If I told you that you could write hundreds of songs that would change the world, would you believe me?

It’s possible, but far from easy. Many of you are epic songwriters.

Still, others of you want to be epic songwriters, but aren’t doing anything about it.

The slate is clean. Will you fill it?

That last sentence wasn’t a slam. It’s a reality you and I face every day. Will we take steps to making our dreams a reality or will we simply think about it?

The choice is yours.

Prolific Writers Decide To Write

We idolize prolific writers, don’t we?

How could Charles Wesley write 9,000 hymns? Either he was prolific or most of them really sucked.

How did Ryan O’Neal from Sleeping At Last write and release an EP every month for an entire year? And each and every lyric blow my mind?

How do great writers grip our hearts with such consistency?

What’s the trick?

Here it is: they made a decision. They chose to start. It’s not about having loads of natural talent. It’s not about being born the best. It’s about making a decision and showing up every day, consistently.

Prolific writers write loads of crappy songs to unlock their best. I believe my best songs have yet to be written…because I’ve decided to write.

Simple? Yes. Easy? Hardly.

Isn’t The “Market” Too Crowded?

But why should I write more songs? Aren’t there enough songs in an overcrowded market? Yes, the market is crowded. Too often, it’s crowded with crap.

But we have need for the real writers to rise up.

We have need for the best songs, not the mediocre nonsense.

We have need for you to be you.

We have a need for you to release not just what is popular and easy, but what is the result of your blood, sweat, and tears.

We need songs that connect with the depths of who you are and what you believe.

We need songs that clarify the voice of God for the church.

You need it. We need it. Your church needs it.

Where Do I Start?

A great question. Here’s what to do:

1. Create A Plan – Build songwriting into your schedule like you would morning devotions or exercise or running errands. Make a plan and stick to it for a while.

Don’t worry about being inspired for now. Just write. For a while, try it first thing in the morning no matter how uninspired you feel. Do it even when it hurts.

2. Steal Ideas to Jumpstart Your Own – Want to take some artistic advice from Picasso? He said, “Good artists copy; great artists steal.” Don’t misunderstand it. Plagiarizing another’s work is wrong. And lame.

But using other’s ideas as a springboard to something new is brilliant. Do that in your songwriting.

3. Do Something Different - Have you created your plan? Developed a habit? Good…I want you to forget about it now. Do something completely different.

Put yourself in new surroundings. Write a different style song. Pick a theme you hardly every think about. Whatever you typically do, do the opposite.

4. Record It – Seriously. It’s never been easier to record yourself. Listening to your own music is the best way to improve it. You realize things you’d never notice otherwise.

Open Garageband or a voice recorder or your iPhone. Quality doesn’t matter. Just record what you got, listen, and tweak. Go do it now.

5. Share It – Your music needs to be shared. To write like you’ve never written before, you need feedback. Just like a healthy spiritual life involves giving and receiving, you need to give your music.

Let others hear it. Maybe you want to record an album. But you don’t even have to go that far yet. Play it for a friend or small group. Get it out there.

I want 2012 to a productive year of writing for you. And I want to help you get there.

Question: What holds you back from writing like you’ve never written before? Or what techniques have helped you write consistently? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Btw, if you thought this post was helpful, consider sharing it with your social network via the sharing icons below. That’s the greatest compliment you could give! You’re awesome..

Photo Credit: CWM Gary (SXC.HU)

The old and the young. Can’t we all just get along?

One of the most common frustrations of leading a local church worship team is connecting the generations – to actually work together.

Oftentimes they look like lepers trying to avoid each other than a team working together.

Why is this?

Photo Credit: Alan Levine (Flickr)

It’s true, the young tend to lack respect for the old. They can easily form “clicks” with their own age and think they’re better than they are.

Still, the old can easily get “set in their ways” and aren’t open to change. They have a hard time adapting to “younger” styles and feel awkward around the young, like they have nothing to say.

I’m convinced that blending the generations is the best way to go. It’s not about everyone getting their way. It’s about us being the church – working together, serving together, loving Jesus together.

But in order to do it well, it takes effort on both sides.

And at the end of this post, I’d like to hear what has worked for you.

