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Worship Essentials: Growing a Healthy Worship Ministry Without Starting a War!
Everybody talks about the worship, but nobody does anything about it.
The well-known quote associated with Mark Twain actually goes like this—Everybody talks
about the weather ... But changing it to "worship" seems appropriate. With Worship Essentials,
Dove Award-winning worship leader Mike Harland helps leaders do something about it.
Perhaps no subject about church generates more opinion and passion than worship. Walk with
the typical church-going family on their way to the car after the service and just listen.
Everybody really does talk about worship. Now, veteran worship leader and experienced
ministry coach Mike Harland offers the tools worship leaders need to build biblically-faithful
and effective worship ministries without bringing the disruption that often accompanies change.
Psalm 67:5 reads, "Let the peoples praise you, God, let all the peoples praise you." Worship
Essentials is here to help.
The well-known quote associated with Mark Twain actually goes like this—Everybody talks
about the weather ... But changing it to "worship" seems appropriate. With Worship Essentials,
Dove Award-winning worship leader Mike Harland helps leaders do something about it.
Perhaps no subject about church generates more opinion and passion than worship. Walk with
the typical church-going family on their way to the car after the service and just listen.
Everybody really does talk about worship. Now, veteran worship leader and experienced
ministry coach Mike Harland offers the tools worship leaders need to build biblically-faithful
and effective worship ministries without bringing the disruption that often accompanies change.
Psalm 67:5 reads, "Let the peoples praise you, God, let all the peoples praise you." Worship
Essentials is here to help.
- GenresChristian
192 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2018
18 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 24, 2019
Worship Essentials is a helpful book dealing with some of the big-picture ideas of church music. The appeals to unity are good, as are the reminders that worship is about God and not about us or our personal preferences. This isn't the book to read if you are looking for specifics or practical tips, though. While I did not have any major disagreements with this book, I also did not find it to be ground-breaking or life-changing. There were also many facets of the stylistic differences of church music that were simply ignored. There are compelling arguments that particular styles of music are more helpful, more biblical, and more pleasing to God than others, but Harland doesn't really wade into those waters. The result is a book that will likely offend very few people, but may not challenge many people either.
I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review.
I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review.
February 16, 2019
“Worship Essentials” by Mike Harland is a refreshing look at what makes worship, worship. So many churches and people in today’s society argue, fight, and war over the music portion of the church’s service. Those who aren’t fighting are agonizing over how to have the “right” kind of worship experience. This books puts all that to rest, but not in the way you would expect.
Harland puts things in perspective. What does the Bible say worship is? How should we go about creating that kind of atmosphere? What is important? What should the focus be?
What I find so refreshing is that he brings everything back to the basics. Applying the Bible and history to the world of worship music really shows what the focus needs to be. Worship needs to lead the person into the truth of God’s word.
My favorite part was when he asked the reader to think of it like this:
"If someone attended your church, but only came to the music portion of the corporate worship time and derived all of their belief system from the theological content of the songs, what would they believe? How much information about Jesus would they know? How about the Trinity? The doctrine of grace? What it means to trust in Christ or to walk in faith? Or would the music of your church only communicate to them what they should feel?"
How true is that? Throughout this book, it becomes very apparent that all “parts” of the service need to be working in concert to bring the focus to Jesus. The book sets up values to be followed and down-to-earth things to consider. He even lays out dangers to look out for, things that often lead worship leaders down the wrong path.
Leaders aren’t the only ones who will benefit from this book. I can think of quite a few people who aren’t worship leaders that need to read this book. There’s a message here for the laypeople as well.
How many times do congregants make judgments about the worship based on how they feel? Or how many people are showing visible signs like raised hands or crying? Or what the style of the music is?
Although not lecturing, it is very easy to see that a lot of the “problem” with worship is how we are viewing it. Again, where’s the focus?
This book is very easy to read and is filled with valuable information that today’s churches need. I would recommend this book to leaders in the church as well as laypeople.
Harland puts things in perspective. What does the Bible say worship is? How should we go about creating that kind of atmosphere? What is important? What should the focus be?
What I find so refreshing is that he brings everything back to the basics. Applying the Bible and history to the world of worship music really shows what the focus needs to be. Worship needs to lead the person into the truth of God’s word.
