Using In-Ear Monitors

I used in-ear monitors for the first time in high school. And although they are incredibly common, it is often an added expense that many small to medium-sized churches cannot justify. If you are new to in-ear monitors or are exploring what that may look like with your team, I wanted to share a few things I’ve learned over the years.

Practice before implementation.

Like most things, new can often mean scary, or bad. You and your team need to get used to using in-ear monitors before feeling the pressure to implement them. Don’t set them up and try them for the first time on a Sunday morning. Set up a separate rehearsal time, and use a mid-week rehearsal to test them out on a song or two. Just because you have them does not mean you need to make an immediate switch.

Set a team up for success.

One of the things I see when trying to implement new gear, new rhythms, or expectations for my team is the more I can work on the front end to set them up for success, the more likely they will be to embrace a change. With in-ears that could look like making sure that everyone understands how to mix their ears (is there an app, a piece of hardware, will the sound person be mixing?), understanding how to have a solid mix in general (start at zero, gradually layer in - starting with you, and your instrument, and bring everything else to a comfortable level around that).

Get the right gear.

Part of setting the team up for success is getting the right gear. Provide your team with quality headphones or earbuds. Don’t expect them just to bring a set of Apple earbuds they found in a junk drawer at home. If your team is used to floor monitors - or no monitors - in ears will be a significant adjustment. Spending a little bit of money on an ambient/crowd mic is an easy way for your team to not feel like they’ve gone from being able to hear everything and everyone, to only themselves.

Set the vision.

Many people do not like change. Why are you making the adjustment? Why are you asking people to learn something new? If you help shape the why, the what is often softened when the team is on board.

Thoughts On Writing

It has been said, ‘Write what you know…’ or others have said, ‘I write so that I might know…’ There is no doubt that words are formative. As followers of Jesus, we should not be surprised about this because God spoke the world into existence with His words. Jesus is the Word made flesh who sustains the universe by the word of His power. And God has given us His Word through Scripture.

Words are important. And personally, I believe that writing is important. That even if you do not consider yourself a writer, there is value, benefit, and importance to writing in, and for your unique context. Yes, write songs, but also write liturgy. Write in the language of your people, write to stretch them and grow them, write so that the trues of Scripture, deep doctrine, and beautiful devotion may inhabit their hearts, minds, and lives.

When considering writing, here are a few things I believe are worth considering:

Write all the time. Writing doe not just have to be pen to paper, it can also be exploring good writing, filling your own heart, mind, and life with things that are good, beautiful, and true.

Keep writing. I use my iPhone Notes app constantly. Lines, lyrics, phrases. Maybe they will turn into something - like a song, a call to worship, a blog, a responsive reading, a prayer, or devotional writing. Maybe those words are just a place for me to make sense of my own heart, and pour out my own praise. But keeping a running list of words, phrases, or quotes that have impacted me, can often jump-start a more intentional or focused time of writing.

Consider the purpose. If it is a song - is this a corporate worship song, a song of personal devotion, or something just for fun? What is it that the people of God need to hear? What is it that I just need to be able to say to God - or that He wants to speak to me?

Where are the gaps? As I am trying to bridge Scripture, songs, and liturgy, what words will help paint a clearer picture of the truths we are declaring? Does that passage of Scripture, Song, or pre-written liturgy already exist? If not, how might I prayerfully, and intentionally allow God to shape my words to fill in the gaps?

Are you feeling a need, a conviction, or a desire to write? How might you bring those desires to the Lord and allow him to shape them to bless, serve, equip, and challenge you, and those you lead and serve?

Don't Jump Off A Bridge

“If everyone else was jumping off a bridge, would you do it too?”

Maybe that was something you heard growing up. The truth is, we are just as susceptible to peer pressure as adults as we were as children. And even as worship leaders, we can feel pressure to participate because it is what everyone else is doing. Song choice, style, format, aesthetic, technology - just because ‘everyone’ is doing it doesn’t mean you have to.

So much of what we do is gray, and requires a knowledge of our people, our culture, and our the communities in which we serve. As worship leaders our decisions about what, why, when, and how should be measured over and against the mission, vision, and values of our church and a philosophy of ministry.