The Young Musician

1. Don’t be a know it all – soak up all you can from seasoned musicians who are different than you. Be a learner. Destroy your miniature box of what you think is musical “cool”. Learn about any and all styles from anyone.

2. Ask questions – I know talking to the 50 year old rocker is awkward, so start with some questions. Ask them about their history as a musician. Let them rant about their glory days. They’ll appreciate the conversation…or monologue

3. Don’t gossip – I know you have the most cutting edge musical ideas and the bass player soloing with their chorus pedal drives you crazy. Rather than talking behind everyone’s back about how much you hate it, keep it to yourself and seek to build up the team with your words.

The Older Musician

1. Be teachable – learn a new perspective on creativity from the younger. I know it’s a pride killer when you have to play music with kids half the age you’ve been playing guitar. But there’s much to learn!

2. Initiate conversation – Oftentimes the young are intimidated or don’t know what to say to you. Reach out to them. bless, encourage, and pray for them.

3. Mentor and invest in the next generation. Rather than feel threatened that you may be replaced, mentor someone who is half your age. Face it – they are the next generation and someone needs to carry the torch.

Worship leader, I’d love to hear how this works on your team.

How do you engage both the old and the young? Let us know in the comments!

If there was one thing you could pay for to get a massive result, what would it be?

For my worship team, I’d pay for unity – a team of hard working, Jesus loving, sold-out for the Gospel, passionate musicians.

If only it was that easy.

While you can’t pay for unity, it’s a value worthy of your best effort.

Do you desire a powerful team? Then unity is a non-negotiable.

Consider an orchestra. Imagine if each member went their own way. The violins played Rachmaninoff instead of Chopin. The trumpets competed to see who could hold their note the longest. The tympani’s decided to improv. The tuba just took a nap.

Disaster in the making? I think so. What makes an orchestra work is the unified effort. Every member matters and every member must humble themselves and follow the conductor.

What Are You Mobilizing People Towards?

As a young, idealistic leader, unity wasn’t on my to-do list. Matter of fact, what others did wasn’t very important at all. I was only concerned with my talents and my effort.

But the more I do ministry the more I see my fault. It’s not about what I’m gifted at or what I can accomplish, but what I can release others to do. It’s about seeing the fire of God burn bright in their hearts.

It’s more about finishing the race with the multiplied efforts of those around me.

5 Tips For Building Unity

So you want to build unity? Try this:

1. Cast vision for it – oftentimes a lack of unity comes down to a lack of communication. Does your team even know what is important to you? How often do you share your vision for unity? If you’re not bored hearing yourself talk vision, you’re not speaking it enough.

2. Celebrate your team members when they “get it” – When you see your team fulfill your vision and work together in unity, you better celebrate like it’s 1999. Make a big deal about it. Encourage. Show appreciation. Be grateful for who you get to work with.

3. Trust them – Unity is strengthened when you assign responsibility and believe they can fulfill it. Trust your team members. Believe they can do great things and allow them. When they feel they are trusted and can run with a project, it means the world to them.

4. Allow context for private criticism – Nothing will derail a team quicker than private gossip. Don’t allow it. I love Andy Stanley’s motto: Be a raving fan publicly and an honest critic privately. In order for this to work well, create a safe environment for honest feedback to happen behind the scenes.

5. Do something together – People unite around solving problems. They come together around adventures where they know they are needed to make a difference. What about your worship team is capturing imagination and calling “all hands on deck”? If you can’t answer that question, there’s a lack of vision. Identify your “problem” and mobilize your team solve it.

 Don’t expect unity to happen naturally, even if you have easy-going, talented people on your team. Build the culture.

Question: How do you build a unified culture within your team? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

We all have to do it at one time or another.

Embracing confrontation and having difficult conversations is something every leader needs to get comfortable with.

Worship leader, consider the situations I’m sure you’ve been in:

• Confronting a musician who is chronically late
• Asking an ‘out-of-tune’ vocalist to step down from the team
• Addressing a bad attitude

While I don’t love confrontation, I’ve learned how necessary it is. Without it, we allow behavior to continue that, over time, destroys a team. And we don’t do a good job of pastoring our people.

During my early days as a leader, I was terrible at this. I wanted everyone to be happy. I wanted everyone to be involved. But a worship team is not a place for everyone. It takes a compassionate yet courageous leader who embraces confrontation.