My favorite part was when he asked the reader to think of it like this:
"If someone attended your church, but only came to the music portion of the corporate worship time and derived all of their belief system from the theological content of the songs, what would they believe? How much information about Jesus would they know? How about the Trinity? The doctrine of grace? What it means to trust in Christ or to walk in faith? Or would the music of your church only communicate to them what they should feel?"
How true is that? Throughout this book, it becomes very apparent that all “parts” of the service need to be working in concert to bring the focus to Jesus. The book sets up values to be followed and down-to-earth things to consider. He even lays out dangers to look out for, things that often lead worship leaders down the wrong path.
Leaders aren’t the only ones who will benefit from this book. I can think of quite a few people who aren’t worship leaders that need to read this book. There’s a message here for the laypeople as well.
How many times do congregants make judgments about the worship based on how they feel? Or how many people are showing visible signs like raised hands or crying? Or what the style of the music is?
Although not lecturing, it is very easy to see that a lot of the “problem” with worship is how we are viewing it. Again, where’s the focus?
This book is very easy to read and is filled with valuable information that today’s churches need. I would recommend this book to leaders in the church as well as laypeople.
December 7, 2018
Since the beginning of time, worship has been a point of contention. Cain was unhappy when God looked upon his brother Abel's offering with greater favour. The prophet Nathan was upset when King Saul failed to wait for his return prior to the offering of the sacrifice. Israel angered God constantly over the issue of idolatry and false worship. In today's climate, whenever we talk about worship in Churches, there is that familiar tussle between contemporary and traditional music; new songs vs old hymns; sitting vs standing; instruments vs voices; young vs old forms; etc. Worship leaders are also torn between trying to cater to the needs of the congregation or tuning themselves more toward God. What we need is a roadmap of worship. We need to know the essentials from the frivolous ones. We need something biblical based and not something that is trendy, hip, or traditional. For worship leader Mike Harland, there are four core values for any worship community. Worship essentially is about:
Telling the Story of God
Making Disciples of Christ
Engaging the Body of Christ
Aspiring with Purpose.
He begins with the need to integrate our worship with story telling. For worship flows out of a response to God's story. That means we need to learn of what the Bible is teaching us. We let the Bible show us the real Jesus, and not become easily swayed by modern impressions or public opinions about Christ. We tell the story of how God had blessed and touched us. Songs that flow out of such relationships are great ways in which we glorify God for what He has done. In fact, when we do that, even those who had never read the Bible could recognize the stories behind the songs. It could also be an evangelistic moment! The second part about making disciples is a powerful reminder of how melodies, instruments, artists, shepherds, communities, can all work together to cultivate a discipleship environment. We learn that healthy worship has intentional purpose; well organized for maximum impact; and worship teams learning the harness the best out of their equipment. Harland reminds us that we are not to make music but to make disciples. He introduces the four "concentric circles of discipleship." The innermost circle is the circle of self and people closest to us. This is followed by the worship team members. The third circle is the Church congregation. The outermost circle is the community and the world. Worship needs to include all of these circles. The chapter on "Artists and Shepherds" is my favourite. Harland traces the history of worship, showing us the different ways in which previous generations had done in their worship. We are told the difference between "filling station" and "altar" worship. We are reminded that we need both artists and shepherds in the ways we worship. Both are needed to avoid making our worship falling into either extremes of "filling station" and "altar" experiences. Part Three on engaging the body shows us that worship is less about our songs but about our voices. Some reasons why people don't sing:
They don't know the songs
Songs are hard to sing
They don't hear others singing
They presume it is not important to sing
They don't like the worship leading or style
...
One critical observation is how many churches segregate different generations from corporate worship. When the music preferences become the key decision factor, it leads to congregations having split services that cater to the preferences of individuals. For example, there are contemporary vs traditional worship services; youth vs adult services; and so on. Even blended worship is not as good as it promised. A better way is to see worship more as a spiritual discipline rather than a musical preference. He notes that when families attend services together, when parents participate, children follow suit. Intergenerational worship is a powerful way of engagement. Harland calls it "discipleship."
