My name is Mike O’Brien and I am passionate about teaching and mentoring worship leaders and teams. My calling is to use my experience as a producer, worship leader, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist to come alongside musicians, helping them more fully worship God with their instrument and lives. Find out more about how I can help your worship leaders and teams HERE.
This article appeared on the Vineyard Worship monthly “Notes From The Field” email. To subscribe go HERE.
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality (Romans 12:10-13)
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At this point in my ministry experience, I see the worship stage as the center of the world. It’s not central for reasons of pride or music-centric ambitions, rather it’s primary in my mind because this is where I naturally do the work of discipleship. Musicians and techs under our care are being formed and shaped through the hours, weeks, and years of serving together. When you pastor your team skillfully, you are making disciples, and this is the work of the Kingdom!
Here are some practical ways I encourage you to think about this in 2019:
People Over (and Before) Production
I love to produce awe-inspiring, over-the-top, pastor-pleasing weekend experiences. Ironically, for years I did this while stepping on the very people I was serving alongside. Over time I’ve learned to welcome and embrace every soul that enters into our rehearsal space. I try to take time before the music begins to give space for people to share and be present to one another. From that foundation of care, we make the music.
Seamless and Consistent Administration
To quote a friend and mentor, Randy McCoy, “BAD administration hurts people.” One of the most loving things we can do for our teams is to have clean and consistent communication. Timely scheduling, song prep, emails, and texts all speak the language of care. Let people know what is expected of them and what they can expect from you. Over time these faithful structures will build trust, and your team will grow.
Never Stop Saying Thank You
Sending encouraging texts/emails/cards before, during, and after services can be the fuel for a life-giving worship team environment. Look for little and varied ways to say “thank you.” A little post-it note on a music stand/soundboard, a bottle of water, a backstage station for hot tea, or a social media shout-out can and will move mountains relationally and organizationally.
Never Stop Learning
A thriving worship community will be, at its core, a learning community. Both newbies and “pros” will always be exploring new ways to be enriched and challenged. Part of your job as a worship pastor is encouraging everyone to have opportunities for growth. If most of the people on your stage have a “been there, done that” mentality it will create a sense of entitlement and cynicism. We all have something we can be learning. Has it all become just a little too easy? How are you growing as the leader? Who are you encouraging to risk, stepping up and out? Who are your training to go even beyond you?
Vineyard School of Worship
Consider attending one of our training events in 2019. Our Rise Worship Bootcamp is for ages 12 to 18, and our Summer Session is for ages 18 to 35. We are currently developing an all-ages Worship Leader Intensive. Also, mark your calendars for our next Sound and Song Summits. Go to vsow.org to learn more.
My name is Mike O’Brien and I am passionate about teaching and mentoring worship leaders and teams. My calling is to use my experience as a producer, worship leader, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist to come alongside musicians, helping them more fully worship God with their instrument and lives. Find out more about how I can help your worship leaders and teams HERE.
#1 Hardest Lesson learned in worship ministry: PEOPLE are more valuable than a great worship set.
If I lead a worship set that is 🔥🔥🔥 and verbally destroy sound techs, drummers and singers in the process it is a NET LOSS in the KINGDOM of God.
Pastors, if you have a high capacity/high output “get it done” kind of leader they will aim to please YOU above the commission to love and care for the people they lead.
My name is Mike O’Brien and I am passionate about teaching and mentoring worship leaders and teams. My calling is to use my experience as a producer, worship leader, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist to come alongside musicians, helping them more fully worship God with their instrument and lives. Find out more about how I can help your worship leaders and teams HERE.
In many churches, communication with the sound tech is a touchy subject. Most worship leaders can rattle off a list of offenses occurred from interactions from techs they have worked alongside. Likewise, most sound techs have countless horror stories of aggressive, diva musicians committing relational and technical fouls on stage before, during and after church services.
The solutions are more relational than technical (although gear runs a close second). Below are a few ways to engage your tech and make your church culture one that honors these valuable servants:
1. Become Their Chief Encourager
Most technical people in church only get attention when something is wrong. Many have been shamed and ridiculed from the stage when things have gone wrong. Insecure musicians and communicators will often place blame on sound and media people from the stage. Stop…. Right….. Now…. and ask God to reveal any techs from your past that you might have offended. Message, text, call and make it right.
After each and every rehearsal and service I strive to pinpoint a specific expression of kudos for the sound techs.
“Thanks for always being on time, it really makes a difference for us.”
“That kick drum sounded massive today!”
“The vocals were spot on tonight – I loved how easy you made it.”
“When you took time to help Sue with her bass amp, it really helped make the rehearsal go easy.”
Brand this phrase on your leadership heart: “what is rewarded is repeated.” This one concept has guided my leadership style more than any other in creating positive and healthy relationships in worship ministry.
