Jeffrey Miranda over at NeoLogic Sound in Los Angeles, CA has a question... how do you protect your sound investments? Specfically... your sound system investments?

Many churches have invested multiple thousands of dollars in audiovisual equipment, and want to be good stewards of what they've bought. Some parts of your system are tiny, like in-ear monitors, and some are huge like speaker clusters, but all of them are tools that we've been entrusted with to connect people with the Word of God.

Share your thoughts and practical ideas for safeguarding your system on his blog post.

Stuart Townend and Keith Getty finished writing the modern hymn "In Christ Alone" ten years ago today. Keith shares his thoughts about the song in an email he sent out today:

"I never imagined that it would be received the way it has been when we first wrote it, but it has been a privilege to be part of adding to the voice of church worship today."

We at LifeWay Worship want to wish Stuart and Keith the best as they continue to write songs and hymns that challenge and encourage the church in its worship.

You can find In Christ Alone (My Hope Is Found) in three different versions at LifeWayWorship.com - one in a more hymn-like traditional setting, one in a worship song version, and a piano transcription of the version that Adam Young of Owl City sang in a post on his blog!

Everyone who's choosing songs for a worship service is confronted with some of the same questions... do I pick things that everyone knows? Do I sing an "oldie but a goodie?" What if there's a song that I know will speak to my congregation, but no one knows it yet? What are the emails going to be like this week?

Even if you're afraid something will break if you try it, here are three simple things that might help bring new songs into your church's worship experience:

Sing new "old" songs

If there are hymns or worship songs that your congregation loves and adores, why not try new arrangements of them in worship. We try to cover some of that at LifeWayWorship.com with our Contemporary Hymn arrangements: songs that you already know the melody and words to, but with new instrumentation.

By using words and melody that are part of your church's "heart song," chances are, you'll be able to expand the stylistic part of that song.

It's okay to be "special"

Even if you have concerns about a "featured soloist" spot in your service, there are lots of opportunities to introduce new music to your congregation without having them sing it first:

• Use the song as an offertory
• Use the lyric of the song as a sermon illustration
• If it's a scripture song, make that scripture your emphasis for a series
• Print part of the lyric in your bulletin, and use it as part of a devotional time
• Have the choir or praise team sing the song
• Post a link an official video of the song on your church's Facebook page
• If the song was recommended by someone in your congregation, have them share about what the song means to them in a testimony time

Put the focus where it should be

If you're introducing a new song, it shouldn't be for the sake of the song, it should be to help people see who God is. If you're introducing something because you're tired of the old stuff, because "it's what the young people want to sing" or because the church down the street did, then you're not planning worship, you're planning songs.

When you do choose a song to add, make the choice to make it part of your personal worship to God first. Sing it in your quiet time (even if you choose to sing it silently!) Look at the scripture that is related to the song, and make it part of your devotion. We list associated scriptures for every song on our site in the "i" screen - the little blue button that comes up under search listings. Ask God, "what would you have us do with this song, this Sunday?" Ask God, "what are you planning to do with this song, this Sunday?" And most of all, trust Him to work through it, and don't lean on your own understanding.

Pastor's Worship Questions is a series of blog posts designed to help the small church pastor, non-musician or anyone else who's been asked to lead worship in their congregation. If you've got a question for us, post it in the comments, and we'll answer it in an upcoming blog post!

Join us at The Choir Room, a free, live online reading session for churches!

As a pastor, you're probably focused on using scripture in your sermon, right? Have you ever focused on using scripture in worship?

If a working definition of worship is our response to God's revelation, then how is God revealed? One central way that we know God chooses to reveal himself to us is through His Word. In it, He defines his own existence, sets his own terms, and rules over his own creation. The words of scripture heal, encourage, correct, inspire, tell us the story of Jesus, and give us words to pray.

When you're planning worship this week, take time to think about unique ways that you can incorporate scripture into your service. For each title at LifeWayWorship.com, you can click on the "i" link in your search results and see related scriptures. Or, to an extent, you can go the other direction. Try searching for "Psalm 150" and you'll see what I mean.

