Worship ministry is personal. It’s a beautiful weaving of the human and the Divine. It’s logical and unexplainable. It’s predictable and mysterious. But…

When we first moved to a new country, GPS was a lifesaver. By “GPS,” I’m referring to Google Maps or Waze. See, Costa Ricans are famous for giving directions like this:

How do you show up to rehearsals? Would you describe it as "fully prepared?"

Headlines are designed to DO something in us: excite, sober, inform, activate, celebrate, persuade. Persuade? That’s a fascinating thought.

We made it! 2020 is 99% in the rearview mirror. Phew!

As a leader, uncertainty is your life. It’s your sweet spot.

So I had this experience where I realized that I had been lulled to sleep. Maybe you can relate to this, because I had forgotten that God is actually steadfast. He’s actually good. He’s actually all-powerful. He’s actually able to do what He said He would do.

The other night, I was tucking my son into bed and noticed some trash on his bunk bed shelf. It was the remains of an old, burned-up plastic Coke bottle.

Doesn’t this just have a great ring to it? Campfire. Eating together. Relaxed worship. Late-night talks. Teaching tailored to your team. Friendships deepened. A break from your routine. God speaking...

Do you know which Sunday marks the end of the Church calendar year? (Did you know the church had its own calendar?!)

My pastor was a college professor who had just finished the semester.

• “I guess we’ll go ahead and get started.”

• “Please rise to your feet.”

• “Good morning…um, good MORNing! ...That’s better.”

Every week, when we make music together as worship teams, we have essential musical decisions to make. So here’s a humorous yet insightful story of what it takes to make music together.

Today, I’m giving you an outline rather than paragraphs. That’s obvious.

But what’s not obvious is how much what you do impacts congregational engagement. I want to challenge us, as leaders, to grow in BEING:

My typical planning schedule…

Why do we gather each week as a church?

When was the last time you took a breath, ready to sing the next line, only to slowly exhale, mumble, or watermelon through the next line because the words weren’t up in time?

We know how to lead a worship set, a meeting, an event, or a moment.

But what about a team, a ministry, a department, an organization, or a decade?

As leaders, we must have the energy and determination to move large initiatives forward, to hold the line, and to shift cultures.

What’s the most important musical part of a song? Melody. It’s the DNA, the unique fingerprint. Which brings up the next question…how do I learn melody, especially if I don’t read music or don’t have the musical notation available?

Why do I need to know how to build a song?

Because knowing how to build songs enables…so many things.