what others are saying
In fact, some worship leaders might want to consider using this as required reading (all or parts) for their worship team!" - ERIC DYE, human rights advocate and editor of 'Church Mag'
- LENNY SOARES, worship leader & songwriter, Living Waters, India
Sounds great, so how do I get my copy?
You can buy it at Amazon and read it on your Kindle device. Don’t have a Kindle? No worries, just install the FREE Kindle app and read it on your smart-phone or tablet (available for Android, iOS, and Windows). You can even read it in your computer's browser. You only have to buy it once to use it across multiple devices, how about that!
Despite its wide range of content, The Worship Kenbook is a quick first-time read, but a lifelong re-read! This is a resource that you can always refer, to build and maintain an anointed praise and worship ministry that edifies your church.
Be awesome, hit the “Download” button and get it…now!
For more information: http://www.theworshipkenbook.com/
15 of the Best Worship Albums From the Past 15 Years
Every now and then, we come across a special worship album that we just can’t put down, no matter how many times we listen to them, right?
This post is sort of a tribute to those exceptional, top worship albums that have had the maximum influence on, and provided the most amount of inspiration to my worship leadership and songwriting. I believe there's something for everyone in these albums.
I'll even say that if you're a worship leader and you don't have any of these, you're probably crazy ;)
The list is in no particular order, here we go:
This record probably set the standard for live worship albums! Vineyard Music re-released this a few years ago, and deservedly so.
Standout Songs: Show Your Power, Shout to the Lord, So Come, His Banner Over Me, Save Us Oh God
Live from Marsham Street – Dave Bilbrough This is Dave Bilbrough at his best—both in terms of songwriting as well as worship leading.
Standout Songs: Ends of the Earth, Light of the World, One Voice, Holy Ground, I Surrender, Tell the world, Taste And See
Revival in Belfast – Robin Mark
Another brilliant live worship album! Great songs, atmosphere, pleasant Irish sounds, and of course Robin Mark!
Standout Songs: Garments of praise, Revival, You're the Lion of Judah, Jesus all for Jesus, Days of Elijah
You are God (Touching the Father's Heart series) – Scott Underwood & Mark McCoy
Two not-so-famous but wonderful worship leaders at the top of their game. The sounds on this album were probably a bit ahead of their time!
Standout Songs: You are God, To Him be the glory, All You ways, Jehovah never sleeps, Praise awaits You, Lion of Judah, Mercy mercy, I will give thanks
Hymns Ancient and Modern – Passion
I've been hooked to almost all of Passion's albums, but this one is super special in the sense that it makes hymns accessible to just about everyone. Lovely versions of some of the best loved hymns from the past!
Standout songs: O worship the King, Doxology, Praise to the Lord the Almighty, All Creatures of Our God and King, Phos Hilaron (Hail Gladdening Light), Here Is Love, Take My Life, Fairest Lord Jesus
Live from another level – Israel Houghton
This is Israel Houghton + the New Breed at their very best! Catchy songs, quality musical artistry, tightly tied together with amazing worship leading.
Standout songs: It's difficult to pick out specific songs; with this band, listening to the whole album is an experience by itself. Still, I'll go with Again I say rejoice, All around, Friend of God, Rise within us, Another breakthrough, Lord of the breakthrough.
Live Vineyard Worship: Winds of Worship – Come Now Is the Time
Another collection of some of the best loved songs to come out of Vineyard Music.
Standout songs: All of them!
Arriving – Chris Tomlin
Chris Tomin has released many great records, but this one's still his best imho in terms of congregational worship songs that is. And yes I know we need to lower the keys to be able to sing them!
Standout songs: Indescribable, Holy Is the Lord, How Great Is Our God, Your Grace Is Enough, You Do All Things Well, King of Glory
Alive in South Africa – Israel Houghton & the New Breed
Another quality live album from Israel! This one blows me away every time I listen to it... and the DVD is great too!
Standout songs: Turn it around, Not forgotten, It's raining, To worship You I live, Worship medley, Alpha and Omega, You are good
A Greater Song – Paul Baloche
Paul has been a great inspiration for me personally and has released so many amazing albums. Still, I think if there are 2 things he should be famous for, they'd be the song, "Open the eyes of my heart", and this album.
Standout songs: While almost every song is a gem, the ones that move me most are Hosanna (praise is rising), Because of your love, Your Name, What can I do, You have been so good, A greater song
The best of Stuart Townend Live (Double CD)
We can never talk about modern hymns without mentioning Stuart Townend, and Keith & Kristyn Getty. This collection will make anyone fall in love with hymn-style songs all over again.
