Worship Ministry Training Podcast (For Worship Leaders)

One of the  key characteristics of a great worship leader is administration and organization. It may not be glamorous, or even fun, but you literally can't have a healthy worship ministry without administration and organization. In this month's episode, I share 5 administrative systems, structures, and schedules that are necessary in order to have a healthy, thriving worship ministry. 🔥 Free Wors...

In our third Listener Q&A Episode,  podcast listener Jason Daugherty asks for advice as his church plans to switch from one worship service to multiple worship services. Brenton Collyer ,  Justin Kalama   and I share some key concepts to keep in mind when switching your church from one service to multiple services, from scheduling to family, to time usage, unity, keeping it authentic, and more. If...

Everybody wants a rich, full sound for their musical worship. And everyone wants smooth worship services that flow from song to song without distraction. But how can we achieve such excellence on a weekly basis? One answer is to utilize backing pads. What are backing pads? What are the benefits of using them in our worship sets? What are the key qualities of a great backing pad? What are the simpl...

In our 2nd Listener Q&A Bonus Episode, we answer a question from podcast listener, Brian Johnson. Brian is a new worship leader and will be taking over an established youth worship ministry. He asks for advice on how to lead a band, and how to do his best as a new leader in a youth group context. Justin Bell and I answer. If you'd like to submit a question for a future episode email me at alex@wor...

The average church in America has only seventy members. This means that most worship leaders are fighting the uphill battle of trying to create an excellent worship ministry with limited resources and limited personnel. However, Kade Young seems to have cracked the code. In a church of only 100, Kade is consistently bringing forth excellence from both his worship and tech ministries. Today we talk...

Our first Listener Q&A Episode! Podcast listener, Rick Flood asks for advice on how to switch from leading worship on an acoustic guitar, to leading from an electric. Brenton, Sam and I share our tips, ideas, and concepts on how to approach leading from an electric guitar, and how it differs from leading on an acoustic. We talk tone, pedals, strumming patterns, chord voicing, mixing and more. If y...

Sixteen years ago Andi Rozier started writing songs for his church, Harvest Bible Chapel . Today, his songs are being sung in churches all over the world. Many worship pastors desire to write songs for their church, so in today's episode Andi ( Vertical Church Band ) helps us learn how to get started, what we should focus on, dangers to avoid, and how to practically and financially set things up f...

Should we be borrowing ideas and techniques from concerts to implement in our worship services? Can a small church with zero technology have a successful worship ministry? What defines ministry success? This short bonus episode encourages us to go back to the heart of our calling to examine the why, what and how of a successful worship ministry.  worshipleadertraining.com/resources I'D LOVE TO HEA...

As many churches try to replicate stadium-style worship concerts in their weekly gatherings, the art of congregational singing is declining. Participation from congregants is down and what was supposed to be a participatory event has turned into passive observers watching leaders dance around a technicolor stage. But Keith and Kristen Getty are on a mission to revitalize congregational singing in...

As worship leaders, our job is not to sing, but to help the  people  sing. We are facilitators of the congregational choir. One way we can help facilitate is by using "vocal cues". Vocal cues are the things you say or sing to help your congregation know where you're going next in a song. Today's episode feels less like a lecture, and more like you're sitting across from me in my office with our gu...

Last month we talked with specialist Zack Carter about Wise Boundaries with the Opposite Sex in Ministry . This month we talk to five worship leaders from across the U.S. about how they maintain wise boundaries with the opposite gender in their ministries. Our Guests: Krissy Nordhoff – KrissyNordhoff.com , Brave Worship Brenton Collyer – BrentonCollyer.com , Restore Worship Conference Justin Kalam...

Affairs and infidelity are occurring often in the Church. Not just among the congregants, but also among staff and pastors. How many great and influential pastors have fallen into sexual or emotional affairs in the last several years? If infidelity can happen to them, it can happen to us. We must be diligent to guard our hearts and our interactions with the opposite sex. Dr. Zack Carter joins us t...