Worship pastor Michael Smith from ClearView Baptist Church has a great post over on his blog that you can use as a jumping off point in your planning process. Post your questions in the comments and we'll answer them in upcoming posts!

Pastor's Worship Questions is a series of blog posts designed to help the small church pastor, non-musician or anyone else who's been asked to lead worship in their congregation. If you've got a question for us, post it in the comments, and we'll answer it in an upcoming blog post!

Kris Hodges has an insightful, reflective post on his blog. He talks about making the shift from "the next big thing" to a plan that puts God at the center.

If we focus more on the presentation of the gospel, rather than God's revelation and power of it, then the presentation can become the reason for the gathering.

Now that we're all official on , you can "Like" us and get two free downloads! Just head to...

http://facebook.com/LifeWayWorshipDotCom

...and click the "Like" button.

You never know what we'll do on our Facebook page... who knows what might happen when we hit 1000 fans? (Hint, it rhymes with "fly mod.")

Today's promo code is: LIFTYOURNAME

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#20: Lord, I Lift Your Name on High

He remembers marveling one early morning at the love of God who created the world though He knew we would rebel and fall. It amazed Rick that God had a plan to redeem us from the very beginning. As Founds meditated over his cyber-Bible and touched his guitar strings, God's plan struck him as something of a cycle.

He thought of the cycle of rain that comes down, waters the earth, evaporates back into the clouds and then returns.

Suddenly, the now famous chorus emerged: "You came from heaven to earth to show the way / From the earth to the cross my debt to pay / From the cross to the grave / From the grave to the sky..." Interrupting his own lyric, Founds explains, "The response to grasping even a little bit of that knowledge is praise, and thanksgiving and gratitude!" When he completes the line, 'Lord, I Lift Your Name on High,' a moment of silent awe follows.

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download Lord, I Lift Your Name on High in two keys so that you have flexibility in your worship planning... allowing you to have a smooth transition from one song to the next in your worship plan. You can also get the "country worship" version from Dan Schafer.

If you've followed along for our whole series of posts, thanks! And, you deserve something a little more than one download. So... if you use the coupon code LIFTYOUR NAME today, you'll get not one, but eleven free downloads! All eleven downloads have to be on the same order, and you only have today to use the code.

Use today's promo code LIFTYOURNAME to download Lord, I Lift Your Name on High today!

It happens a lot: your church has been functioning with few or no musicians, and suddenly... you're blessed with a guitar player. What do you need to equip him or her so that they can accompany your worship from Sunday to Sunday?

First questions

• Do you have an acoustic guitar, or an electric guitar? (or both?) - There are a couple of reasons to ask this question. First, you may have a preference for which one he would use to begin with, especially if it's the first appearance of a guitar in your church. The second reason to ask is so that you can inform the person who's running sound in your church (which, of course, might be you...) so that they can make the correct connection between the guitar and the sound system. While an "electric guitar" may conjure up thoughts of musical destruction, worship or otherwise, there are tasteful, unique ways to use it to play songs for worship.
• Have you ever played in a band, or just alone? - Usually, when someone's played in a band, they understand the difference between "performing" and "accompanying." A guitar player needs to be sensitive when playing in worship to the purpose of the playing: most of the time, it's an accompaniment to worship. From time to time, there may be opportunities to play the melody line or a unique improvised line ("solo,") but the majority of the time, it's to support and accompany.
• What kind of music do you like to use? - Depending on the guitarist, this answer could range from "whatever you have" to "none at all." The latter usually isn't preferred, especially when they're playing with other musicians. At LifeWayWorship.com, there are three main charts that we have for guitarists:
  1. The QuickChart:
     This is the minimum amount of information that we can put on a page and have a playable piece of music. It consists of all of the lyrics to the hymn or worship song, and chord symbols that tell the guitarist which chord to play. The advantage to the guitarist is there is a lot of room to make notes on the page, and usually, a whole song fits onto two pages, so there are no page turns... something kind of difficult when you're playing with both hands. In addition on hymns and songs where harmonies move quickly, the QuickChart leaves out "passing" chords so that the guitar player isn't having to change on every beat of the song. They were created by guitarists, for guitarists.
  2. The Lead Sheet:
     This is the next level of musical information added to the chart. It includes lyrics, chord symbols and the written out melody on a treble clef. This isn't Guitar Tablature, which tells the guitar player which string to play, it's just the melody line. Especially if your guitar player wants to sing along, or you want him to play the melody on a verse or chorus, this might be the chart to get.
  3. The SuperChart:
     A SuperChart is something that we came up with at LifeWayWorship.com. It includes everything you get on a Lead Sheet, plus additional harmony parts for vocalists, plus instructions for band members (including the guitarist) that helps everyone by having them be able to see the exact same page when they're leading worship with a song. It also has the advantage of coming in 12 keys, so that if your guitar player wants to play with a capo for a different sound, you can just print the key that he needs the song in. If a player's advanced enough to be using a capo, they should be able to tell you which key they need.

