When was the last time you worshiped because you wanted to?

Not because you were told you should. Not because it’s your job. Not because you have a responsibility. You just wanted to be with God – receiving His love, hearing His voice, being with Him.

Not many worship leaders do this. We do it because we have to and can easily lose our first love. That’s why I love what God is doing at Worship Mob, a weekly gathering of worship leaders and worshipers who are simply hungry for God.

Garrett Chynoweth and Nico Perez jumped on the Skype interwebs and had a conversation with me about their new album, Carry the Fire, as well as a host of other topics. This interview was so good – consider it a much needed therapy session for worship leaders.

Enjoy!

Click to Listen In this Episode, You’ll Hear More About:

• The origins of Worship Mob.

• Why worship leaders need a place to worship without expectation.

• Leading out of confidence in God’s love.

• Tips for creating a Worship Mob culture in your city.

• Why the tracks on Carry the Fire are longer than the typical worship album.

• How to balance spontaneity & planning.

• A super practical tip for leading worship with time constraints.

• How to be yourself in worship while still honoring your leaders.

• Why you should practice spontaneous worship with your team.

• Creating cultures of worship off the stage.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• Website: Worship Mob

• Music: Carry the Fire by Worship Mob

• Youtube: Worship Mob

• Blog: Why Vulnerable Worship is Scary, Necessary, & the Best Way to Lead

• Podcast: Indigenous Worship, Celebrity Leadership, & an Honest Look at Modern Worship w/ Malcolm DuPlessis

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Thanks For Listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. So helpful!

If you have an idea for a podcast you would like to see, a special guest you’d like to hear from, or a question for an upcoming episode, please email me. If you enjoyed the show, I would be so appreciative if you would rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That helps me so much! Thanks.

And thanks to Garrett & Nico for sharing with us!

Question: What’s your biggest takeaway from this interview with Garrett & Nico? Always love to hear from you! You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Tweet Like what you read? If so, please join over 5000 people who receive exclusive weekly online worship ministry tips, and get a FREE COPY of my eBook, Beyond Sunday! Just enter your name and email below:

I don’t know about you, but I love discovering new worship music.

Especially worship music that is creative, real, challenging, honest, and different. Welcome to the music of Aaron Strumpel. Aaron is very prolific artist who wastes no time creating great art over the last 8 years: 6 solo full length albums, 5 solo EPs, 6 collaborative full length albums, and plenty more.

Aaron is a worship leader/solo artist based in Boulder, Colorado. He travels the world leading others in worship, is a member of Enter the Worship Circle, and has his own recording studio where he records and produces other artists..

Aaron has such a beautiful heart for Jesus, the church, teaching others, and making great music. He does a really good job creating worship music that is corporate while also pushing creative boundaries.

We go a lot of different directions here. It’s a longer podcast than usual but it was all too good to do any editing.

Enjoy!

Click to Listen In this Episode You’ll Hear More About:

• How Aaron got started with music – recording, traveling, teaching, creating.

• An unique way to collaborate as songwriters in large groups.

• Singing the Psalms word for word.

• How to develop confidence as a songwriter.

• Why you should try to write 41 songs out of the book of Psalms.

• Why continual, consistent songwriting is key to writing better songs.

• How to develop musical ideas based on drum grooves.

• Why doing something different may be the best for your creativity.

• How to avoid creative constipation

• How to record music when you don’t have any money.

• Where to start when it comes to making a record.

• Tips for tracking a live recording.

• The benefit of writing beats on a drum pad before you track drums.

• Creating a vision statement for your records.

• Why we need songs of lament & complaint.

