Practical
Tools
by Vern Sanders
Joyful Noise Even though the church choir has been under attack for a generation, Creator publisher Vern Sanders explores 4 reasons why choirs are still a critical part of worship ministry...
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5 Shocking Truths About Director-Accompanists Unexpected discoveries about the role of a director-accompanist...
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Funny How Time Slips Away Vern Sanders examines the state of worship wars, and finds that while the battlefield is very bloody, there is hope for the future.
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Lessons from 40+ Years as a Choir Director 10 Important Lessons Learned from 40+ years as a Choir Director
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Think like a television producer If you think like a TV producer you can make any worship service flow more smoothly
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Focus on the Ministry You are Really In 3 Ideas to improve the effectiveness of a ministry
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Conductors as Educators Good teachers know this: Don’t lecture; offer experiences. We learn best by doing and while having fun. The choir rehearsal is just the place for this...
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Lessons from 40+ Years of Working with Pastors 7 Important Lessons Learned in 40+ years of working with Pastors
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Music-Ministry-Equal Pay: Pick Two? Is a leader's service a simple choice of ministry versus equitable pay? This article contains tools to help a church and its leadership understand the implications of the choices.
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A Call for Better Music Creator magazine publisher Vern Sanders issues a call to music publishers to provide better music for the church.
6064 Views 41 Comments
8 Questions to Answer as a Ministry Position Applicant 8 Important Questions to ask and answer as part of your application materials for a position in music/worship ministry.
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What Do You Do First with a New Choir? "What do you work on first?" is mostly choir-specific, but many of the same principles apply to a worship team, handbell ensemble, or church orchestra. I'm sure that my system is not the only way, but it has worked (many times!) for me
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Readers Respond: Should There Be a Written Test? A follow up to the article 8 Questions to Answer as a Ministry Position Applicant
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4 Things to Transform an Underperforming Team Vern Sanders explains the 4 things that need to be in place to transform an underperforming team
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20 Lenten Ideas A list of 20 ideas of things that a church musician and/or worship leader might do for others by giving something extra during Lent or at any time
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An Invitation to Silence There comes a point where a healthy dose of silence is not just therapeutic, it is absolutely necessary to refocus...
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Revisiting the Church Musician's Salary Scale For a variety of reasons, few church music or worship professionals are paid what they are worth. This article provides context, help, and resources for those professionals...
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Dramatizing Mendelssohn's Elijah A report on a project taking a work like Elijah and without distracting from the definition of the masterful music, creating a production that has renewed meaning to every listener...
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Lessons from 25+ Years of Being a Music Publisher 5 Important Lessons learned from 25+ years of being a music publisher
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We Are Family Creator magazine publisher provides words of encouragement to those serving in church music and worship ministry...
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A Service of Lessons and Music for Easter A service of lessons and music (including specific titles) that would serve any church well during the Easter season
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Marking and Navigating the Musical Score Details on a 7 step process for conductors to mark musical scores
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Lessons from 40+ Years of Being a Worship Leader 8 Important Lessons learned from 40+ Years as a Worship Leader
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It is just a Piece of Paper Vern Sanders presents the case for why degrees matter and degrees don't matter for today's church musician and worship leader, and why the church needs to find a way to evaluate the competency of those who serve in these ministries.
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Tenebrae - Using a Large Work in a Worship Service A Tenebrae service which includes a large work (the Rutter Requiem) that you might use, either in whole, or modified, as fits your local situation
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Holy Week in the Early Church An in-depth description of Holy Week in the early church written by noted worship scholar Robert Webber
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Practical Lessons from an Easter Season A number of practical musical lessons learned by members of a music ministry over one particular Easter season
4536 Views 1 Comments
Blessing+Texting=Blexting Bless + texting = Blexting. Blexting is the act of texting someone a blessing. The question becomes one of practicality: “Are both texting and blessing topics for worship renewal or is it merely secularized spiritual gimmickry?”
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Coming Out of the Dark Creator magazine's publisher Vern Sanders considers the question: how do you recruit new members for your church choir from the community without stepping on the toes of other church music programs?
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Choir as a Team Sport Vern Sanders explains how you can apply some of the same "best practices" of sports teams to your choir program
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End of the Decade Update A look back at popular and useful examples of Monday Morning Email
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The Day After Christmas A short poem written on behalf of all those who serve in the music/arts ministry of local churches
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Longevity, Adaptability, and Continuing Education Vern Sanders explains why longevity, adaptability, and continuing education are of paramount importance to today's church musicians and worship leaders
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Creating Margins Creating some space between yourself and your limits is a good thing
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Lead By Getting Out of the Way These days, worship leaders are in front of a congregation so often that it can easily become matter-of-fact...routine. But in that moment as you wait to enter that holy space, whether for the first time or the thousandth time, you realize that you are expected to lead, and there is nothing more that you can do except get out of the way.
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Stand Up and Lift Up Your Heads Vern Sanders reflects that there is something amazing about the power of corporate singing
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When You Wish Upon a Star Wanting to be a "star" and being one is not just about wishing and hoping, or settling for a passing grade. Talent is one thing, but week after week you need to show up, and show you are a leader...
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Revisiting Mission Statements Vern Sanders wonders when you last looked at your mission statement, and whether you have a leadership plan
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Finish Like A Pro Vern Sanders points out that finishing well -- in music and in leadership -- is as important as starting well
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22 Practical Music Ministry Tips Fred Bock and Vern Sanders provide helpful information that every church musician and worship leader needs. These are practical things that aren't generally taught in schools...
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Cantate Domino Rehearsal Markings Rehearsal markings for the choral piece Cantate Domino by Hans Leo Hassler
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What Are You Packing Around? Vern Sanders talks about parachutes, memory, and imagination, and how all three have an impact on everyone's leadership style...
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3 Reasons to Stop Buying Mediocre Music Vern Sanders explains why the new performance practice repertoire is probably not being written for your church group
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Theology Can Be Reduced to 3 Songs Vern Sanders talks about theology, the power of music, and the trinity of hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs
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Choir in Modern Worship: Flexibility, Poise & Passion - Q & A Vern Sanders answers questions that were submitted before and during the July 10, 2012 Choir in Modern Worship MasterClass event
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Top 10 Leadership Tips from a Worship Wars Survivor - Q & A Vern Sanders answers questions that were submitted before and during the June 12, 2012, MasterClass Top 10 Leadership Tips from a Worship Wars Survivor
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Creator Update an update on the state of Creator
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