The Kingdom of God in Advent is slow, contested, and unexpected. For worship leaders, the weeks preceding Christmas are a fitting time to highlight the tension in the Kingdom of God as we wait for the coming Messiah. In our prayers, songs and language we can once again enter into the story of longing and hope that crescendos into incarnation. Even though we know the end of the story, we need to help frame incarnation for all who are being formed by it as we worship and lead others.
Check out my encouragement here for worship leaders during this Advent season:
My name is Mike O’Brien and I am passionate about teaching and mentoring worship leaders and teams. My calling is to use my experience as a producer, worship leader, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist to come alongside musicians, helping them more fully worship God with their instrument and lives. Find out more about how I can help your worship leaders and teams HERE.
For many worship leaders communicating with your fellow musicians is a huge challenge. It can be very intimidating to give an opinion about an instrument you don’t play.
Since the drummer and the drumset play such a critical role in the overall sound of our bands, here are here are several ideas of how you can talk to your drummer.
Throne – The stool the drummer sits on is called a “throne” – and no that’s not a joke! Most drum thrones are adjustable and you might suggest raising or lowering the throne if you have a new drummer or someone unfamiliar with your church kit.
Kick Drum (aka Bass Drum) – This is usually the biggest drum on the drumset. It is hit with a pedal that has a beater attached. This drum has the lowest frequency of the drumset. It is a very important part of the overall sound. The bass guitar should interplay with this drum.
“Let’s really lay into that kick drum on this song.”
“Don’t play the kick at all during the first verse.”
Snare – Equally as important as the kick, the snare drum is commonly what plays the backbeat (where you want to clap). Snare drums can be tuned high or low. Snare drums can be struck in the center and on the edge of the head for different tones. You can turn the snares (the metal strings that line the bottom snare head) on or off and they can be adjusted to rattle more or less. You can hit just the rim of this drum for a muted click sound that can be pleasing (this is technically called a “cross-stick” although some mistakenly call it a “rimshot” which is something else).
“Play the snare really loose on this section.”
“Maybe try a cross stick rim thing on this part?”
Hi-Hats – These two cymbals join together on a specialized stand that is hit with a stick or “chicked” by simply depressing the pedal with your foot. If your foot is pressed down hard these will have a quick, tight sound when struck, the more you lift your foot the louder and more wild they become when struck. How “open” the hi-hats are when hit will DRASTICALLY alter the volume and perceived volume of the drumset.
“Can you close the hi-hats a bit more?”
“What would it sound like if we just keep the hi-hat going during the chorus instead of ride?”
Tom(s) – These drums are powerful for creating transitions between song parts. They are the most melodic elements of the drumset and can create pleasing (or irritating) rhythmic patterns.
“Let’s do a tom fill going into that outro.”
“Lay off on the toms to open up space under that guitar solo.”
Floor Tom(s) – This is the larger of the toms and can be used to create low-end power and energy. If you have subwoofers in your sound system then should be rocking when this drum is hit.
“Can you play eighth notes on the floor tom instead of the hi-hat?”
Crash Cymbal(s) – These typically have shorter sustain and add an accent to song sections or transitions.
“I like that bigger crash on that intro.”
Ride Cymbal – This is a complex cymbal that can have a “ping” sound or “washy” sound. The sound changes depending on where you hit it.
“Maybe a little more wash on this part and less ping?”
Splash Cymbal – These cymbals are super small and provide a very high pitched and short sustaining accent.
“Can you take the splash cymbal home and never bring it back?”
Chime Tree, Tambourine, and Shaker – Random percussion can add pleasing elements to the song selections. It’s common for a drummer to use a shaker for a verse section or for the whole song. You could use a tambourine laying on a floor tom for accents.
“You can only rake the chime tree only two times in this song… thank you.”
“Let’s do a tambo hit on 2 and 4 instead of the snare for this section.”
Kick, hi-hat, and ride cymbal rhythms are vital to the feel of the song sections. You might simply ask the drummer to “play busier” or “play simpler”, but if you know a more specific language, it would be helpful.
Adding a click track (metronome) to your worship team setup is easy and the video below shows you how to do it. Despite what some believe, adding a click will not automatically void the Holy Spirit from your church or kill the “feel” of your musicianship. Here are some reasons why I love having a permanent click ready to go at the church:
This video shows my process for setting up a permanent click (metronome) next to the drum set.
WHAT TO BUY:
Tama Rythm Watch: https://amzn.to/2Lhrq0e
Power Adapter for the Tama Rythm Watch: https://amzn.to/2LTOQdu
The Mount for the Rythm Watch: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/deta…
Clamp for Holder (clamp to the high hat or other stand): https://amzn.to/2LPXnhj
Here is a little chart showing you how the audio will be run for the click:
The finished project will look something like THIS
My name is Mike O’Brien and I am passionate about teaching and mentoring worship leaders and teams. My calling is to use my experience as a producer, worship leader, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist to come alongside musicians, helping them more fully worship God with their instrument and lives. Find out more how I can help your worship leaders and teams HERE.
There is a deep transformation that happens when cleaning up the waste of those you are leading in worship. This is my story of going from worship star to janitor in one day.