Part Four is about aspiring with purpose. The author notes the "enemies of distraction" that range from musical techniques to stage details; behaviors of worship leaders to internal conflicts; etc. When they is no joy, no power, no unity, there is no true worship. The way forward is to aspire for excellence for the sake of the gospel.
My Thoughts
This is a very biblical and thoughtful handbook on worship essentials. The four core areas are critical in understanding the nature of worship. In the storytelling portion, we integrate our music and techniques into the big story of God. This is important because many modern worship leaders and musicians do the reverse. They decide on what music is preferred and then go on to look for scripture verses to support their ideas. I appreciate this aspect because it don't just focus on a few choice verses but on the whole Word of God, the narrative, and the underlying gospel message. By using the storytelling motif, it does not matter which point of the story one is at. We can enter in where we are most comfortable or honest. As we wade through the story of God, we see ourselves by looking back and looking forth in God's perspective. Other elements of song choices, musical styles, and lyrical choices can then blend in. It does not matter whether a song is fast or slow; hip or not. It matters that we are into the story of God and through our music tell that very story with us as participants. I like the discipleship aspect of worship essential. This is something not many people are able to visualize. The concentric circles of discipleship is a helpful model to visualize how discipleship, worship, and relationships are intertwined together as one. Using shared vision, shared, preparation, and shared execution, we have a common focus that all worship leaders can have.
There are many things we can learn and like in this book. Most of all, it is the valuable practical experiences that Harland brings to us. Readers will find this book a gentle guide that points out our mistakes but does so in a very understanding manner. Worship leaders will do well to buy this book and share the tips within with the rest of the team. Better still, get worship teams to use this book as a study or discussion guide each time they meet.
Mike Harland is the Director of LifeWay Worship. He leads worship at various churches. He also writes songs and books. He is a graduate of Delta State University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Rating: 5 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of B&H Publishing and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
Telling the Story of God
Making Disciples of Christ
Engaging the Body of Christ
Aspiring with Purpose.
He begins with the need to integrate our worship with story telling. For worship flows out of a response to God's story. That means we need to learn of what the Bible is teaching us. We let the Bible show us the real Jesus, and not become easily swayed by modern impressions or public opinions about Christ. We tell the story of how God had blessed and touched us. Songs that flow out of such relationships are great ways in which we glorify God for what He has done. In fact, when we do that, even those who had never read the Bible could recognize the stories behind the songs. It could also be an evangelistic moment! The second part about making disciples is a powerful reminder of how melodies, instruments, artists, shepherds, communities, can all work together to cultivate a discipleship environment. We learn that healthy worship has intentional purpose; well organized for maximum impact; and worship teams learning the harness the best out of their equipment. Harland reminds us that we are not to make music but to make disciples. He introduces the four "concentric circles of discipleship." The innermost circle is the circle of self and people closest to us. This is followed by the worship team members. The third circle is the Church congregation. The outermost circle is the community and the world. Worship needs to include all of these circles. The chapter on "Artists and Shepherds" is my favourite. Harland traces the history of worship, showing us the different ways in which previous generations had done in their worship. We are told the difference between "filling station" and "altar" worship. We are reminded that we need both artists and shepherds in the ways we worship. Both are needed to avoid making our worship falling into either extremes of "filling station" and "altar" experiences. Part Three on engaging the body shows us that worship is less about our songs but about our voices. Some reasons why people don't sing:
They don't know the songs
Songs are hard to sing
They don't hear others singing
They presume it is not important to sing
They don't like the worship leading or style
...
One critical observation is how many churches segregate different generations from corporate worship. When the music preferences become the key decision factor, it leads to congregations having split services that cater to the preferences of individuals. For example, there are contemporary vs traditional worship services; youth vs adult services; and so on. Even blended worship is not as good as it promised. A better way is to see worship more as a spiritual discipline rather than a musical preference. He notes that when families attend services together, when parents participate, children follow suit. Intergenerational worship is a powerful way of engagement. Harland calls it "discipleship."
Part Four is about aspiring with purpose. The author notes the "enemies of distraction" that range from musical techniques to stage details; behaviors of worship leaders to internal conflicts; etc. When they is no joy, no power, no unity, there is no true worship. The way forward is to aspire for excellence for the sake of the gospel.
