20 Best Books For Worship Leaders (2023 Update)

Modern worship leaders are restless. they have inherited a model of leadership that equates leading worship with being a rock star. but leading worship is more than a performance, it's about shaping souls and making disciples. every worship leader is really a pastor. – the worship pastor is a practical and biblical introduction to this essential pastoral role. filled with engaging, illustrative stories it is organized to address questions of theory and practice, striving to balance conversational accessibility with informed instruction. – part one presents a series of evocative "vignettes"–intriguing and descriptive titles and metaphors of who a worship pastor is and what he or she does. it shows the worship pastor as church-lover, disciple maker, corporate mystic, and doxological philosopher. – part two covers specific roles related to ministry within the worship service itself–the worship pastor as theological dietician, caregiver, mortician, emotional shepherd, war general, prophetic guardian, missional historian, and liturgical architect. – part three looks at ministry beyond the worship service–the worship pastor as visionary teacher, evangelist, artist chaplain, and team leader. – while some worship leaders are eager to embrace their pastoral role, many are lost and confused or lack the resources of time or money to figure out what this role looks like. pastor zac hicks gives us a clear guide to leading worship, one that takes the pastoral call seriously.

An essential guide to understanding and leading worshipworship leaders are adrift in a sea of worship resources, but, incredibly, no single book provides a simple introduction to worship and worship leading. essential worship is a concise, easy-to-read primer on the basics of worship theology and practice. each concept is introduced clearly and concisely. diagrams, charts, and bulleted lists make the information easy to digest. and preparation and reflection questions help readers apply the material to their own church context. whether one is a beginner or an experienced worship leader, readers from all traditions will find in this resource a solid foundation for future success. it is particularly well-suited for the first-time worship or praise band leader, as well as for pastors who want to be more intentional about the music in their services.

Has grown from keith and kristyn getty's passion for congregational singing; it's been formed by their traveling and playing and listening and discussing and learning and teaching all over the world. god intends for this compelling vision of his people singing–a people joyfully joining together in song with brothers and sisters around the world and around his heavenly throne–to include you. he wants you, he wants us, to sing.

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.

Nothing is more important than worship.it is the theme of scripture, the theme of eternity, and the theme of redemptive history– to worship the true and living and glorious god is the purpose of all creation. pastor john macarthur leads you through scripture texts about true worship. you will learn that worship is any essential expression of service rendered unto god by a soul that loves and extols him for who he is. worship is the nonstop role of believers, not merely part of a church service.so get ready to alter your priorities, aiming higher than entertaining worshipers on sunday mornings. worship shows that your ultimate priority must always be to worship the true and living god, with a radically different type of living.

What are the benefits of praising him? do you know what praise actually means? in holy roar, chris tomlin and darren whitehead share a fresh perspective from the worship practices of the ancient world. they take readers on a praise journey that answers questions and provides valuable insight. after reading holy roar, you will: grow an understanding of praise with darren's unique insights. – gain a deeper understanding of how to worship. holy roar is for: readers of all ages interested in growing their faith – pastors, worship leaders, and small group teachers leading believers – in the ancient world, something extraordinary happened when god's people gathered to worship him. it was more than just singing; it was a declaration, a proclamation, a time to fully embody praise to god for who he is and what he has done. in fact, in the psalms, seven hebrew words are translated into the english word praise, each of which represents a different aspect of what it means to truly praise god.

Contemporary worship continues to gain strength as the form of worship of choice for many churches across the country. the art of worship is a complete resource to which a musician or pastor can turn when asked to lead contemporary music. it provides in-depth instruction to every aspect of contemporary worship leadership–from assembling the team to choosing the music to conducting rehearsals. author greg scheer takes a balanced, holistic approach, embracing the contemporary style without denying older traditions and encouraging excellence without ignoring the realities of the local church context. worship team leaders, musicians, and pastors looking for a quality, comprehensive resource need look no further.

Worship quest serves as a guide to understanding foundational questions about worship and leading in worship. worship quest offers a practical perspective on four roles of worship leadership and how they are to be fulfilled within various worship gatherings. for those called to lead in worship as well as those tasked in hiring worship leaders, it is important to understand the roles of worship leadership. worship quest helps readers come to understand the different worship gatherings and the various roles of worship leadership, and thus successfully fulfill god's call of leading in worship.

