64 Leading Worship in Lockdown

Lockdown has been a challenge for all of us, and as worship leaders, it is especially hard to try and lead worship to a congregation who are only on a screen, and whom you cannot see anyway.

Lockdown is a Challenge, but Not a Deal Breaker!

OK, very few of us are enjoying being locked down, and it is especially hard for churches.  The whole point of church is that we can come together to worship together, and all of us including me are missing the joy and experience of corporate worship. As worship leaders, we definitely have to think outside of the box on this one!  As a pastor, Darin can tell you it is different, difficult and even soul-destroying preaching to a camera or an empty auditorium.  As a worship leader, it is probably even harder.  We naturally feed off the energy of others worshipping with us, and of course, this is not available when we are on YouTube or Facebook live. So how can you lead worship effectively to an empty room?  How can you motivate your team when things look more like a rehearsal than a worship time.  You can be effective as a worship leader, and then carry the lessons long after the lockdown finishes, and we want to share our ideas to help you do this! So this special pod deals with lockdown, and how you can lead worship to your people who are in lockdown and needing to connect with and worship the Lord in a new, different and fresh way.  Listen and learn, because all of us are listening and learning as we go.  Even the best worship leaders and the most experienced have never seen or tried to deal with what we are facing during this lockdown, so let's learn and move forward together

https://praiseandworshipleader.com/worship-leader-podcast/64-leading-worship-in-lockdown/

63- Caring for Your Worship Team in Lockdown

We re all going through it, and none of us like it, but lockdown is a reality for the entire world, and yes, even worship leaders.

Your Worship Team in Lockdown Needs a Leader!

Church is super weird right now, with zero contact, isolation, church on Facebook, zoom meetings, and frankly we are all getting a little, well, "over it" by this stage. And so is your worship team. But rather than see all the negatives and difficulties, we wanted to change it all around and begin to see opportunities, perhaps even opportunities to minister to others in a way you might never have been able to think about just a few months ago. And people need love right now.  Your worship team in lockdown is no different, stuck in a house or apartment, bored, frustrated and going out of their mind!  The social price that the world will pay for this pandemic is yet to be fully measured, but it will be extreme for sure! So we want you as a worship leader to become the leader God has destined you to be!  And there is no greater opportunity that the once in a lifetime, even the once in a Millenium opportunities we now face.  You might be aware that the Chinese symbol for the word "crisis: is a combination of two words, danger and opportunity.  While the rest of the world is seeing danger we as the people of God can see opportunities that are unique.  And we can see chances to step up and be a leader to our worship team in lockdown, meeting their needs and pastoring them in their isolation and frustration. In this special pod, we look at ways you can encourage and bless your worship team during their, and your lockdown.  The Lord can open unique opportunities for you, so listen to this pod and put some of these into action...

https://praiseandworshipleader.com/worship-leader-podcast/63-caring-for-your-worship-team-in-lockdown/

62- How to Control Your Bass Player

We all love them, and if he's not there we sense a gap at the bottom end of our mix, but sometimes a bass player can disrupt things, especially if they are too loud.

The Bass Player

Bass provides the lower end of your mix and is often the most overlooked part of the music team.  The Bass player rarely has solos and lacks the pizzaz and prominence of a lead guitarist.  he lacks the romance of a piano or a saxophone, but if he is not playing, or not playing well, you can lose the entire mix! And I would have to say that the "big bottom end" is one of my favourite things (it could be argued that my bottom end is bigger as a result of the lockdown, and the amount I have eaten!), but I love a great bass.  I generally equalise the bass lower, and take some of the bottoms out of the kick drum, and this gives it a rumbly, deep sound. However, the risk with a bass player, because bass notes are of a longer wavelength, is that overwhelm many of the other sounds in the mix.  So controlling your bass player is going to essential if you want a pleasant mix, and if you want to avoid a hundred complaints about how loud the entire thing is! So this week we are going to examine some sensible, subtle and excellent measures you can take to not only control your bass guitarist but to unleash their full potential. Listen and learn how to encourage and get the very best from your bassist, who should be an integral part of your team and your worship sound...

https://praiseandworshipleader.com/worship-leader-podcast/62-how-to-control-your-bass-player/

61- Things to Do in Isolation

Isolation... most of the known world is going through it right now, thanks to some virus that is afflicting mankind, so we thought we would do something crazy like discuss what you can do during the COVID 19 crisis.

So what can you do when you are in isolation due to COVID 19?

