articles

Joshua Weiss offers ideas to help you decide. If you have spent any amount of time working on a church worship team, you have inevitably encountered the discussion of paying musicians to play. This is a conversation I have had more and more lately. I should preface this blog by…

Andrew Holt gives his feedback on the importance of growing student worship ministries. I have lead worship for student ministry in different capacities for almost six years, and it has become one of my favorite ministries to be a part of. One of the trickiest parts of building a strong…

Rich Birch wonders if the “Modern Worship Crowd” is holding onto its approach in the same way the “Hymns & Organ Crowd” did? The first church I served at was in the middle of a worship war when I started there. It was like a cold war with a lot of passive-aggressive…

Forbes’ Bobby Owsinski writes about the latest news in the new music business. There are times when a trend happens so fast that it’s just like being hit in the face with an ice cold towel, and then there are times when it’s so slow moving that you can feel…

Keith Getty lists five of the many reasons we should all sing passionately in church this Sunday: Each week, upwards of 100 million people in America attend church, listen responsively to the sermons, and pray sincerely. But when it comes time to sing the hymns, the level of engagement drops…

Mark Powers offers a planning framework: How can worship leaders enable others to fall deeply in love with God? Here are eight principles that can enable a vertical vortex of Spirit and Truth: 1. Gather God’s family. Whatever your worship tradition or style, liturgical or free, we must allow our…

Debbie Holloway says churches outnumber Starbucks 25-1: If I ever want Starbucks, I know one will always be close. There’s one in my grocery store. There’s one a few intersections away from my apartment. There are four within two square miles of my parents’ house! If anything in this country…

Robert Schuller’s grandson talks about the lasting parts of his family’s ministry. When Bobby Schuller’s grandfather, Robert Schuller, founded Garden Grove Community Church in Southern California in 1955, he immediately attracted attention. The church met in a drive-in theater, and the novelty of it generated both local and national news…

Mimi Bullock shares ideas for providing kids with unique ways to worship the Lord. Easter is on its way — are you ready for an influx of children? Share the joy and hope of Easter by providing kids with unique ways to worship the Lord. Prepare ahead of time and…

Ron Edmondson’s thoughts on leadership, church and culture. I was talking with a church recently that had explosive growth, but things have slowed. They wanted to know why they were not growing any longer. Honestly, I don’t know. There are probably different reasons for every church that stops growing. But,…

MercyMe lead singer Bart Millard almost quit the band, but instead reinvented the group’s style. If you grew up listening to Christian rock music, chances are a few songs from the band MercyMe have a spot on your most-played list. The Texas-born group features lead singer/songwriter Bart Millard and band…

Download a free chord chart, lyrics, lead sheet, vocal demo and instrumental track for Hillsong’s “O Praise The Name (Anástasis.)” Read more about the song.

Matthew Starner suggests a balanced approach to worship planning: Hymns have played a role in worship since the earliest days of the church, and especially since the Reformation. Martin Luther helped to bring hymns to greater prominence when he encouraged the congregation to actually participate. In the time before the…

Josh Ferris wonders what we communicate by putting a comparatively large amount of resources into a single day: It’s the stuff of church staffer dreams. The parking lot is jammed, teams of coffee-amped volunteers are bustling, the band is running through that great new song, and very soon, crowds of…

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Easter is coming. It’s one of the most popular times in the year for guests to attend your church. It’s also the biggest celebration in the church calendar. So how will your church welcome visitors and celebrate Christ’s resurrection? We’ve got plenty of…