One of the greatest things you can do as a worship leader is to encourage yourself and learn from other worship leaders. Just as the instructions for handling an emergency situation in an airplane require parents to grab the oxygen first so they’ll be able to then take care of their children, worship leaders must first be connected to God as their source of life and leadership.
And one of the easiest avenues of encouragement for worship leaders in 2022 is podcasts. There are many podcasts that are made to equip, encourage, and build up worship leaders as they serve tirelessly each and every week in their local churches.
Here are 10 of our favorite encouraging podcasts for worship leaders!
1) Redman & Riddle Podcast
The Redman & Riddle Podcast, started just this past year by hugely popular worship leaders Matt Redman and Jeremy Riddle, is a real and raw source of encouragement for any worship leader. And while encouraging, it will also prove to be a challenging listen, as Matt and Jeremy even challenge their own ways of doing things against the ultimate standard of what’s fit to be done in worship for our most holy God.
With combined perspectives from Matt’s years of being considered a father in the worship ministry world, and Jeremy’s passionate, wild abandonment that has inspired so many worshippers, this podcast is a must-listen.
2) Worship Circle Podcast
The Worship Circle Podcast is a part of the Worship Circle ministry, started by Todd Fields. Todd Fields spent years as the worship pastor at North Point Church in Atlanta, Georgia under pastor Andy Stanley, and is now dedicated to building up other worship leaders through training, resourcing, and mentoring.
Worship Circle as a ministry (and their excellent podcast) is focused on leadership and personal growth– whether it be encouraging young worship leaders and equipping them with what they need to be successful in their calling or providing spaces of rest and revitalization for more seasoned worship leaders.
3) Hillsong Creative
There’s probably not a church you could be a part of that hasn’t been touched in some way by the hugely influential worship ministry of Hillsong Church in Australia. Hillsong has brought up worship leaders like Darlene Zschech (now with her own ministry at Hope UC), Brooke Frasier, and Joel Houston, and songs like “Shout to the Lord,” “What a Beautiful Name,” and “Mighty to Save,” along with a few hundred more.
There’s no shortage of knowledge, inspiration, and encouragement for worship leaders that can be gleaned from what God has done over the years at Hillsong. And luckily for all of us, the leaders at Hillsong are great at sharing their wisdom through annual conferences for creatives, a full-blown worship college, and resources like the Hillsong Creative Podcast.
4) Worship Artistry Podcast
Another really fun, interesting, and encouraging podcast for worship leaders is the Worship Artistry Podcast. Having spent years instructing worship musicians and equipping worship teams with resources to grow in their craft, Jason Houtsma (guitar instructor and worship leader) and Daniel Ornellas (producer, bass player for worship bands including Tree63, and bass instructor) bring inspiration and teachable experience to the table in every episode of this podcast.
If you’re looking to expand your musical knowledge and also just hear from people that are doing what you do as a worship leader in various capacities all over the world, the Worship Artistry Podcast is a great listen, and a great resource to add to your collection.
5) Jonathan & Melissa Helser Podcast
A powerhouse couple in the worship world, Jonathan & Melissa Helser come together to pour out wisdom and leadership with incredibly humble and earnest hearts on their Jonathan & Melissa Helser Podcast. With a mantra of the “18 Inch Journey” from the head to the heart (also a ministry of theirs), everything you hear from these worship leaders will be good and encouraging food for the soul.
Having the authority that comes with writing songs like “No Longer Slaves” and “Raise a Hallelujah” that are now anthems for the Church all over the world, Jonathan and Melissa contagiously express their hearts for pure and authentic worship in these podcast episodes which are true to their small roots in the woods of North Carolina.
6) Worship Together
Worship Together, a division of the Capitol Christian Music Group record label, has been a resource for worship leaders and worship teams for a long time. And on the Worship Together Podcast, you’ll get to hear some of your favorite worship artists discuss all aspects of leading worship, whether on the road or at their own local churches.
It’s great and encouraging for worship leaders to hear from others who are doing the same thing around the world. For getting a pulse on what God is doing in worship music and also being connected with resources like chord charts and song tutorial videos, you can’t beat the Worship Together website and podcast.
7) Jesus Culture Podcast
For the worship leader interested in growing in not only their leadership but also their personal relationship with Jesus, check out the Jesus Culture Podcast with Banning Liebscher. Banning is the lead pastor of Jesus Culture, a movement and now a church in Sacramento, California.
Jesus Culture is well known for shaping much of the sound of modern worship music. Some of their early recordings, like the groundbreaking video of “How He Loves” by Kim Walker-Smith, have influenced worship leaders and worshippers around the world.
8) The Worship Initiative Podcast
One of the greatest resources for worship leaders of the past several years is The Worship Initiative. Supply chord charts, instructional how-to-play song videos, and even multi-track recordings, this one stop shop for many church worship teams was created by well-known worship leaders Shane & Shane (Shane Barnard and Shane Everett) with a heart to bring excellence and purity together.
The Worship Initiative Podcast is no disappointment in providing the same resourcing by way of encouragement and perspectives, practical worship leading discussions, and useful exercises like vocal warm-ups.
9) Worship Central Podcast
The Worship Central Podcast is put together by the excellent team at the UK-based worship ministry, Worship Central. With worship leaders like Tim Hughes (writer of “Here I Am to Worship”) as a part of their team, there’s a wealth of knowledge available on their podcast episodes.
Worship leaders all over the world will benefit from hearing the leaders of Worship Central speak on character, creativity, songwriting, and letting the Holy Spirit move in worship sets, as just a few of the topics they’ve covered.
10) Beyond Sunday Worship Leader Podcast
Worship leader David Stantistevan interviews worship artists like Dante Bowe, Kari Jobe, and Red Rocks Worship on his Beyond Sunday Worship Leader Podcast. Having a more general platform with his Beyond Sunday theme for broader aspects of church leadership and ministry, his worship leader-directed podcast has hugely helpful content for the entire creative process of worship leading.
As pastors and leaders, it’s important for worship leaders to be encouraged to operate in their anointing and authority as they lead. This podcast sheds light on what this process looks like for many worship leaders who are making a global impact. The episodes are filled with material we can all glean from as we seek to build and create in our local churches.
We hope these ten encouraging podcasts for worship leaders will supply you with much wisdom, creativity, and food for thought as you seek to lead your worship ministry and community well. Whether you need inspiration and encouragement going into a new season, or you’ve been sailing along in your current rhythm for a long time, or anywhere in between, these podcasts are a great start at breathing in fresh air that will feed your creative soul!
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