My Thoughts
This is a very biblical and thoughtful handbook on worship essentials. The four core areas are critical in understanding the nature of worship. In the storytelling portion, we integrate our music and techniques into the big story of God. This is important because many modern worship leaders and musicians do the reverse. They decide on what music is preferred and then go on to look for scripture verses to support their ideas. I appreciate this aspect because it don't just focus on a few choice verses but on the whole Word of God, the narrative, and the underlying gospel message. By using the storytelling motif, it does not matter which point of the story one is at. We can enter in where we are most comfortable or honest. As we wade through the story of God, we see ourselves by looking back and looking forth in God's perspective. Other elements of song choices, musical styles, and lyrical choices can then blend in. It does not matter whether a song is fast or slow; hip or not. It matters that we are into the story of God and through our music tell that very story with us as participants. I like the discipleship aspect of worship essential. This is something not many people are able to visualize. The concentric circles of discipleship is a helpful model to visualize how discipleship, worship, and relationships are intertwined together as one. Using shared vision, shared, preparation, and shared execution, we have a common focus that all worship leaders can have.
There are many things we can learn and like in this book. Most of all, it is the valuable practical experiences that Harland brings to us. Readers will find this book a gentle guide that points out our mistakes but does so in a very understanding manner. Worship leaders will do well to buy this book and share the tips within with the rest of the team. Better still, get worship teams to use this book as a study or discussion guide each time they meet.
Mike Harland is the Director of LifeWay Worship. He leads worship at various churches. He also writes songs and books. He is a graduate of Delta State University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Rating: 5 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of B&H Publishing and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
January 25, 2025
*3.5 Star Rating rounded up to 4*
This book was an interesting read. I definitely feel this book would be more suited to worship leaders than a lay member of the church like me.
I did learn a lot about worship, especially that it isn’t just the songs we sing. I second his statement that discipleship should be a part of a worship team (or really the church as a whole). I like how he laid out the steps: study, obey, and then teach. A lot of great places to start in this book!
I really enjoyed what Mike shared about worship! He provided such great reminders that worship is so much more than just the songs we sing in church or outside of it. Plus, I found his insights about Ezra, along with the steps I mentioned earlier, to be very enlightening. I honestly learned a ton about worship and gained a clearer understanding of why I might have felt confused about certain aspects of the worship ministries in my current or past churches.
I feel like the thoughts weren’t fully completed. I wish there were more practical takeaways on how to grow in our worship of God. However, take that with a grain of salt because I am not a worship leader. There may have been more takeaways that I missed or skipped over because they don’t apply directly to me.
I would say this is definitely a great book to donate to your church or gift to your worship leader!
This book was an interesting read. I definitely feel this book would be more suited to worship leaders than a lay member of the church like me.
I did learn a lot about worship, especially that it isn’t just the songs we sing. I second his statement that discipleship should be a part of a worship team (or really the church as a whole). I like how he laid out the steps: study, obey, and then teach. A lot of great places to start in this book!
I really enjoyed what Mike shared about worship! He provided such great reminders that worship is so much more than just the songs we sing in church or outside of it. Plus, I found his insights about Ezra, along with the steps I mentioned earlier, to be very enlightening. I honestly learned a ton about worship and gained a clearer understanding of why I might have felt confused about certain aspects of the worship ministries in my current or past churches.
I feel like the thoughts weren’t fully completed. I wish there were more practical takeaways on how to grow in our worship of God. However, take that with a grain of salt because I am not a worship leader. There may have been more takeaways that I missed or skipped over because they don’t apply directly to me.
I would say this is definitely a great book to donate to your church or gift to your worship leader!
July 10, 2019
I love the overall message that worship through song is just one aspect of worship and that the other is to worship with how we live our lives in God's word: study, obey, teach. I love that there was also a highlight in "worship war" is unnecessary and how it can create a divide in the church and have casualties of war if people don't set aside their feelings and worship to tell God's story, Jesus' story which are so much more important than it just being about the song. The book doesn't deny that music is a powerful tool and should be looked at carefully and used appropriately, but God is what's at the center and His son who died for us! That's what we need to be teaching our children so that they also grow up to be great leaders of what the author calls the "Ezra generation." Great book.