My story of going from worship star to janitor in one day. Click To TweetA couple of years ago, when I was about to finish up my prestigious Master’s degree in Worship Studies, I got word that our church was making some cuts and had to let the cleaning company go and they put me in charge of all church janitor duties. 15,000 square feet of carpet to vacuum, tile to mop, walls to dust, 20 trash cans to empty, and yes, 11 toilets to clean. I thought for sure I would have written a hit worship song by now or maybe have an assistant after all these years, but nope… I’m a 40-year-old janitor/worship leader for a resource-strapped church. Sweet. Dream come true.
Over the past two years, I have visited over 50 Vineyard Churches in the states. I thought it would be helpful to share 10 Vineyard songs I see and hear that are “working” well in many contexts; these songs share our values as a Kingdom people and the lyrics hold up theologically.
I understand that the distinctives of a particular stream of churches are nothing to die for, but they are something we should lean into from time to time. It’s nice to have some common melodies and words to rally around as a family of churches. When choosing songs to sing in my local church, I typically will look to our local, regional and Vineyard family expressions before I reach into the endless pool of songs available today. It’s a bit of a farm-to-table approach knowing the effortless, radio CCM options are always there.
If you are a Vineyard worship leader or pastor, my hope is to remind and encourage churches in our movement that we STILL HAVE a vibrant and every growing songbook, one that is crucial to forming our people in Kingdom practices. Let’s celebrate who we are!
TEN SONGS
Honestly, there are more than 100 songs I would include if space allowed. This list represents songs that are written in the past few years, are easy to play, have a track record of success, and align with our Kingdom (Vineyard Value) Theology.
Full disclosure: I do contract work with both Vineyard USA and Vineyard Worship, but these thoughts are my own and do not represent the movement or the worship label. Although I am a friend to many of these songwriters, I have tried to be as unbiased as possible.
1. Pour It Out
Written by: Stephen Lampert & Samuel Lane ©2013 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing (ASCAP) / Vineyard Songs (UK/EIRE). CCLI #6615343
As a small group worship leader, your role is no less important than the main stage worship leader. You are creating space for God and you are helping to form people as they worship. After 25 years of leading worship, many of my favorite memories are leading songs to groups of 3-10 people in a living room.
There is so much to say about this critical role in the Church, but here are some unique points I stress to every new small group worship leader I train. Five practical ideas for every small group worship leader:
1. Set a Mood
Worship leadership has more than just songs and singing to consider. Think about the physical space. Working with your host and group leader, get the couches, chairs, and lighting best for the group (this might be different than the normal layout). Try to face as much seating as possible pointed away from the entry point(s) and face chairs towards one another. Dim, or turn off the overhead lights, turn on some lamps and light some candles.
BIG IDEA: A small group worship leader helps create a physically inviting and worshipful environment.
2. Stand Opposite the Main Entry Point of the Room
In order to minimize distraction for the group, consider standing facing the main entry point to the room. People facing you will not be as distracted when people arrive or step out. Since it’s a small group just one person making a move will cause focus to turn to them. Do the best you can to help folks avoid distraction.
BIG IDEA: A small group worship leader strategically places themselves in the room to help remove distractions.
3. Sing With Clarity and Boldness
Leading songs without amplification has unique challenges. There can be crying babies, coffee grinding, and kitchen chatting competing with the focus. Try to articulate and be clear with every word and phrase.
Be clear and direct at the beginning of each phrase; sometimes I put a little rush on the first syllable. This is a subtle but important factor to small group singing that can help people engage the lyric more fully because everybody will better anticipate the first word of the next line. Use your body and facial countenance to lead into each section. Consider cueing the ensuing lines, especially in the beginning of the songs.
BIG IDEA: Sing lyrics with conviction and confidence, often times in front of the beat.
4. Plan Songs With Simplicity and Repetition in Mind
Some worship songs are more lyrically dense than others. Assuming you are not projecting or handing out lyrics*, consider choosing songs that have less overall words. Here are some approaches:
*I would discourage the temptation to set up screens, powerpoint on TVs or handing out song sheets for small groups. What did the church do for centuries before printed sheets and electricity? Can you connect with those historic roots and turn off visual media?
BIG IDEA: Choose and arrange songs for your small group that are simple and memorable.
5. Sing Really Soft and Really Loud
One of my favorite parts about small group worship is the invitation explore volume dynamics in worship. You can simply strum a chord once and start to sing without constantly strumming. You can and should lead “fast” songs, don’t be afraid to be loud together! Within songs, you can make verses whisper while choruses explode. As long as you are INTENTIONAL and CLEAR, people will follow.
BIG IDEA: In a small group, allow your musical worship to be both loud and soft; use your instrument and voices explore every dynamic possibility.
My name is Mike O’Brien and I am passionate about teaching and mentoring through music. My calling is to use my experience as a producer, worship leader, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist to come alongside musicians, helping them more fully worship God with their instrument and lives. Find out more how I can help your worship leaders and teams HERE.