I spent six years, virtually non-stop, touring on the road with several bands. While in tight quarters with others for such long periods of time, I learned ways to survive the road. Individuality can become nonexistent, and you tend, out of necessity, to make decisions as a band rather than as individuals. Some days you want to crawl up in a ball and disappear, but you can’t. So you adapt.

Most musicians will tell you that if they had to choose either a great musician or a good travel companion for a spot in the band, they’d choose the travel companion, because life on the road is usually twenty-two brutal hours of travel and two blissful hours on stage. So a good “bus hang” will make life much easier. You can always improve as a musician, but someone’s character won’t change until they’re willing. As a consequence, prima donnas or  “rock stars” may find themselves abandoned at a rural truck stop or rest area if they’re not careful!

On tour (I’m 3rd from L) somewhere in the Mediterranean, 1982

Most people, those in church worship teams included, will need to make personal sacrifices when joining a band. The best advice for newbies is to start with the Golden Rule, found in Matthew 7:12:  “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (NIV)”

Here are a few practical ways to become a welcomed member of any band, even if you weren’t the best guitarist at the audition.

1. Try to be even-tempered Being a good-natured person will keep you around longer than the moody, self-centered lead singer that you are currently tolerating. Remember: the squeaky wheel may get the grease, but it can also get replaced!

2. Don’t demand your own way It’s okay to do your own thing once in a while after you have done the group thing several times (choosing restaurants, activities, movies, etc.). In the long run, be a good team player. They’ll get over it when you need to stay back at the hotel once in a while.

3. Don’t be an over-picky eater Don’t be so finicky that the group always ends up having to meet your need for certain kinds of food at every stop. McDonalds may have to suffice when you’re busting it to get to the gig. You’ll survive.

4. Carry your end of the music Be a good musician in the band. Do your wood-shedding, learn your part, confess mistakes, take care of your instruments, and help make the band a success by improving as a musician yourself.

5. Be punctual Be on time; don’t let others consistently wait for you at call time. You’re just saying to the rest of the band: “I’m more important than you–I deserve to be waited on; your time is not important to me.” Beware: the band may get sick of it and leave you behind. I’ve seen it done.

6. Help tear down, set up, unload and load gear Get your hands dirty. Beyond your musical place in the group, make sure you are doing your share of the driving, loading suitcases, lifting, pulling, plugging, unplugging, duct taping and rolling cables before and after the gig. Rock stars and prima donnas get left behind at truck stops (there’s a theme going here–The Sopranos, anyone?)

7. Give fellow band members their own personal space Be sensitive to others in the band, especially early in the morning before their first cup of coffee. Proverbs 27:14 says, “If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse. (NIV)”

8. Be courteous and be ready to forgive  Cramped spaces lead to short fuses. Again, choose to be a good “bus hang” and think before you speak. Be full of grace when you suffer a wrong. This kind of bandmate will become not only a road-survivor, but a road-saint, with legendary status among other musicians (you’ll be first in line for a gig when there’s an opening in their band)! Nashville is full of great pickers who’ll never get a gig because they lack social intelligence.

9. Pull extra weight for a bandmate when necessary Be the first to step in and offer to bring relief to a fellow bandmate when they’re sick, when they’ve received some bad news from home, or if they need to spend time with a visiting friend or relative. This will come in handy when it’s your turn to be “needy.” (Warning: this “get-out-of-jail-free card” is very precious, and if caught abusing it…well, see the last sentence of #6)!

10. Carry “extras” to help out when you (or others) lose or break things I used to travel with a drummer who carried extra guitar picks, strings, pens, pencils, batteries, etc. He saved me and other bandmates from doom more than once. Be the “go-to-guy” in your band when things go wrong. Your forethought may earn you even more “get-out-of-jail-free cards” for the future!

There are many other ways to be a better bandmate. Please leave your thoughts in the comment section. Happy trails, fellow road dogs!

Everyone on the worship team is considered a leader, and church leaders should exemplify Christian character in conduct, appearance and speech. The list of the fruit of the Spirit, from the passage in Galatians 5:22-23, is a great place to start when describing appropriate behavior for Christ-followers. According to The Free Dictionary, modesty is: regard for decency of behavior, speech, dress, etc., and modest clothing is designed to prevent inadvertent exposure of parts of the body.