September 7, 2019
Fascinating book on Corporate Worship in churches and the role music plays. There is a point at big church services, it becomes more of an entertaining show, instead of being a body of Christ getting together and truly worshipping God. For me, I enjoy hearing those around me sing...even when it is off key or misspoken words...I can feel the presence of the Lord in these moments, more than a concert type worship service where the music is so loud, I can’t even hear myself sing.
I also like the authors take on generational separation during services. When I was a child, I stayed in the service...there was no Kid’s services. To see one’s parents worship the Lord, has helped me in my spiritual growth. What a shame it would of been if I missed viewing that part of my parents lives to be sent to a Kid area.
I also like the authors take on generational separation during services. When I was a child, I stayed in the service...there was no Kid’s services. To see one’s parents worship the Lord, has helped me in my spiritual growth. What a shame it would of been if I missed viewing that part of my parents lives to be sent to a Kid area.
April 23, 2019
This is a wonderful book that helped me understand that God is calling us to end the war on worship. End our preferences for the sake of our brothers and sisters. It has a lot of insight and practical applications for worship leaders as well as for the rest of the ministry team. And it could be very helpful for a congregation, especially one in transition.
I would recommend this book for its focus on the gospel and sharing that with the world. I love the chapter discussing how Worship Pastors are to be enemies of distractions. We are to cut out anything that distracts from Jesus (whether it be misspelled words on the PowerPoint, out of tune instruments, awful transitions, or whatever). This book helped remind me that as a Worship Pastor, I’m called not to music but to make disciples.
I would recommend this book for its focus on the gospel and sharing that with the world. I love the chapter discussing how Worship Pastors are to be enemies of distractions. We are to cut out anything that distracts from Jesus (whether it be misspelled words on the PowerPoint, out of tune instruments, awful transitions, or whatever). This book helped remind me that as a Worship Pastor, I’m called not to music but to make disciples.
October 26, 2019
Great book! I received this at Experience Conference, an annual conference for worship leaders at DisneyWorld. The book is an easy read, but there is much depth in its simplicity. I recommend it for anyone who leads worship in the local church.
June 24, 2022
This book was clearly written for Worship Leaders/Pastors in the church, but I still was able to learn and reflect on my own worship while reading it.
January 31, 2023
I found that this book generalized much of worship ministry. I also found the arguments made about worship style and context to be very thin and forced.
November 2, 2022
I fully expected to hate this book but I did not. I found his conventionality refreshing and his perspective vitalizing. The information in the book is helpful for church leaders and I found it especially helpful in the period of life I am in with church of the ascension. The only thing I did not love was the writing itself. He is not the best writer I have ever read and I lost interest due to it multiple times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2019
I am not a singer by gifting, but I do worship and minister through the creative arts in spoken word poetry, often accompanied by my guitarist husband. As such, I consistently seek good resources to aid my development in my calling, and I have found Mike Harland’s Worship Essentials to be a useful aid.
In his book, Harland passionately encourages readers and worship leaders to aspire to a consecrated life for the work of the Kingdom. He also talks about the posture and perspective of a true worshipper. In one chapter, he writes the following:
“…worship is not something we initiate or conjure up for the purpose of convincing God to act on our behalf. It’s not an exercise that dictates a reaction from a deity, nor a personal discipline intended to produce tranquility in our lives…We worship in response to our God, who has revealed Himself to us.”
I am reminded how God has revealed Himself to me, and it does lead me to a more committed devotion to Him. Harland provides both practical and spiritual disciplines for the development of healthy worship leaders and churches. He also addresses the casual culture of today, one that encourages people to create their own false “god” and impure religion for the sake of societal harmony. However, this leads to ineffective worship ministries and spiritually misled Christians:
“The problem with any ‘Jesus’ that we create is that, by virtue of the fact we create him, our ‘Jesus’ has no right to rule our lives. Rather than being created in his image, we create him in ours.”
We need to submit to the real Jesus who died for our sins at Calvary—both as Christians and worship leaders.