Tom krauter, worship leader, worship-seminar speaker, and author, tackles difficult issues involved in worship leading in an insightful, practical question-and-answer format. worship leading 101 plus a whole lot more. condenses years of respected worship-leading experience into one thoughtful, easy-access digest. question and answer format.

Tom krauter, worship leader, worship-seminar speaker, and author, tackles difficult issues involved in worship leading in an insightful, practical question-and-answer format. worship leading 101 plus a whole lot more. condenses years of respected worship-leading experience into one thoughtful, easy-access digest. question and answer format.

Combining biblical foundations with real-world application, a pastor and professional songwriter guides worship leaders and pastors to root their corporate worship in unchanging scriptural principles rather than divisive trends. nothing is more essential than knowing how to worship the god who created us. this book focuses readers on the essentials of god-honoring worship, combining biblical foundations with practical application in a way that works in the real world. the author, a pastor and noted songwriter, skillfully instructs pastors, musicians, and church leaders so that they can root their congregational worship in unchanging scriptural principles, not divisive cultural trends. bob kauflin covers a variety of topics such as the devastating effects of worshiping the wrong things, how to base our worship on god’s self-revelation rather than our assumptions, the fuel of worship, the community of worship, and the ways that eternity’s worship should affect our earthly worship. appropriate for christians from varied backgrounds and for various denominations, this book will bring a vital perspective to what readers think they understand about praising god. “bob loves god, values theology, and cares about people. this mix is found throughout this wonderful and helpful book. worship matters will inspire you as a worshiper and spur you on as a leader of worship.” matt redman, lead worshiper and song-writer, brighton, uk “bob kauflin is teaching a new generation to take corporate worship seriously in a fashion that is simultaneously biblically faithful and addressing today’s culture.” d. a. carson, research professor of new testament, trinity evangelical divinity school “this book is thoroughly biblical, comprehensive, balanced, clear, and engaging. worship leaders must read it, and it will be a great help to anyone interested in finding out what biblical worship is about and how to worship from the heart.” john frame, professor of systematic theology and philosophy, reformed theological seminary “bob’s approach is humble, yet authoritative; comprehensive, yet inspirational. and if you take his gentle but clear teaching onboard, it will help make you fully equipped in mind, heart, and spirit to lead others in worship. i wholeheartedly recommend it.” stuart townend, christian song-writer “an outstanding book both for those who lead worship and also for every christian who wants to worship god more fully. the book is biblical, practical, interesting, wise, and thorough in its treatment of the topic. the next time i teach on worship, i plan to make this the required text.” wayne grudem, research professor of bible and theology, phoenix seminary “humility. self-deprecating humor. practical wisdom. and not just for music leaders. what a refreshing read! i’ve gained from bob kauflin, and if you read this, you will too.” mark dever, pastor, capitol hill baptist church; executive director, 9marks ministries “bob is a pastor, a teacher, and a skilled musician. and this book captures his heart, his zealous pursuit of god, and his many years of real-life experience leading worship. that’s why his book deserves the careful study of pastors and worship leaders alike.” joshua harris, senior pastor, covenant life church, gaithersburg, maryland

May not be the exact question you're asking. but you're certainly asking questions about change in the church–where it's coming from, why it's happening, and how you're supposed to hang on and follow god through it–even get out ahead of it so your church is faithfully meeting its timeless calling and serving the new opportunities of this age. based on conversations with thousands of pastors, combined with on-the-ground research from more than 50,000 churches, best-selling author thom s. rainer shares an eight-stage roadmap to leading change in your church. not by changing doctrine. not by changing biblical foundations. but by changing methodologies and approaches for reaching a rapidly changing culture. you are the pastor. you are the church staff person. you are an elder. you are a deacon. you are a key lay leader in the church. this is the book that will equip you to celebrate and lead change no matter the cost. the time is now.

The new third edition has no accompanying workbook. get this brown-covered version only if you want to have a book/workbook combo for your class. if you don't want to use the workbook, then get the third edition of exploring worship (white and blue cover). the book/workbook combo is especially useful for college classes.