3 Tips For Having Difficult Conversations

Here are a few best tips for doing this well:

1. Introduce Worship Team Evaluations

It’s always more difficult to have a difficult conversation out of the blue. But if you’ve established an annual (or quarterly) tradition of evaluating every member on your worship team, it’s much easier.

They begin to expect the confrontation and it gives you a chance to disciple. Elevation worship has a great worksheet for you to adapt. You can download that here.

2. Sandwich the conversation

No, I’m not talking about picking up a couple $5 foot longs for your confrontation meeting. Matter of fact, yes I am. Do that. It will help

I’m referring to how you frame the conversation. The sandwich method is essentially this:

1. Speak positively about the person
2. Confront what needs confronted
3. Envision them

For example, if you’re asking someone to step down from the team, share your appreciation for their faithfulness. Be honest and genuine.

Then get to the point and share with them why they need to step down. Then envision them with a new place they can serve. When asking a team member to step down, it’s often that they’re just in the wrong place. There’s a better fit elsewhere in the church.

3. View It Through A Discipleship Lens

Anytime you need to confront someone, see it as an opportunity for discipleship – an opportunity to see this person grow. That’s not to say they’ll always accept your advice or take it well.

But as a leader, it’s part of your responsibility to make hard decisions and disciple those on your team. Don’t allow bad habits to fester.

And that’s the main reason you should do this: to disciple your worship team. Remember, it’s not just about getting stuff done. It’s about their growth into Christlikeness.

Question: What are some difficult confrontations you’ve had to experience? What did you learn? Let us know in the comments!

Don’t you just love the feeling that comes with releasing your art for the world to see?

Maybe you just published a blog post, or wrote a book, or released an album. It’s wonderful to ride the wave of compliments as they come cascading over your life.

You’ve arrived…

Or so you thought.

Truth be told: the buzz surrounding your art will fade quickly. At one moment your fans are cheering. A minute later they’re asking, “What’s next?”

If you create, or call yourself an artist, there’s a reality you need to get comfortable with.

You never arrive.

If you talked to JK Rowling or Phil Keaggy or Seth Godin, I’m sure they’d tell you they have much to learn. If ever on their creative journey they “arrived”, we wouldn’t have their massive catalog of great art.

I’m going to be honest. I’ve been struggling in my creativity recently. During 2011, I blogged every day and hardly felt any writer’s block. Why the switch?

Because I’ve gotten away from a few disciplines that helped me sustain creativity for the long haul.

5 Tips For Sustaining Creativity Over A Long Period Of Time

Here they are:

1. Don’t Fall in Love With Feedback

The glory of today’s accomplishment will be met with a blank slate tomorrow. And you have to do something about it. Fall in love with your art, not the reaction.

Extraordinary artists love art. They love creating. They don’t mind the haters. They’re not making it for them anyway.

If you want to sustain your creativity, end your love affair with “reactions” and get back to work.

2. Take Frequent Breaks

No one can create nonstop. If you do, not only will your art suck, but all the life will be sucked from you. You need adequate rest in order to be creative.

Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz in their fantastic book, “The Power of Full Engagement” say:

“Cultures that encourage people to seek intermittent renewal not only inspire greater commitment, but also more productivity.”

Sometimes the best thing you can do is give up – to rest. If you want to feel more committed to your art and be more productive, the answer is not constant creating. Rest and rest often.

3. Stress Yourself Out

Another key point in “The Power of Full Engagement” is the idea that the only way to be fully engaged in life is to subject yourself to periodic bursts of stress and rest.

Want to take your creativity to a new level? Take advice from Star Trek and boldly go where no man has gone before. Do something that you’ve never tried.

Write and finish a song in a day. Draft 20 blog posts in an hour. Push yourself past your mental limits and see what happens.

4. Keep Yourself Interesting

Nothing kills creativity more than boredom. If you are bored with your life, your creative output will suffer. But here’s the kicker. Your boredom can’t be blamed on external circumstances.

It’s your responsibility to remain interesting. How do you do this?

Try new things. Read new books. Listen to new music. Cook new food. Exercise in a unique way. Talk to a stranger. In a nutshell, do something different. And while you’re at it, read Julien Smith’s FREE book “The Flinch“.