I appreciate Harland’s Scriptural references. Why? What is worship if our lives are not completely submitted to God and sound doctrine? Harland also underscores the need for teamwork in worship ministries—the kind where collaboration and mutual respect flows easily among members. No member should live in isolation from the team or the congregation, and Harland explains several reasons why that is important.
While most of the book is well-balanced, it seems Harland completely disregards the impact of Gospel music in worship ministries—he only references Christian Music, which is sometimes referred to as “white music” in some circles. Perhaps that is rightfully so because many of the pastors and artists Harland uses as examples are white individuals, with the exception of Anthony Evans in the final chapter. However, Evans sings Christian music. And the whole Gospel music experience is not even alluded to in Harland’s book, which could imply that he does not see the genre as relevant to worship ministries. It seems that in 35 years of leading worship ministries, Harland should have encountered other cultures or people of color who inspired him. In fact, it is a little ironic since he has a chapter called “Worship Desegregation.” In that chapter, however, he only focuses on generational segregation in congregations. He never mentions the usefulness of diverse music that reflect songs of worship from different cultures, which I personally think plagues Christianity and leads to disunity in the faith.
Despite that caveat, the book still provides wonderful insights about worship ministries. I believe it will help aid singers and creative artists in their calling as they grow as individuals and as parts of various ministries.
In his book, Harland passionately encourages readers and worship leaders to aspire to a consecrated life for the work of the Kingdom. He also talks about the posture and perspective of a true worshipper. In one chapter, he writes the following:
“…worship is not something we initiate or conjure up for the purpose of convincing God to act on our behalf. It’s not an exercise that dictates a reaction from a deity, nor a personal discipline intended to produce tranquility in our lives…We worship in response to our God, who has revealed Himself to us.”
I am reminded how God has revealed Himself to me, and it does lead me to a more committed devotion to Him. Harland provides both practical and spiritual disciplines for the development of healthy worship leaders and churches. He also addresses the casual culture of today, one that encourages people to create their own false “god” and impure religion for the sake of societal harmony. However, this leads to ineffective worship ministries and spiritually misled Christians:
“The problem with any ‘Jesus’ that we create is that, by virtue of the fact we create him, our ‘Jesus’ has no right to rule our lives. Rather than being created in his image, we create him in ours.”
We need to submit to the real Jesus who died for our sins at Calvary—both as Christians and worship leaders.
I appreciate Harland’s Scriptural references. Why? What is worship if our lives are not completely submitted to God and sound doctrine? Harland also underscores the need for teamwork in worship ministries—the kind where collaboration and mutual respect flows easily among members. No member should live in isolation from the team or the congregation, and Harland explains several reasons why that is important.
While most of the book is well-balanced, it seems Harland completely disregards the impact of Gospel music in worship ministries—he only references Christian Music, which is sometimes referred to as “white music” in some circles. Perhaps that is rightfully so because many of the pastors and artists Harland uses as examples are white individuals, with the exception of Anthony Evans in the final chapter. However, Evans sings Christian music. And the whole Gospel music experience is not even alluded to in Harland’s book, which could imply that he does not see the genre as relevant to worship ministries. It seems that in 35 years of leading worship ministries, Harland should have encountered other cultures or people of color who inspired him. In fact, it is a little ironic since he has a chapter called “Worship Desegregation.” In that chapter, however, he only focuses on generational segregation in congregations. He never mentions the usefulness of diverse music that reflect songs of worship from different cultures, which I personally think plagues Christianity and leads to disunity in the faith.
Despite that caveat, the book still provides wonderful insights about worship ministries. I believe it will help aid singers and creative artists in their calling as they grow as individuals and as parts of various ministries.
April 30, 2019
Because I’m involved in the worship ministry at our church, I was curious as to what advice author Mike Harland might offer in his book Worship Essentials. Especially when the title is followed by “growing a healthy worship ministry without starting a war“. Some might scratch their heads at this, but music can be a sensitive subject. It can be very personal. What songs I might enjoy, you might not care for. Or ones that you prefer, I might be bored with. Moreover, those of a different generation might feel anxiety with the introduction of newer worship songs. How can I, as part of the music ministry, find a healthy balance that will help lead every single one of us into a heart of worship?
