Alexander Green

The Ideal Worship Leader and Other Myths

Let’s make a list of a great worship leader:

Strong musical ability to carry the band…
…and vocally gifted to inspire the congregation each time his/her mouth opens…
…but also the spiritual depth to truly lead a congregation in worship…
…with a mix of theological and musical training coupled with the creativity to plan and execute biblically sound, yet emotionally-charged worship experiences…
…and the interpersonal skills to develop, encourage, and exhort a team to musical excellence and relational health…
…but also has the administrative skills to coordinate schedules, services, and special events.
Oh, and I almost forgot: a gifted songwriter.

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Church Trip: Salvation Army Church

The most I’ve thought of the Salvation Army is around Christmastime when you see people ringing a bell in front of department stores to raise money. The Salvation Army is considered a denomination, started by William Booth in 1865 in the UK. They’re now in 125 countries with the mission to “preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”

In addition to helping those in need, every “corp” of the Salvation Army has a church with weekly services (throughout the years I’d have Salvation Army subscribers to my HymnCharts website and wondered why they’d need music, now I know.)

Last Sunday I visited the Salvation Army Church in Anaheim, CA. It appeared to be like any contemporary church you’d visit in the country – praise band, modern music and lighting – but I’d say the worship was actually a few steps above most churches. The volunteer musicians were excellent and I heard great congregational singing and good worship flow (Lauren Flores, wife of worship leader Aaron Flores, has an exceptional Christy Knocklesque voice every music director would want on their team.)

Singing is a good indication of the spiritual health of your congregation. The people attending the Salvation Army Church sing loudly – many have been saved from addictions or are currently struggling. Their worship was passionate and contagious.

What we can learn from the Salvation Army Church:

 
Tailor music to your community: I told Aaron I noticed many of the songs spoke to our brokeness and dependence on God. He explained how he’s shifted his thinking from merely picking songs he likes to picking songs his congregation needs. He’s using music from Bethel Church in Redding, CA (Jeremy Riddle.)

Encourage acapella singing: Even though I’d rank the Salvation Army Church praise band up with the most contemporary churches in America they do a hefty amount of acapella singing at the end of songs. The congregation’s unaccompanied voice is a beautiful sound – especially at the end of a rocking tune. Variety is the spice of your worship life and acapella singing is one way of obtaining it.

Aaron and Lauren’s new recording comes out today on iTunes – check it out.

Flores website.

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First Impressions Are Virtual

Evan Courtney helps you view your church as a first time visitor:

Last summer my family went on vacation with my in-laws to Branson, Mo. When Sunday rolled around it was defaulted to me, being the pastor in the family, to pick a church to attend. I didn’t know anything about churches in the area so I resorted to Googling “Branson church.”

I found myself looking through about 30 websites spending on average only 15 seconds at each website. These 15 seconds were first impressions. First impressions are no longer physical but virtual. Before someone pulls into your parking lot or shakes a greeter’s hand at the front doors, visitors have already visited the church online.

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Grammar Rules for Worship Slides

Nate Ragan talks about proper formatting on your slides:

It’s often assumed that the ministry of onscreen multimedia in a church is merely a task of sharing information. Announcements, sermon points, song lyrics—make them large enough to read, spellcheck your work and, if possible, make it look pretty. But what if there’s something more? A deeper calling we’ve been given to tell a better story?

As a visual worship leader, I see the role of delivering onscreen multimedia similar to the role of other worship leaders or teaching pastors. We’re helping to shape a communal experience where we share God’s story in creative, multisensory ways that impact us in body, mind and soul. We are the sacred visual artists of our day, echoing the role played by cave carvings, stained-glass windows, icons and tapestries, revealing the story of our faith to both the seeker and the learned.

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