Book: Learn to Lead Worship in 14 Days
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Learn To Lead Worship in 14 Days Day WORSHIP DEEPER LEARN TO LEAD WORSHIP IN 14 DAYS (EVEN IF YOU’VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE) Practical advice to kickstart your worship leading journey – fast. BY TIM LUCAS Creator of WorshipDeeper.com & The Worship Leader 101 Podcast Copyright © 2019 by Tim Lucas All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information, address: worshipdeeper.com/contact FIRST EDITION www.worshipdeeper.com Images: Ch. 2: “Circle of 5ths”. Dylan Ng, Flickr” https://www.flickr.com/photos/dylanng/6266579271 Pictures of Tim: Austin R. Schneider, Brandtegic. https://www.brand-tegic.com Other select photos: Unsplash.com Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Learn To Lead Worship in 14 Days Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction .................................................................... 06 Can I Really Start Leading Worship In 14 Days? ................................................................................ 07 How To Use This Book ......................................................................................................................... 10 Bonus: Worship Leader Wisdom........................................................................................................ 11 Day 1 Find out If You’re Called to Be a Worship Leader .... 12 How Do I Know If I’m Called? ............................................................................................................... 14 What Is Worship? ................................................................................................................................. 16 Day 2 Determine Your Accompaniment .............................. 18 Which Instruments Are Best for Leading Worship? ......................................................................... 19 Scenario 1: You Know How to Play an Instrument ........................................................................... 20 Scenario 2: You Don’t Know How to Play an Instrument ................................................................. 23 Scenario 3: I Don’t Play an Instrument and Can’t Find a Band ........................................................ 25 Just Keep Going ................................................................................................................................... 27 Day 3 Book Your First Worship Time ..................................... 29 Where Will I Lead Worship? ................................................................................................................. 30 When Will I Lead Worship? .................................................................................................................. 32 Make Your Own Opportunity .............................................................................................................. 33 Learn To Lead Worship in 14 Days Table of Contents Day 4 Choose Your Songs ........................................................ 35 Why Choose Songs so Early? ............................................................................................................ 36 Make Sure They’re Easy ..................................................................................................................... 36 Make Sure They Are “You” ................................................................................................................. 36 Pick Songs That Everyone Will Know ................................................................................................ 37 Don’t Worry about Learning a Huge Library of Songs Yet ............................................................. 38 How to Choose a Good Set ............................................................................................................... 38 Day 5 Create Your Arrangements .......................................... 41 Dynamics ............................................................................................................................................ 42 Make Notes ........................................................................................................................................ 42 Day 6 Work Out Your Transitions ......................................... 45 Musical Transitions ........................................................................................................................... 46 Non-Musical Transitions ................................................................................................................... 47 Day 7 Pray and Read Psalms .................................................. 49 Spend Time in Prayer ....................................................................................................................... 50 Read Psalms ....................................................................................................................................... 50 Day 8 Prepare Your Chord Charts .......................................... 52 Where Do I Find Worship Chord Charts? ....................................................................................... 55 Day 9 Prepare Your Chord Charts .......................................... 57 Learn To Lead Worship in 14 Days Table of Contents Day 10 Get Counsel ..................................................................... 60 Day 11 Hold Your First Rehearsal ............................................ 64 Day 12 Serve Another Worship Leader ................................... 68 Volunteering Opens Doors for You .................................................................................................. 70 Day 13 Dress Rehearsal .............................................................. 73 How Does the “Dress Rehearsal” Help? .......................................................................................... 74 Day 14 Now Is the Time to Worship.......................................... 77 Before the Worship Time .................................................................................................................. 78 Worship .............................................................................................................................................. 79 Ending the Song Set .......................................................................................................................... 81 Final Thoughts ................................................................ 84 About the Author ........................................................... 85 INTRODUCTION So, you want to start leading worship. Great! You’re about to embark on a journey that you wouldn’t believe, even if someone told you. “For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.“ HABAKKUK. (HABAKKUK 1:5B) Leading worship will put you in places you never thought you’d be. In front of hundreds of people. Leading worship in other countries. In youth groups, churches, and maybe even WORSHIP DEEPER some pubs and bars. Wherever God calls you! I’ve led worship at all these places and more in the past 20 years of being a worship leader. It wasn’t because I’m outgoing (I’m not), especially musically gifted (I wish I were), or a great singer (I have about a 2-octave range). But one thing I am is available. It’s not your ability—but your availability—that God uses. If you’re ready to start this journey, let’s go. 6 CAN I REALLY START LEADING WORSHIP IN 14 DAYS? I know what you’re thinking. You could never learn to lead people in worship in 14 days. You’ve never done it before and you don’t know where to start. You have stage fright and maybe don’t even know if you can sing. That’s exactly where God wants you. And it described my situation when I started. God did WORSHIP DEEPER not gift me with charisma or good stage presence and I certainly wasn’t a good musician when I started. 7 Learn To Lead Worship in 14 Days Introduction But I think that’s the point. God doesn’t often use the most obvious choice for a job. Paul explains it in 1 Corinthians 1:26-27: “Think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (NIV) If you still think you can’t do it, consider this: I didn’t have a whole 14 days to prepare the first time I led worship. I had less than 14 hours. Here’s the story. When I was 15 years old, a leader at my youth group passed around a clipboard and asked us to sign up if we wanted to be involved in the youth worship team. I figured that’s something the cool kids would probably do. What’s cooler than playing music in front of people? Being extremely shy, I thought this was finally my chance to get in with the cool crowd. But it didn’t work out as I had planned. None of the cool kids in youth group signed up. But at that point, I was committed. The next step? Anyone who signed up would lead a song at Sunday morning youth