Recommended Books

There’s no lack of people to tell you how to lead worship…us included, I suppose. But not everything works in every context. Here are some excellent resources that can help you develop your worship ministry, increase participation and build thresholds where you can meet God (as well as quench the spiritual, emotional and creative thirsts of your community) in worship.

Discover the Mystery of Faith by Glenn Packiam (David C. Cook, 2013) What we do, say and pray in worship shapes our beliefs and forms our faith. In this book, Glenn Packiam explores how that happens through different forms of worship and how liturgy is a narrative of salvation in Christ. A phenomenal book that makes spiritual formation, the Eucharist and liturgy relevant in today’s world. A must read if you want to lead deep, meaningful worship.

Christian Worship: 100,000 Sundays of Symbols and Rituals by Gail Ramshaw (Fortress Press, 2009) Tossing out rituals and religious symbols is easy when they are rote or not understood. And that’s happened a lot in the last few decades. This book explores Christian worship history and provides context for those same rituals and symbols that can reveal God and deepen faith.

The Art of Curating Worship: Reshaping the Role of the Worship Leader by Mark Pierson (sparkhouse, 2011) This is one of the best books to read and ingest if music-driven worship is no longer engaging your faith community…or even if it is. With fantastic new worship language, a curator’s approach and inclusion of art/artists in worship, this book will help you reshape your role as a worship leader. Prepare for an excellent read and a personal challenge. Read this now!

Making a Mess and Meeting God: Unruly Ideas and Everyday Experiments for Worship by Mandy Smith (Standard Publishing, 2010) This book brings ancient texts and popular themes to life through playful artistic creation. It’s full of ideas and practical advice to help people get their hands dirty while focussing on God. Great ways to include art in worship!

Experiential Worship: Encountering God with Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength by Bob Rognlien (NavPress, 2004) Connecting Mark 12:30 with worship praxis, Bob Rognlien shares an anthropology of worship that engages heart, soul, mind and body. Experiential Worship provides a framework for planning theologically rich and highly participatory worship gatherings.

Church in the Inventive Age by Doug Pagitt (sparkhouse, 2010) Doug Pagitt provides great insight into what captivates the people of the inventive age, and discusses areas where the church can adapt to include these creative people in this new culture.

The Crowd, the Critic, and the Muse: A Book for Creators by Michael Gungor (Woodsley Press, 2012) Letting faith be your creative force can be difficult when dogma, formulas and target markets constrict for your creations. This is a revitalizing book for creators who are burned out and feeling spiritually crusty. If that’s you, this is not optional reading, it’s a vital necessity.

Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim’s Tale by Ian Morgan Cron (Zondervan Reprint Edition, 2013) Serving in ministry can be wonderful and horrible. This is a story of a successful Evangelical pastor who struggled through questions of his own faith and tense church division, all to rediscover God in a very unexpected way…on a journey with Franciscan monks.

Quirky Leadership: Permission Granted by John Voeltz (Abingdon Press, 2013) Different churches need different leaders. And sometimes different leadership styles. John Voeltz shares his experiences, gives you permission to embrace your quirks and discusses how they can benefit a faith community with you as a leader.

What books have you found helpful in your worship ministry?