Great stuff, Andrew! I lead worship in a small church in a small town in Australia. It's just me and my guitar, my voice and my beautiful wife singing beside me. My team is a bass player and an old fella keeping time on one of those wooden beat boxes. We do lots of hymns, and classic worship songs that lend themselves to our stripped back format. We do some modern worship songs but they don't sound like the albums. It's simple and uncomplicated, the congregation love it and the Holy Spirit is present. What more could you ask for?
Andrew, not sure if you’ll be at the Worship Leader Research Conference at Belmont in late July, but if you are, I’d love to meet you. These are the thoughts I have been swimming in for years. Would like to pick your brain.
I love what you're writing. I have a lot of thoughts about it, and I am thrilled that you're sharing it with us all. I encourage you to keep the conversation going. I'm 50 years into this walk. 26 years playing the blues in churches (that's right, in churches), prisons, and everywhere that can. Music is such a powerful force for the gospel when it is expressed from the heart. We need to avoid limiting our creativity by confining ourselves to emulating the latest worship hit. I encourage us all to write and share our experiences in the faith in every way we can.
Good stuff. I wrote a chapter on why musical style DOES matter as an expression of love and because so many people were arguing ridiculous things about style aka the “Great Tradition” Jeremy Begbie rightly critiques in his excellent book “Resounding Truth.” Funny thing is, when we made the first Indelible Grace record in 1999 (and thanks again for your part in that - even before we met), I was becoming distressed when I would hear churches trying to sound like our record. In fact, that’s one of the reason we made the RUF Hymnbook with simply guitar vocal demos of every song (which evolved into the Indelible Grace Hymnbook website.) I told people it was my penance for encouraging churches to try to duplicate the records. I kept pleading with people to incarnate the basic song in their context with their own people. I guess I should have sold the stems instead… Missed that opportunity :)
Brilliant and inspiring! I was a worship leader for many years when I was younger, went on a long faith walkabout, and have started leading worship again in the last year. So much has changed, and this post helped me make sense of some of it! Appreciate it.
One morning our pianist unexpectedly couldn’t make it to service and our pastor just said to the congregation, what do we want to sing? So we sang This Little Light of Mine “for the kids”, and a handful of more familiar hymns - all a cappella. It was amazing! And also made us realize how we “know” all these songs but maybe aren’t as sure of the exact lyrics when there aren’t slides up 😂 we definitely would’ve sung more but several of us only knew the refrains, not the verses haha I loved it though. Simple, real, collective… and I could hear every voice mixing with my own, and vice versa. At a previous church (which I adored) when I was in college, I was on the music ministry team and there was talk about getting in ear mics or headphones or whatever they’re called, so the band can hear each other better on Sunday mornings during the set. I vehemently opposed them because I argued we wouldn’t be able to hear the congregation. Music ministry is dialogic to me. Like I said, collective. Removing the other person makes it performance. I was so relieved when the budget for earpieces didn’t pan out! Give me impromptu a cappella over polished full band any day :)
Young worship leaders and struggling churches can’t afford not to have a safe children’s ministry, a small group program, ProPresenter on bright screens, and a band that can play what’s being done a few miles down the road.
It’s not good. It’s not creative. But it’s a fact that someone will listen to three to five worship services before they choose a church, and they will pick the one that sounds like the radio.
Needs to change. Tough to change.
My belief: a church should learn how to sound like itself. But it takes great leadership and musical savvy for that to happen. It’s much more safe to download the multitrack.
Oh, I don’t disagree with you! In fact, I agree and have chosen the same. Just trying to think empathetically about that struggling Worship Leader who reaches for the simplest solution available. I’ve been in that role, and I know how the pressure can build up.