• Tips for booking and going on your own tour

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• Website: Aaron Strumpel

• Music: Bright Star by Aaron Strumpel

• Website: Shovel Songs

• Website: Enter the Worship Circle

• Website: The Worship Songwriter: A Step by Step Guide to Crafting Your Best Songs

• Music: Waterdeep

• Music: Ben Harper

• Music: Ani DiFranco

• Music: Agents of Future

• Podcast: This American Life

• Music: Sleeping at Last

• Music: Loud Harp

• Music: Page CXVI

• Music: Eustace the Dragon

• Website: Latifah Philipps (producer)

• Website: Santa Cruz Guitars

• Pedal: Reverberation Machine

• Compressor: Telenordia Kompressor

• Pedal: Timeline by Strymon

• Amp: Fender Vibraverb Reissue

• Amp: Morgan RCA-35

• Website: Closeup.fm

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Thanks For Listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. So helpful!

If you have an idea for a podcast you would like to see, a special guest you’d like to hear from, or a question for an upcoming episode, please email me. If you enjoyed the show, I would be so appreciative if you would rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That helps me so much! Thanks.

And thanks to Aaron for sharing with us!

Question: What’s your biggest takeaway from this interview with Aaron? Always love to hear from you! You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Tweet Like what you read? If so, please join over 5000 people who receive exclusive weekly online worship ministry tips, and get a FREE COPY of my eBook, Beyond Sunday! Just enter your name and email below:

This week’s podcast is all about keeping things fresh.

Without a doubt, we all get stuck in ruts. We go through the motions. We get stale in our leadership. In order to be a great worship leader, we need to cultivate a massive imagination – to see more and more of God in His Word and in the world, to learn new musical ideas, to step into what is unknown.

Click to Listen In This Episode You’ll Hear More About

• Why a massive imagination is important for worship leaders.

• How to avoid burnout.

• The problem with copying what others are doing.

• What to do when you don’t feel appreciated in what you do.

• Why God wants to do something fresh through you, in your life and community.

• What David Gungor has to say about leading worship and knowing your context.

• 8 Tips for Growing Your Imagination
  1. Know Your Room
  2. Know Your People
  3. Forget About What You Think is Cool
  4. Sing the Bible
  5. Surround Yourself with Interesting People
  6. Do Something Crazy
  7. Write
  8. Lead Different Generations in Worship

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Thanks For Listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. So helpful!

If you have an idea for a podcast you would like to see, a special guest you’d like to hear from, or a question for an upcoming episode, please email me. If you enjoyed the show, I would be so appreciative if you would rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That helps me so much! Thanks.

Question: How do you cultivate wonder and imagination as a worship leader? How do you keep it fresh? Always love to hear from you! You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Tweet Like what you read? If so, please join over 5000 people who receive exclusive weekly online worship ministry tips, and get a FREE COPY of my eBook, Beyond Sunday! Just enter your name and email below:

You know the feeling of discovering an amazing band that not many people know about?

Yea, that was my experience when I first heard the Brilliance a couple years ago. Beautiful, raw, real music for the church that is so different than anything else out there.

So David Gungor and I met over Skype for a conversation about their music, about creating art for the church, the importance of defining a liturgy, creativity, David’s relationship with his brothers Michael (from the band Gungor) and Rob, and tons of great “local church” tips that will stretch and challenge you.

Click to Listen In This Episode, You’ll Hear More About:

• David’s background in music and art.

• On copying others in worship music.

• Inspiring imagination in your congregation.

• Avoiding creating worship music like corporate jingles.

• Using the historical church calendar in your worship planning.

• Why repetitive worship chorus can lend towards us losing imagination in worship.

• Why we can’t always copy other worship artists…why it just doesn’t work.

• Why we corporate is gathering to tell, receive, and join in the story of the Triune God.

• Where David gets his inspiration as a lyricist.

• The difference between a craftsman and an artist (and how they approach creativity).

• David’s relationship with his brothers, Michael & Rob (and who he thinks is the most progressive, musically)

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Website: The Brilliance

• Music: Brother by The Brilliance

• Music: For Our Children EP by The Brilliance

• Music: Sufjan Stevens

• Music: Phillip Glass

• Music: Gungor

• Music: The Liturgists

• Music: Wilderman

• Twitter: @brilliancemusic

• Facebook: The Brilliance

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Thanks For Listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. So helpful!

