In Memory of Bruno- Humble Praise and Worship Leader on the Sax

This week I was saddened by the news of the passing of a great friend and brother in the Lord, and a wonderful praise and worship leader on his chosen instrument.
Bruno had been diagnosed just not that long ago with Mesothelioma, more precisely malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that develops from the protective lining that covers many of the body's internal organs, the mesothelium. It is usually caused by exposure to asbestos.(courtesy of wikipedia)
He didn't get much notice about his impending appointment with destiny, but he spent his last months on this earth talking to anyone who would listen about his Saviour, Jesus Christ, and how we can have the True Peace that only comes from God.

What is a Praise and Worship Leader?

Bruno was a worshipper. He was possibly one of the most anointed sax players I have ever known. In his own way, Bruno was actually a Worship Leader. You see, there is a common misconception that the "praise and worship leader" is just the one who organises the songs and stands up the front leading the congergation in the prepared songlist.
I want right here and now to dispell that myth. Anyone who occupies the "stage" whether you are the song leader, a musician or a backing vocalist, you are a Praise and Worship Leader. Yes, even the drummer is anointed to lead worship on his instrument. How? By playing your instrument to God, and worshipping Him with your instrument you are being a praise and worship leader.
An old pastor of mine used to say: "Leaders lead by example". You know, even when you are not occupying a spot on the stage, and are standing in the congregation, you are still called to be a Worship Leader right there from where you stand. Your very act of worship will encourage others and lead them to do the same.

Bruno Was a Praise and Worship Leader on the Sax

I loved the way Bruno played his instrument. He was Jazz trained, and knew his way very well around the Tenor, Alto and Soprano Saxophone, as well as the Clarinet. We invited him to play on one of my albums. One of the songs  is a jazz number called "Let's not limit what we are" . Bruno came in and said what do you want me to play? Darin played him the song, and said "Just play as the Spirit leads".
Darin pressed the record button, and Bruno played. By the time he had finished, we were in tears. The anointing was so powerful in that Studio, we were overwhelmed. Bruno knew how to worship God with his instrument.
20 years ago, I was in the same church as Bruno. I remember even then in worship, the Spirit would come on him as he played. The result was that people would be released, there would be healings and other miracles.

There are 4 keys to Bruno's ability to be a praise and worship leader with his instrument.

1) Bruno was a true worshipper. He had an alive and active relationship with his God and Saviour. He knew about the amazing Grace of God that saved him and he was grateful for it. He loved his Jesus.
2) Bruno was skilled in his instrument. He was well practised and well rehearsed in the instruments he played as well as having a good knowledge of the songs.
3) Bruno was obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit. When the anointing came on him, he did not back down, or quit, he played and played to God, to the best of his ability.
4) Bruno did not outplay his anointing. He knew how to be sensitive; when to play, and when not to play; when to play loud and when to play soft. His playing was not ego driven, it was not to show off, but to honour God and worship Him. .

These keys apply not only to Musicians, but also to singers.

Fellow praise and worship leader, we can all learn from Bruno. Like him, you too are called to be both a worshipper, and a worship leader. Get close to Jesus this week, and ask Him for a new boldness in worship. Love Him passionately; not just on Sunday morning, but every day. Worship Jesus in Spirit and in Truth, and allow His Spirit to reveal in you new facets of God's Glory.

Click here to download a Song

To the memory of Bruno, Have an overcoming week. God Bless you real good, and keep on striving to be the best praise and worship leader you can be, whatever your role in the team!

In Memory of Bruno- Humble Praise and Worship Leader on the Sax

This week I was saddened by the news of the passing of a great friend and brother in the Lord, and a wonderful praise and worship leader on his chosen instrument.
Bruno had been diagnosed just not that long ago with Mesothelioma, more precisely malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that develops from the protective lining that covers many of the body's internal organs, the mesothelium. It is usually caused by exposure to asbestos.(courtesy of wikipedia)
He didn't get much notice about his impending appointment with destiny, but he spent his last months on this earth talking to anyone who would listen about his Saviour, Jesus Christ, and how we can have the True Peace that only comes from God.

What is a Praise and Worship Leader?

