What Are We Singing?

Join Dave and I talk about how the church in Latin American is growing and thriving. Dave is the leader of Adlib, a coaching ministry for worship leaders to be the best version of themselves. Dave shares his “five faders” process for helping the church-at-large thrive with worship ministry. Adlibmusic.com Sign-up for the worship fertilizer: Buy the book Worship Fertizlier (the first hundred) Sign up for the early access to Worship With the Word “Do You Believe in This?” New song by Trent Walker available on streaming services everywhere. Consider donating $10 to help get these worship with the word songs to full production on our Facebook fundraiser (Donate here).   What Are We Singing? and Worship With the Word are ministries of Trent & Siobhán Ministries, Inc. Contribute to Trent & Siobhán Ministries, Inc. at trentandsiobhan.com/give or visit trentandsiobhan.com to learn more.

Gary Keys is a missionary to the United States from Belfast, Ireland. He, and his wife, serve their church in the Greater Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area. Join us as we talk about the revival in Belfast that happened in the 90's and what it's affects were on the church then. I ask the question to Gary if he believes revival, like that, can happen again in America? His answer may surprise you. For more information about Trent & Siobhán Ministries, Inc. visit: https://trentandsiobhan.com Sign up to be part of the pre-release of my new program called "Worship With the Word" at http://worshipwiththeword.com. What are We Singing? is a listener supported podcast. If you are getting value from this content please, prayerfully consider a contribution to our ministry at trentandsiobhan.com/give

Join me as I interview a very special guest, Bob Fitts. As an Integrity/Maranatha artist, Bob is part of the early wave of worship music that took the church by storm back in the 80's with popular songs like  The Lord Reigns, He Will Come and Save You, Let Your Glory Fall in This Place, and many more. One thing I know for sure is we need fathers in the faith like Bob Fitts and I am so grateful for him to share his wisdom with us for this week's episode.  Find out more at bobfitts.com Get early access to worshipwiththeword.com by signing up now!

One of the most common things I hear about worship music is that people don’t connect when songs have too many words in them. Whether you agree or not - this song fulfills the way-too-long-song perfectly and still we sing it. Why? It’s got a ton of theology in it. And for that very reason we find ourselves doing it. We're talking about the song King of Kings by Hillsong Worship and how powerful the creeds of the church are. King of Kings Live Video Trent & Siobhán.com Worship With the Word.com  

In reflecting on last week's inquiry about popular songs, Trent explores the forgettable nature of chart-climbing tunes by Phil Wickham and Cody Carnes, humorously entertaining the idea of ChatGPT's involvement, advocating for a shift to repeating "legacy songs" over weeks to deepen congregation familiarity, emphasizing the importance of eye contact and lyric memorization for worship leaders, and urging the integration of scripture into the worship experience. Visit worshipwiththeword.com to learn more and the trentandsiobhan.com/forgettableworship to download a free worship guide for using these songs in your church.

Sam Dougherty shares a remarkable story of how God was so intricately involved in not having him serve on a worship team. Learn how his obedience to the voice of the Lord opened up the doors of favor for him and his family. Sam serves a local community as a deacon and pastor and the greater Michigan area helping veterans find jobs. His love for the kingdom of God shines through his commitment to serve the church in all areas. Listen in as Trent and Sam have a great reflection on the what being a part of the church really means.

Kevin Norris has been an influential voice for the theology of worship music over the past four decades. One of the original leaders of the University of the Nations School of Worship, Kevin has been a missionary in Hong Kong and the U.S. for over 46 years with YWAM (Youth With a Mission). Kevin has been a dear friend and mentor of mine for the past four years. Every time I have a conversation with Kevin we get into great theological conversations about the status of the church today as well as the love of worship music and where the status of that is in today's world as well. Grab a copy of Kevin's book: Worship's Journey And stay tuned for another deep worship talk with Kevin later this year after his release of his new book "Worship is Special" For coaching, guest speaking, and courses for your worship team and learning about how to hear the voice of God visit WorshipWithTheWord.com

In this episode, we delve into the powerful song "Holy Forever" by Chris Tomlin, a collaborative effort with renowned Christian music songwriters. The song stands as a unifying force, bringing together writers from different Christian denominations, symbolizing a musical expression that transcends theological boundaries for global worship. Reflecting on historical shifts and contemporary challenges, the podcast explores the song's scriptural roots, emphasizing the need to understand biblical references for a more profound worship experience. It challenges listeners to consider the purpose of singing such anthems and recommends reinforcing the name of Jesus after singing "Holy Forever" to enrich the worship experience. As we navigate the complexities of the current Christian landscape, the podcast encourages a perspective shift, focusing on the miraculous and unifying aspects of worship rather than succumbing to hopelessness. Link to the YouTube video: Chris Tomlin - Holy Forever (Live) feat. Jenn & Brian Johnson Link to the community and course: worshipwiththeword.com My suggested songlist with scripture guides and talking points PDF: download here.