If you have an idea for a podcast you would like to see, a special guest you’d like to hear from, or a question for an upcoming episode, please email me. If you enjoyed the show, I would be so appreciative if you would rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That helps me so much! Thanks.

A huge thank you to David for sharing with us!

Question: What was your biggest takeaway from the interview with David? Always love to hear from you! You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Tweet Like what you read? If so, please join over 5000 people who receive exclusive weekly online worship ministry tips, and get a FREE COPY of my eBook, Beyond Sunday! Just enter your name and email below:

Todays guest writes one of my favorite worship blogs on the internet: Zac Hicks.

Zac is a worship pastor at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, pastored by Tullian Tchividjian. This conversation was one of my favorites! Zac is a super smart guy who knows a whole lot about culture, music, theology, and how that all connects to leading worship in the local church.

We also talk a lot about reading books and learning styles (hence all the amazing book recommendations below). Zac talks about how reading keeps him sharp as a worship leader. There are some very practical tips for you.

And one of my favorite parts: approaching the subject of getting old and “irrelevant” as a worship leader.

Not to be missed!

Click to Listen In This Episode, You’ll Hear More About:

• Why loving and learning old things is important

• Why classical music education is helpful to modern music

• Developing an appreciation for music you don’t usually listen to

• Expanding your imagination as a musician

• Re-contextualizing old hymns to edify the church and speak to our blind spots

• On developing a love for reading & learning

• The pros and cons of reading on a Kindle

• Why studying culture is important for pastors/worship leaders

• How EDM is changing the form of song structure in contemporary worship music

• Why we need to love the church, not hurl rocks at her

• Why worship leaders fear getting old

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Website: Zac Hicks

• Website: Liberate

• Book: Gadsby’s Hymns by William Gadsby

• Book: Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley

• Book: Justin Holcomb books

• Book: Love Your God with All Your Mind by J.P Moreland

• Book: Who’s Afraid of Modern Art? by Dan Sidell

• Book: A Mess of Help: From the Crucified Soul of Rock & Roll by David Zahl

• Book: Christ Centered Worship by Bryan Chappell

• Book: Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin

• Book: Rhythms of Grace by Mike Cosper

• Book: Worship: Its Theology & Practice by J.J. Von Allmen

• Music: Dustin Kensrue

• Music: We Will Not Be Shaken by Bethel Music

• Song: Seas of Crimson by Bethel Music

• Blog Post: How EDM is Changing the Form of Song Structure in Pop Music…and Maybe Congregational Music

• Blog Post: Why We Worship Leaders Fear Getting Old

• Podcast: Justin Jarvis on Jesus Culture Music, Being Used by God, & Empowering Your Team

• Music: Never Looking Back by Allison Park Worship

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Thanks For Listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. So helpful!

If you have an idea for a podcast you would like to see, a special guest you’d like to hear from, or a question for an upcoming episode, please email me. If you enjoyed the show, I would be so appreciative if you would rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That helps me so much! Thanks.

A huge thank you to Zac for sharing with us!

Question: What was your biggest takeaway from the interview with Zac? Always love to hear from you! You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Tweet Like what you read? If so, please join over 5000 people who receive exclusive weekly online worship ministry tips, and get a FREE COPY of my eBook, Beyond Sunday! Just enter your name and email below:

Today’s guest is a powerhouse! Singer/Songwriter, worship leader, wife, and mother of 3, we welcome Meredith Andrews to the Beyond Sunday Podcast.

Meredith is on staff at Harvest Bible Chapel and is one of the worship leaders/songwriters of Vertical Church Band – an incredible community of artists and songwriters whose aim is to serve the local church with great new songs.

This conversation was so fun. Meredith was kind enough to take my call before she was about to lead worship for a conference, and as she rocked her little baby girl to sleep (that’s why you hear some sweet noises in the background :)).

