Welcomed or unWelcomed Worship Leader?

written by Chris Kuti (formerly of Chris and Conrad)

Have you ever had a person over to your house who seemed to forget that they were a guest? Did it seem like everything they did got on your nerves? They didn’t take their shoes off, left things a mess, and forgot the coaster. We’ve all been there, and more than likely the person isn’t intentionally getting on your nerves, they just don’t know.

The same is true of many worship leaders who’ve been given the opportunity to be a guest in other churches. If you’re at the point where other churches are asking you to be a guest worship leader, be thankful. The idea of handing over the spiritual direction of a particular worship service to a “stranger” is scary for a Pastor and his staff.

Whether you’re a guest worship leader at other churches regularly or periodically, don’t allow yourself to become the unwelcomed guest. In these situations, first impressions are everything and that’s why I’m here to help. So here are a few practical ways to make sure you don’t leave the per viable water ring on the coffee table of any church you visit.

BE KIND - I know what you’re thinking, “is this guy serious?” Yes! You wouldn’t believe how many musicians I’ve come across who somehow forget simple manners when communicating with the people who are hosting them as a guest. Take it from a guy who’s had a bad day and allowed that to effect his mood in a few guest situations. It’s not worth sacrificing your credibility because things aren’t going as planned. Whether you’re taking a call regarding the planning of the service, or communicating with the band and tech crew, pay extra attention to your mood. Go the extra mile to be kind to everyone you meet, and remember, you’re a guest in their church.

CONNECT - All too often worship leaders make it their agenda to do the songs they want to do. As a one time guest in a new place, you already have the disadvantage of people wondering “who’s the new guy?” It needs to be your focus to cancel out any other hindrances that you could be in a service that is not at all about you. A great way to lose people in this context is to do a bunch of songs that you love, but they’ve never heard before. Can you be yourself? Absolutely, but not at the expense of losing people. A great rule of thumb is to ask the church worship leader or production staff for the set-lists of the past two months worth of services. With this list of songs, you’ll be able to get a great understanding of what the worshipers there are familiar with.

GET ALL THE DETAILS - We musicians can be a weird breed sometimes. We tend to fly by the seat of our pants, and this can be destructive for a guest worship leader. In your preparation for an upcoming guest date, make sure that you have all the details about the church and what their services look like each week. What’s their desired set length, do they want you to bring your own band, are you playing with their band, leading acoustically? How is the service starting, when are the announcements, how should you transition into the message? These are all valid questions that you should commit to memory because the flow and details of every service that you’re a part of are an important piece in the leading of God’s people. Another great rule of thumb is to try and keep communication detailed, yet limited. Try not to be the guy who calls every day with a million questions. Instead, schedule a few scattered conversations that cover all the details at once. These conversations should be far out from the date, after the set list is put together, and a few days before the date.

PROVIDE A TECHNICAL RIDER - To some, the word “rider” is considered a cuss word. Let me ease your mind, it’s not! Without communicating what you’ll need and what you’re providing, you can quickly become an unwelcomed guest. This rider needs to be simple and detailed according to multiple configurations (leading alone, leading with your band, or with their band). A technical rider only works correctly when you communicate with the technical volunteers or staff directly. This will give you a clear idea of what they have so you’ll be able to work with their equipment. Without communicating openly, your rider will seem like demands instead of a clear, effective communication of details. If it helps to ease your mind, you could call it a “technical stress reliever sheet.”

Here are a few things to include in this technical rider:

• # of DI boxes & XLR cables needed

• # of microphones and mic stands needed

• if you’ll need to use any of their backline (drums, keyboard, amps)

• how many channels you’ll need on their console & the name of the instrument on every channel

• how many (monitors) needed and their position (if you travel with your own, communicate how many aux’s you’ll need on their console)

KNOW YOUR MUSIC - This is important whether you’re a guest or not. However, if you find yourself in a situation where you’re having to lead with the band that normally plays at the church, it’s even more important. You need to be rehearsed long before you run rehearsals with their band. This will allow you to feel comfortable and be able to work through any problem areas or limitations with the church’s band. Do your research about the band that is playing along with you, and try to pick songs and arrangements that match the skill set of the players present.

PROVIDE A DETAILED FLOW – When working through the arrangements of each song and elements of the service, type out a detailed text file of the lyrics and flow. This will be important for whoever is running the presentation lyrics. You can’t expect a stranger to know your leading style. So in order to skip this potential train wreck, provide the flow of lyrics in the exact order that you’ll be doing the songs. This way, whoever is running the presentation software will only have to press the down arrow after every slide.

GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME – Show up early to the rehearsal, get comfortable with the gear, stage, and sound before the congregation starts showing up. The more time you give yourself in preparation before the service, the more you’ll be able to be focused and comfortable in an unfamiliar place.

CONNECT WITH THE PASTOR - If at all possible, schedule a few minutes before the service begins to connect with the pastor. Thank him for trusting you and be sensitive to any desires that he has for the segue into his message or during the invitation.

We’d love to hear of any more tips that have helped you become a better guest worship leader. Join the conversation below!