Often times the role of a contemporary praise and worship leader who leads the people to worship in spirit and truth has been generally undervalued and grossly misunderstood. pastors and other pulpit ministers depend on the worship leader to prepare an environment for the manifest presence of god. through the praise and worship portion of the service, church leaders want the hearts and minds of the congregation to be ready to recieve the prepared word given from the pulpit. many times church leaders do not have a clue of what or how to specifically accomplish that task. they do know that they want good anointed music and that is one of the few things that many appointed worship leaders and pastors have in common. sometimes you have praise and worship leaders who have no clue of what they are supposed to be doing or trying to accomplish in the natural or spiritual realms. yes, they may sing and play well on the instruments but they do not really know how to facilitate the manifestation of the presence of god.far too many times the music ministry in the local church is made up of unskilled volunteers who make themselves available to help and serve. on the other hand, many of them have no training about the purpose for praise and worship. their lack of knowledge can prohibit the local church body from accomplishing a praise and worship experience that is pleasing to god. god is holy and his presence must be respected and protected. jesus said in john 4:24 that those who worship god must worship in spirit and truth. he has an expectation about the attitude you must embrace to be acceptable to the lord. worship in spirit and truth requires more than fancy vocal aerobics, beautiful poetic lyrics and sweet or hot musical passages on the instruments. god is pleased with our talents but he is not impressed by them. worship leaders must be prepared to properly demonstrate a balance between worship and the word. just knowing the music and sounding good is not all that god requires of true worshipers. god is always looking at the heart of the worshiper. this book will help the contemporary praise and worship leader in his or her role as an effective praise and worship leader. introduction what are pastors really looking for in a worship leader? as i travel around the world i am often asked by pastors to recommend someone who could lead worship for their congregations. when they ask me this question i am often reluctant to give answers or recommendations right away. many times i begin the conversation by asking them, "what kind of person are you looking for?" just asking for a praise and worship leader is not enough information for me to recommend someone. a well-rounded worship leader is someone who can be competent in several areas of church ministry.this book is written to pastors, worship leaders- present and future – as well as anyone in the congregation desiring to know what god, the father, is looking for in a true worshiper. you may be leading crowds or just the person beside you into worship; you, too, can choose to become an effective worship leader!

Combining biblical foundations with real-world application, a pastor and professional songwriter guides worship leaders and pastors to root their corporate worship in unchanging scriptural principles rather than divisive trends. nothing is more essential than knowing how to worship the god who created us. this book focuses readers on the essentials of god-honoring worship, combining biblical foundations with practical application in a way that works in the real world. the author, a pastor and noted songwriter, skillfully instructs pastors, musicians, and church leaders so that they can root their congregational worship in unchanging scriptural principles, not divisive cultural trends. bob kauflin covers a variety of topics such as the devastating effects of worshiping the wrong things, how to base our worship on god’s self-revelation rather than our assumptions, the fuel of worship, the community of worship, and the ways that eternity’s worship should affect our earthly worship. appropriate for christians from varied backgrounds and for various denominations, this book will bring a vital perspective to what readers think they understand about praising god. “bob loves god, values theology, and cares about people. this mix is found throughout this wonderful and helpful book. worship matters will inspire you as a worshiper and spur you on as a leader of worship.” matt redman, lead worshiper and song-writer, brighton, uk “bob kauflin is teaching a new generation to take corporate worship seriously in a fashion that is simultaneously biblically faithful and addressing today’s culture.” d. a. carson, research professor of new testament, trinity evangelical divinity school “this book is thoroughly biblical, comprehensive, balanced, clear, and engaging. worship leaders must read it, and it will be a great help to anyone interested in finding out what biblical worship is about and how to worship from the heart.” john frame, professor of systematic theology and philosophy, reformed theological seminary “bob’s approach is humble, yet authoritative; comprehensive, yet inspirational. and if you take his gentle but clear teaching onboard, it will help make you fully equipped in mind, heart, and spirit to lead others in worship. i wholeheartedly recommend it.” stuart townend, christian song-writer “an outstanding book both for those who lead worship and also for every christian who wants to worship god more fully. the book is biblical, practical, interesting, wise, and thorough in its treatment of the topic. the next time i teach on worship, i plan to make this the required text.” wayne grudem, research professor of bible and theology, phoenix seminary “humility. self-deprecating humor. practical wisdom. and not just for music leaders. what a refreshing read! i’ve gained from bob kauflin, and if you read this, you will too.” mark dever, pastor, capitol hill baptist church; executive director, 9marks ministries “bob is a pastor, a teacher, and a skilled musician. and this book captures his heart, his zealous pursuit of god, and his many years of real-life experience leading worship. that’s why his book deserves the careful study of pastors and worship leaders alike.” joshua harris, senior pastor, covenant life church, gaithersburg, maryland