Interesting people create interesting art. Boring people create boring art.

5. Learn Something New Every Day

If asked the question, “what did you learn today?”, you should never be silent.

In every conversation, learn something new about yourself. Learn something new about life.

If you think a homeless man has nothing to teach you, you’re killing yourself. If you think a newborn has nothing to teach you, you’re killing yourself. If you think a mentally handicapped paraplegic has nothing to teach you, you’re killing yourself. If you think your dog has nothing to teach you, well, you get the point.

Be a relentless learner.

But you don’t have to listen to me. I’m a 27 year old who hasn’t been creating for a lifetime.

Still, I don’t want you to race through your life with excuses and look back with regret. Even if you’ve never created anything due to fear, start something today.

Build the habits now that will make you a lifelong creative.

Question: How do you sustain your creativity over long periods of time? What tips have you discovered? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Worship music nerds of the world, unite!

It’s a day of music sharing.

Here are a number of albums that I’ve been loving:

	Bethel Music: Loft Sessions I've been anticipating this album for a long time and it doesn't disappoint. Bethel releases music that is relentlessly fresh and prophetic. Make sure you pick this up.
	The Brilliance When I heard that Michael Gungor's brother was making worship music that was a little bit different, I was intrigued. This album combines a gentle, simple, orchestral feel that is simply beautiful. I look forward to more from these guys.
	One Sonic Society: Forever Reign I know I talk about OSS a lot, but I just love the synergy in this music. Great songs, great energy.
	Rend Collective Experiment: Homemade Worship By Handmade People Probably my favorite worship album in a long while. You can't help but smile, sing, and shout when you listen to this. Very innovative and fun.
	Gungor: Ghosts Upon The Earth Due to all the publicity that Gungor already receives, I wasn't going to post this. But it's a really great album. From start to finish it's an amazing musical journey.
	Jeremy Riddle: Furious Jeremy Riddle blows me away with his songwriting and vocals. While a lot of these songs are on recent Bethel albums (which are better, btw) I still enjoyed this.
	All Sons & Daughters: Reason To Sing All Sons & Daughters are a refreshing sound among other worship music. There's a sense of lament and desperation that arises from their music. Love it.
	Elevation Worship: For The Honor You knew I would post this. Love Elevation. Love this album.
	David Vallier & Amber Brooks: Sovereign I first heard these guys on the Morningstar EP "Crash This Place" and was immediately drawn in. This is an intense live album, be warned. But awesome.
	Rita Springer: The Playlist Album When Rita sings, you feel closer to God. This is a beautiful album that really allows her strengths to shine.

What is some current music you’ve been inspired by? Let us know in the comments!

When my schedule gets busy, there’s something I long for more than anything.

Something I crave when I struggle to catch my breath. What is it? A break.

A time to step away from the hustle and bustle – to rest. But that rest has eventually become an obsession.

This holiday season, if yours was like mine, was ample time to veg out and do nothing.

Plop in front of the tube and watch some football. Stuff your face constantly with delicious homemade delights.

I love leisure…and for sure, it is necessary.

The Love Of Leisure

But I love it too much.

I find myself not wanting to go to work in order to just relax. I find myself not wanting to blog in order to just shrivel my mind with mindless entertainment.

Worse, I avoid obeying the Gospel because I love a life of ease and comfort.

I want my life to be easy, but easy isn’t necessarily a virtue.

If you read Scripture, you notice the greatest lives were marked by sacrifice and adventure.

We love great stories because they’re filled with unlikely characters attempting the impossible.

Without difficulty, it ceases to be human.

It seems the holiday season reminds me of something deeper in myself.

Making my life count.

Do Something Difficult

I don’t want to rehearse my good intentions, make excuses, or live an easy life. I want to do hard things.

I want to love following Jesus into the darkest places. I want to make the uncomfortable choice and share Jesus with my annoying neighbor.

But why do I avoid these responsibilities? When do I assume the commands of Scripture don’t apply to me?

I’m realizing that the path of least resistance is usually the path with the least legacy.

When there’s challenge, risk, pain, and adventure, there’s gold to be refined in my character.

And the choice faces you today. What is your decision? Will you take the easy path?