I am incredibly grateful for the way technology, and the internet gives us access to songs, churches, worship leaders, training, and artist we would otherwise not know. But one of the downsides to this reality is that we can only see the outworking of another group’s philosophy of ministry. When we simply adopt the songs, style, or aesthetic of another church, group, or worship leader, our services can easily become cheap, karaoke versions of something that was originally crafted with intention. We want the look, feel, style, and response we see on those beautifully lit, and mixed YouTube videos, when our unique contexts look nothing like what we see online.

I am not saying, ‘Don’t use those songs…,’ I use those songs! But do not let what you see, or what others are doing be the single most significant determining factor in the decisions you make as a worship leader. Do the hard work of understanding your people (the congregation), and your team (the skills, gifts, and weaknesses), and allow the mission of your church, and your philosophy of worship to shape the decisions that you make.

Engaging the Holidays

where I serve, is how we appropriately engage, and speak to cultural holidays… or not.

Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, the 4th of July, Memorial Day, the list is endless…

From my observation, many churches fall into one of two categories - all in, or completely ignore. The churches that are all, adapt and orient their service around acknowledging and celebrating these particular holidays. They change their songs to fit, tailor a sermon to match, and have decor and announcements that are designed to highlight the holiday. Those in the completely ignore category don’t acknowledge anything - and apart from the cultural reminders - endcaps at every store, and themed emails from every online retailer, no one would even realize it was a holiday.

Personally, I lean more toward the latter than the former. But I believe there are at least two significant reasons why our people can benefit from acknowledging holidays in our corporate gatherings:

First, when we acknowledge current events or cultural holidays, it is a chance to reframe people’s identity and understanding around the person and work of Christ. To shape their minds, hearts, and affections Scripturally, rather than culturally. To rightly situate the values of the world inside the values of the Kingdom of God.

Second, Scripture tells us to remember. And we are people prone to forget. We should celebrate, but we should also lament. We should rejoice but also grieve. Let’s use cultural holidays to acknowledge not just the joys, but also the sorrows of living in a broken world, as we point our people toward the deeper, truer, eternal hope of Christ.

9 July: Liturgy + Set List

• REJOICE

  Call to Worship: Psalm 19:1-6

  Scripture tells us ‘…out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.’ So often people believe faith, or religion is about doing the right things and avoiding the wrong things. But the truth our actions and behaviors flow from our hearts. And here, the Psalmist beholds the glory of God in creation, and from His heart flows this final verse:

  “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
      be acceptable in your sight,
      O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

  This is my hope and prayer for you and me this morning - that we would behold the glory of God, and from our hearts would flow worship and obedience in all of life. Let’s sing:

• THE GREATNESS OF OUR GOD

• ALL HAIL KING JESUS

  Sermon: Exodus 20:13

• HYMN OF HEAVEN

• COME THOU FOUNT

  Benediction

Keeping Things Fresh

The world we live in shapes who we are. Our world is absorbed in entertainment. In subtle and significant ways, our people arrive at church in a world that has trained them for novelty, change, quick cuts, and the regular expectation of dopamine. So how do we combat this reality, while also maintaining an intentional and focused philosophy of worship as we plan our Sunday gatherings?

Maybe even for you as a worship leader, or person planning and executing weekly services things feel stale or tired. It can be easy to play the same number of songs, in the same order, pray the same prayers, and say the same words, thoughtlessly, mindlessly, and endlessly.

First, recognize that there is a difference between things feeling familiar and things feeling stale. At some level, you want a level of consistency in your gathering, so that people know and understand the general shape of your gathering. Especially if you are trying to tell the whole gospel story in the shape of your gathering. C.S. Lewis said:

“Every service is a structure of acts and words through which we receive a sacrament, or repent, or supplicate, or adore. And it enables us to do these things best – if you like it, it “works” best – when, through long familiarity, we don’t have to think about it. As long as you notice, and have to count, the steps, you are not yet dancing but only learning to dance. A good shoe is a shoe you don’t notice. Good reading becomes possible when you need not consciously think about eyes, or light, or print, or spelling. The perfect church service would be the one we were almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God.” [C.S. Lewis, The Joyful Christian]

What are some simple ways that you can freshen your weekly service rhythms?

Change the structure of a song. I like to think of each element of the song (Verse, Chorus, Bridge, etc) as building blocks. These are the raw materials I can assemble, and move around to create and build something unique to a service. Start with a chorus, create a medley, repeat a certain line for emphasis, etc.