Bruno was a worshipper. He was possibly one of the most anointed sax players I have ever known. In his own way, Bruno was actually a Worship Leader. You see, there is a common misconception that the "praise and worship leader" is just the one who organises the songs and stands up the front leading the congergation in the prepared songlist.
I want right here and now to dispell that myth. Anyone who occupies the "stage" whether you are the song leader, a musician or a backing vocalist, you are a Praise and Worship Leader. Yes, even the drummer is anointed to lead worship on his instrument. How? By playing your instrument to God, and worshipping Him with your instrument you are being a praise and worship leader.
An old pastor of mine used to say: "Leaders lead by example". You know, even when you are not occupying a spot on the stage, and are standing in the congregation, you are still called to be a Worship Leader right there from where you stand. Your very act of worship will encourage others and lead them to do the same.

Bruno Was a Praise and Worship Leader on the Sax

I loved the way Bruno played his instrument. He was Jazz trained, and knew his way very well around the Tenor, Alto and Soprano Saxophone, as well as the Clarinet. We invited him to play on one of my albums. One of the songs  is a jazz number called "Let's not limit what we are" . Bruno came in and said what do you want me to play? Darin played him the song, and said "Just play as the Spirit leads".
Darin pressed the record button, and Bruno played. By the time he had finished, we were in tears. The anointing was so powerful in that Studio, we were overwhelmed. Bruno knew how to worship God with his instrument.
20 years ago, I was in the same church as Bruno. I remember even then in worship, the Spirit would come on him as he played. The result was that people would be released, there would be healings and other miracles.

There are 4 keys to Bruno's ability to be a praise and worship leader with his instrument.

1) Bruno was a true worshipper. He had an alive and active relationship with his God and Saviour. He knew about the amazing Grace of God that saved him and he was grateful for it. He loved his Jesus.
2) Bruno was skilled in his instrument. He was well practised and well rehearsed in the instruments he played as well as having a good knowledge of the songs.
3) Bruno was obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit. When the anointing came on him, he did not back down, or quit, he played and played to God, to the best of his ability.
4) Bruno did not outplay his anointing. He knew how to be sensitive; when to play, and when not to play; when to play loud and when to play soft. His playing was not ego driven, it was not to show off, but to honour God and worship Him. .

These keys apply not only to Musicians, but also to singers.

Fellow praise and worship leader, we can all learn from Bruno. Like him, you too are called to be both a worshipper, and a worship leader. Get close to Jesus this week, and ask Him for a new boldness in worship. Love Him passionately; not just on Sunday morning, but every day. Worship Jesus in Spirit and in Truth, and allow His Spirit to reveal in you new facets of God's Glory.

Click here to download a Song

To the memory of Bruno, Have an overcoming week. God Bless you real good, and keep on striving to be the best praise and worship leader you can be, whatever your role in the team!

Sensational Podcast Added!

Worship Leader Podcast Goes Controversial!

Every now and then you strike an issue of real controversy... and this podcast is one of them!

That's right, Erick, Suzie, Chris and myself go head to head on one of the most controversial facets of modern worship leading...

Do you work hard to sound like the CD, or do you change something that makes the song personal.

All over the world worship leaders and bands are working hard to try and make their sound just like the one on the CD they all listened to for practice.  Personally I don't like this at all, but then again, that makes loads of room for discussion on today's podcast.

So, download the Worship Leader Podcast for FREE from itunes, or click below to listen for free.  It might just change the way you are leading worship!
http://worshipleaderonline.com/worship-leader-podcast/worship-leader-podcast-...

DARIN

Another Fantabulous Worship Leader Podcast! All About Teams!!

OK, here is another Worship Leader Podcast.

This podcast is all about teams, so unless you are leading worship by yourself every time, you may want to check this one out. 

Darin, Erisk, Suzie and Christian discuss not only how to form your band, but how to get the best out of it, and even control it if it all goes ugly!

Hey, people are people, so for a few laughs and a ton of great content, check out the new podcast...

http://worshipleaderonline.com/worship-leader-podcast/worship-leader-podcast-6-arranging-bands

Catch you there

DARIN

How to Lead Praise and Worship Despite your Feelings

As a worship leader, one of the hardest things to do is to learn how to lead praise and worship when you are feeling down.  I know we read in the scriptures about Paul and Silas praising God in prison, but if you have had a tough week, a personal tragedy or struggle with depression it is entirely normal to struggle also with leading others closer to the Lord.