Pastor's Worship Questions is a series of blog posts designed to help the small church pastor, non-musician or anyone else who's been asked to lead worship in their congregation. If you've got a question for us, post it in the comments, and we'll answer it in an upcoming blog post!

Today's promo code is: LIFTYOURNAME

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#19: Hosanna

Hosanna is a beautiful expression of praise at the revelation of God, not only the revelation that we see written in scripture at the time of the Revelation, but in the revelation of God in our everyday lives, living through His body, the church, reaching out to those who need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The refrain simply echoes what we read in scripture as an offering of praise to God: "Hosanna."

When you're planning worship, this song can serve several purposes... whether it's to begin a service with a testimony of praise to the one who we're singing to, or whether it's a time of commitment when we want to add an emphasis on the faith that we live out.

Brooke Fraser and Hillsong Church have recorded this song on several worship recordings. The version we have at LifeWayWorship.com is great for many different settings, and you can download Hosanna in two keys so that you have flexibility in your worship planning... choosing one that smoothly moves from this one to the next. You can also get a new version from our PraiseGathering Music Group.

If you've followed along for our whole series of posts, thanks! And, you deserve something a little more than one download. So... if you use the coupon code LIFTYOUR NAME today, you'll get not one, but eleven free downloads! All eleven downloads have to be on the same order, and you only have today to use the code.

Use today's promo code LIFTYOURNAME to download Hosanna today!

Today's promo code is: INSIDEOUT

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#18: From the Inside Out

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download From the Inside Out in two keys so that you have flexibility in your worship planning... allowing you to have a smooth transition from one song to the next in your worship plan.

Use today's promo code INSIDEOUT to download From the Inside Out today!

Promo code expires 1/10/2011, valid for one download, up to a $1.99 value.

Today's promo code is: RISINGALONE

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#17: In Christ Alone

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download In Christ Alone in two versions... one that's more hymn-like in setting, and one that's more like a worship song. Both version have charts and tracks for every instrument you can imagine. The third arrangement is based on the version that Adam Smith of Owl City recorded and posted on his blog a few months ago.

Use today's promo code RISINGALONE to download In Christ Alone today!

Promo code expires 1/10/2011, valid for one download, up to a $1.99 value.

Today's promo code is: RISINGALONE

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#16: Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download
Hosanna (Praise Is Rising in two congregation-friendly keys, with charts and tracks for every instrument you can imagine, plus a new arrangement by LifeWay Worship writers and worship leaders Dick and Mel Tunney.

Use today's promo code RISINGALONE to download Hosanna (Praise Is Rising) today!

Promo code expires 1/10/2011, valid for one download, up to a $1.99 value.

Today's promo code is: SHOUTNOW

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#15: Come, Now Is the Time to Worship

Brian calls this song a "call to worship:"

I believe God wants us to come and worship just the way we are. But when true worship happens, we don't stay the way we are. When we make that choice, we experience the pleasure of worship, the treasure of being with God.