Change the dynamics of a song. Let the voices carry a chorus, drive the verses. Build and drop in different places than normal. How can you use the music to shape the way a song speaks?

Allow others to lead musically, or verbally. A new voice always offers a fresh perspective - whether that is literally in the tone and texture of a song or the way that someone besides yourself can articulate the what and why of the gathering. Allowing others to speak will require training and development from you. It will also force you to be able to verbalize things that too often live exclusively in our minds as leaders. It will also help loosen your grip on something we can easily be possessive, rather than open-handed about.

Shepherd people through different aspects of worship. When I feel like my leading, or liturgy has become tired, I spend time teaching or speaking about different aspects of our gathering - why do we sing? Why do we gather? Why do we raise our hands? How can you use extra space and time to help build meaning and understanding for those you lead?

Ultimately, your liturgy in all its familiarity and repetition should not be confining, but instead, it should be freeing. And if you are going to make changes, it is important to communicate those thoughtfully and use a rubric that will serve your people.

“O Beauty, ever ancient, ever new…” - Augustine

Recommended Reading [Part Five]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Reading does not just form our minds and grow our knowledge, but it has the ability to stir our affections, and fuel worship in our lives. These few books have done both of those things for me:

God On Mute - Pete Greig

Does anyone feel like they are hitting a home run in their prayer life? I have read several of Greig’s books over the past few years, and I love how deeply he understands and values prayer, and how accessible he makes the invitation to believers to engage with God. Side note, I use the Lectio365 prayer app daily! It has been so helpful in the way I speak, and shape times of corporate prayer.

Be Thou My Vision - Jonathan Gibson

This was the book I gifted my team for Christmas in 2022. Devotional rhythms that are tied not to devotional writing, but liturgical rhythms are a beautiful way of being able to shape the whole of lives around the story of God.

Engaging God - David G. Peterson

This is not light reading. But I think that this book will help you as you consider creating a philosophy of worship.

Living the Christian Year - Bobby Gross

I love the Church calendar. I have found it incredibly helpful, and moving in my own life, as well as my approach to leading and serving in my local church. I have observed that most people either have no familiarity with the church calendar, or grew up around the church calendar, but do not have a clear grasp on its beauty and intentionality. I appreciate the descriptions of the seasons and the readings that are included in this book.

Affirmations

Whether it is during baptisms, parent commissioning (child dedication), or affirming new elders, our church has been using consistent, repeated affirmations for these times of events in the life of our church. Why?

Although, we have classes, courses, and training for each of these aspects for baptismal candidates, families wanting to dedicate their children in church, and the role of elder - it is not something that every member, attendee, or visitor to our church understands. Affirmations are a way of helping instruct not just the people participating, but the whole Body in the meaning, purpose, and expectation for each of these celebrations in the life of our church. Some of these affirmations we have pulled from the historic church, some we piecemeal together, always there is an aspect of question and response from the candidate, and closing with question and response to the body of Christ.

BAPTISM AFFIRMATIONS

Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent to redeem the world, do you love and trust him as the one who saves you from your sin, and do you with repentance and joy embrace him as the Lord of your life?

I do.

Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God, revealing Christ and his redemption?

I do.

Do you promise to do all you can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to strengthen your love and commitment to Christ by sharing faithfully in the life of the church, honoring and submitting to its authority; and do you join with the people of God in doing the work of the Lord everywhere?

I do.

Brothers and sisters, we now receive (NAME) into Christ’s church. Do you welcome (HER/HIM) in love, and do you promise to pray for, encourage, and help (HER/HIM) in the faith?

We do, God helping us.

ELDER AFFIRMATION VOWS

Do you reaffirm your faith in Jesus Christ as your own personal Lord and Savior?

Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God; totally trustworthy, fully inspirited by the Holy Spirit, the supreme, final, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice?

Do you acknowledge a call, so far as you know your own heart, to accept the office of elder, with a sincere desire to promote the Gospel?

Do you promise to be zealous and faithful in your promoting the truths of the Gospel and in protecting the unity and peace of the Church, whatever persecution or opposition may arise to you on that account?