Godly behavior doesn’t draw attention to self, but seeks to exalt the Lord. Therefore, it’s important that both men and women who take the stage during worship services make wise choices about how they present themselves through their behavior and dress.

Style can be so subjective. Everyone desires to be stylish to some extent, but it must be made clear that any clothing worn on stage that promotes sensuality must be corrected before taking the stage.

A proper dress code must be determined for each church. For instance, I was once a worship leader at a church that required all of the men to wear a jacket and slacks during Saturday and Sunday evening services, and a suit and tie for Sunday morning services. There were no jeans allowed, ever, on stage during the weekend services. Women were required to wear knee-length dresses at all services. The church I currently serve allows me to wear jeans and a t-shirt during worship, ladies are allowed to wear slacks—quite a contrast in dress requirements. Interestingly, the style of music for both churches is similar: modern worship.

A Modest Interpretation

Due to the wide interpretation of what modest apparel actually is, there must be someone on the team who is given the authority to discretely help the offending person make a change in apparel before the worship service begins (a guy for the guys , and a lady for the ladies). If proper training is given to each new member of the worship team before their first service, and a clear list of do’s and don’t for appropriate dress are given, then for the most part, these uncomfortable pre-service discussions and outfit changes will be unnecessary. If a person continually makes poor choices about their outfits during worship, it may be a cue to let them take a break until they fully understand the dress code and comply.

Again, those who are on the worship team are leaders, and a place on the stage is not so people can see how cool we look, play or sing. It’s rather an opportunity to serve the Body of Christ, and to be as transparent as possible while leading worship, drawing the congregation’s attention to the Lord.

Make sure that guest musicians, speakers and singers know your church’s dress code in advance.

Teach the congregation about appropriate dress for church, too. Casual environments are rife with regular attendees who make poor choices of what to wear during worship. Growing churches will have to address this often, especially in anticipation of the summer months.

A Little Help From My Friend

My good buddy–worship leader, singer and teacher, Leanne Albrecht–wrote a very helpful blog post about proper stage dress for worship. She says: “So, girls…let’s be kind to the guys. Don’t make it difficult for them. Think of them as a best friend who needs your help to keep a clean thought life. When they look at us, let their first thought be of Jesus…”

She goes on to say: “The same is true for the guys. Tight clothing is not only uncomfortable but distracting. Be kind to the ladies…We, as Christians need to set a higher standard. A standard that is moral. One that promotes the attitude of Jesus and a lifestyle of purity; one that delights our soul instead of our “fleshly” senses.”

Here are a few more helpful fashion guidelines from Leanne:

• “Necklines should not expose cleavage.”

• “No tight-fitting clothes for ladies [or gentlemen]; no see-through fabrics. Keep in mind that thin, ‘clingy’ fabrics are less ‘forgiving’ than heavier ones . If you’re on the stage, remember physical shape is accentuated with bright lighting.”

• “Also, for the platform – skirts should be to the knee. Remember, most stages are elevated which makes the length of a skirt appear shorter from the audience level. If you are sitting on the platform, make sure when you are seated that the skirt is designed to give adequate coverage.”

• “No exposed midriffs.”

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“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10 (ESV)

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8 (ESV)
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11 (ESV)

“Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the LORD
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” Psalm 24:3-5 (ESV)

The book, Worship Foundry, is complete! I will make final corrections, graphs and proper reference notes before handing the document over to another who will format and ready the book for the electronic download and paper editions.

I offer here a portion of my final chapter, one that may very well be the most important in the book. I’m excited that soon you will be able to own a complete, organized version of all the teachings I’ve shared here in this blog over the years! I’ll be offering it for sale (maybe even as a free, limited-time digital download on Amazon.com) very soon.

Even though writing a book is daunting, it has given me hope of the possibility that there may be other books in the days and years ahead. Thanks so much for reading…come back often!

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Since becoming a Christian decades ago, I have always sensed God’s call to help others. Nothing energizes me more than helping young people connect with their life purpose and to see them flourish in their relationship with the Lord.