As a pianist on a worship team, I love this post! I belong to a Reformed church with less than 180 people. We've been blessed with many musicians: pianists, guitarists, drummers, violinists and flutists. I grew up with Genevan Psalms and an organ. But as the years went by and "Christian" music changed (as you have said), things also changed so that we no longer have just organs. In our church I strive to retain the old Psalms and old classic hymns, alongside newer contemporary songs and modern hymns. And it's working well. We don't sound like professionals, but we all love worshipping the Lord!
One of the greatest blessings I received recently was on introducing a very new worship song from a very modern worship-y church band to our church. (Our church fills out a praise team as best we can, but is usually just an acoustic guitar or two, and auxiliary percussion (and I love it).) An older church member just loved the song, and asked me to share it with her. And I say this with humility: She didn't like the 'official' release. She told me "I just wish I could hear it like we did it in church." I loved that she connected with the song because the lyrics and theology were genuinely great. And I loved that she connected with it SPECIFICALLY as it was sung by our church, by our little praise team, and by our congregation.
Really appreciate this distinction between the song & the style (it’s language that can help hold in tension the potential for the disappearing of the shared songbook), as well as the strong wrestling on backing tracks.
I bet you know this, but as someone who has long been deeply frustrated when folks end up clapping where the snare doesn’t… many of our very rhythmically aware African brothers & sisters end up choosing to clap on the 1 & 3 because that is a part of their own style. It was difficult for me to arrive at the conclusion that it’s not “wrong” (just not “my style”). 😅
I love this! I particularly love that asking of 'Why?'.
What do we do because everyone else does it, or because it's what we've always done? Why do we sing and dance? The answer to those questions differs for all churches and creates such a unique but unified vision of the Church.
At my old church, we had a guy in his 60s or 70s on the worship team who grew up play Folk/Americana. He would often fingerpick through the songs which didn't really fit the style, but he was such a nice man and great presence to have on the team that we didn't care.
Great stuff, Andrew! I lead worship in a small church in a small town in Australia. It's just me and my guitar, my voice and my beautiful wife singing beside me. My team is a bass player and an old fella keeping time on one of those wooden beat boxes. We do lots of hymns, and classic worship songs that lend themselves to our stripped back format. We do some modern worship songs but they don't sound like the albums. It's simple and uncomplicated, the congregation love it and the Holy Spirit is present. What more could you ask for?
Andrew, not sure if you’ll be at the Worship Leader Research Conference at Belmont in late July, but if you are, I’d love to meet you. These are the thoughts I have been swimming in for years. Would like to pick your brain.
I love what you're writing. I have a lot of thoughts about it, and I am thrilled that you're sharing it with us all. I encourage you to keep the conversation going. I'm 50 years into this walk. 26 years playing the blues in churches (that's right, in churches), prisons, and everywhere that can. Music is such a powerful force for the gospel when it is expressed from the heart. We need to avoid limiting our creativity by confining ourselves to emulating the latest worship hit. I encourage us all to write and share our experiences in the faith in every way we can.
Thanks again, I will be waiting for more...
Peace,
Jimmie
Good stuff. I wrote a chapter on why musical style DOES matter as an expression of love and because so many people were arguing ridiculous things about style aka the “Great Tradition” Jeremy Begbie rightly critiques in his excellent book “Resounding Truth.” Funny thing is, when we made the first Indelible Grace record in 1999 (and thanks again for your part in that - even before we met), I was becoming distressed when I would hear churches trying to sound like our record. In fact, that’s one of the reason we made the RUF Hymnbook with simply guitar vocal demos of every song (which evolved into the Indelible Grace Hymnbook website.) I told people it was my penance for encouraging churches to try to duplicate the records. I kept pleading with people to incarnate the basic song in their context with their own people. I guess I should have sold the stems instead… Missed that opportunity :)
Oh, the book is called Heal Us and it’s only on Amazon because it was made as a print on demand book. https://a.co/d/02xQix6L
Brilliant and inspiring! I was a worship leader for many years when I was younger, went on a long faith walkabout, and have started leading worship again in the last year. So much has changed, and this post helped me make sense of some of it! Appreciate it.
