Worshipping With a Digital Congregation

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🎙LEAD LIVE: Live conversations for ministry leaders, by ministry leaders!

So many people connect with Jesus and worship him through music. What is the role of a worship leader who is using technology to usher people into the presence of Jesus? How can we lift our hearts to Jesus through songs together? What should we be leveraging through technology in order to create worshipping environments for God’s people? Jelani Aswad is a worship leader at Grace Church in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, and he joins Clint and Josh on LEAD Live to discuss Worshipping With A Digital Congregation.

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This episode first aired on Facebook LIVE, Periscope, and YouTube LIVE April 30, 2020.

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LEAD Live Web Pages

Mentioned in the Podcast:
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2
Stage Presence: Way Maker
Word of Encouragement: Calling to the unknown
Jelani Aswad YouTube Channel

Show Notes:

• 2:54- Intro Jelani
• 7:15- Intro to the conversation: In this CoViD/Digital age, how do we bring a worship experience to our congregations?
• 8:20– Pre-service Spiritual Preparation
• 12:15- “Because of the busyness, I need to remain still on the inside
• 14:20- Performance is not necessarily a negative
• 17:30- What are some of the new philosophies you bring into a digital worship service?
• 20:22- “We were four weeks in, and we realized, the crisis is gone, new normal is here, let’s get back to vision.”
• 22:20- What is Platform Presence, and how does it change in a digital context?
• 24:35- “We have to make sure when we are leading in front of a screen, that we have connected with each song on a personal basis.”
• 26:20- Waymaker Video
• 27:20- As you get to the top of a song, like Waymaker, what are you thinking/processing?
• 28:00- “I want my vocalists singing as if they are the ones leading worship.”
• 28:20- “If my music stopped right now, and it was just my keyboard, or guitar playing, am I doing my best to honor the Lord?”
• 29:01- “I think it is my job to honor the writer and the intimacy that they were having with the Lord when they wrote it.”
• 36:00 Difference between Live Re-Broadcast, and Post-Production Recording
• 38:20- “Was I missing people who were looking for the Lord online? Could I have been spending $25 a month on a Facebook ad that would put a video or worship service online that could have impacted someone?”
• 39:15- How do you integrate prayer, words of encouragement, in the middle of a digital worship service?
• 41:30- “We follow a Christ that was born into an Eastern society where oration was a part of the culture, and we ought to follow in that tradition.”
• 43:05- Jelani Reading Scripture
• 44:15- Remind everyone that you are on camera all the time
• 46:10- “I want people to realize that I truly believe every word that this book says.”
• 47:00- “You can’t be less ‘Spirit-Led’ if you are prepared for the Spirit to move.”
• 47:45- Word of Encouragement/Introducing a Song Video
• 49:40- “I gotta tell you where I’m at, and relate it to your story.”
• 51:56- What do you mean by “It is a both/and era” for worship leading?
• 52:50- “Thank God that he has brought us to a place where we cannot measure our success.”
• 53:40- “What ministers can we release to be active online in chat rooms, praying for people and ministering to them? We have to start disciplining people on the internet.”
• 54:50- “Don’t complain, train.”
• 55:10- “Real life can tell you the lie that just because people are looking at you, they are paying attention to you.”
• 1:00:38- How do you train others in worship leading?
• 1:03:05- Discussion about Camera Angles and Jumping between shots
• 1:04:20- “If you have a smartphone, you have a great, expensive camera.”
• 1:05:12- Final Thoughts
  • Josh- We are still trying to figure out what it means to have a camera on us in ministry, but we don’t have to be nervous about screwing up. Continue to speak from your heart, bring the Word of God faithfully.
  • Jelani- Don’t look at this as a persecution of the church, or anything other than the Lord saying to us, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, in need of rest.” It is a privilege to be a part of Christian history at this time.
  • Clint- We need to grow into this new iteration of our faith. We continue to get rid of the old, buggy versions of worship, and continue to follow God into new iterations of how God has called us to lead others in worship. Perfection is the enemy, we just keep a culture of growth for our people.
• Post-Episode: “The world has been trained to watch not-perfect content”