Standout songs: Lord I'm Grateful (Grace), See What A Morning (Resurrection Hymn), Your Love (Pour Over Me), Oh To See The Dawn (The Power Of The Cross), All My Days (Beautiful Saviour), O My Soul Arise And Bless Your Maker, Speak O Lord, Jesus Is Lord, The Lords My Shepherd (Psalm 23), In Christ Alone, How Deep The Fathers Love For Us, Holy Spirit How I Love You, From The Squalor Of A Borrowed Stable (Immanuel), O Church Arise, Beloved And Blessed
Unshakable – Andy Park
This studio album features Andy Park's songwriting at its very best! I am amazed that songs from this CD are not in greater usage among worship leaders!
Standout songs: Unshakable, Revive us again, Savior of the world, You are God, Precious pearl, Worthy of all my love, Carry me, To give my life away
Knowing You Jesus – The Very Best of Graham Kendrick (Double CD)
All of the most loved songs from Graham are here... somewhat modernized too!
Standout songs: Knowing You (All I once held dear), Shine Jesus Shine, The Servant King, Thank You For The Cross, Is Anyone Thirsty?, For This I Have Jesus, Lord You've Been Good To Me, Jesus Stand Among Us / Here Is Bread, Amazing Love (My Lord, what love is this), God Of The Poor (Beauty For Brokenness), There Is A Hope So Sure (with Darlene Zschech), Let The Flame Burn Brighter, What Can I Do?, O Lord Your Tenderness / Such Love
10000 Reasons – Matt Redman
This one is a worship leader's dream album (but then, you already knew that!).
Standout songs: Here for You, Holy, 10000 reasons, Never once, Where would we be, Endless hallelujah
Sing Along II – Phil Wickham
It's a tough choice between Sing Along - I and II, but I am going to go with the 2nd one. Just like the first one, this is another great example of less being more in worship. Just acoustic guitar and worshipping voices—but the artistry is amazing!
Standout songs: Heaven Fall Down, At Your Name (Yahweh, Yahweh), I'll Always Love You, Messiah / You're Beautiful, Sun & Moon, I Surrender All
Found anything you like in this list? Why don't you share your favorite worship albums in the comments?
November 13, 2013
The One Thing That You Need to Know to Excel at Worship or Just About Anything
Here’s a confession: I am pretty much an average singer and musician.In fact, if I were to ever do a concert, I doubt anyone will pay to attend it!And yet, I keep hearing people telling me how much they enjoy worshiping with me. Some have even asked me what my secret is. And I’ve never really had a specific answer to give them till now. Since I know my many limitations, I have to admit that worship works despite me, and acknowledge it’s all the work of the Holy Spirit!However, it doesn’t mean we do nothing either. God’s generous grace invites us to contribute too!So having thought about it, yes, I think I do have a secret to share in this post. And it’s not just for leading worship, I believe it applies to every goal you want to achieve!Ready? OK, here goes, this is my top tip:Fall in loveReally? That’s it? But……yes I know you already love Jesus.…yes I know you already love to sing for God.…yes I know you already love to make music for God.…yes I know you already love to lead worship.…yes I know you already love to write God songs.Sure you do, but there’s one more thing you need to fall in love with:The routeUnderstanding 'Route' and 'Outcome' A powerful session of congregational worship is an outcome. A moving worship song that edifies our church is an outcome. A popular blog post is an outcome. A bestselling book is an outcome. A hit worship record is an outcome.So how do we get there? Simple! We faithfully walk the route, and the outcome will follow.What then is ‘route’? Route is… cooperating with the Holy Spirit. Route is… spending quiet times in prayer every day. Route is… personal practice times honing your singing and musical skills. Route is… hard and long hours of team rehearsals. Route is… walking with the people entrusted to you and mentoring them. Route is… slogging over words, words, and more words to write that blog post or book. Route is… spending time to train yourself to get better at whatever it is that you do.
You see, we love the outcome, but the route required to get there doesn’t quite excite us as much. Fall in love with it, it just might make all the difference to your life, your ministry, your relationships, and your Church.My friend, passion is not just loving the outcome, it’s also loving the route. Fix the route—the outcome will fix itself.It’s time to be awesome. Fall in love again—you will excel at everything you do!Your turn to share: Is there an outcome you’re wishing for now? What do you think you need to do to get there?