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download
Come, Now Is the Time to Worship in two congregation-friendly keys, with charts and tracks for every instrument you can imagine, plus a "Country Worship" version by Dan Schafer.

Use today's promo code SHOUTNOW to download Come, Now Is the Time To Worship today!

Promo code expires 1/7/2011, valid for one download, up to a $1.99 value.

Today's promo code is: SHOUTNOW

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#13: Shout to the Lord

The song has so permeated the worldwide culture that it was actually used during an "Inspirational Week" on the television show "American Idol," sparking all kinds of controversy from Christians and non-Christians alike. Watch the YouTube video above for that performance.

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download
Shout to the Lord in two congregation-friendly keys, with charts and tracks for every instrument you can imagine, plus two more versions. Click through and find out more!

Use today's promo code SHOUTNOW to download Shout to the Lord today!

Promo code expires 1/7/2011, valid for one download, up to a $1.99 value.

Today's promo code is: LORDANDKING

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#13: You Are My King

Listen to an interview with Billy and Cindy Foote on the All About Worship Podcast. (link opens in a new window)

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download
You Are My King in two congregation-friendly keys, with charts and tracks for every instrument you can imagine

Use today's promo code LORDANDKING to download You Are My King today!

Promo code expires 1/7/2011, valid for one download, up to a $1.99 value.

Today's promo code is: YOURGRACE

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#11: Open the Eyes of My Heart

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download two versions of
Open the Eyes of My Heart: the LifeWay Worship version fully mappable with all of the charts and tracks you expect, and the unique version from Dan Schafer's Country Worship.

Use today's promo code YOURGRACE to download Open the Eyes of My Heart today!

Promo code expires 1/7/2011, valid for one download, up to a $1.99 value.

Today at CES, Griffin Technology announced a product that you might find handy in a contemporary worship service. The Griffin Mic Stand Mount allows you to mount your iPad onto a standard 5/8" microphone stand mount so that you can use it as a music stand.

Since LifeWayWorship.com charts and tracks have been tested with the iPad, you can put your iPad onto this new mount and use your favorite PDF reader, music reader or iTunes to lead worship right from your tablet! The mount will be available this January.

Griffin Techonology Press Release (opens in a new window)

Today's promo code is: YOURGRACE

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#11: Your Grace Is Enough

The song is another one of those that combines several different aspects of worship to create a tool that people can use to worship God. The lyrics are rooted in scripture, filled with messages that let people testify their faith, and can also be sung as a prayer, asking God to "remember your people."

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download three very different versions of
Your Grace Is Enough fully mappable with all of the charts and tracks you expect. Plus, we've got versions from our friends at PraiseGathering Music Group and Dan Schafer's Country Worship.

Use today's promo code YOURGRACE to download Your Grace Is Enough today!

Promo code expires 1/7/2011, valid for one download, up to a $1.99 value.

Today's promo code is: TOMLINSMITH

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#10: Jesus Messiah

"Messiah is such a strong name for Jesus. For when you use that name, you are truly saying that He is the name above all names-that He is the Christ, the Son of God, the Chosen One, the Savior of the world. That's why you will notice that every lyric in this song amplifies this idea of Jesus being the Messiah."
- from an interview at CCMmagazine.com

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download Jesus Messiah fully mappable with all of the charts and tracks you expect. Plus, we've got a new version from our friends at PraiseGathering Music Group... if you've already heard our version, you can use today's promo code to download their demo!

Use today's promo code TOMLINSMITH to download Jesus Messiah today!

Promo code expires 1/6/2011, valid for one download, up to a $1.99 value.

When you're looking through all of the dozens of audio and print files you can download at LifeWayWorship.com, you may run across some terminology that is foreign. One of the terms we use sometimes on the site is "with BGVs." According to acronymfinder.com, a BGV could be a "below ground vault," a "blood glucose value," or even "Bundesverband für Gesundheitsinformation und Verbraucherschutz,"the German Federal Association of Health and Consumer Information.