One morning our pianist unexpectedly couldn’t make it to service and our pastor just said to the congregation, what do we want to sing? So we sang This Little Light of Mine “for the kids”, and a handful of more familiar hymns - all a cappella. It was amazing! And also made us realize how we “know” all these songs but maybe aren’t as sure of the exact lyrics when there aren’t slides up 😂 we definitely would’ve sung more but several of us only knew the refrains, not the verses haha I loved it though. Simple, real, collective… and I could hear every voice mixing with my own, and vice versa. At a previous church (which I adored) when I was in college, I was on the music ministry team and there was talk about getting in ear mics or headphones or whatever they’re called, so the band can hear each other better on Sunday mornings during the set. I vehemently opposed them because I argued we wouldn’t be able to hear the congregation. Music ministry is dialogic to me. Like I said, collective. Removing the other person makes it performance. I was so relieved when the budget for earpieces didn’t pan out! Give me impromptu a cappella over polished full band any day :)
One word: competition.
Young worship leaders and struggling churches can’t afford not to have a safe children’s ministry, a small group program, ProPresenter on bright screens, and a band that can play what’s being done a few miles down the road.
It’s not good. It’s not creative. But it’s a fact that someone will listen to three to five worship services before they choose a church, and they will pick the one that sounds like the radio.
Needs to change. Tough to change.
My belief: a church should learn how to sound like itself. But it takes great leadership and musical savvy for that to happen. It’s much more safe to download the multitrack.
Not at our church. Or at least not our family.
We were looking for "real." Not the most popular or trendiest or polished.
"Can't afford" depends on what you're trying to buy.
Oh, I don’t disagree with you! In fact, I agree and have chosen the same. Just trying to think empathetically about that struggling Worship Leader who reaches for the simplest solution available. I’ve been in that role, and I know how the pressure can build up.
Yes, it easy to end up in that mindset. Lots of pressure to get butts in seats.
As a pianist on a worship team, I love this post! I belong to a Reformed church with less than 180 people. We've been blessed with many musicians: pianists, guitarists, drummers, violinists and flutists. I grew up with Genevan Psalms and an organ. But as the years went by and "Christian" music changed (as you have said), things also changed so that we no longer have just organs. In our church I strive to retain the old Psalms and old classic hymns, alongside newer contemporary songs and modern hymns. And it's working well. We don't sound like professionals, but we all love worshipping the Lord!
One of the greatest blessings I received recently was on introducing a very new worship song from a very modern worship-y church band to our church. (Our church fills out a praise team as best we can, but is usually just an acoustic guitar or two, and auxiliary percussion (and I love it).) An older church member just loved the song, and asked me to share it with her. And I say this with humility: She didn't like the 'official' release. She told me "I just wish I could hear it like we did it in church." I loved that she connected with the song because the lyrics and theology were genuinely great. And I loved that she connected with it SPECIFICALLY as it was sung by our church, by our little praise team, and by our congregation.
Really appreciate this distinction between the song & the style (it’s language that can help hold in tension the potential for the disappearing of the shared songbook), as well as the strong wrestling on backing tracks.
I bet you know this, but as someone who has long been deeply frustrated when folks end up clapping where the snare doesn’t… many of our very rhythmically aware African brothers & sisters end up choosing to clap on the 1 & 3 because that is a part of their own style. It was difficult for me to arrive at the conclusion that it’s not “wrong” (just not “my style”). 😅
I love this! I particularly love that asking of 'Why?'.
What do we do because everyone else does it, or because it's what we've always done? Why do we sing and dance? The answer to those questions differs for all churches and creates such a unique but unified vision of the Church.
At my old church, we had a guy in his 60s or 70s on the worship team who grew up play Folk/Americana. He would often fingerpick through the songs which didn't really fit the style, but he was such a nice man and great presence to have on the team that we didn't care.
I love this. Thank you.
Well said!