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Resources for Worship Teams

"On the one hand there is great value in the name Praise Team," writes Paul Ryan. "After all, we are created to praise God." But Ryan continues, "The name Worship Team embodies the totality of all that our teams can do. ... The word worship is multilayered. It can characterize a time of singing at the beginning of our service and it can characterize our lifestyle before God (Romans 12:2), describe the event of our Sunday morning and evening gatherings (John 4:20), and express our most intimate posture before God (Psalm 95:6). ... I believe that our great calling is to lead worship in this broad sense."

The following resources explore the breadth, meaning, and practice of this call for worship teams to be instruments of worship renewal.

For related resources, see our sections on the purposes, practices, and music of worship.

Featured Book
The Art of Worship: A Musician's Guide to Leading Modern Worship
by Greg Scheer

Is your church launching a contemporary service, trying to balance traditional and modern musical tastes, or seeking relevant worship for a secularized society? If so, here is the complete guide to making it happen. From enlisting and training an effective leadership crew to overcoming opposition from resistant church members, The Art of Worship charts a clear course through every aspect of worship.

Articles
Articles for Lead Worshipers in Emerging Churches
Gregg DeMey
Drumming in Intergenerational Worship
Asher Mains
Four Principles for Vocalists Leading Congregational Singing
Paul Ryan
'I'll Bring You More Than A Song': Workshop on Leading Dorm Worship
Paul Ryan
Introduction to Playing the Bass on a Worship Team
Greg Scheer
Music as Soul Food
John Witvliet
articles, video clips, and other resources exploring the theme of music as a spiritual diet
Praise and Worship Songs
Bert Polman
analysis of praise and worship in terms of compositional, performance, and reception practices from the viewpoints of a Reformed Christian hymnologist
Praise Team or Worship Team?
Paul Ryan
How the Name of Our Teams Impacts the Understanding of What We Do
Singing the Psalms in Modern Worship: A Review of Psalm CDs
Greg Scheer
Spiritual Preparation for Those Who Lead Worship
Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
Study of Congregational Song at Calvin College
Paul Ryan
tracing themes and theological foundations of songs at LOFT services
Teaching Music Ministry
Greg Scheer
Worshiping the Trinity
Paul Ryan
Your Song Menu
Paul Ryan

Vital Worship
Feature stories ... for inspiration, learning, and group discussion

Worship in New Churches: Developing a faith vocabulary
Musical Theology: Past lessons, present perspectives  
Mentoring Church Musicians: Each one teach one
Contemporary Worship Music Matures 
Hymn Writing Is Alive and Well 

Other Resources
Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin
Bob Kauflin serves as director of worship development for Sovereign Grace Ministries, and as a pastor and worship leader at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He writes and speaks about worship, music, and leading worship teams at various conferences and speaking engagements across the country. For years he has written a weekly Web column, Worship Matters (highlights below), and has just launched his new Worship Matters blog at www.worshipmatters.com. (Read more.)
Worship Together's New Song Cafe
This site features conversations with artists about the inspiration and writing of new worship music. Hosted by Rick Cua