Because I am a teacher, a professional musician since the age of thirteen, and my passion for music, worship, songwriting, and all-things-guitar is burning bright as ever, I tend to find myself drawn to help people who are talented, yet humble–willing to learn, and hungry to grow as Christians and musicians. Living near Nashville, Tennessee, I see many people migrate here to pursue their dream of making it big in the industry. But I tend to stay away from folks who’s ambition is to simply “make it big” or to “become a star” because I’ve seen those self-centered dreams crash to the ground and break into a million pieces. They eventually wander back to where they came from. Rather, what I’m drawn to is the talented person with the desire to become the best Christ-follower, musician and leader they can be.

I was taught early on in my Christian training to leave a legacy—to train others and to help perpetuate the skills I’ve learned through teaching new generations of ministers, musicians, artists and leaders. This reminds me of the merchant and craft guilds of the Middle Ages. Back then, craftsmen were trained over several years, starting as an apprentice, working for free under a master craftsman for between 5-9 years. They would then advance to the paid-position of journeyman, continuing to work under the master. One day, they would attain master status themselves, when they could open up their own shop and train apprentices, and the generational process started over. This system of training helped pass down skills, discipline, excellence and quality to new generations, and effectively helped maintain a standard of quality for goods and services, benefitting the Medieval consumer.

College and seminary worship programs are necessary, but we must begin to train future ministers and musicians as early in life as possible. Why can’t we have training centers in the local church for young people and new converts, where they can be tutored by “master craftsmen” to be released into the world as top-notch ministers and musicians…even before they go to college and seminary? I believe the church has attempted this, but I think we are intimidated by the enormity of the proposition, but still the local church must meet the challenge and rise to the task.

There are three general ways to train potential worship musicians and ministers in the church.

1. In a hand-picked, one-on-one mentoring relationship
2. As a hand-picked group of students, in an ongoing, open-ended basis
3. In a general classroom format, open to everyone, on a semester-basis

Mentoring

I thank God for the mentors that came into my life and helped train me for the ministry. I have been guided, molded and counseled by some of the greatest musicians, songwriters and ministers in the world.

I am grateful for people like Mary Lewis who, back in 1976, reached out to me and invited me to play guitar for the youth choir when I was a new believer (and very rough around the edges). I am grateful for Stan Morse, arranger-extraordinaire for American Entertainment Productions, who believed in me and told me so by whispering in my ear during rehearsal one day: “You’re good; you’re gonna make it in music one day!” As a fledgeling songwriter and a young minister of music in a small Mobile, Alabama, church, the piano player, Nancy Gordon, unselfishly invited me to write with her after I recognized her name as the author of a song the choir was rehearsing. Her invitation opened doors to the folks at Integrity Music, where I would one day become an exclusive song writer. I thank God for Gerrit Gustafson, who sat with me, critiqued my songs, and wrote a check to help me purchase the multi-track cassette recorder on which the demo for “Ancient of Days” was recorded.

These were unselfish acts of Godly people who saw potential in me as a writer, musician and minister. I want to bring the same blessing to some unsuspecting young person who crosses my path, to spend time helping them meet their goals and aspirations.

When we recognize persons of exceptional ability and potential, we might be the very person God wants to use to help them in their formative process. Be wise, though, in choosing a candidate because one-on-one discipleship—whether it is spiritual in nature or for technical training—is best suited between persons of the same gender. This cannot be over stated. There may not be a temptation to cross a professional line, but it’s important to never project the appearance of impropriety, or give anyone an opportunity to misinterpret the relationship. Therefore, it’s best for guys to disciple guys, and girls to disciple girls.

Pray about a candidate first, then invite this person to talk about their future—what they want to accomplish through their gifts and abilities. Then, if they are willing, help create a plan of action with goals and directives, with built-in periodic evaluations as to their progress. Give the disciple an opportunity to “shadow” either you or a person on your team—so they can get hands-on experience in their field. This student/teacher mentoring can last as long as both parties determine.

Group of Hand-Picked Students

This process can a very effective and efficient use of your time as a teacher. The training is much like the one-on-one process of discipleship just mentioned, with goal setting, evaluation, and hands-on training. These students can be gleaned from those who rise to the top of a general classroom format of training.

I want to spend the remainder of this section on leaving a legacy to lay out the structure of a student ministry-based music and worship program I started several years ago.