Mike Harland offers encouragement along with some helpful advice. His personal stories let the reader know we are not alone. This is a common struggle in churches. It took many years and some harsh criticism before the songs I’d introduced were accepted. “We’ve never done it that way before.” Or “this isn’t like the hymns we used to sing”. And while I find hymns are still an important source for us to continue using, I also believe there are many contemporary songs that work equally as well to share the Gospel and speak to our hearts. As worship leaders, our purpose is to bring our church, as a whole, into a heart of not only worship but subsequently service. Without the former, we won’t ever reach the later. As serious leaders of music, we need to commit to studying, obeying and teaching the Word through our ministry. Otherwise, what’s the point. Worship Essentials gives thought-provoking points for those involved in music within the church. I received a complimentary copy through B&H Publishing Group. The honest opinions in this review are my own.
Mike Harland offers encouragement along with some helpful advice. His personal stories let the reader know we are not alone. This is a common struggle in churches. It took many years and some harsh criticism before the songs I’d introduced were accepted. “We’ve never done it that way before.” Or “this isn’t like the hymns we used to sing”. And while I find hymns are still an important source for us to continue using, I also believe there are many contemporary songs that work equally as well to share the Gospel and speak to our hearts. As worship leaders, our purpose is to bring our church, as a whole, into a heart of not only worship but subsequently service. Without the former, we won’t ever reach the later. As serious leaders of music, we need to commit to studying, obeying and teaching the Word through our ministry. Otherwise, what’s the point. Worship Essentials gives thought-provoking points for those involved in music within the church. I received a complimentary copy through B&H Publishing Group. The honest opinions in this review are my own.
October 24, 2018
All too often, the word worship brings to mind songs, videos, and bands, and whether you prefer one style or another. These are not what worship is about. Just focusing on the methods has created divisions instead of unity. In Worship Essentials, Mike Harland writes about what worship is, how churches have lost sight of that, and how to get back to true worshiping.
He addresses several aspects of true worship, how it should point to the good news of salvation, the way it helps with discipling believers, what to consider in picking songs, and many others. He also talks about what it isn't, like how it is not about what we take home from worship services, but what we bring to the service. Harland doesn't just point out a problem, he includes ways to address it.
Worship Essentials is fairly short, but full of information. Harland writes in an easy to read style, and what he is saying can be understood by a wide audience.
Though the book is aimed at worship leaders, others can benefit from it. I work with the media in church, and I wanted to make sure I was supporting those leading worship in the right way, and with the correct focus. Sometimes we all need to be reminded that worship is about God, not ourselves.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
He addresses several aspects of true worship, how it should point to the good news of salvation, the way it helps with discipling believers, what to consider in picking songs, and many others. He also talks about what it isn't, like how it is not about what we take home from worship services, but what we bring to the service. Harland doesn't just point out a problem, he includes ways to address it.
Worship Essentials is fairly short, but full of information. Harland writes in an easy to read style, and what he is saying can be understood by a wide audience.
Though the book is aimed at worship leaders, others can benefit from it. I work with the media in church, and I wanted to make sure I was supporting those leading worship in the right way, and with the correct focus. Sometimes we all need to be reminded that worship is about God, not ourselves.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 19, 2020
To truly worship, we study, obey and teach God’s Word. Then, we come full, because of our daily walk with Jesus and His work in our lives through the week. By the time Sunday cones, we are so full of gratitude for His faithfulness snd goodness that we can’t wait to join the rest of the body of Christ and empty out our praise on Jesus.”
Thus, it is all about Jesus!
Thus, it is all about Jesus!
February 1, 2019
"We worship in response to our God, who has revealed himself to us"
While this book is intended for those active in music ministry I found some concepts presented that would be advantageous to those merely present at the service.
A must for worship leaders a strong suggestion for any Christian.
While this book is intended for those active in music ministry I found some concepts presented that would be advantageous to those merely present at the service.
A must for worship leaders a strong suggestion for any Christian.
January 19, 2019
Practical, down-to-earth, yet perceptive advice on leading church music. All grounded in the philosophy of how music is an integral part of worship.
March 13, 2019
A helpful and useful volume on how to lead a church and a worship team as a music leader. Longer review forthcoming.
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