At LifeWayWorship.com, BGV stands for "background vocals." When we create recordings, we can create several different "mixes." A "mix" is exactly what it sounds like... it's the way we mix up the different instrumentalists and vocalists to create the finished recording. When we "mix down" a recording, the engineer can change the volume levels, equalization, compression, and any other number of variables for each instrumentalist and, depending on how it was recorded, each vocalist, so that the final "mix" fits a need.

What we've done with the "BGV" track is given you everything... the whole band and the singers... except for the lead singer or melody line. This way, the track is ready to use as a solo accompaniment, or you can have your singers sing along with the background vocalists to help round out the sound.

Pastor's Worship Questions is a series of blog posts designed to help the small church pastor, non-musician or anyone else who's been asked to lead worship in their congregation. If you've got a question for us, post it in the comments, and we'll answer it in an upcoming blog post!

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#9: Forever

"Forever" is a song that has had staying power within the realm of contemporary praise and worship music for several reasons. First, its lyrics are rooted in the Psalms, pulled straight from scripture. Second, the lyric is an expression of praise that every believer can sing, and every believer wants to sing... talking about the enduring Love that comes from God. Layer those spiritual strengths on top of a call-and-response style melody and you've got a song that almost teaches itself to the congregation.

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download Forever fully mappable with all of the charts and tracks you expect. Plus, we've got another version from Dan Schafer that you have to hear... be sure and click on the play button in your search results!

Use today's promo code TOMLINSMITH to download Forever today!

Today's promo code is: GRACEAMAZING

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#8: Holy Is the Lord

Here's how Tomlin describes the song:

This song was inspired by the picture of worship around the throne of God in Isaiah 6. The heavenly creatures sounding this anthem back and forth to one another....

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
The whole earth is full of his glory

Louie Giglio helped complete the thought with another picture from Nehemiah, where the people joined in a mass assembly...A great example of corporate worship. The Bible sgoays they raised their hands to God at the hearing of his Word, they bowed with their faces to the ground and together made this statement... "the joy of the Lord is our strength."
--Chris Tomlin at christianmusic.about.com

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download Holy Is the Lord fully mappable with all of the charts and tracks you expect. Plus, we've got two more versions, including a very unique one from Dan Schafer.

Use today's promo code GRACEAMAZING to download Holy Is the Lord today!

Especially if you're not musically inclined, this can be a rough thing to plan. We've all been in worship services where there just seemed to be interruptions to the worship time, and for some people, it can be a real distraction from the reason why they're there: to offer their sacrifice to God. Here are three ways that you can reduce or even eliminate the disturbances.

Choose songs in the same keys

This is one of the simplest ways to move from one song to the next. By choosing songs in the same key, you up the chances for a smooth transition. For instance, if you plan A New Hallelujah in your service, you can click on the "i" icon in your search results at LifeWayWorship.com and see that we offer the song in either E or F. You could follow that with a song like Freedom that comes in Eb and F. In this case, you'd choose to sing both in the key of F for a smooth transition from one to the next.

Choose songs that move the story forward

Say you're planning a worship set on evangelism. By pairing two songs like Send Me, Oh Lord, Send Me and I'll Tell the World that I'm a Christian you create a worship experience where the congregation member is singing their testimony through the songs. You can also experiment with a cause-and-result pairing or a "so what" kind of pairing like singing At the Cross with Stand and Shout.

Break, but do it on purpose

However you choose to get from song to song, don't stress over it. Allow the Lord to work through the transition so that your congregation will see Him instead of the mechanics of the service.

Pastor's Worship Questions is a series of blog posts designed to help the small church pastor, non-musician or anyone else who's been asked to lead worship in their congregation. If you've got a question for us, post it in the comments, and we'll answer it in an upcoming blog post!