Will you seek to be faithful and diligent in the exercise of all your duties as an elder, whether personal or relative, private or public; and to endeavor by the grace of God to adorn the profession of the Gospel in your manner of life, and to walk with exemplary piety before this congregation?

Are you now willing to take responsibility in the life of this congregation as an elder, and will you seek to discharge your duties, relying upon the grace of God in a way that the entire Church of Jesus Christ will be blessed?

Elder Candidate: By God’s grace, I do.

To the congregation:

Do you affirm your confidence in the qualifications and calling of this man?

Do you resolve to love, encourage, and support his family, respecting them always as his first ministry priority?

Do you commit to fervent and regular prayer on behalf of all our elders, our staff, and the ministry of Life Church?

Congregation: By God’s grace, we do.

PARENT COMMISSIONING

Do you recognize that your child is a gift from God, and that you are responsible to train and instruct this child in the things of God?

We do.

Do you this day pledge as parents that you will teach God’s Word to your child and live out His Word in your home?

We do.

Do you commit to loving your child and teaching your child to obey God’s commands and the truths of Jesus Christ in your daily lives so that your child may know Him as Lord?

We do.

Do you commit to the local body of believers to seek accountability and teach your child to seek accountability within the church community?

We do.

Life Church, will you be faithful as brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage and support this family in their Christian walk as parents? Will you be faithful in praying for their children, that they will grow to love Christ and trust in Him?

We will.

Leading In Different Cultures

I think and write about culture regularly. I am fascinated by the way our families, cities, countries, and the age in which we live shape our lives, values, priorities, and the things that we celebrate and demonize. As worship leaders we carry our own cultural background into every environment where we serve - this is true even if you were born, raised, and lead in your hometown. We bring our own unique culture into the collective culture of a team, and a church, as we attempt to shepherd all of these cultures - including our own - to more faithfully embody the person and work of Christ.

My family lived in England for four-plus years, and I have had the chance to lead worship internationally and cross-culturally a number of times. While these opportunities have been gifts of kindness toward me, they have also shaped how I lead worship week in and week out at my home church in North Carolina. Maybe some of these thoughts will help you in your leading as well:

I bring my own culture. Every person has been uniquely wired by God, uniquely shaped by their family of origin, their country of origin, and the people and times in which they come up. If I want to effectively serve in any space, I must first realize that I have a specific way of seeing and being in the world. And that way is different from other people.

It’s just different. One culture or way of seeing the world is not right and the other wrong - they are just different. And in all things, there are pieces of our culture that need to be received, redeemed, or rejected. Truthfully, I believe this is one of the hardest parts of leading cross-culturally. You do not realize how many things you have turned into ‘gospel issues’ that are mere preferences, or cultural norms. Often I am first aware of a growing frustration - ugh, why are they doing that? Why did they say that? Clearly, they don’t care about… One of the things I am learning is that frustration can be an indicator light that I could be bumping up against cultural differences. And if I can invite the Holy Spirit to help me see specifics rather than a cloud of annoyance and frustration, in the Spirit’s power I am better equipped to laugh about, give grace toward, speak to, or just forget about my own frustration with differences.

Whose image? A fellow American living in England said to me: “Our goal in being here is not to make these British people more American, it’s to help them be more like Christ.” If we do not have an awareness of our own culture, and the differences in other people, we will naturally make people in our own image. We will hold up, value, and celebrate the things that are most like the best versions of ourselves - rather than constantly, and continually asking God to conform each of us to the image of Christ. A culture being conformed to the image of Christ will uniquely image the beauty, and diversity of God to the world.

Don’t swing the pendulum. Lead lovingly as the Spirit shapes you, and the culture. Unless there are things that need to be outright rejected, you can let go of the desire to correct the culture, as you prayerfully and scripturally lead toward a better way. Less directing, and more invitation.

A culture that values efficiency may need to be invited to linger.

A culture that values theology may need to be invited toward doxology.

A culture that values head knowledge may need to be invited to engage their hearts.

A culture that values individuality may need to be invited to think corporately.

A culture that values a small, family feel, may need to be invited to consider the outsider.

A culture that values beauty may need to be invited toward intentionality.

A culture that values excellence may need to be invited toward humility.

And the reverse is also true. All these things and more. May we be leaders who see, know, receive, redeem, and reject the culture which has shaped us and the ones we lead.

