Some significant new year's resolutions for worship leaders
The beginning of the year is a time people traditionally evaluate their lives and determine areas of needed change or improvement and then resolve to do something to achieve goals to improve. Today, I bring a four considerations for you as you begin this year. The following article goes into more detail.
- Make your time with God more regular and meaningful.
- Join a small group community.
- Engage in a seminar on training worship leaders in missions contexts.
- Sign up for advanced worship leader training.
Kenny
Make your daily time with God more regular and meaningful
We need a generation of [worship leaders] who love the secret place more than the public place and who love the Presence more than the platform.
As worship leaders, our times of personal worship fuel our ability to lead our congregations in transformational worship. Are you cherishing your time alone with God? Do you have a regular time set aside to meditate on His Word and commune with Him? Are you taking time to regularly memorize Scripture passages? Do you find you are so busy doing God’s work that you don’t have time for God?
I recently was introduced to the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan to take readers through the New Testament and Psalms twice a year, and through the rest of the Bible once each year. There are approximately 4 chapters per day in this plan. If you are interested in something like this to help give structure to your personal worship times, I have prepared some resources here.
Another great resource that might help you in your devotional life is The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions. I have found these incredibly meaningful.
Join a small group community
Sometimes worship leaders feel they are too busy to engage in one of their church’s small groups. These groups are vital for discipleship and accountability. If you are not involved in a regularly-meeting group, consider joining one this year and going deep with others in the Christian faith. Iron sharpens iron.
Engage in a Multi-Day Seminar on Training Worship Leaders in Missions Contexts
Training to prepare worship leaders to train other worship leaders in missions contexts
On the suggestion of International Mission Board personnel, I am developing a multi-day training program that prepares worship leaders to provide training in worship in international contexts (as well as domestic contexts). This training will provide tools, curriculum, and ideas on how to contextualize and provide training in various forms—whether a few hours of training or multi-day events. It will also provide thoughts on how to raise up a group of nationals to train and send out to train other worship leaders in their country (a trainer of trainers).
Whether you are going on a mission trip with your church and want to find a way to help worship leaders while others are doing construction, medical, or other mission work, or you want to take your worship team and provide training to worship leaders in a missions contest, this seminar will equip you with tools and resources you need.
With over 20 years of experience in worship training in international contexts, I will personally prepare participants to be catalysts to worship renewal in the global contexts they are entering.
Click here to register your interest and get updates on the training.
Sign up for Advanced Worship Leader Training - one of three options
2025 is the year for getting the worship leadership training you need to greater fulfill your calling
This year, I encourage you to consider taking part in training designed to help worship leaders really engage their congregations in worship by taking part in practical, proven training to equip you with the understanding and tools to overcome spectatorship and renew transformative worship.
Designed for worship leaders with little or no formal training, or experienced leaders looking for a fresh set of resources, tracks include undergraduate and graduate certificates issued by accredited schools — beginning with a three-day retreat. Come for a time of refreshing, equipping, encouragement and revitalization! We have had participants with no formal training to those with doctorates in worship.
Learn how to:
- Plan engaging services
- Make disciples through worship ministry
- Prepare entire worship teams to lead well
- Turn your congregation from spectators to participants
- Select best songs for worship
- Plan and implement smooth transitions
- Personally prepare to lead worship
- Lead change in a healthy manner
THREE OPTIONS FOR THE TRAINING
#1 ADVANCED WORSHIP LEADER TRAINING RETREAT PLUS ADDITIONAL CONTENT (Required for all tracks)
This three-day retreat is an immersive experience using a newly updated and expanded Worship Leader Boot Camp curriculum that has trained thousands of worship leaders worldwide over the last 20 years. Participants will set goals for their lives and ministries. After the retreat, participants can access additional curated online learning experiences through a learning portal (videos, podcasts, documents, etc.) that will further deepen their knowledge of leading worship well. Dates are available at each of our three conveniently located conference centers.
Cost: $235* includes two nights lodging and seven meals. You can attend the Charity retreat for only $75. This location has nice bunkhouse accommodations.
#2 BASIC CERTIFICATE IN WORSHIP LEADERSHIP OFFERED THROUGH FRUITLAND BAPTIST BIBLE COLLEGE
This is a fully-accredited undergraduate certificate issued by Fruitland Baptist Bible College that you will receive upon successful completion of this track. Participants will begin with the 3-day retreat outlined above and continue with online learning experiences, including written assignments. A final project of planning a worship service with full details is required.
Cost: $235* (for the 3-day retreat) PLUS $125 for the certificate online program that follows. Total cost for the hybrid class (retreat and online program) is $360. If you attend the Charity retreat, the total costs are $75 for the retreat and $125 for the certificate for a total of $200. Click here to see a syllabus for the class.
#3 GRADUATE WORSHIP CLASS AS PART OF A GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN WORSHIP MINISTRY OFFERED THROUGH SOUTHEASTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Participants pursuing a graduate certificate will take four courses at SEBTS, one of which is fulfilled through the NC Baptist training outlined here. The class (MUS 7678) follows the plan of option #2 with additional assignments and projects. The other three classes required are online or hybrid and require very little on-campus time.
Cost: BSCNC receives $235* (total cost including 3-day retreat). In addition, participants will be responsible for the tuition for all four classes, currently $300/course. The total outlay for this graduate-level certificate is $1,435 (plus course materials and application fees).
Note: One of these four classes may require a few days on campus at SEBTS. Students enrolled at SEBTS may take MUS7678 to fulfill a degree; those students should select this option. Students in the program can continue serving the church while getting preparation they need for effective ministry. Participants choosing this option must choose Caraway Conference Center for the retreat site/dates to coordinate with the academic calendar.
SPACE IS LIMITED
There are still a few spaces open for the January retreat and several available for the April retreat. Sign up soon to reserve your spot.
One participant's comments:
Oswald Chambers wrote: “We are apt to think that everything that happens to us is to be turned into useful teaching; it is to be turned into something better than teaching, viz. into character. We shall find that the spheres God brings us into are not meant to teach us something but to make us something.” (The Love of God—The Ministry of the Unnoticed, 664 L)
Kenny Lamm has designed the Worship Leader Training to not only teach techniques for successful worship ministry leadership but to help the worship leader become all s/he can become as a worshipper and follower of Jesus Christ. If it were just about “tools of the trade” then almost anyone could do it. But Kenny has developed this to be more about growing into the high calling of leading God’s people in worship.
Bobby Craig, Worship Pastor, Hyde Park Baptist Church, Lumberton, NC