November 12, 2013
The One Thing That You Need to Know to Excel at Worship or Just About Everything
Here’s a confession: I am pretty much an average singer and musician.
In fact, if I were to ever do a concert, I doubt anyone will pay to attend it!
And yet, I keep hearing people telling me how much they enjoy worshiping with me. Some have even asked me what my secret is. And I’ve never really had a specific answer to give them till now. Since I know my many limitations, I have to admit that worship works despite me, and acknowledge it’s all the work of the Holy Spirit!
However, it doesn’t mean we do nothing either. God’s generous grace invites us to contribute too!
So having thought about it, yes, I think I do have a secret to share in this post. And it’s not just for leading worship, I believe it applies to every goal you want to achieve!
Ready? OK, here goes, this is my top tip:
Fall in love
Really? That’s it? But…
…yes I know you already love Jesus.
…yes I know you already love to sing for God.
…yes I know you already love to make music for God.
…yes I know you already love to lead worship.
…yes I know you already love to write God songs.
Sure you do, but there’s one more thing you need to fall in love with:
The route
Understanding 'Route' and 'Outcome' A powerful session of congregational worship is an outcome. A moving worship song that edifies our church is an outcome. A popular blog post is an outcome. A bestselling book is an outcome. A hit worship record is an outcome.
So how do we get there? Simple! We faithfully walk the route, and the outcome will follow.
What then is ‘route’? Route is… cooperating with the Holy Spirit. Route is… spending quiet times in prayer every day. Route is… personal practice times honing your singing and musical skills. Route is… hard and long hours of team rehearsals. Route is… walking with the people entrusted to you and mentoring them. Route is… slogging over words, words, and more words to write that blog post or book. Route is… spending time to train yourself to get better at whatever it is that you do.
You see, we love the outcome, but the route required to get there doesn’t quite excite us as much. Fall in love with it, it just might make all the difference to your life, your ministry, your relationships, and your Church.
My friend, passion is not just loving the outcome, it’s also loving the route. Fix the route—the outcome will fix itself.
It’s time to be awesome. Fall in love again—you will excel at everything you do!
Your turn to share: Is there an outcome you’re wishing for now? What do you think you need to do to get there?
November 11, 2013
The One Thing That You Need to Know to Excel at Just About Anything
Here’s a confession: I am pretty much an average singer and musician.
In fact, if I were to ever do a concert, I doubt anyone will pay to attend it!
And yet, I keep hearing people telling me they enjoy my worship sessions. Some have even asked me what my secret is.
I’ve never really had an insightful answer to give them till now. Since I know my many limitations, I have to admit that worship works despite me, and acknowledge it’s all the work of the Holy Spirit!
However, it doesn’t mean we do nothing either. God’s generous grace invites us to contribute too!
So having thought about it, yes, I think I do have a secret to share in this post. And it’s not just for leading worship, I believe it applies to every goal you want to achieve!
Ready? OK, here goes, this is my top tip:
Fall in love.
Really? That’s it? But…
…yes I know you already love Jesus.
…yes I know you already love to sing for God.
…yes I know you already love to make music for God.
…yes I know you already love to lead worship.
…yes I know you already love to write God songs.
Sure you do, but there’s one more thing you need to fall in love with:
The route.
Understanding 'Route' and 'Outcome' A powerful session of congregational worship is an outcome. A moving worship song that edifies our church is an outcome. A popular blog post is an outcome. A bestselling book is an outcome. A popular record is an outcome.
So how do we get there? Simple! We faithfully walk the route, and the outcome will follow.
What then is ‘route’? Route is… cooperating with the Holy Spirit. Route is… spending quiet times in prayer every day. Route is… personal practice times honing your singing and musical skills. Route is… hard and long hours of team rehearsals. Route is… walking with the people entrusted to you and mentoring them. Route is… slogging over words, words, and more words to write that blog post or book. Route is… spending time to train yourself to get better at whatever it is that you do.
You see, we love the outcome, but the route required to get there doesn’t quite excite us as much. Fall in love with it, it just might make all the difference to your life, your ministry, your relationships, and your Church.
My friend, passion is not just loving the outcome, it’s also loving the route. Fix the route—the outcome will fix itself.
It’s time to be awesome. Fall in love again—you will excel at everything you do!
Your turn to share: Is there an outcome you’re wishing for now? What do you think you need to do to get there?