Worship Foundry

As a teacher, songwriter and musician, I spent a significant amount of the 1990s teaching classes on worship in conferences held in the States and all over the world. During that time, many churches in Asia, and other continents of the world, were making great strides in adopting a modern worship approach to their music programs. Companies like Integrity Music and Maranatha! Music rose to meet the need and sent teachers like myself all over the globe as “musicianaries.” Language barriers didn’t stop us as we were given translators for all of our classes.

I remember thinking that this type of training doesn’t need to be limited to a one-and-done regional conference that happens every year or so in someone else’s church. This could be accomplished on a week-to-week, ongoing basis in my own home church. In other words, I asked myself: Why can’t we have our own school of worship here in the town where I live? (This was in 2001, two years before the School of Rock movie came out). A big barrier to this idea for a local music school was organization. I felt it was important to administer the program to suit the church I was serving, to be self-supporting, and to bring on teachers who were considered “masters” at their craft. A tall order, indeed!

So many people are intimidated by ideas like this. I certainly was at first. But a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step! I talked with the pastor over the next several months and we decided to start what was to be called Worship Foundry when school resumed after the summer break. I the course of two semesters we enrolled dozens of students. Many of the kids that were in the program have since made the leap into full-time ministry, and are still playing, singing and leading in churches all over the nation. I later served a church where I implemented this program again, and it was even more fruitful and successful than the previous one.

Here’s a breakdown of the Worship Foundry program:

1. Class offerings were chosen (guitar 1 & 2, bass guitar, keyboards, vocals and tech) and teachers were asked to commit to at least one semester–to teach for an hour per week
2. Tuition was established $5 per week for each student, and there were scholarships available so that no student would be left out
3. Accounting was done through the church, and each teacher was to receive a monthly check as an independent contractor (for example. Most classes had at least 10 students the first semester.
4. Open to one and all, regardless of ability, students were asked to pay tuition each week
5. The Sunday evening program with 10-minutes of worship, then students were dismissed to their breakout classrooms
6. Sensitivity was given to other church events to avoid conflicts with the church calendar. The schedule was determined before the program commenced, so families could make personal plans
7. Each teacher was required to develop their own lessons and to submit a teaching plan. It was necessary that be endorsed by the pastoral staff, along with being cleared to work with children, using appropriate background checks
8. At the conclusion of the semester, the number had grown beyond the 50 that started on the first week
9. Plans were made to expand classes when the second semester started
10. When implementing Worship Foundry at the second church, Fender Musical Instrumentsprovided electric and acoustic guitars, basses and amps, along with accessories for the students to use during the teaching sessions at the church

In the second semester, the new church moved the time slot for Worship Foundry to one that wasn’t conducive to the schedule of many of the students. In order for the program to function properly it’s important to find the optimal time in the student’s schedule in order for them to participate. In this particular case, Sunday afternoon at 3PM just didn’t work for all involved.

For the two years that Worship Foundry operated, it was an incredible success. I look forward to helping others create a unique opportunity to serve their local churches with a teaching program like the Foundry.

It wasn’t perfect, but Worship Foundry proved that a comprehensive worship and music program can be launched and mainained in small church. There are areas that will need to be customized for churches, most likely in the way of funding and payout for teachers. I chose to let students pay a weekly tuition fee. This created a dual commitment between the teacher and student. You may choose to offer a program free of charge with a volunteer teaching staff. Either way, the important thing is to raise up a new generation of worship singers, musicians and technicians to then be graduated into the adult program, over time. The apprentice form of training can prove to be an effective method in equipping young people in the church, especially in the area of music and worship,

Even if the Lord tarries, people are still going to be gathering each week in churches or living rooms to sing songs of praise to God a hundred years, even a thousand years from now. They, too, will require strong leadership. Therefore, it is the responsibility of each successive generation to train up the next generation of Christ-followers to serve the Body of Christ.

Though musical styles come and go, and technologies continue to evolve, the need for strong, undaunted, God-fearing leadership will remain the most important human ingredient in a growing church. I hope that what I’ve sown here in these posts over the last three years will reap a bountiful harvest in the hearts of Godly leaders, who will place the glory of God personal gain, and service to others over selfish pleasure.