Today's promo code is: GRACEAMAZING

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#7: Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

Tomlin researched the original hymn and created a refrain that reflected the writer's original intent, describing the freedom that we have because of Christ's ransom for our sin. It's a great song to add to your worship services because it can help serve as a bridge for some, combining a classic hymn of our faith with new, very complimentary musical material. Tomlin didn't try to reinvent Amazing Grace... he just gave it a new framework.

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" fully mappable with all of the charts and tracks you expect. If you've not tried our SongMap™ feature, this might be a good one to play with... you can rearrange the verses and choruses to your heart's content!

Use today's promo code GRACEAMAZING to download "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" today!

Today's promo code is: BRENTONBROWN

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#6: Revelation Song

Revelation Song paints a picture of worship as it's described in the Bible. Jennie Lee Riddle, the song's writer, says that she was reading Ezekiel 1:26-28 and Revelation 4 while she penned the lyric.

Read the whole story of Revelation Song at Jennie Lee Riddle's website.

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download "Revelation Song," in two ways, one fully mappable with all of the charts and tracks you expect, and one that's been arranged by our good friends at PraiseGathering Music Group, so even if you have a version of the song that you use at your church regularly, you might want to explore the different versions that we have to give it a fresh treatment.

Use today's promo code BRENTONBROWN to download "Revelation Song" today!

Today's promo code is: BRENTONBROWN

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#5: Everlasting God

An interesting thing about Brenton that is probably not well known - he suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - a disease that saps physically and emotionally - which makes the lyric of Everlasting God even more poignant. The chorus is an anthem for the downtrodden, the fatigued... some might say an anthem for our times.

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download "Everlasting God," in three different versions, one fully mappable with all of the charts and tracks you expect, and even one geared specifically for kids from our Worship KidStyle line.

Use today's promo code BRENTONBROWN to download "Everlasting God" today!

Today's promo code is: BLESSEDBE

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#3: Here I Am to Worship

Lots of worship songs come straight from the pages of scripture, and this one comes out of Philippians.

"I'd been reading about the cross and thinking through Jesus' amazing sacrifice," Tim says of the lyrical theme. "Sometimes when God meets with us we don't quite know how to respond properly. It's often too much for us to take in. Hopefully in a small way the chorus captures that: 'Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you're my God. You're altogether lovely, worthy, wonderful.'"
-- from an interview with Crosswalk.com

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download "Here I Am to Worship," fully mappable with all of the versions you expect. It's ready to be printed, burned or displayed for your worship team this week!

Use today's promo code BLESSED BE to download "Here I Am to Worship" today!

Your first question actually might be, "what's a key, anyway?"

Very broadly speaking, a key is a letter assigned to a song that instructs musicians which notes to play. If you're playing in the key of "C," there are eight notes that fit within that key, no matter what instrument you're playing. The key of "A" has a different set of eight notes, some of which overlap with "C," but some of which don't.

If you're looking at printed music, the key is shown by the "key signature" at the beginning of the staff. For more music geekery about key signatures, visit wikipedia, otherwise read on.

When a song is written or recorded, it has a specific key that it was written or recorded in. However, depending on who the singer or writer is, that key may not be friendly for your church. It might be too high (most often the case) or too low to be comfortable for everyone to sing together. There are other reasons people don't sing, but this is a biggie - "it's just too high."

So how do you know? Try singing along with the recording of the song yourself. If you have to strain, you might have a song that's too high. The truth is, it's very subjective... what's high for someone may be comfortable for someone else depending on their voice.

At LifeWayWorship.com, we've tried to take the guesswork out of this process for you. For our LifeWay Worship Songs and Hymns, we've placed them in two keys, both

Pastor's Worship Questions is a series of blog posts designed to help the small church pastor, non-musician or anyone else who's been asked to lead worship in their congregation. If you've got a question for us, post it in the comments, and we'll answer it in an upcoming blog post!