Praise is the new hit song that has come from the worship industry giant Elevation Worship. Now, don’t check out just yet because you heard me say the words “worship industry.” I took some time at the beginning of this episode to to explain myself.  Inside we discuss what it means to praise, the scripture this song is connected to, why we are singing it, and practical ways to participate with this song and lead it. Link to the Youtube video: Praise (feat. Brandon Lake, Chris Brown & Chandler Moore) Link to the community and course worshipwiththeword.com My suggested songlist with scripture guides and talking points PDF download here

Jesus said this about love: Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) Everything that the Hallmark channel teaches us about love is that it equals romantic feelings (and these days it doesn’t matter to whom). But that is not love. And it’s so shallow. True love is taught to us through Jesus. 

Don’t you find it interesting that the season around Christmas is always good cheer and the songs are happy and for the most part people are genuinely joyful. I believe this is spiritual. I believe that it transcends the style, the nostalgia, the happy music, and the pretty lights and snow. I believe it is a gift from the father of lights. That Jesus came into the world to bring us joy and he still does today. For the Joy week we will be talking about the wise men or Magi. And we will be talking about how Jesus is the light that pierced the darkness. “We Three Kings” Read Matthew 2:1-6, 10-11, Isaiah 7:14

Peace that Jesus taught is one that is different from what the world understands it. It goes way beyond the feeling of “can’t we all just get along” It means Shalom. In essence - it means how things are meant to be like a stone with no cracks in it. As we come into the second week of Advent we take time to reflect in God’s peace. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” How do we pray for peace in a world that has lost theirs? It starts in the home. It starts by remembering that God is with us and he still does miracles. But it takes a lot more than to simply say “one family at a time.” Though I believe this. It takes Shalom. It takes a savior. http://trentandsiobhan.com/give

Join the Walker family as we share our Christmas tradition of Advent with you this year! Yes, we're still in the RV. Advent means “Light of God” coming into the world One of the reasons that I like to think of Advent is the fact that it hasn’t been largely commercialized… yet.  In American culture Santa has taken over and (though I love to see the ole Jolly soul dressed up in red and white) I love to talk about the reason for the season in the first place… Jesus.   What is nice about advent is that it begins four Sunday’s before Christmas and ushers in Christmas Day with the last candle being lit on Christmas Eve.  Advent is also not a set-in-stone tradition that is the same everywhere. Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox traditions all have slight differences.  For the sake of celebrating it (if you never have) I’d like to invite you to join me and my family as we celebrate this Christmas season. Here’s what you’re going to need:  Every Sunday this week you’ll gather around the dinner table with family and celebrate the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.  You’ll need a wreath   Advent wreath is circular (infinite love) made up of evergreen leaves (hope of eternal life).  Three purple or blue candles (penance or hope and expectation)  One pink candle (rejoicing)  One white candle (purity)   So as we talk about Him as the Light of God coming into the world - There are three things that Advent reinforces as the center of Christmas:  He came  He is coming  He comes to save us now   The reason why I like to drive this home is simply because we all know and can easily celebrate that Jesus Christ is born this day. And many of us know the hope we have in Heaven that He will come again.   But I think often times that we forget to see that He comes right now. His name is salvation. The angels sang, “Hosanna!” which means “Salvation Now”  He hasn’t left us here to do life on our own  He hasn’t called us to be alone  He still does miracles today   What is the miracle you are believing for?  

Having been the leader of music and worship services all across the world from big venues, small home groups, to singing at campgrounds, radio, and bars I have to say 
“I love the church, I love the body of believers.” But I have to admit that when I hear some of the Christian Music on the radio and Worship Music in the Church today I often ask myself, “Do we even know what it is we are saying?” Join me weekly for funny and insightful dives into some of today's most popular music being sung inside and outside the church today. If you believe that what we say matters, then shouldn’t the words to what we sing matter as well? We’re going to take a look at: * the top rated worship songs in the church today and let you decide if it’s something we should be singing. * We’ll also take a look at some other songs and compare them to today’s pop culture music. * And we’ll be having commentaries and interviews from some experts and friends of mine who know a whole lot more than I do about all of this. If you’re a Christian and you love the church then this podcast is for you. I am always seeking to learn more about how to live the life of a believer. So what I say and what I sing matters! So if you’re anything like me you’ve been in church or you’ve been listening to the radio and you’ve said to yourself, “What Are We Singing?”