In April I suddenly stopped putting out episodes. Then I never updated all of you on why. Well, here's an update on everything that's happened since then and why I've taken a break from the podcast for the time being. 

Coaching and training your worship team is no easy task. But Shawn Thomas has learned a few things about it as he works with his own worship team and those he visits. But that's not where his skills end. Shawn is also a recording artist, songwriter, and studio owner. Get tips that will help you grow as a worship leader or aspiring artist in this conversation. Learn more about worship leading at WorshipDeeper.com/book. Subscribe to this podcast at WorshipDeeper.com/podcast.

Being an artist and worship leader is no easy task. How do you write accessible yet artistic songs? Nick Morrow of the band Mountaintops talks about his struggle with art and faith. Faith finally led him and his wife Melissa, the other half of Mountaintops, through 4 miscarriages and eventually a healthy baby, all while writing the new album "In The Valley". The album is meant to take listeners, not from doubt to certainty, but from doubt to worship. For episode notes and resources, go to https://worshipdeeper.com/podcast/.

Ever wonder how some worship teams sound "full" and others don't? Well, some of that has to do with background ambient sounds, namely pads. We dive deep into what worship pads are, why worship teams should use them, and how easy it is to start. Mike Graff of CoresoundPads.com tells us how he started creating pads for his own worship ministry, and how things took off from there. Turns out every worship team wants to have a fuller, more professional sound. Get pads at 20% off by using promo code DEEPER at CoresoundPads.com now.

Worship teams focus on song arrangements, guitar parts, and vocals, while sometimes neglecting how it all sounds to the congregation. In this episode, I interview Kade Young of CollaborateWorship.com, church and worship sound expert, on how to get great sound no matter what equipment you have. Visit worshipdeeper.com/eq for Kade's EQ Crash Course, a training that is only currently only open to listeners of this podcast. This episode is also brought to you by another of Kade's courses: Behringer X32 Mastery (worshipdeeper.com/x32), an easy-to-understand course on how to run this popular soundboard.

Hymns were cool, then they weren't, now they are again. Nathan Drake of Reawaken Hymns is behind a massive effort to get churches to rediscover these important and timeless songs. We talk about why worship ministries should be using hymns and where to find easy versions and use them without any copyright hassles! Plus, we talk about a free resource where you can download easy Christmas songs for your worship team. Christmas songs, after all, are just hymns about the birth of Christ! Enjoy this deep and useful conversation!

If you've plateaued as an acoustic guitar player, you need to listen to this episode. Many worship leaders pick up the acoustic guitar and can play, but never improve beyond a certain point. Brad May of AcousticWorshiper.com offers tips and tricks to take your playing further. Worship leaders might think they are already thinking about too many things -- song arrangements, leading the band, and monitoring engagement of the congregation. Brad says there are ways to improve your chord structures, strumming, and go beyond open chords, even while focusing on your other jobs as a worship leader. Ready to take your acoustic playing to the next level? Then listen to this incredible conversation.

Special announcement! Hear about positive changes coming up with the podcast.

High school students might be young but don't overlook them as worship leaders, both for youth and adult services. See more at https://worshipdeeper.com/563/should-high-school-students-lead-worship/. To learn to lead worship in 14 days, go to https://worshipdeeper.com/book.