5 Easy Ways to Locate Song Ideas

1) Take a walk, but be sure to take pen and paper with you. Maybe you don’t have to take a walk, per se. But it’s beneficial to make an effort to get out or pull away for a minute. We have to run from the distractions of technology before we’re able to hear what’s churning in our own souls. While you’re out walking, dig deep, but stay random. Let your mind wander. Listen for bits of inspiration. Questions. Phrases. Prayers. Write ‘em down.

2) Watch a movie, with pen & paper. If you listen closely, you’ll find great phrases & questions & existential experiences in the scripts of contemporary movies. Many make subtle (and direct) mentions of faith as it applies to the human experience. Listen with open ears and you’ll be surprised what ideas come your way.

3) Listen to other great songs. This one is pretty well-known, yet often neglected. Didn’t someone famous once say “art begets art?” They knew what they were talking about. Listen to the kinds of songs you want to write. Study them. Analyze them. Find out what makes them tick, and then creatively incorporate those tricks into your own writing.

4) Find a co-writing partner. Or, better said: Find a co-writing partner with ideas. They can bring their ideas to the table and you can help expand them. Easy enough!

5) Read Scripture, while looking for phrases and concepts and imagery to spark your mind. Like listening to other songs, this is not a new strategy, either. And, if you use “The Message,” you’ve probably already noticed that a lot of new worship songs have phrases and even entire verses that come out of Peterson’s paraphrase. It was written with modern language, but still holds true to the concept and poetic form of the original text. In short, there are lyrics just waiting to be written around portions of “The Message.”

These tips aren’t magic. In fact, you’ve probably experienced the unintentional benefits of a few of these activities already. Let this list serve as a reminder, and use these strategies intentionally. If you find yourself facing a bit of writer’s block, one of these methods can serve as a tool to chip away at that block and get the ideas flowing again.

-by Mandy Thompson

How I Write Songs – Tommy Walker

Usually in the morning, following a time of devotions, I’ll meditate on one specific thought that has come to me either through the Word or through prayer. Most creative people will tell you they have a specific time of day (or night) when they are the most productive. I suggest that you try to identify the time when you are at your most creative, then make it a point to reserve that time each day just for songwriting. My time happens to be in the morning. I’ll pick up my guitar and begin strumming in a musical style that best seems to communicate the thought I’m working with. Then I just begin to worship. I search for a catchphrase (one line), or a “hook,” that best describes the thought. If I can find that one line, half the battle is over! Many times the phrase will already be found in scripture.

At this point I’m already starting to think about how I can create music that will enable the average person to sing along and be touched by this one phrase or truth. In other words, I try to keep the melody within an octave and try to keep the rhythmical phrasing of the lyrics consistent and as simple as possible.

When the song starts taking form it’s time to ask a couple of important questions. Does the song sound too much like some other song? Is the song too predictable? Even if the answer to these questions is “yes,” it isn’t necessarily time to give up.

If the song seems to have potential, I’ll focus on either changing the melody slightly, changing the rhythm or groove of the song, or both. None of us can escape the fact that frequently a new song is inspired by some other song. There’s nothing wrong with that. But when listening to your new song, consciously think about what parts of it sound exactly like the other song, then tweak it so it’s different.

For me, this is where the real work usually begins. I’ve got the basic idea of the music and the lyrical hook of the chorus. Now I have to come up with all the other lyrics that will complete the song. At this point I find it helpful to look up scripture references that go along with the original text or theme, and I’ll use my computer thesaurus. My goal is to avoid using the same phrases I used in my last song. This approach always forces me to be creative when writing lyrics.

As I continue getting ideas, I sing and play them into a hand-held digital recorder. I recommend using a small, portable recording device. It’s a good way to make sure a fleeting, but great, idea doesn’t get away. I’m always looking for interesting or new chord progressions that will serve as a fresh sounding bed for the lyrics to rest on. I am also listening for the correct tempo, and the type of groove the drums will play.

When all the basics of the song are in place, when the framework is complete, it’s time to listen to it critically. Playing back a song frequently gives me new ideas. Of course there are often times I find myself beginning to dislike what I’ve done and wondering why I wasted my time. That’s when I take a break and come back to the song at a later time. A little time and distance can work wonders for objectivity.

Once I return to a song, if it’s pretty much complete and seems to have even a little potential, I play it for a few people whom I can count on for honest feedback. In my case, two of those people include my wife and my pastor. It is extremely important that every writer have an honest, straightforward and objective friend who can serve as a sounding board for new songs, and new song ideas. Ideally it will be someone you can trust; someone who you know loves you, someone who wants you to succeed. Of course, it’s also a huge plus if your sounding board has a proven ear for a good song. If you’re blessed with more than one objective listener, that’s even better!

If my new song passes the listening test of my wife and pastor, then I will teach it to the congregation of my church. Most of the time I usually know right away if the song is “the bomb” or just “a bomb.” However, I generally try to keep the song in our worship services for two or three weeks in a row. Giving up on a new song too soon might eliminate the opportunity for me to see if it is gradually being accepted and embraced by the congregation.

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Article by Tommy Walker. Used with permission.