WORSHIP. PERIOD.

Hello readers (and listeners, for people who use that text reader function thingie). I’ve got an article to share with you from my buddy Jamie Cambers. Jamie is a fantastical practitioner of the electric guitar machine (and I don’t just say that cuz he’s been stage-left of me in JSB for many moons). He put together some thoughts on gear for you burgeoning axe-masters out there. I’m going to break them down into a couple of chunks and share them with you over the next little while. First up are some general thoughts and some talk about choosing a guitar (seems like a good place to start). – Jeff

FROM JAMIE: When I went to youth retreats or conferences when I was a youth, I wasn’t very interested in worship. Actually, let me rephrase that. I was interested in music as worship, but not worshiping. In fact, I was always far more interested in what gear the guitar players were using and watching contently on how they were using their instruments. After a service, I would often find myself at the front of the stage to get a closer look at a guitar players’ pedal board to see what they were using. Now, about 10 years later, I find myself on the other end of the spectrum. People often ask me what is on my pedal board, how I get my tone, or what I recommend using for certain sounds or effects. Some of those questions inspired me to share via this blog. Hope it helps in some way.

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“Local Leader Profiles” is a WorshipPeriod.com series of spotlight interviews with worship leaders working and leading in a local church setting. They’ll each answer a series of the same questions to give us a snapshot of their church, their ministry and share some things they’re learning about God, the church, worship and leadership.


Name: Frank Trail

Church: Whitepine Baptist
 Church (Riverview, NB)
Size/Denomination: 75+
; Baptist
Job Title: Lead Pastor

Years at this Job: 10+

Years leading worship: 20+
Primary instrument: guitar

Worship Team size: 5-6 people

Favorite Worship song: Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?

Favorite Worship artist: oy… probably David Crowder

Favorite Book: you’re kidding, right?.. Just one?! “Raggamuffin Gospel” is right up there…


What does a typical (work) week look like for you?
Lots of time reading (newspapers, online stuff, Bible, other books), not enough time praying, touching base with various ministry coordinators, checking my sermon theme schedule, planning the worship service by Thursday, finishing sermon by Saturday, worship team practice Sunday morning before the worship service…




What does a typical worship service look like for your church?
Don’t always follow a pattern, but in some order our worship service will at least include 6-8 worship songs, concentrated prayer ministry, a time to give offerings and for people to share praise items or prayer requests, ministry updates, message. Our music would be considered contemporary, including the use of ‘active songs’- we really try to create an environment that is inter-generational, so we don’t have certain things designated as ‘for the kids’, ‘for the youth’, etc… we just do it all together and everyone participates in it (clapping, jumping, raising hands, even dancing some times). We start at 10:45am and usually wrap up between 12-12:20.




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“Local Leader Profiles” is a WorshipPeriod.com series of spotlight interviews with worship leaders working and leading in a local church setting. They’ll each answer a series of the same questions to give us a snapshot of their church, their ministry and share some things they’re learning about God, the church, worship and leadership.

Name: Jason (Jay) Muir
Church: Moncton Wesleyan Church (Moncton, NB)
Church Size/Denomination: 1500 (Wesleyan)
Job Title: Pastor of Worship Arts
Years at this Job: 6 months
Years leading worship: 12
Primary instrument: Acoustic guitar
Worship Team size: 40 in total, 8 – 9 any given week
Favorite Worship song:
How Deep the Father’s Love (all time)
Glory to God Forever (currently)
Favorite Worship artist: Chris Tomlin
Favorite Book: Lord of the Rings Trilogy

What does a typical week look like for you?
Service evaluation and staff meeting takes up most of Monday. Tuesday’s begin the planning cycle for whatever Sunday we’re currently working on (usually the one right in front of us!). Tuesday nights our creative team meets to discuss and create, as the name implies. Wednesday’s are usually reserved for meetings, getting to know people and pastoral care type stuff. Thursday nights are Worship Team rehearsal. Friday’s we finalize our plan for Sunday. Saturday is a much needed day off.

What does a typical worship service look like for your church?
Worship through music, prayer, giving, a half hour message. Done. We like to baptize people every week if we can, so often we’ll have one or two baptisms thrown into each service. Occasionally use video, drama and dance to illustrate the message. Music is mostly contemporary/modern with a hymn thrown in.

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I’m happy to bring you an interview with my friend and colleague, Tim Milner. Tim is a Maritimer who’s gone on to follow God all over the continent as a worship leader. He’s a grad of Prairie Bible College (double major in Pastoral and Music Studies) and has served on staff in churches in New York and Philadelphia. He has recently returned to the Great White North and he and his family are now living in Alberta.

“Tim’s passion is to serve the church in North America by helping church leaders reclaim participatory, excellent, high energy, culturally relevant worship. Tim thrives leading gatherings that celebrate the greatness and goodness of God. He is also passionate about restoring true worship in the local church and leads seminars and clinics on worship and musicianship. Tim has been leading worship since 1996 and has been teaching, writing and recording music for worship for over a decade.” (taken from TimMilner.com)

Let’s get to it.

WP: Where did you grow up?

TM: I grew up in the reddest-neck town ever. Middle Musquodoboit, NS. Even so, it was a great place to grow up, and I miss the serenity of the countryside there, and the homestead where I grew up.

WP: What was your early experience with church/worship?

TM: When I was 12 years old I became our church’s only piano player. Our pastor and his wife moved away and that left me as the only option. So, armed with the three hymns I could play, I took on the role of church pianist, expanding my repertoire week after week. Finally after 6 yeas of doing it (by the time I graduated from high school) I had pretty much learned the entire hymn book. That was all I knew of church music until I went to college: me and a piano, playing a very southern gospel style of music.
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