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Do We Need More Worship Songs?


Let’s face it.
There are a lot of worship songs.
And with so many great songwriters like Matt Redman, Jason Ingram, Chris Tomlin, and Reuben Morgan cranking out such great songs, are you and I even needed?
Should we even bother to write?

Do We Need More Worship Songs?

We shouldn’t write worship songs just because it’s popular to do. Or because we’re trying to write the next 10,000 Reasons. However, I believe more worship songs need to be written.
You may be surprised.
More worship songs? Really?
Sure, there are plenty. But the glory of God demands careful attention…forever. There are facets of God’s character that we don’t understand yet. There are riches of revelation waiting to be unlocked.
That’s why there will always be worship songwriters…and the need for your worship songs will never die.
Here’s the bottom line: We can’t write worship songs for an industry. We must write worship songs for our hearts. Finding new ways to articulate the Gospel keeps its message fresh before our hearts.

Plow the Path

Let me give you an example.
The snow just won’t seem to let up here in western, PA. Just when you think it’s passed with a day in the high 50s, you wake up looking for your car underneath the white nonsense. It’s as if the snow is laughing, bickering, pointing. But I’m not bitter. I’m. Not. Bitter.
You know what I appreciate? The brave guy in the plow truck who wakes up at 3am to go and plow my street. While I sleep in my warm house, this guy is driving through a blizzard just to make my life easier.
He goes before me.
He prepares a way.
He serves me.
He makes it easier for me to do what I need to do.
His momentary inconvenience creates a path for me to leave my house.
You probably know where this is going.
As a worship songwriter, you are that plow man.
But we forget about the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to slave over a song until it’s done – to make sure it’s theologically sound, singable, powerful, and sticky.
It’s the “3 am” moment of songwriting.

“3 am” Songwriting

I don’t know about you but my songwriting process is anything but glamorous. Sometimes I’ll quit after 2 minutes of writing because I’m so discouraged. I convince myself I’m not gifted, have no business writing, and should do the church a favor and just give up. I mean, that’s what Matt Redman would say to me, right?
[See what I just did there? Paying attention to these erroneous thoughts is important so you can discard them before you believe them.]
I want you to think about something. Every time you’re in that discouragement zone, think about the plow man.
As a songwriter, you are going before the church to prepare a place of encounter. Through your future song, hearts will be drawn to Jesus. You are serving people. Your momentary struggle will make it easier for God’s people to see Him. You are plowing a path into the presence of God.
That changes perspective doesn’t it? Songwriting is serving. It’s a responsibility. Just because there are thousands of incredible songs and thousands of incredible writers more talented than you, doesn’t get you off the hook.
Your world needs your songs. They need your perspective. They need your insight.
Bring it.
Credits to: Mr. David Santistevan, for more info go to: http://www.davidsantistevan.com/
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Take The Great Band But Give Me Jesus: Thoughts On Engaging A Crowd In Worship


Trust me, I don’t mean to frighten you.
But what if you took a survey, asking your congregation how your music and worship leading connected with them?
What would their answer be?
Because we all know that the best worship leaders aren’t just great singers or musicians.
It’s not even that they really love Jesus a lot. You can have both of those and still leave the room scratching their heads.
The best worship leaders work hard on connecting with people.

Connect With the Worshiper

When I look back on the worship services I’ve led that were the most powerful, there are defining characteristics about them.
And honestly, they don’t always have to do with great music. Oftentimes, these worship services were led with nothing but a keyboard or a guitar.
My worship leading changed when I realized that people didn’t care about my music. Sure, some may enjoy it. Some may hate it. Some may be proud of it.
But the main reason people are coming to church?
To encounter God.
They’ve had a rough week and need God’s peace. They have a struggling marriage that needs His breakthrough. They are surrounded by pain and need His comfort.
What are we providing for them? Entertainment?
I don’t know about you, but I want people to leave my meetings with a deep sense of God – His nearness, His love, His glory. We need to strip everything away so our vision of God is clear.
Connect with the worshipers by being one.