Yet if we really are servants we need to learn how to lead praise and worship no matter how we feel, whether happy or sad, high or low, depressed or rejoicing.  Our calling is a noble one but it can also be a difficult one because most of us are emotional beings.

How to Lead Praise and Worship When You Are Empty

When you are on top of the world it is easier to lead your team forth in triumph.  However, if you are feeling low for any reason it is much harder, so it is important that we learn how to lead praise and worship in those circumstances.

The most important thing to think about if you are feeling down is that, while we are weak, He is strong.  Real faith is there whether we have the feelings or not, so if we are empty and lifeless it is a real opportunity to let Christ shine through us.  As John said, “He must become greater, I must become less.” (John 3:30)

When we learn how to lead praise and worship at times when we are so empty we have nothing to offer we may discover a true secret to how we can really tap into the depths of our walk with the Lord and our worship of Him.

How to Lead Praise and Worship When You Are Angry

Sometimes we may simply be feeling angry, maybe at something that happened on the way to church or even with someone in the band, singers or sound.  In these circumstances we need to avoid feeling righteous, or even right, forgive and move on.  I use to have a sound guy who would explode minutes before every service, ruining the atmosphere and setting everyone on edge.  You cannot budget for these things, but you need to do all you can to address the situation with grace and love, then forgive and move on.  More is at stake here beyond your pride!
   
How to Lead Praise and Worship in Any Circumstances

If we are to become true servants of the Lord, the Pastor and our congregations, we need to be brave enough and humble enough to lay situations, feelings and hurts aside, and get on with the job of leading praise and worship.  This is part of our challenge, but also our joy!

If we want to be the best at what we do, we must not collapse under the weight of sadness, emptiness, anger or circumstances.  We must learn how to lead praise and worship by resting in His strength and allowing Him to lift us above the circumstances and feelings.

Check Out  Praise and Worship Leader

Can an Unbeliever be Part of Your Worship Program?

Here's one of the latest articles on WorshipLeaderOnline.com, so head to the site and check it out!

As a worship leader it is important that you consider the question of whether an unbeliever can be part of your worship program.  I am often asked this question when two situations occur in a church: there are few team members available for the worship program, and the person who is not a Christian is a really talented individual.  If you have a large church with many talented musicians then the question may not affect you as much, but if your team is small and a very talented musician or singer is in the wings, can you willingly accept them into your worship program with a clear conscience?

What is the Worship Program Really About?

When considering your team, you need to stop for a moment and ask yourself what the worship program is all about.  Is it about having a great sound, or being professional or rocking the congregation’s socks off?  Or is it about leading your church family into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with the Lord?

I would suggest to you that the worship program must be about leading people to God in worship.  Sure, we want to be professional and to play and sing to a high and beautiful standard, but I would suggest that these are secondary considerations for your worship program.  A worship program is a spiritual event, not a concert, so the idea that a non-believer can join your team is surely out of phase with the aims of your worship program team.

Who Qualifies Someone to Take Part in the Worship Program?

In teams that I have lead, one of the core requirements of team members is that they know Jesus and have a relationship with Him.  Non-believers can undoubtedly play well, sing well, and probably perform well, but they have no concept of the very central idea of the worship program: closer communion with the Lord.  Yes, we want it played and sung brilliantly, but we do not want to compromise the spirit of our worship program just to sound a bit better.

One of the first major worship program teams I assembled featured a very good drummer who was not a Christian, but who proved to be a demanding and rather aggressive team member.  We had a backup drummer who was relegated to percussion, and who was just happy to be a part of the worship program at all.  When the unbelieving drummer didn’t bother to turn up to practice twice over because he said he was good enough, I appointed the Christian guy.  He could not play as well, but he had a great spirit and understood what humility and serving in the  worship program was all about.

Can the Worship Program Be a Tool To Reach Team Members?