Click to Listen In This Episode, You’ll Hear More About:

• A behind the scenes look at Vertical Church Band

• What the VCB album, Church Songs, is all about

• Writing songs that stand the test of time

• Overcoming fear as a songwriter

• Meredith’s songwriting process

• How co-writing will take your songwriting to the next level

• Why worship leaders & songwriters shouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel

• The importance of disciplined, consistent writing

• Balancing family, ministry, and career

Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Music: Church Songs by Vertical Church Band

• Website: Vertical Church Band

• Website: Meredith Andrews

• Podcast: Brian Johnson on Bethel Music Culture, The Creative Process, & Empowering Others

• Book: One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

• Twitter: @meremusic

• Facebook: Meredith Andrews

• Show Sponsor: Planning Center Online

Subscription Links

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Thanks For Listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. So helpful!

If you have an idea for a podcast you would like to see, a special guest you’d like to hear from, or a question for an upcoming episode, please email me. If you enjoyed the show, I would be so appreciative if you would rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That helps me so much! Thanks.

A huge thank you to Meredith for sharing with us!

Question: What was your biggest takeaway from the interview with Meredith? Always love to hear from you! You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Tweet Like what you read? If so, please join over 5000 people who receive exclusive weekly online worship ministry tips, and get a FREE COPY of my eBook, Beyond Sunday! Just enter your name and email below:

My guest this week is no stranger to the worship community: Brian Johnson from Bethel Music.

I’ve looked forward to this interview for a long time. Brian is an incredible songwriter & worship leader. But what I love most about he and his wife Jen is how they empower people.

Brian & Jen are such a testimony of what it means to create a culture people want to be a part of – a culture that attracts great people and a place where those people thrive. It’s not about a single personality. It’s about the community.

This interview was one of my favorites and is just full of tons of actionable advice for you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did recording it!

Click to Listen Tweetable Quotes:

• “If you want to be great, find something small and be great at it for a long time” (Tweet it).

• “God gives you small ideas to be stewarded into complete ideas” (Tweet it).

• “Insecurity & pride will make you a small person for the rest of your life” (Tweet it).

• “Don’t live by people’s accolade or by people’s critique” (Tweet it).

• “Establish a vision and cast it weekly to your team” (Tweet it).

In this Episode, You’ll Hear More About:

• Why Brian is excited about this particular Bethel Music project.

• What Brian does when he’s not writing songs and leading worship.

• What Team Nights are like at Bethel Music.

• How to create a healthy team environment.

• What it means to empower people over controlling them.

• The importance of doing ministry at a relational level.

• How to find your voice as a worship leader.

• The importance of pulling influences from a lot of different camps.

• How Brian approaches songwriting & co-songwriting.

• A behind the scenes look at the creative vision and ideas behind We Will Not Be Shaken.

• How Brian would build a worship team from scratch.

• The never ending tension of balancing family & ministry.

Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Website: Bethel Music

• Music: We Will Not Be Shaken by Bethel Music

• Music: The Undoing by Steffany Gretzinger

• Book: God Songs by Paul Baloche

• Book: Delirious by Martin Smith

• Book: The Heart of Worship Files by Matt Redman

• Gear: K&K Trinity pickup system

• Gear: Veritas Guitars

• Gear: Jack Williams Guitars

• Gear: High Strings for acoustic guitar (Westwood music 310.478.4251, ask for Mark Bookin)

• Show Sponsor: Planning Center Online

Subscription Links

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Thanks For Listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. So helpful!

If you have an idea for a podcast you would like to see, a special guest you’d like to hear from, or a question for an upcoming episode, please email me. If you enjoyed the show, I would be so appreciative if you would rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That helps me so much! Thanks.

A huge thank you to Brian Johnson for sharing with us!