Almost all churches have some sort of pre-service music playing while people walk in. Instead of just filling that Pre-Service Playlist with your favorite songs, here's a "Pro Tip" (I'll share it with you right here in the show notes): Use your church's pre-service playlist as a tool to subliminally teach your congregation new songs that you plan to introduce. I'll explain my process in this short...

Great communication matters. We have only seventy minutes on Sundays to communicate to our congregants the things we feel are vital for them to know. We must think strategically and purposefully about every element of communication in our worship services: pre-service slides, announcements, prayers, lyric slides, videos and more. Brady Shearer, founder of Pro Church Tools, joins us today to help u...

Many churches suffer from poor sound in their sanctuaries. It doesn't have to be that way. Today we cover seven principles that you can apply immediately to improve the sound in your church's sanctuary, whether you're in a big church or a small church. Enjoy the practical advice in this episode, and may it help you get clearer, cleaner, better sound for the glory of God! A good sounding system in...

  Traditional choirs are being killed off in churches across America, and quite honestly, I'm OK with that. However, there is one reason why I think you should consider keeping your choir, or starting one if you don't already have one.  It might be a reason you've never thought of before. Enjoy this short bonus episode, and let us know if you agree or disagree in the comments.  PS: Happy Birthday...

  "How do I put together a compelling and engaging worship set?" Whether you're a veteran worship leader or brand new to the game, putting together a song set is something you have to do on a regular basis. But how do we go about it? Is there a formula? Are there filters that can help us decide which songs to do and in what order? Song selection and song order is a key element to congregational en...

  Nobody begins ministry with plans to burn out, ruin their family, walk away from the faith, or have an affair, but unfortunately these things happen on a regular basis in the Church. So how do we guard ourselves from these things? How do we set ourselves up to be faithful and fruitful for the long haul? Worship ministry veteran Paul Baloche joins us today to talk longevity and fruitfulness in mi...

  John 4 may be one of the most well known passages in the Bible about worship. But what exactly is "worship in Spirit and Truth"? And as worship leaders and pastors, how do we plan our services to facilitate the kind of worship that the Father is seeking? The venerable Bob Kauflin joins us on the podcast today to answer these very vital questions! I promise you'll be fascinated by his insights! ...

  Big news! The Worship Team Podcast is now the Worship Leader Training Podcast!  When I started this podcast, I had it in mind to train my team members and team members from other churches. However, it quickly became apparent that I had much more to say to worship leaders than to team members. I have decided to change the name of the podcast to better reflect the content and make it easier for wo...

  Our first worship leader roundtable is all about auditions. Four worship pastors from different churches discuss how they do auditions in their church. What mediums do they use to announce their auditions? What does the lead up process look like? What does the actual audition look like? How do they tell people no? What happens after the audition? All these questions are answered on this episode...

  We all know that private worship is supposed to fuel our public ministry, but some days our times with God are dry, boring, distracted or distant. Stephen Miller joins us to discuss the power and importance of personal worship and give us some tips for keeping our walk with Jesus fresh and vibrant! Connect with Stephen online:  www.stephen-miller.com @stephenmiller Liberating King - Amazon Worsh...

  There comes a day for most Worship Leaders when they have to leave their current ministry assignment. Very few worship leaders get to serve the same congregation for 40 years. Sometimes the leaving is painful, under less-than-ideal circumstances. Other times, it is a joyous launching and hope-filled transition into an exciting new season. Whichever the case, it is vitally important that we leave...

  With so many great new worship songs out there, there's a temptation to grab whatever is flashy and cool and throw it into your next worship set; but we must be much more intentional about the songs we choose and introduce to our congregation. We are the "Gatekeepers" of our church's "worship vocabulary". We put the words on their lips that shape their theology and view of God, so we must be ver...

  David Santistevan  joins us this month to discuss organization, productivity, and efficiency as a worship leader. Many musicians have a bad rap for being lazy and disorganized, but this should NOT be the case in the Church! David is the host of the well-known "Beyond Sunday Podcast" (a podcast for worship leaders that you should DEFINITELY be listening to), as well as an author, blogger, worship...