In most modern churches, the pressure is on worship leaders to sound great and act professional (and this means accepting talented people whose lives are not right with the Lord) and I believe that worship leaders need to make a stand in their worship program.  I have heard of non-believers becoming Christians because of their involvement in the worship band, but I do not feel that this is the way we should be operating.  Why not lead them to the Lord first (when there is no ego opportunity at stake), then introduce them to the whole concept of worship, both personal and corporate. 

Using worship team involvement to win a talented unbeliever to Christ is a bit like marrying an unbeliever to witness to them and lead them to Christ.  It is around the wrong way!  It is difficult to capture a true spirit of worship when the team for your worship program is unequally yoked!

So, worship leaders and pastors, let us make a stand for what is right and make sure our worship team is focused on the real task of leading people to Christ.  We must worship in Spirit and in truth, not just have professional music and presentation. Don’t allow your worship program to be held to ransom by talented non-believers.

The World’s Best Worship Training

Here's the latest article published on the blog...

Worship training is readily available in many forms these days, from worship conferences to online training and most of it, especially online, is relatively inexpensive.  This means that there are abundant opportunities to receive worship training, yet many inexperienced worship leaders either choose not to get worship training or cannot find the relevant material that can give them a huge advantage as they learn to lead their congregations in inspired, anointed worship.

Get the Right Worship Training Yourself

Like most types of lessons, worship training requires some time and effort on your part, and often some expense.  Some material is available on the internet for free, but this tends to be patchy and haphazard at best, meaning that you can learn the skills over a long period of time, but you cannot quickly and effectively learn what you need to supercharge your worship leading gift.  Blogs like ours, for example, provide lots of material and our free podcast is another amazing tool to help young worship leaders learn the skills required to become more effective.  However, the actual training is far more potent, easier to apply and gives far superior results to the endless hours of searching the internet for training!

Different worship leaders provide different aspects of worship training depending on their particular slant on the skills you need.  Many talk about your motivation and getting your heart right, and that is extremely important, but in the countless seminars I have run most people want me to go a different direction.  What many tell me they need is practical, easy to apply techniques for making the worship experience amazing, including things like how to blend songs, how to go up keys and how to arrange and produce the songs themselves.

So if you are starting out and looking at worship training ideas, make sure you learn material which is practical and works in your situation to quickly and effectively improve your worship leading abilities.

Commit to Worship Training for Your Team

I believe that a great worship leader is not only gifted and anointed at leading worship, but brings the very best out of his team members.  This is why you need to not only get the best worship training for yourself, but you need to pass it on to your team members so that they too continue to grow in their abilities and gifts.

Henry Ford once said, “My best friend is the one who brings the best out in me” and this is what a worship leader needs to be for the team members.  Whether they are great or poor at their instruments or singing, my aim is always to develop their gifts, skills and relationship with Christ to the point where they continue to grow, improve and get better in their field.

So, worship training is not just something you can use but something you can pass on to encourage and improve the members of your team.  The question is, “How do you introduce worship training to your team?”

Develop Worship Training in your Practices

The most practical and effective way to develop worship training in your team is to do so in practices.  Most often, practices are just rehearsals for the songs being done on Sunday, or learning new songs, but if you are getting great worship training yourself, why not set aside 15 minutes to pass on some nuggets of truth to your team?

Skills like song arranging, blending songs, going up keys, developing solos and open worship can and should be explored together as a team, and the skills you learn in your worship training can be passed on to others.  This not only helps them by improving their skills and abilities, but it also builds your credibility with the band and improves the overall worship experience.

The world’s best Worship Training is something that you can obtain yourself, then pass on to your team members so that together you can lead your congregation in anointed, dynamic worship!

Hope this is useful to many of you worship leaders out there!

DARIN

The Worship Leading Podcast

Hi One and All,

Here is the 2nd podcast, and there's loads of fun...

It is fantastic to bring to you our second podcast, which is a worship leading podcast about preparations for your worship leading.  For most worship leaders, preparation is a huge thing, and in this podcast we are going to look at preparation, and how to prepare for your worship leading.  These are the tips that we will be talking about in today's worship leading  podcast.

So if you are a worship leader, check it out and send us an email about how we can serve you as you lead worship in your church

http://worshipleaderonline.com/worship-podcast/

DARIN