We thought we would have a bit of fun and look at things you can do while in isolation.  Obviously sitting watching Netflix and eating chocolate is not the best use of your time while isolated, right?  That would never lead to a flattening of the curve you know! So we are turning the tables on lockdown, and giving you the top 5 things to do while in isolation, as long as you socially distance yourself of course.  And we do it all in just 12 action-packed, socially distanced minutes. So use the time you have for things that in the long run really matter, and don't waste all of your time watching the reruns of TV shows you don't even really care about. The Kardashians can survive without you, and you are better off investing in things that have long-lasting value, both in our world and in eternity to come! Here Downunder, for example, I have done a variety of things in lockdown, from planting a veggie patch to recording a new album, featuring a song about the coronavirus and the climate of fear it has produced among those who are lacking hope across the world. I can't solve all your problems, but we thought a bit of fun and a few useful suggestions would be in order for those still in isolation. Tune in, get some fun ideas, and have a few laughs along the way...

https://praiseandworshipleader.com/worship-leader-podcast/61-things-to-do-in-isolation/

60- How to Improve Broadcast Quality in COVID 19

The need to improve Broadcast quality has suddenly become all-important in the lockdown due to COVID 19.

So How Can You Improve Broadcast Quality on a Budget?

With the church as we know it closed, church leaders have been forced to adapt quickly to the current climate, and for many, it has been a steep learning curve. OK, you might be the best tech person in the world, but I would say most if not all of our many listeners have at best a limited knowledge and at worst complete ignorance of how these things work. So here's some great news... It is not as hard as you might imagine to improve broadcast quality, even if you are on a tight budget!  And, in these COVID times, who isn't on a tight budget, right? And the same applies to worship leaders and worship teams.  We want to produce the best quality without compromising the spirit of worship, but most of us do not know how to achieve this goal given the lack of technology, or technological knowledge. So don't let the fear of the unknown rob you of a powerful and long-reaching influence across Facebook, Youtube and the whole internet. Using something as simple as a cell phone, we will discuss how you can get a great worship sound, clear and balanced, and broadcast it to all of your church, and possibly way beyond. Fear not, because we have produced this special podcast just for you to help you use simple, effective and easily obtained technology to make your broadcasts top notch.  You will probably want to continue your online exploits once the corona pandemic is over, because most of us are finding that we can reach more people online than we were reaching in face to face contact at church before the crisis. Yes, I know all this tech stuff is uncomfortable, confusing and frustrating at times, but if the crisis causes you to modify your behaviour and reach even more people with the gospel, then this could be a great opportunity. Tune in to today's podcast and get excited!

https://praiseandworshipleader.com/worship-leader-podcast/60-how-to-improve-broadcast-quality-in-covid-19/

59- Prerecording Worship Leading in COVID 19

Prerecording Worship Leading is not something that we usually do, but in this COVID 19 situation, Prerecorded Worship Leading can be a great option.

Prerecording Worship Leading is a Great Option

But it is not without its difficulties, or an extremely heavy time commitment. The great thing is that you can do it over and over again until you get it right.  But of course, the bad thing is that you can do it over and over again until you get it right.  What I'm trying to say is that prerecording your service, while it irons out the difficulties, I can really add a very heavy time component to your preparation. It's a two-way street. Another issue is the trouble many people have actually getting into worship in a meaningful way.  There is something wonderful about live worship, and try as you might, it is very hard to reestablish that when you are prerecording worship.  Sometimes in all of the effort to do things well and make a great recording we lose sight of the real reason we are worshipping in the first place. So in this pod we talk not only about how to do it well, but also how to obtain that live feel which makes your worship so powerful, even in a prerecorded situation.  There is a way to balance the technical and the spiritual together to create a wonderful prerecorded worship experience, and we explore all that in just 12 minutes! Listen to this podcast and learn how to get the best your of your worship leading...

https://praiseandworshipleader.com/worship-leader-podcast/59-prerecording-worship-leading-in-covid-19/

58- COVID 19 Leading Live Worship on Facebook

COVID 19 Leading live worship is a challenge for many churches, mine included.

COVID 19 Leading Live Worship is New Frontier

This is certainly uncharted territory for any of us, but I believe it is a great and noble task that we can and must rise to in the current environment/lockdown. Erick and Darin have had a short hiatus because we have been in lockdown here down under, and many of us have had a steep learning curve to try and sustain church, worship, preaching and community during this difficult and unprecedented time.  Like our church, you probably have had a few successes and a couple of failures, and we thought it would be a great idea to share some of the ideas we have come across which can help you in your worship. These apply to all churches, regardless of denomination, size of flavour, and the information we share in these podcasts coming up could help you in your struggle to obtain and maintain an online presence. And keeping your community together and happening is the key ingredient during this time. While your people are isolated and dealing with all the fear and hardship of COVID 19 leading live worship can become a wonderful and essential part of their lives, helping them to keep in touch and giving them the sense that, despite the isolation and worry, they are part of the Kingdom of God, and no virus is going to stop God moving in people's hearts! We can and will survive, and our church and worship leading ministries can prosper, even in this environment! So all over the world, wherever you are, don't let COVID 19 derail your church and your worship leading. Listen to these 12 minutes and let's make this trying situation a time for the Kingdom of God to expand and take new territory!

https://praiseandworshipleader.com/worship-leader-podcast/58-covid-19-leading-live-worship-on-facebook/