Pastors and others who lead christian worship want to offer worship that is truthful and hopeful. they yearn to create worship that involves and includes everyone in their midst. to develop new approaches to planning, so that their worship can reflect and respond to the realities of the community. to create worship for the church that is becoming. a worship workbook introduces crucial and under-examined liturgical and social concepts for students and leaders of worship. each chapter offers a brief lesson, teaching new skills and inspiring creativity for honest, faithful, and versatile worship leadership.

Worship is more than music. this book unfolds a holistic view of worship so that you can experience peace, joy, and the richness of living in god's presence. be drawn to the heart of god as you explore answers to important questions such as: what are praise and worship, and what is my part in them? if i'm not a musician or singer, how can i be a worship leader?

What does it mean to worship–especially in spirit and truth? christians hear the word "worship" a lot. for the church as a whole? on worship casts a vision for the biblical principles and practices of worship. pastors and other church leaders will learn what the bible teaches about worship and why it is so important to get this topic right. you'll learn how to think practically through preparing and executing corporate worship services so that you can lead your congregation to worship wholeheartedly in spirit and truth. in this companion title to on preaching and on pastoring, h. b. charles draws from over thirty years of planning and leading worship for local churches of varying denominations, traditions, and cultural backgrounds.

Worship together in your church as in heaven is a practical and foundational resource for pastors and worship leaders of all kinds. the authors offer an empathetic, step-by-step approach, providing readers with knowledge, skills, and strategies to successfully introduce inclusive, multicultural worship in any setting. davis and lerner are expert practitioners and pioneers who invite us to break new ground with them, making worship that more closely reflects god's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. "multicultural is more than a buzzword. it is god's desire for the church. davis and lerner's practical approach shows us how to truly reflect god's multicultural kingdom in worship."–rosario picardo, executive pastor of new church development, ginghamsburg church, tipp city, oh "this is an essential and practical guide that every worship leader, pastor, and church leader needs to read, learn, digest, and practice." –james r. hart, president, robert e. webber institute for worship studies, orange park, fl "lerner and davis's superb book is a practical resource for connection and community-building in any environment." –lance winkler, director of contemporary worship, the united methodist church of the resurrection, leawood, ks "worship together in your church as in heaven offers a wealth of good theology, encouraging case studies, life-tested models, and strategies for developing multicultural worship in all kinds of communities. harris, president, international council of ethnodoxologists; director, center for excellence in world arts "worship together in your church as in heaven will help you identify the critical questions, take intentional steps, and promote a spirit of inclusion in your church. your worship will reflect god's love for all people, not just one kind of people, in an increasingly diverse society." –mark deymaz, lead pastor, mosaic church of central arkansas; author of leading a healthy multi-ethnic church

Over 1 million copies sold what every church will always need the need for talented, vigorous leaders in the church cannot be overemphasized. such times demand active service of men and women who are guided by and devoted to jesus christ. with more than 1 million copies sold, spiritual leadership stands as a proven classic for developing such leadership. oswald sanders, a christian leader for nearly seventy years and author of more than forty books, presents the key principles of leadership in both the temporal and spiritual realms. he illustrates his points with examples from scripture and biographies of eminent men of god, such as moses, nehemiah, the apostle paul, david livingstone, charles spurgeon, and others. featured topics include: the cost of leadership the responsibility of leadership tests of leadership the qualities and criteria of leadership the art of reproducing leaders the one indispensable requirement of leadership sanders holds that even natural leadership qualities are god-given, and their true effectiveness can only be reached when they are used to the glory of god. let this classic be your guide for leadership, and watch how god works through you to do great things for his glory.