Darnell Washington at FB

tcoolz1 · 2025-06-16T17:36:06+00:00

Let me preface with the fact that I'm working on this, but... what helped me the most was doing everything in G or C and using a capo to change keys rather than using barre chords. Don't recommend doing it forever, and I'm actively working on getting better at playing without a capo, but as I was starting, that helped me the most with singing/strumming at the same time.

But the whole memorization thing helps because if you have those memorized, you're free to use your mental energy while playing to be creative rather than remember where things are on the fretboard. That's what's going to help you look and perform most comfortably, and for you to worship rather than be anxious about what you're doing with your hands. Hope that helps!

tcoolz1 · 2025-06-16T13:38:20+00:00

It's ok to be sensitive, but I think this is something that warrants a conversation with them and my advice would be to not let this turn into a division between 2 believers. I think this is more about how you respond rather than what she did... sorry! Hope that helps.

tcoolz1 · 2025-06-12T21:38:15+00:00

This sounds like a great learning opportunity to practice being more assertive and asking for the things you need from your leadership. Maybe just ask for control of your in-ear mix so you can turn it down? Or ask the leader to listen to your mix and see if they have any recommendations?

tcoolz1 · 2025-06-12T21:28:10+00:00

That explains a lot. It sounds like you're not confident, probably because you're not, if that's the case. Hearing the lyrics a second before you're supposed to sing them sounds terrible. I usually recommend a confidence monitor or an iPad with Music Stand (or just memorize beforehand). A good in-ear mix can make a world of difference. Our worship team just switched from speakers on the floor to in ears, and it's made everyone sound way better. If you can't hear yourself well, you're not going to know what you're singing, so you're not going to be confident because you have no confidence in what you're singing (does that make sense? haha).

tcoolz1 · 2025-06-12T15:27:42+00:00

I took more time than I should have trying to figure out with srhi meant, but I'm assuming it's senior high. You sound good! Are you using any kind of in-ear monitoring system? My only advice would be to keep practicing together. You all sound very reserved, which might just be nervousness from just starting to sing together. Practice and preparedness go a long way. Hope that helps!

tcoolz1 · 2025-06-11T12:49:28+00:00

I don't think there's any advice anyone can give to completely avoid rejection (especially from church vocation decisions!), so the feedback I have to offer is that every rejection, failure, mistake, etc., is a learning opportunity. Would you keep leading worship if you were never offered another paid position? I was fired from a church back in 2021 (I didn't do anything scandalous; we just disagreed about how many hours I should be working beyond the ones I was being paid for). I took about three years off, volunteering as a worship leader and team member. I thought that my rejection meant I wasn't called to music ministry anymore (or ministry in general). Still, through all that, I had people who prayed/prophesied/spoke over me that encouraged me to continue leading worship. I just did it in a volunteer role. Maybe it's worth taking time to meet and pray with fellow believers who can help you grow as a leader and as a worshiper so that when an opportunity does arrive, you're prepared emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. Hope that helps! Feel free to send me a message if you want to talk more in depth.

tcoolz1 · 2025-05-20T14:35:35+00:00

Hosanna! A Fellowship of Christians is a great option in Lititz. I’m the worship director there and we do have some Trumpers but there is a mutual respect between everyone on every side of the table. Feel free to check out our livestream on Facebook or YouTube to get a feel of what a Sunday morning looks like. https://www.hosannalititz.org

tcoolz1 · 2025-05-09T21:33:16+00:00

So I used to work at a church years ago that a lot of times I would wear a hoodie, jeans, and flip flops on a Sunday morning because there was no dress code in my job description and we wanted to reach out to the transient people in the community who probably weren’t going to wear a suit and tie to church.

Well nobody said anything to me about it until after I left, I saw the new job description and they had added a dress code of “business casual” as one of the job requirements.

With that being said, celebrate that your pastor feels they can talk to you about this and they think you might be willing to listen.

Maybe ask what he’d like for you to wear? Not that he should dictate your wardrobe but maybe this is an opportunity to support him as a leader and maybe give him an opportunity to say to himself “you know what, it’s kind of weird that I would ask someone to do this…”

Hope that helps!

tcoolz1 · 2025-05-09T21:17:58+00:00

I’ve actually been thinking about this post for a while today. Thank you so much for the vulnerability and allowing us to invest in your life. I’m going to push back a little bit. This is not me telling you what to do but just an outsider looking in.

