Jeremy Smith asks if we really need to have the offering plate present to make our regular gift to the church holy.

It would seem that tech is being used for many great ways in church including youth ministry games, digital communications, and safety checks for our children. Yet, I am experiencing a huge resistance to technology in a very unusual location, in online giving. It would seem that tithing online is somehow different than any other payments online with Amazon, iTunes, Chase, or eBay. But do we really need to have the offering plate present to make our regular gift to the church holy? Nope.

So let me first recommend one of our sponsors, MoGiv, how understand the power of online giving and what it means for the church. And secondly, let me share below 14 stats on why you need to seriously consider online giving.

• Online giving to ministries increased by 18.1% in 2013. You might be missing out because you don’t adopt this.
• Donors acquired online who give through multiple channels are worth up to 3 times more than those who give through a single channel. (i.e triple giving for these donors)

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Dan Wilt helps take your vocals to the next level.

1. Vibrato Is Out – Tight Blend Is In.

When microphones were first put in front of church vocalists back in the day, chorally or folk-bred singers brought their vibrato to the microphone. If you’re the only one singing, or if you’re trying to convey a 1970s sound (almost 50 years ago), you can get away with it. But “buzz” is what we’re after in today’s 21st century worship environments. Aim for a smooth sound, that blends tightly with the other vocalists (see #8 below).

2. Drink Lots Of Water Hours Before Singing.

Hydrated vocal cords sound better, hold pitch better, and hold up longer. Drink lots and lots of water a few hours before you are going to sing. It will help your sound and keep your voice strong for the long haul.

Oh, and warm up on the car ride in. It helps.

3. You Don’t Need To Sing All The Time.

I can’t tell you how many “deer-in-the-headlights” looks I’ve gotten over the years about this one. “I’m in front of a microphone, I practiced, so I need to sing all the time, right?” Nope. You are an instrument. Voices blend, come and go, lay out for extended periods, then come in tastefully – just like instruments. Listen to an All Sons And Daughters video, Bon Iver, or other video (see the Oceans acoustic video). It’s all about applying your “instrument” at the right time.

Sometimes, I ask one singer to join in on the first chorus, then hold back a second singer for when a bigger moment arrives. It adds dynamics.

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Doug Lawrence says most churches move through worship leaders like he goes through firewood in the winter.

Like pastors, worship leaders take lots of critical “hits” in their vocation; they just make a lot less money and are often not as well trained as traditional clergy. Oh, and they are frequently expendable—real expendable. Most churches move through worship leaders like I go through firewood in the winter. Can we help these people become better leaders?

As a life-long worship guy, I get to talk about this stuff.

Let’s identify those areas were worship leaders (WL) seem to be at their weakest:

1. Worship leaders often feel that, though they are not well-trained theologically, they need to do a certain amount of spiritual input when they’re upfront.

This often leads to annoying rambling and unnecessary and often “soggy” theological input. It is surprising how many congregants experience WL this way (even their own pastors) but fail to be honest with them about how that particular “mannerism” comes across.

In one church I recently visited, the WL spent more time talking than leading people in participatory musical expression. From my more than 40+ years of leading worship, there is something inappropriate about that.

I’m not saying it’s not well-intentioned, it’s just a little insensitive to their expected role on the platform.

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