New Year's Resolutions?

     Well, it's that time of year again.  Christmas has past and we're headed towards New Year's Day.  And you know what that means.  It's time for people to make resolutions for the new year that will most likely be broken by January 2nd. I'm not a big fan of new year's resolutions.  They are too easily broken and forgotten.  I would rather just set goals for the new year and see if over the next 365 days I can reach them.  Do you have any goals for the new year?  If so, are any of them related to music and worship?  It seems like most of the time when people set goals for themselves (or even resolutions) they are generally based on losing weight, exercising more, or spending more time with our families.  And those goals are great.  But for those of us involved in music ministry and worship leadership, shouldn't we also have goals that involve music and worship?

     For this upcoming year I definitely have some musical goals for myself.  First off, I want to continue to get better on the drums.  I feel as though I've reached the point of being an average drummer, but by the end of the year I'd like to be a better than average drummer.  I know our "first string" drummer at church would love to have a couple more Sundays off a year.  But for that to happen, I've got to keep improving.  Secondly, I would like to start working on playing the electric and bass guitars.  I know I can do it, but like everything else, it's just a matter of making the time for it.  Another goal I have is to start writing worship songs again.  A couple of years ago I was writing 1 song a week.  Last year I only wrote 2 or 3 songs for the entire year.  I'm not a great song writer, but for me to get better at it, I've got to keep working on it.

     But I don't just have musical goals for myself.  I also have goals that are worship related.  I want to be a better worship leader, so I want to be more spiritually prepared each and every time I set foot on the stage.  I need to spend more time in prayer each week seeking God.  Hopefully, the closer I am to God, the easier it will be to lead people to Him.  I also want to read 1 really deep theology book this year.  Theology books aren't easy, but I know that they can really stretch me.  Another goal I have is to continue to watch and study really good worship leaders.  Some people are truly gifted when it comes to leading worship and I want to be better.  I always enjoy picking up something new by watching others.

     So, what are your goals for this year?  If you are a worship leader or musician, you need to keep pushing yourself.  There is always more to learn and experience.  We serve a God who is worthy of our best, not just for what we settle for.  So, push yourself and strive for more this year.

Worship Big!

Brad