I want to share with you another portion of my new book, but first I want to address an issue that comes up quite often.

Every week I hear something like this from folks in response to my blogs: “You make church services sound like you’re putting on a show.” I cringe each time I hear this. No, and I say this emphatically: It’s not about producing a show, but about doing everything with excellence–to glorify God!

We clean up before coming to church; we wash our hair, our car and our clothes; the pastor hopefully checks for spelling and gramatical errors in the sermon; we check the thermostat in church and clean the restrooms before the service, to help accomodate our members and visitors. In our personal lives we purchase high-definition TVs and surround-sound systems for our living rooms. We check email on our smart-phones, and use tablets for everything from reading books to checking our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

I find it interesting that some people are unwilling to accept technological advancements when it comes to church. I try to emphasize here on my blog that the goal for all we do in church (be it three-hundred yeas ago or today) is to see lives changed for Christ. PERIOD!

It seems ridiculous to me for the church to ignore marvelous advancements in technology. For example, I don’t carry a leather Bible to church; I have ten translations of the Bible readily available on my iPad! I’m sure, to many sincere Christ-followers, this is heresy.

When it comes to a modern worship service, how far are we willing to go with technology before it becomes “heresy?” Is it air conditioning, electric lights, wireless microphones, in-ear monitors, video screens, e-Bibles, etc.? I know it’s been said many times, but our culture is used to a high level of excellence with the productions they are faced with everyday on TV, in the movies, and on their favorite websites. Why must we limit our ability to take the message of the cross, using archaic methods of technology?

The same things apply to producing a worship service each week: we must coordinate each complicated aspect of the service plan, be it technical or performance, to work seamlessly and smoothly together. It’s not as simple as it once was. I hope these blog posts help inspire you toward excellence.

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The Producer

In today’s modern performance world, it’s difficult to expect a worship leader to be everywhere all of the time when it comes to worship services. In the days of old (15-20 years ago!), it was possible for a worship leader alone to manage their job from the stage. The responsibilities of a worship leader today are becoming more complex as the technical requirements for our services grow. So it’s possible that some churches may need to incorporate a service coordinator as a go-between to help fill the gap between the worlds of stage, tech and the audience.

This person, who we’ll call ”the producer,” can be a big help to the worship leader during planning, rehearsal and in performance. Their job is to be objective musically, and to be familiar with the technology used in the service. The job is generally described as follows:

1. The producer is a person who is experienced in areas of performance, technology and music, and who will help the worship leader optimize the the service’s effectiveness by taking the point-of-view of the audience. They must also have a spiritual sensitivity in order to bring helpful, objective critique regarding the spiritual aspects of the service to the worship leader and pastor.
2. The producer is one who pays close attention to musical arrangements, staging and technical cues and the overall “feel” of the service–especially during rehearsal and the final run-through–to make sure each element is working; they make suggestions on how to improve areas that aren’t measuring up to the pre-determined goals of the service.
3. The producer is the person who goes over the plan just before the service with the tech and worship teams, as well as any others who participate in the service, including special guests, staff members and the pastor. It’s important to have a printed service plan available to each person involved so that every stage move, music cue and tech cue can be discussed and confirmed.
4. The producer is a person who has the respect of the worship leader, the pastor, and the tech team, and one who isn’t afraid to be bold enough to approach the leaders with critique, but sensitive enough to maintain a positive, creative environment for the performers. The pastor will need to understand that the producer may have to be very directive at times, not with disrespect, but in a way that will help to promote and maintain excellence.
5. The producer can be a person in a paid staff position, but possibly a volunteer. It is optimal for the producer to be involved with the worship production team during the planning of each service. But a volunteer producer can take the plan each week, collaborate with the worship leader, and help tweak the service during rehearsal. There may be a need to make changes between services, if necessary.

Why not use a talented person like the one described as “producer” on the worship team? Well, some folks may be more interested in being a producer than a performer. Maybe there’s as associate on staff that has another job description during the week, but who is available and can fulfill the job during weekend services. In any event, it will take a person with an extremely broad range of experience to fulfill the requirements of this position. Make it a matter of prayer, and seek out a possible candidate that will fit the bill.