Jon Nicol

Welcome to Jon Nicol’s page

I’m a worship pastor, guitarist, songwriter and all-around-lover of helping people use their gifts and abilities to worship Jesus. Having served in smaller churches and now working on staff in a multi-campus church, I have a heart for ministries with limited resources and staff. That passion pours out at www.WorshipTeamCoach.com, a resource I’ve developed to help churches to do great ministry with what they have right now, while preparing for more in the future. Learn more about me

Worship Planning: Ten Tough Truths Worship Teams Must Embrace

Thumbnail image for Worship Planning: Ten Tough Truths Worship Teams Must Embrace by Jon Nicol May 9, 2012 Worship Planning

10. We get sick of songs long before the congregation does. We have to lay aside our preferences and choose to worship with songs that may feel overdone to us, but are still resonating with the congregation. 9. We will learn and connect with new songs much quicker than our congregation. As musicians, we internalize [...]

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Leading Worship: One Stupid Question Worship Leaders Should Avoid

Thumbnail image for Leading Worship: One Stupid Question Worship Leaders Should Avoid by Jon Nicol April 18, 2012 leading worship

I recently heard a cringe-worthy question come from a worship leader. It followed a message on allowing Jesus in to clean up your junk. “Do you really want to allow Jesus to clean up your life?” I considered throwing my stainless steel to-go mug at him. But I still had half my Italian roast left. [...]

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Worship Planning: Developing a Solid Sense of Time, Part 3

Thumbnail image for Worship Planning: Developing a Solid Sense of Time, Part 3 by Jon Nicol April 4, 2012 Worship Planning

Read Develop a Solid Sense of Time, Part 1 – 8 Steps to Start Using a Click Read Develop a Solid Sense of Time, Part 2 – Time Managements Issues Part 3: Time Management Issues, Continued Blame it on the singers As I was wrapping up part two, I made this statement: “Require playing to [...]

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Worship Planning Developing a Solid Sense of Time, Part 2

Thumbnail image for Worship Planning Developing a Solid Sense of Time, Part 2 by Jon Nicol March 29, 2012 Worship Planning

Time Management Issues In part one, we talked about the need for exposing our team to the objective, non-partial, undistorted musical mirror known as a metronome. Those eight steps of metronome introduction could easily take you several months. But don’t let that stop you from considering these issues as you’re working towards a solid sense [...]

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Worship Planning Develop a Solid Sense of Time, Part 1: 8 Steps to Start…

Thumbnail image for Worship Planning Develop a Solid Sense of Time, Part 1: 8 Steps to Start… by Jon Nicol March 22, 2012 Worship Planning

This two-part article here at WorshipMinistry.com is part a of larger series I’ve started at WorshipTeamCoach.com called Turning Your Team into a Band. Eight Steps to Start Using a Click I had a drummer quit the team shortly after we began using a metronome in rehearsal. I think in his mind we were mechanically clicking [...]

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Leading Worship: 7 Deadly Things that Worship Musicians Say

Thumbnail image for Leading Worship: 7 Deadly Things that Worship Musicians Say by Jon Nicol February 22, 2012 leading worship

(or at least are thinking…) 1. I have the “spiritual gift of music,” and I’m called to be on the team. First, is music a gift? Raw talent and the opportunity to learn and grow – yes, those are gifts from God. But I don’t personally don’t believe that music qualifies as a gift of [...]

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Worship Planning: Here Be Dragons

Thumbnail image for Worship Planning: Here Be Dragons by Jon Nicol January 5, 2012 Worship Planning

At the edges of world where the sea was yet to be explored, an ancient map-maker wrote HC SVNT DRACONES: Here Be Dragons. Places unknown, unexplored, untamed. But where dragons be, there also be gold and other treasure. We went off the map this past week at my church. Beyond the prescribed and tried. Beyond [...]

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Worship Planning: Kick Your Charts to the Curb, Part 2

Thumbnail image for Worship Planning: Kick Your Charts to the Curb, Part 2 by Jon Nicol December 28, 2011 Worship Planning

12 Tips to Memorize Songs Last week we looked at five of the twelve tips. Here are seven more to kick our chart-habit. 6. Learn the end first. This is a technique I used when I was studying classical guitar. I found that I learned the first half of the song really well. Why? I [...]

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