Coach Dave Helmuth

I’m a catalyst. I help leaders, teams, and congregations grow in their worshiping lives. When others can’t find solutions to their problems, they come to me for out-of-the-box thinking. I’m creative and my enthusiasm for creating solutions is contagious. We can always find a way to get unstuck, to move past the obstacle, to overcome.

As the visionary leader of Ad Lib Music, my passion is to develop leaders, coaching them to become masters at creating spaces in which people can meet with God. My unwavering purpose is to encourage the hearts and equip the hands of leaders so they can serve well, develop disciples, and bear much fruit! [John 15:8] I believe that the church must simply Follow Christ Together. [Follow: must involve movement forward; Christ: the all-consuming focus, not the latest idea, style, or trend; Together: we must do this in ways that bring us together, that show we love each other]

It’s an uncommon ability, but I understand the spontaneous, emotional, creative musician as well as the structured, steady, conscientious pastors. As one who is both administrative [organizational, big-picture, detail-oriented] AND artistic [imaginative, unconventional, boxless], I know how to speak the language of and be comfortable in culture of both pastors and artists.

Pastors, please continue building relationships with your worship leaders. I’m amazed at how many worship leaders are burned out, just going through the motions, who have no sense of what God is doing among them, who are working from their heads, not their hearts, who have no real idea if they are even being successful, if they’re making a difference.

I’ve worked full time as a Worship Coach since 2008, partnering with God to transform churches and leaders, drawing on 30 years of worship leading experiences. I’ve worked with Mennonite, Presbyterian, Church of the Brethren, United Methodist, Assembly of God, Baptist, Church of God, Evangelical Congregational, and non-denominational Charismatic churches. 

I was born in Costa Rica [se habla español] where I spent my first 12 years as a Missionary Kid. During my 14 years in San Antonio, Texas my family planted churches and I later earned a degree in Music Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio. In 1997, I moved to Lancaster, PA. I’ve been on staff leading worship at Abundant Life Christian Church, ACTS Covenant Fellowship, First Presbyterian Church, Petra Christian Fellowship, and Elizabethtown Mennonite Church. Since September 2019, I, along with my wife Heather and six children live in Heredia, Costa Rica.

Contact me at Dave@adlibmusic.com or pick a time for us to Zoom below.