Today's promo code is: BLESSEDBE

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#3: Blessed Be Your Name

Musically, it's very simple, and there's a reason for that. It was written in the shadow of September 11th. Here's how Tomlin describes its genesis:

"It struck me how little a vocabulary we have in church worship music to respond appropriately in dark times of life," Matt says. "We all face seasons of pain and unease. And in those times we need to find our voice before God. The church, and indeed the world, needs songs of lamentation."

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download "Blessed Be Your Name," fully mappable with all of the versions you expect, plus a new version from our friends at PraiseGathering Music Group. Choose the version that fits your needs most, and learn it for this week!

Use today's promo code BLESSED BE to download "Blessed Be Your Name" today!

Today's promo code is: HAPPYNEWYEAR

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#2: How Great Is Our God

In an interview at WorshipTogether.com, Tomlin describes the process of writing the song and how Louie Giglio challenged him to have the verses, just like the chorus, reflect the greatness of God. The singular focus of the song makes it easy to plan in worship and to pair it with similarly focused songs. If you're looking to blend it with a hymn, try the classic How Great Thou Art.

At LifeWayWorship.com, you can download "How Great Is Our God," fully mappable with all of the versions you expect. Whether you need notes for a piano player, a single page QuickChart version for a guitar player, or an accompaniment track for when you have no musicians, we've got you covered.

Today's promo code is: HAPPYNEWYEAR

For the first eleven days of 2011, we'll be featuring the top 20 songs at LifeWayWorship.com, and giving you a coupon good for one free download. If you're interested in a song we feature, you can use the code to download the demo, track or chart and start using it in worship!

#1: Mighty to Save

Part of the song's appeal is its simplicity, starting with personal testimony, telling the story of Jesus's power through salvation, and finally challenging us to "shine your light." Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan pair the lyric with a singable melody that can either be used as a triumphant moment in worship, or a prayerful expression of commitment.

At LifeWayWorship.com, there are two options for "Mighty to Save," the LifeWay Worship version, fully mappable with all of the versions you expect, and a new PraiseGathering Music Group version in a lower key.

Use today's promo code HAPPYNEWYEAR to download "Mighty to Save" today!

If you're new to worship planning, some of the terminology that people use might seem foreign. Musicians sometimes talk about a "setlist," which is just the list of songs that they're going to play or sing. A "worship set" is more than a setlist.

One simple definition of a worship set could be a group of songs that work together for a common purpose within the service. A worship set might include breaks for scripture reading or prayer, but usually, it has some kind of musical accompaniment throughout. The common purpose might be several different things. All the songs might center on the same theme, helping the worshipper be focused on a certain topic. They might move in succession from a higher energy and faster speeds to slower, more gently music so that people can engage differently in worship. Or, you might have a worship set that begins with songs that are about God and moves to ones that are sung as a prayer to God.

If your church normally sings one song at a time, you might want to experiment just adding one more to create your first worship set. Try it and see if anyone notices!

Pastor's Worship Questions is a series of blog posts designed to help the small church pastor, non-musician or anyone else who's been asked to lead worship in their congregation. If you've got a question for us, post it in the comments, and we'll answer it in an upcoming blog post!

First of all, happy new year! Thanks for making LifeWayWorship.com part of your worship ministry. 2011 is shaping up to be a great year at LifeWayWorship.com, and there are several things we want to share with you to kick things off.

All Facebook Official!

Pastor's Worship Questions

To take that to the next level, we're starting a series of blog posts entitled "Pastor's Worship Questions," where we'll look at some of the things that you might have wanted to know about worship planning and philosophy but were afraid to ask. We'll look at everything from musical terms to choosing and teaching songs to Biblical models for worship, but we'll keep it simple and easy for you to use each week. All of them will be tagged with the phrase Pastor's Worship Questions, so they'll be easy for you to find and search through. And, we want to know what you need to know too!

We'll start with seven... one a day for the first week of the year, just to give you the idea of where we'll be going. Post your questions in the comments, and we'll address them in upcoming posts.

Better International Ordering

Music, music... and more music

And much, much more...