How To Make it Easy for People to Worship

That’s our goal, right? To make it easy for people to worship. We want to remove all barriers and hindrances to the human heart connecting with its Maker.
I’ve outlined that process here:
Connect: At the outset of your worship set, you want to make a connection with the room. You want to let them know that you’re there to lead, to worship with them, and to go on a journey together. Make it clear that you’re not there to play music for them or show off your skills.
Endear: After you make this initial connection, you want to endear yourself to the people. They won’t travel with you if they don’t trust you. You want to make them smile. You want to connect with their desire for God. When they trust you in this way, you’re ready to lead. They trust that you’ll do more than just serenade them. You are also in love with Jesus, ready to encounter His presence.
Invite: I’ve found that when I invite people into the experience, response is always better. This can feel uncomfortable at times – giving instruction and explanation about what is going on – but it really frees people up. Don’t just perform your worship set or sing it straight through. Explain more than you think you need and you’ll see a difference in how people are engaged.
Engage: Once you’ve invited them into worship, it’s time to let God do His thing. At this point they trust you, they’re with you. Now, you want them to connect with Jesus. Draw out what God is doing in the room. Ask questions that connect with their desire. Worship with all your heart. Remember: the best stage presence is a heart on fire for God.
Enthrall: This is where God simply takes over. The church becomes so enthralled with the glory of God that you aren’t even needed anymore. It’s rare for worship services to get to this point, but when it happens, it’s a beautiful thing. If you do the other points well, you’ve prepared a clear pathway to seeing Jesus.
How do you connect more with your congregation? How do you engage them in your songlist?
I challenge you to leave a comment. Blog posts are better when brilliant worship leaders (like yourself) share!
Credits to: Mr. David Santistevan, for more info go to: http://www.davidsantistevan.com/
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How To Move Beyond Your Songlist To Love People And Lead Genuine Worship


We’ve all been there.
Sunday is almost here and we’re not quite sure what to sing. What do we do? Throw it together.
When in doubt, just find some killer songs and sing them, right?
But what about being present? If you think about it, every service is unique. Never again will that exact group of people gather together at that exact place at that exact time.
It’s about presence – being present.
You see, worship leading isn’t about templates. It’s not a “let’s see what other churches are doing” and simply copy it. It’s not a matter of finding the perfect worship set that gets hands in the air every time.
As a worship leader, you are pastoring people. And in order to pastor people, you need to be present.
But doing this is another story. You have your “go-to” songs. You have your worship phrases you say all the time.
What does it really take to be sensitive to your people – to move beyond songlist execution to the real thing? Because I am desperate for the real thing. I am hungry for the congregations I lead to experience God.
Are you?

Relationship Over Entertainment

Think about your average church-goer. They didn’t wake up Sunday morning wondering what your songlist is. They weren’t kept awake all night in anticipation of your guitar solos.
Their lives may be filled with disappointment, pain, crushed expectations, and chaos. They may be rejoicing that life is good.
Whatever the case, you are not serving your church well if you simply are trying to impress them with music. It’s about relationship not entertainment.
Rather than thinking, “What songs will my church enjoy?” – think – “What truth do my friends need to declare in this season?”