Question: How are you avoiding the easy path and doing hard things for God? Why do we resist so much? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

[From David: This is a guest post by Arny Sanchez, who blogs at The Analogous Truth. You can follow him on Twitter here.]

If you’re a worship leader, theology is important. Massively important.

Especially if you want to write worship songs. Without a steady diet of immersion in God’s Word, our songs will easily degrade into self centered memoirs to our own passion.

I’ve been leading and writing songs for about 7 years now and there are a couple of lessons I’ve learned about writing songs for corporate worship.

Jesus said that the Father is seeking worshipers who worship in spirit and truth. The Word of God is spiritual, alive, and the absolute truth.

It’s no wonder that the most famous, memorable worship songs were taken right from Scripture.

10 Songwriting Ideas For Worship Songwriters

Here are 10 topics to assist you in writing worship songs:

1. The ONLY

Worship the God of “The Only”.

The only King of Kings, The only Lord of all, The only creator of the universe, The only one without a beginning or end.

This truth stands out in the Psalms and in Isaiah. There is no on like our God. There is no other God besides Him.

2. The Power of God

How great and powerful is our God? With Him, nothing is impossible.

He opened the Red Sea. He knows the number of stars in the sky and calls them by name. His voice is in the thunder and his glory moves in lightning. He even knows the number of hairs on your head.

It’s a wonderful reminder to his people that He is in control and that all things work for the good of those who love him.

3. The Cross

The cross is where Jesus nailed our sins. The Cross makes a way for us to draw near. The cross is where Jesus was obedient unto death. Without the Cross, there is no forgiveness of sins.

Write about the cross. Sing about the cross. Never lose the wonder of the cross.

4. The Blood

I get goosebumps every time I sing about the blood. His blood was the cost for us to enter the Holy of Holies. The very presence of God.

When we come face to face with the blood of Christ in worship, we have to come face to face with our sin. The blood of Christ washes away our sins in order for us to worship the way we were meant to worship…freely. In spirit and in truth.

“O Precious is the flow that makes me white as snow! Nothing but the Blood of Jesus!”

5. The Word

“Blessed be the name of the Lord” wasn’t written by Matt Redman. It was written by Job after he lost everything.

“Not To Us” wasn’t written by Chris Tomlin. It was written by King David.

His Word goes forth and never returns to Him empty.

6. The Gospel

Is the Gospel central in your life? Its truth should never grow old.

While we were still sinners Christ died for us. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved.

There’s most likely new people at your church every Sunday that are not Christians. Write and sing about the Gospel.

7. The Love of God

The love of God never ends. It has no limits.

There is no greater love than he who lays down his life for his friends. Jesus is the essence of love.

In your songwriting, focus on the nature of this love.

8. The Grace of God

We all need a reminder that it’s ok if we have failed. Chances are, we all feel like a failure as we approach the throne of God in worship.

But there is grace. There is forgiveness.

Let us come boldly to the throne of grace. His grace is sufficient.

9. The Presence of God

Psalms 22 tells us that God inhabits in the praises of his people. Let the congregation know that God is there.

Jesus said if 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, I am their in the mist of them.

Corporate worship isn’t just about singing songs about God to one another. God is in the room.

10. Jesus

Need I say more? His name is above all names. Every knee shall bow and proclaim that Jesus is Lord.

Here’s a challenge: write a worship song that doesn’t mention you or your passion at all. Simply talk about Jesus. Describe Jesus. Worship Jesus. These are the best worship songs.

Do you feel it’s important to write theologically sound songs for corporate worship? What else would you add to the list? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Worship leaders are more than song leaders.

They are more than entertainers who warm people up before a message. What do great worship leaders do? They:

1. Love Jesus

2. Spend time with Jesus

3. Study theology

4. Empower other musicians

5. Accept constructive criticism

6. Don’t take themselves too seriously

7. Hold their talents loosely

8. Always improve

9. Worship behind closed doors

10. Study other worship leaders

11. Constantly seek the “why” behind the “what”

12. Submit to their lead pastor’s vision

13. Work hard on planning and preparation

14. Communicate to their team often

15. Share vision to their team

16. Encourage other worship leaders

17. Listen to the Holy Spirit

18. Flow spontaneously

19. Love their congregation

20. Engage people in worship

21. Pastor people in worship

22. Keep their eyes open often

23. Come with expectation

24. Constantly raise others up

25. Engage with the mission of the church

26. Believe in the power of singing

27. Anticipate a move of God

Question: What are some other qualities of great worship leaders? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

We worship leaders know that music is not everything. Creativity is not the goal of our ministry.