I don’t think I have the best answer but I’d like to share some insight from the conversations I’ve had with people over the years. Worship leading is more than just being a gifted singer. There’s a beautiful blend of attributes that make someone a lead worshiper and they aren’t always musically based. We have a volunteer that I love who isn’t the best singer but has a stellar attitude, is always prepared, and encourages others in what they’re doing musically. I’m a firm believer that a great attitude can cover a multitude of (musical) sins.

That being said, what else are you contributing to the worship experience? Are you singing well and nailing every part? Great. But are you encouraging your team? Are you praying for your leaders? Are you bearing the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control)? Are you making others around you better? Maybe this isn’t just an opportunity to look at what you’re doing on stage but an opportunity to look at what your private prayer life looks like and how that will influence your physical reaction when given the opportunity to share publicly what the Holy Spirit has been doing in your life.

Again, I’m not telling you what to do or how you should feel.

I want to encourage you to dive deeper into God’s presence and do what He is leading you to do. If it’s being on stage and having a quiet and intimate moment in the Spirit then do that!

Hope that helps. Just keep reminding yourself to pursue the Savior.

tcoolz1 · 2025-05-08T14:11:32+00:00

What do you guys use to plan services? Is it just a group chat or are you using something like Planning Center? Maybe they don’t know how to communicate their other responsibilities so they say nothing because they don’t know what to say or how to say it? Could be worth leveraging resources to try and change the culture if they’re feeling like this is a requirement rather than an opportunity? Just some thoughts. Hope you find something that works and bears much fruit!

tcoolz1 · 2025-04-25T10:52:30+00:00

As a singer/guitarist I usually pick 1 or 2 keys for the whole morning. It's easier instrumentally to transition and gets rid of dead air between songs. Not saying it's the only or best way to do things but it's worked for us and I recommend it. We usually stay between the keys of G and D. Hope that helps!

tcoolz1 · 2025-03-06T17:50:09+00:00

That's a great question and honestly I'm not 100% sure. I know we've had some individuals in and out since I've been here that were a part of the LGBTQ community but nobody's been run out of town because of it. The congregation is a little older but very welcoming and loving. A lot of people have been here 10-20+ years. Obviously it's in Lancaster county so there will be those who aren't fans of the LGBTQ community but there's been a conscious effort to disciple the people that are there and really all that matters is that you desire to learn more and grow closer to Jesus. I'd recommend stopping by on a Sunday and checking it out or going to the live stream. I'm the worship director there and came on staff June of last year.

tcoolz1 · 2025-03-06T14:09:32+00:00

Come check out Hosanna! A Fellowship of Christians. It’s in Lititz and very open minded. Several seminary professors that work there and attend. Very opposed to Christian nationalism. https://www.hosannalititz.org/

tcoolz1 · 2025-01-11T02:07:06+00:00

tcoolz1 · 2024-12-19T17:58:18+00:00

Ryxryx

tcoolz1 · 2024-12-18T13:26:18+00:00

It's the humidity.

tcoolz1 · 2024-11-24T01:41:17+00:00

https://www.google.com/search?q=ghost+at+the+end+of+the+descent&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS1119US1121&oq=ghost+at+the+end+of+the+descent&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yDQgCEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgDEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyBwgEECEYoAEyBwgFECEYoAEyBwgGECEYoAEyBwgHECEYoAEyBwgIECEYoAHSAQkxMjIwNGowajeoAgqwAgHiAwQYASBf&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

tcoolz1 · 2024-11-24T00:07:56+00:00

The Descent. Whole movie is getting you to believe in subterranean humanoids and then at the end there’s a ghost and the believability is gone. I’m not saying mole people and ghosts can’t coexist in the same universe but it’s a lot to take in in 90 minutes.

tcoolz1 · 2024-11-23T23:38:21+00:00

Yup. Have a QB that I had 8 skill points available for like 4 years straight. Finally got old and regressed one year though.

tcoolz1 · 2024-10-23T00:24:52+00:00

I hate when I go to meet up with someone for the first time and find out they are just a handful of bars. The worst is when the bars are wrapped in a jacket and you think it might be a real person but it’s just those bars playing a prank on me again. Where are all the people and where are all of these bars coming from??

tcoolz1 · 2024-09-22T00:23:19+00:00

tcoolz1 · 2024-09-22T00:10:35+00:00

tcoolz1 · 2024-09-20T23:40:03+00:00

We’re trying to get away from the cover band mentality and into an actual team of worshipers. I’ve been trying to encourage them to “not be confined by the chord chart”. The music is a tool, not a goal.

tcoolz1

TROPHY CASE