3 Tips For Improving Your “In the Moment” Presence as a Worship Leader

How does one develop this skill of being present in every worship service?
1. Be in Relationship With People – This is what it’s all about. In order to truly be present in your congregation, you have to know them. Of course, you can’t know everyone intimately, but you can know your team members. You can know some. Sharing in their joy, struggles, and pain will give you empathy as a worship leader and cause you to lead with greater sensitivity.
Learn the skill of being a friend. Invest in relationships. It will help you lead better.
2. Internalize Scripture – There’s no quick fix for this. There’s no “5 Steps to Memorizing the Bible in 1 Week or Less” blog post I can write. But the truth is – the more you get Scripture in you, the more your presence as a worship leader will improve. You will naturally lead people to truth and not simply emotional singing experiences. Here’s a quick tip for trying this today:
  1. Choose a systematic reading of the Bible (I use the One Year Bible on Kindle)
  2. Pick out a verse you like today
  3. Write it down (preferably, with a physical writing utensil. Extra credit: a quill pen)
  4. Say it out loud 10 times
  5. Set a timer on your phone for every hour and continue to quote it throughout the day
Creating a new habit is best formed with a simple step, repeated over and over. Try this for 3 days and see how your mindfulness of Scripture increases.
Practicing this is more important to your worship leading than learning the latest Chris Tomlin song.
3. Learn to Enjoy God – I know a lot of musicians who love music, but don’t seem to really enjoy being with God. Your worship leading will never go to the next level without fostering a love for God’s presence.
If God took your guitar away, would you still worship? If Matt Redman never wrote your favorite song, would you still have something to say? The best way grow in your love for God is to simply get in His presence.
Share your heart with Him. Listen. Sing. The best worship leaders love to soak and dwell in the presence of God. They know that’s what they were created for.
I want to know how you love and serve your people as a worship leader.

Credits to: Mr. David Santistevan, for more info go to: http://www.davidsantistevan.com/

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NICK VUJICIC LIVE IN MANILA

Known as "The Man with No Limbs", Nick Vujicic was born without arms and legs from a rare disorder. His story of overcoming a limbless life with the message of hope and strength found in Jesus Christ alone, has reached millions of people at conferences and churches worldwide!



This May 18 & 20 2013, we have the privilege of welcoming Serbian-Australian evangelist and motivational speaker Nick Vujicic for two exciting conferences!

Meet Nick
Imagine being born without arms. No arms to wrap around a friend; no hands to hold the ones you love; no fingers to experience touch; no way to lift or carry things. How much more difficult would life be if you were living without arms and hands? Or what about legs? Imagine if instead of no arms, you had no legs. No ability to dance, walk, run, or even stand. Now put both of those scenarios together… no arms and no legs. What would you do? How would that affect your everyday life?
                                                                                       - Nick Vujicic, www.lifewithoutlimbs.org
No arms. No legs. Nick Vujicic faces this stark reality each day, but in every picture of him, we see a smiling young man who lives what he calls "a ridiculously good life."
Born in Melbourne, Australia back in 1982, Nicholas Vujicic was born without arms or legs from a rare disorder called tetra-amelia. His disability was a daily struggle against the usual challenges of school and growing up such as bullying and self-esteem issues, as well as with depression and loneliness. But God had a plan for him all along.
Nick began to see how his accomplishments were an inspiration to many, and began to draw strength and passion in life from his faith in God. He began giving motivational speeches and started his own motivational speaking company called Attitude is Altitude. He also became the president and CEO of a non-profit organization called Life Without Limbs. From just being a man without limbs, Nick became a living testimony of God's great plan for each of us.
Today, Nick Vujicic has traveled across the globe giving inspirational and motivational speeches on overcoming the challenges of a limbless life through Jesus Christ. He has recorded audio commentaries and DVDs about his life and speeches; and written two books called, Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life and the recently released Unstoppable: The Incredible Power of Faith.
God continues to use Nick's testimony to touch the hearts of people from all walks of life and bring the hope of Jesus Christ.
Visit his website at www.lifewithoutlimbs.org for more information on his publications and ministries. For more information on his corporate speaking engagements, check out www.attitudeisaltitude.com.
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Integrity Music's iWorship Now/Next 2013


Multi-Million Selling iWorship Brand Highlights "Now/Next" Anthems for the Church, Features
Israel & New Breed, Lincoln Brewster, Paul Baloche, Tim Hughes, Paul Wilbur, Brenton Brown,
New Life Worship, Kari Jobe, Planetshakers, Rend Collective Experiment, Daniel Bashta, More



The new installment of Integrity Music's annual iWorship collection, iWorship Now/Next, is a two disc, 28-song set that was released last March 5. It features the most popular songs being sung in the Church now, plus the songs that are destined to be the next anthems sung by the faithful around the world.


