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WE SAY "THE CHURCH IS THE PEOPLE," BUT OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS MAY GIVE A DIFFERENT IMPRESSION. We say "go to church." We even call the building "the church." We use a sketch of our building in our church logo. We display our building first on our Web site and weekly bulletin. We measure faithfulness by how often someone attends gatherings at the church building. I'm not sure we really believe what we say we believe.
SANCTIFICATION INFUSES THROUGH PRODUCTIVE FAITH, TAKES ROOT IN COMMUNITY, AND THRIVES IN UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. Conversely, sin lurks in idleness, takes root in isolation, and thrives in secrecy. In a time when more people are home from school and work than ever, and the threat of pandemic, death, and economic fallout looms large, Christians must brace themselves for the spiritual battle silently ensuing.
ARE YOU THE KIND OF PERSON NO ONE CONFIDES IN MORE THAN ONCE? All of us have inadvertently made for miserable comforters at some point, in spite of our good intentions. Let’s face it, we are sometimes ill-prepared to hear and respond to some of the things someone may share with us.
ONE OF THE GREATEST JOYS OF LIVING IS THE JOY OF SINGING A GOOD SONG. While taste in music is undeniably subjective, some hymns are of notably superior quality. Perhaps the greatest test of the quality of a hymn is the test of time.
AS A PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER OR SINGER, IT IS UNDESIRABLE TO MISS WEEKS OF WORK DUE TO LOSS OF YOUR VOICE. Naturally, missing some time due to illness is understandable. However, poorly managing common colds and allergies can result in consecutive weeks of time where the voice is incapacitated.
WHILE WORSHIP LEADERSHIP REQUIRES BEING SEEN AND HEARD, THERE ARE SOME THINGS WORSHIP LEADERS MUST NOT DO. A leader must be self-aware, able to discern when his method is most and least effective. He must be intentional, giving careful thought to how he may best lead the church in each particular act of worship. Above all, he must be sensitive to anything in his attitude, appearance, or sound that would get in the way of worship.
THOUGH SOME HAVE PURSUED TO AN EXTREME THE MYSTIFYING ART OF "INVISIBLE" WORSHIP "LEADING," PERHAPS A BALANCED APPROACH IS MORE EFFECTIVE. The worship leader is a minister for a people and a purpose greater than himself; his role and responsibility is to lead the people of God into the presence of God.
NEW MUSIC IS NOW BECOMING AVAILABLE TO THE AVERAGE CHURCH AT AN UNPRECEDENTED PACE. Simultaneously, music literacy is declining. Church leaders are often ill-equipped to discern between the various sources of music that may be infiltrating the church. Worship leaders may have competing agendas regarding worship styles, new songs to introduce, and favorite arrangements. Composers … Continue reading What every church leader needs to know about hymns and hymnals in the digital era
IN SOME CHURCHES, THE ONLY PERSON WHO EVER HAS THE PRIVILEGE OF SINGING THE PITHY FIRST PHRASE OF A SONG IS THE LEADER. While many have debated where the line is between trying to turn the church into a choral group and neglecting the music entirely, there ought to be one thing we all agree upon--if it is worship from the heart, the words matter above all else.
"Where there is no vision, the people perish." Proverbs 29:18 KJV THE GREATEST THREAT TO A CAPPELLA WORSHIP IS NOT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC; IT IS LOUSY WORSHIP. Some church leaders believe they can keep a cappella alive by preaching against instrumental music semi-annually, but the most effective method is to worship the Lord with consistent, spirit-filled … Continue reading 12 essentials to keeping a cappella worship alive in your church, and 12 ways to kill it