Quotes [Part 3]

More than bite-size inspiration, I hope these quotes will be words that you can turn over, and over in your heart and mind as you move into this weekend:

KOSUKE KOYAMA

God carries us. Appreciation for this is the secret of our priestly energy and active life.

MICHAEL REEVES

The more gifted you are, the more power and talent you have, the more good you may find you can do in the world - but also, the more harm you can do. And the path that you will follow depends upon whose mind you have. Will you follow your own mind? Or do you have the mind of Christ Jesus, who did not grasp his rightful equality with God, but emptied himself? Great good or great harm depends on this. Especially if you recognize yourself as naturally ambitious, put pride to death before disaster happens, whether that be slow or subtle or swift and catastrophic.

HENRI NOUWEN

And ministers frequently find themselves in fierce competition with people and institutions who offer something more exciting to do that they do. But our task is the opposite of distraction. Our task is to help people concentrate on the real but often hidden event of God’s active presence in their lives. Hence, the question that must guide all organizing activist in a parish is not how to keep people busy, but how to keep them from being so busy that they can no longer hear the voice of God who speaks in silence.

ANN VOSKAMP

Our rhythms become our everyday liturgy, the sacred cadence of the hours that reorient our tired souls.

Quotes [Part 1] | Quotes [Part 2]

28 May: Liturgy + Set List

• HOUSE OF THE LORD

  Good morning Life Church, and welcome to worship with us on this Memorial Day Weekend, and this Family Worship Weekend. One of the reasons that we can gather in freedom to worship in this country is that for generations men and women have laid down their lives to secure and sustain the freedoms we enjoy. That is what our culture is celebrating this weekend, and that is right and good. But what we know as followers of Christ is that the freedoms we enjoy in this country are only a shadow of the freedom that ours in and through Christ. Because He has set us free from the law of sin and death. Let’s celebrate the freedom that we have in this country, but if you are here this morning as a follower of Christ, let’s celebrate the freedom that is ours through Christ. Let’s hear God call us to worship from His word:

  Call to Worship: Psalm 1:1-2

  Let’s look to Christ, the One who fulfills the law.

• ALL I HAVE IS CHRIST

• BE THOU MY VISION

  Sermon: Exodus 20:1-3

  Everyone, everywhere, always, is a worshiper. But right worship begins not with us, but when God reveals Himself as the only one worthy of our worship - ‘I AM the Lord your God, worship me alone.’ Right worship is a result of the Holy Spirit leading you in all truth to behold the person and work of Christ. And this morning is Pentecost Sunday, the day when the global church remembers and celebrates the sending of the Holy Spirit to indwell and empower the life of every believer. To empower right worship. And so as we remember this day and the sending of the spirit we are going to pray these words together. I will read this through one time so you can hear these words, and then together we will pray these words.

Almighty God, on this day, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, you revealed the way of eternal life to every race and nation: Pour out this gift anew, that by the preaching of the Gospel your salvation may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. 

Book of Common Prayer

• THE GREATNESS OF OUR GOD

• ONLY A HOLY GOD

  Benediction

Lead Like Yourself

We all learn by imitation. And as we become comfortable and familiar with whatever we are doing, we slowly settle into our own rhythms. I think the same is true when it comes to leading worship.

There are some aspects of how I lead worship that I do from conviction - like saying ‘Let’s hear God call us to worship from His Word…’ rather than ‘Let me call us to worship…’ There are some things that I do when I lead worship that are about my personal preference - like changing the keys to easily flow from one song to the next without stopping. And as we train worship leaders, I think it is important to help them see the distinction - what is conviction (the how and why of what we do here), and what is personal preference (will look different depending on the leader and the team).

After helping to lay out the difference between conviction and personal preference, I often say to worship leaders - I want you to lead like yourself, not like me. I lead the way I do after many, many years of leading in various environments. I am not interested in making little versions of Aaron, but in helping develop worship leaders who can lead like themselves with clarity, and conviction - even if what they say, and how they lead looks different than the way I would lead.

Every one of us is seeking to imitate Christ. So the question shouldn’t be - how would Aaron lead in this environment - but how would Jesus lead in this environment. Lead like the Spirit of God inhabits you as a follower of Christ - because He does.