But that’s no excuse for being boring. The greatest message deserves our greatest creativity and attention to detail.

Photo Credit: Sarah Durham (Flickr)

But when you listen to Rend Collective Experiment or Gungor or the new David Crowder Band record, you may get discouraged. “I could never be THAT creative,” you tell yourself.

Let me free you. It’s not your job to be the most creative or to compare your creativity to someone else’s. It’s your job to be faithful where you are with what you’ve been given.

But you may not know where to start. You may be a worship leader in a smaller church and aren’t too experienced with music. No need to worry. That’s why I wrote this post.

11 Tips For More Creative Worship Music

Whether you are a seasoned musician or an amateur, here are some tips to inspire musical creativity in your worship team.

1. Simplify

Oftentimes we get too caught up on having a huge sound. Worship music doesn’t have to be massive all the time. Matter of fact, simpler is often more effective. Step away from the power-pop anthems and utilize a simple guitar or piano and a few voices.

2. Remove What You Rely On Too Heavily

If you’re like me, you can’t lead worship without a keyboard pad. It is what the angels play, right? If you want to breathe new life into your music, do away with what you’re relying on.

3. Use An Instrument In A Different Way

Used to strumming your guitar all the time? Finger pick instead. Used to heavy handed piano? Utilize only a few notes. Always strumming huge power chords on the electric? Try playing completely melodic. If you’re really cool, bust out that cello bow on the electric guitar Start thinking outside the box.

4. Utilize Numerous Vocalists

Just because you are the worship leader doesn’t mean you need to sing every song. Matter of fact, different voices not only make it sound more fresh, but makes each song in the set stronger, as each vocalist has time to rest in between songs.

5. Arrange First…Flow Second

Many worship leaders simply like to “flow”. I’m an advocate of arranging first and flowing after you have a solid arrangement. Music that is not arranged begins to sound annoying and hinders people from worshiping. Flow, yes, but do the work of an arranger first.

6. Add a new instrument

I recently bought some orchestra bells for our church. Out of the ordinary, yes, but they’ve been inspiring to use. Anytime you can add a new instrument and perform it well, it can re-engage the people who are listening. Pair a banjo and a mandolin with your acoustic guitar. Use some percussion. Jesus doesn’t only like 5 piece rock bands

7. Sing a different type of song (hymns or modern)

If you’re used to singing hymns, try something modern. If all you sing is modern worship, sing more hymns. Don’t rely on one type of song or sound. Keep stretching.

8. Experiment with electronic programming

I know this is not for everyone and doesn’t appear “simple”, but if you enjoy being creative and trying new things, I recommend experimenting with electronic programming. This doesn’t have to be expensive. If you have a MAC (I hope you do), use Garage Band to create some beats. Create a click track. I personally use Reason and M-Audio keyboards. This has changed my creative process dramatically.

9. Exercise Patience

The modern worship industry has conditioned us to play a certain way – hyped up, rocking music. Low verses. High Choruses. Lots of energy, awash in guitar delay. Trying to maintain this sound can be stressful and distract you from what it’s all about. Remember, this is about worship. Be patient. Allow your music to breathe. Build slowly. Encourage your congregation to cry out.

10. Linger or Don’t Linger (do what you’re not used to)

If all you do is linger on each song for 15 minutes, try not doing that. Craft a setlist that flows and work your way through it without being mechanical. There’s no inherent anointing in long songs. If you’re used to cranking through your 5 song set in 20 minutes, try lingering for a while on one of those songs. Do what you’re not used to.

11. Alter how you begin

Used to kicking off your services with a high energy opener? Try something slower, or vice versa. Typically start each song with a long intro? Try starting a song without an intro.

I hope these tips inspire you to create unique music that engages your congregation in worship. Go and create.

Question: How are you being intentional about your creativity as a worship team? You can leave a comment by clicking here.