What does worship have to do with following Christ? Everything. When God wired the human brain, He did some amazing things. Studies have shown a significant connection between music and memory. Doctors are learning more every day about the ways our brain engages when we sing or listen to music. We already know this. It’s why we teach our children … Read More
How Martin Luther Changed the Way We Worship
Today’s guest post comes to us from Jason Hatley, Senior Pastor of The Journey Church in Boca Raton. Before his appointment to Senior Pastor, Jason served as the Worship Leader at The Journey in NYC and then at The Journey in Boca. Jason is also my co-author on Engage: A Guide to Creating Life-Transforming Worship Services and Revolve: A New … Read More
Martin Luther on the Gift of Music
“Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.” – Martin Luther
Keys to Worship Planning: 4 Questions for Better Services
“Here’s something that may surprise you: your service doesn’t end when your people are dismissed. The book isn’t closed on any Sunday service until you have debriefed it with your team. There are four questions you should ask in your in your debriefing meeting each week. These questions – which will allow for open and honest feedback – will … Read More
Keys to Worship Planning: Take Notes
“Sunday evaluation is critical. Sunday is game day. It’s the day that needs the most attention. Train yourself, your pastor/worship pastor, and any key staff members to take notes when something stands out both during and immediately following the service.” – Nelson Searcy and Jason Hatley The above quote is from p. 166 … Read More
Keys to Worship Planning: Excellence Through Evaluation
“The only way your service is going to be better next week is if you evaluate what happened this week. There is no excellence without evaluation.” – Nelson Searcy and Jason Hatley The above quote is from p. 165 of Engage: A Guide to Creating Life-Transforming Worship Services. Engage is your step-by-step, stress-free … Read More
Keys to Worship Planning: Building a System
“Building your worship planning system is a little like building a house. Your preaching calendar lays the foundation. Your message series time lines and specific Sunday time lines frame up the walls. Your message run-through, creative element integration, and active engagement with your pastor/worship pastor are the Sheetrock. But something has to solidify the structure; something has to ensure … Read More
Keys to Worship Planning: CANEI
“CANEI is an acronym that stands for constant and never ending improvement. If you really want your services to soar, you have to commit to CANEI. You can never be satisfied with what you did last week, even if it was a great week. Always keep moving forward; always be working to reveal God’s excellence in a new, more powerful … Read More
Keys to Worship Planning: Be Grateful for Feedback
“Over the years, I have learned to be extremely grateful for feedback. If I’m doing something wrong, I want to know it. The fact is, if one of my staff notices something out of whack in the service, then several people in the congregation probably notice it too. The same is true for you. Rather than repeating the same … Read More
Keys to Worship Planning: Power of Evaluation
“No service is finished until the pastor and worship pastor have evaluated it. Evaluating each service is key to keeping this relationship actively engaged. It is also the best way to make sure every weekend is better than the last.” – Nelson Searcy and Jason Hatley The above quote is from p. 146 … Read More