Question: What was your biggest takeaway from the interview with Brian? Always love to hear from you! You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Tweet Like what you read? If so, please join over 5000 people who receive exclusive weekly online worship ministry tips, and get a FREE COPY of my eBook, Beyond Sunday! Just enter your name and email below:

Such a joy to talk with not one, not two, but three guests on the podcast today from Mainstream Orlando, the youth ministry of Faith Assembly. Josh Daughtry, Jason Callahan, & Carlos were kind enough to chat with me about all they have going on.

Mainstream is a happening place. With a youth ministry of over 1500 students, a vibrant worship & arts ministry, & a brand new record, they are really investing in the next generation.

In addition to the interview, be sure to check out their new album on iTunes here.

Click Below to Listen In this Episode, You’ll Hear More About:

• How Mainstream structures worship at a large youth ministry of over 1500 kids

• How to structure an online audition process

• How to respond to a bad audition

• Why it’s important to scale back your production at times to get back to the heart

• Why youth don’t need continual hype and are hungry for the real thing

• How to recruit new musicians to your team

• Being intentional about training young people in the arts

• Why the goal of great systems is powerful stories

• Viewing your worship ministry as an outreach

• Stories behind Mainstream Worship’s new project, Never Lose Sight

Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Today’s Sponsor: Planning Center

• Music: Never Lose Sight by Mainstream Worship

• Website: Mainstream Worship

• Website: Mainstream Orlando

• Website: Mainstream Auditions

• Blog Post: How to Handle Auditions When You Have to Say ‘No’

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Thanks For Listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. So helpful!

If you have an idea for a podcast you would like to see, a special guest you’d like to hear from, or a question for an upcoming episode, please email me. If you enjoyed the show, I would be so appreciative if you would rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That helps me so much! Thanks.

A huge thank you to Mainstream Worship for sharing with us!

Question: What was your biggest takeaway from the interview with Mainstream Worship? Always love to hear from you! You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Tweet Like what you read? If so, please join over 5000 people who receive exclusive weekly online worship ministry tips, and get a FREE COPY of my eBook, Beyond Sunday! Just enter your name and email below:

I’ve got an incredible guest and he’s brought loads of incredible wisdom and energy with him.

He’s Sidney Mohede from Jakarta Praise Community Church in Indonesia and newly signed artist to Integrity Music.

Sidney is a worship pastor, very itinerant minister, songwriter, husband, father, and avid video gamer. Though I just met Sidney for the first time, I feel like this conversation was like catching up with an old friend. He’s one of the more encouraging, positive, energetic people I’ve ever talked to.

Don’t miss this conversation, which ebbs and flows through so many important topics for worship leaders.

Click Below to Listen In this Episode, You’ll Hear More About:

• Being sincere & being yourself as a worship leader

• Building a team culture that attracts people

• The difference between recruiting and raising up from within

• What to look for in people you are bringing on your team

• Why hobbies unrelated to your ministry are crucial to your sanity

• Why fun is important and you don’t have to feel guilty about what you love

• Sidney’s journey breaking down conservative walls in Indonesia

• How Sidney & his team produced over 35 albums albums in 18 years in a a hostile environment

• Why God values dependance

• The story behind “Hosanna (Be Lifted Up)”

• Why your best songwriting ideas may come in ordinary moments

• Why a sense of humor is so important to worship leading

• What Sidney would do first if he was building a worship team from scratch

Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Website: Jakarta Praise Community Church

• Song: “Hosanna (Be Lifted Up)”

• Song: “Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace)”

• Song: “It Is Done” by Sidney Mohede

• Book: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

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Thanks For Listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. So helpful!

If you have an idea for a podcast you would like to see, a special guest you’d like to hear from, or a question for an upcoming episode, please email me. If you enjoyed the show, I would be so appreciative if you would rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That helps me so much! Thanks.

A huge thank you to Sidney for sharing with us!

Question: What was your biggest takeaway from the interview with Sidney? Always love to hear from you! You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Tweet Like what you read? If so, please join over 5000 people who receive exclusive weekly online worship ministry tips, and get a FREE COPY of my eBook, Beyond Sunday! Just enter your name and email below: