There's an interesting thing that happens when you teach something, you learn a ton yourself in the process. Jimmy Cooper has been creating YouTube videos for worship ministry leaders under the banner of Hey Worship Leader for the past few years, and in this conversation we talk about some of the things we've learned about being a worship ministry leader by creating content for YouTube and engaging with the people that watch them.

Find show notes to the podcast episode at practicalworshipblog.com/podcast34.

Singing is a critical part to our role as worship leaders, so the more we can learn how to care for our voice, the more confident we can be in communicating our message. Shelby Rollins has be helping singers as a vocal coach for over 15 years unlock parts of their voice they never knew existed. In this conversation, we talk about vocal techniques to help you sing better, stronger and reduce vocal fatigue.

Find show notes to the podcast episode at practicalworshipblog.com/podcast33.

Not having enough people to cover all the bases on a Sunday morning is a constant problem for all of us. I've yet to meet a worship pastor that doesn't struggle with finding enough dependable people to play in the worship band and fulfill all the audio/video needs in the tech booth. In this episode, I share all the tricks I've learned over the last 25 years of being involved in music ministry to find people and recruit them to serve in your worship ministry.

Find show notes to the podcast episode at practicalworshipblog.com/podcast32.

One could say the most important member of the band is the person running sound. They're the ones taking the stage inputs and crafting them into something that is musical and impactful, so how a worship pastor and the audio engineer work together can have a significant impact on the overall effectiveness of the worship band. Jeff Sandstrom has been at the back of the room of some powerful moments and is a great example of thinking like a pastor as a technical artist. In this conversation we talk about everything from making your band sound better to finding volunteers to run sound to building a bridge between the booth and the stage.

Find show notes to the podcast episode at practicalworshipblog.com/podcast31.

We all want our worship ministries to be a thriving part of the church's mission. What's required to make that happen typically has less to do with Planning Center and gear and more to do with how you as the leader shape the culture of that ministry. How are you pouring into the people you're leading? Drew Powell is the creative pastor at Cross Point Church in the Nashville, Tennessee area, and in this conversation he shares why culture is important and practical ways to lead your team in a healthy way. We also talk about how that carries over into creating a healthy relationship with your senior pastor.

Find show notes to the podcast episode at practicalworshipblog.com/podcast30.

The leading we do on a Sunday morning is just a small part of the opportunity we have with people. A good part of our effectiveness as worship pastors happens off the stage during the week. Kyle O'Neal is one of the worship pastors at Life.Church, and in our conversation we talk about the importance of investing in the people in your church and how to practically do it. We also discuss how to lead those in your band and running tech to become worshippers who build worshippers.

Find show notes to the podcast episode at practicalworshipblog.com/podcast29.

This should be a normal podcast episode, but it’s not. The last few weeks in July have been crazy to say the least from having to install a complete AVL system in our newly renovated student area to an unexpected hospital stay. So in this non-episode episode, I share both stories. We only had $10,000 to make all the audio, video and lighting happen in the new space, so I’ll share how we prioritized our money. And I also explain why I was in the hospital and how that is going to affect the podcast, the YouTube channel and my personal life in the coming months.

Find show notes to the podcast episode at practicalworshipblog.com/nonepisode.

Starting over at a new church can have its own unique set of challenges. It’s something I’ve done recently, and it’s what Delwin Eiland is doing right now. After being the worship pastor at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago for almost eight years, he’s now starting over at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In this conversation we talk about figuring out a new church culture, earning trust with your people and finding that balance between not disrupting the identity of the ministry but also beginning to put your own fingerprints on it.

Find show notes to the podcast episode at practicalworshipblog.com/podcast28.

If you feel like your church worship band sounds a bit mediocore but you don’t know what to tell your musicians to fix it, this episode should help you. Brent Milligan has worked with dozens of bands and played on hundreds of tracks, and in this conversation we talk about how to work with our bands and arrange the songs we play on Sundays. Many times it isn’t a talent issue—even with volunteers. We just need to teach our band members HOW to play together.

Find show notes to the podcast episode at practicalworshipblog.com/podcast27.

Sometimes worship ministry can feel like professional sports in that if you’re older than 30, you feel like it’s time to retire. What does being a worship pastor in your 40s or 50s look like? Andy Chrisman has been the worship pastor at Church on the Move in Tulsa, OK for over 15 years, and in this conversation we talk about how his stages of leadership have changed over the years, what it looked like for him to grow as a leader and the importance of making space for new leaders to emerge within the ministry.

Find show notes to the podcast episode at practicalworshipblog.com/podcast26.