The full iWorship Now/Next double-CD track listing follows:

Disc 1 (Now)
Our God - Lincoln Brewster
How He Loves - John Mark McMillan
Your Love Never Fails - Chris McClarney
Happy Day - Tim Hughes
10,000 Reasons - Rend Collective Experiment
Great I Am - New Life Worship
Jesus At The Center (Studio Version) - Israel & New Breed
Healer - Kari Jobe
Everlasting God - Brenton Brown
Our God Saves - Paul Baloche
In Christ Alone / The Solid Rock - Travis Cottrell
Before The Throne of God Above - Various
Your Great Name - Paul Wilbur
Overcome - New Life Worship

Disc 2 (Next)
Bless The Lord - Jared Anderson
Nothing Is Impossible - Planetshakers
Sovereign Over Us - Aaron Keyes
God You Reign - Lincoln Brewster
The Same Love - Paul Baloche
Praise The Invisible - Daniel Bashta
Strong God - Desperation Band
Spirit Break Out - Worship Central
All He Says I Am - Gateway Worship
All The Poor And Powerless - All Sons & Daughters
O The Blood - Gateway Worship
Rushing Waters - Dustin Smith
Build Your Kingdom Here - Rend Collective Experiment
Love Came Down - Ben Cantelon

Sung by many of the best-loved artist worshippers today, including Lincoln Brewster, Israel & New Breed, Paul Baloche, Tim Hughes, Paul Wilbur, Brenton Brown, New Life Worship, Gateway Worship+Kari Jobe, Planetshakers, Rend Collective Experiment, Daniel Bashta, Ben Cantelon, All Sons & Daughters and more!

The songs from this album is the manifestation of what God is doing in this worshipping generation. All the songs from NOW and NEXT are powerfully crafted and spirit-breathed and will surely move your spirit from the first to the last song.

All in all, I rate this album 5/5, two thumbs up!
This album is a must have to any CCM collectors, Lead Worshipers, Christians and absolutely to Non-Christians!


ABOUT iWORSHIP:
The iWorship series of recordings has sold well in excess of two million copies. These successful projects include iWorship Experience, @ Home, Kids and Christmas compilations. The iWorship Visual Performance Tracks and Song Videos continue to have an impact globally in churches, in homes, on military bases and everywhere where people desire to experience today's most powerful worship songs in sight and sound.

ABOUT INTEGRITY MUSIC:
Integrity Music is a division of David C Cook, a leading nonprofit global resource provider serving the Church with life-transforming materials. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Integrity's resources are distributed in more than 160 countries and sold worldwide.

Disclosure: I receive no compensation for this review

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“Beneath The Waters (I Will Rise)”

This is my revelation
Christ Jesus crucified
Salvation through repentance
At the cross on which He died

Now hear my absolution
Forgiveness for my sin
And I sink beneath the waters
That Christ was buried in

[Chorus]
I will rise, I will rise
As Christ was raised to life
Now in Him, now in Him
I live

I stand a new creation
Baptized in blood and fire
No fear of condemnation
By faith I’m justified

[Chorus]
I will rise, I will rise
As Christ was raised to life
Now in Him, now in Him
I live
[x2]

I rise as You are risen
Declare Your rule and reign
My life confess Your Lordship
And glorify Your Name
Your Word it stands eternal
Your Kingdom knows no end
Your praise goes on forever
An on and on again

No power can stand against You
No curse assault Your throne
No one can steal Your glory
For it is Yours alone
I stand to sing Your praises
I stand to testify
For I was dead in my sin

[Chorus]
But now I rise, I will rise
As Christ was raised to life
Now in Him, now in Him
I live

I will rise, I will rise
As Christ was raised to life
Now in Him, now in Him
I live
[x2]
Beaneath The Waters (I Will Rise) by Hillsong LIVE
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