Terry,

I thought I had replied to this post but I don't see evidence of it.

I can't bring any advice about MIDI setup and what not. You're in great hands with the advice already given.

I would like to challenge you to think of your situation from a different angle.

I have led worship in many different situations - some with success, and others without, earlier in my life.

There's what I would call a trap in leading worship. Please don't think of it as a performance. That's the trap.

Here's one very concise definition of worship I read in a magazine long ago and I constantly go back to it whenever I'm called to lead worship, or when I hear people complaining about worship at their church.

Wrong Definition:

God is the Prompter
Congregation is the Audience
Worship leader/team are the Performers

Right Definition:

God is the Audience
Congregation are the Performers
Worship leader/team are the Prompters

No matter what style of music or spoken word is being used - when people get that definition mixed up and think that it's the first definition, that's when problems occur with hurt feelings, 'I don't like that kind of music' attitudes, etc.

Worship is not about us - whether we are the leaders or the congregation. It is an offering to God. God is the audience.

It should be skillfully played. That's scriptural. Doesn't say what kind of music or how you go about it.

Your other option with limited instrumentalists is simply to 'Run what you brung'. If that means it's just you and a piano or guitar - then that's what you use. Skillfully played, as an offering. K.I.S.S. principle applies here as well.

There's a good chance the technology 'solution' might actually be a distraction to some in your congregation and accomplish exactly the opposite of what your goal should be - engaging your congregation in offering a gift of worship to God.

If you do decide to go a technology route, then you probably need to practice how to run that by yourself so it is completely unnoticeable to the congregation. It should be a smooth as a one-handed capo change on a guitar, or a simple preset change on a keyboard between songs. You should be able to talk or sing naturally while going through song changes, repeats of song sections, etc. No fumbling with buttons and mouse movements, menu picks, volume adjustments, etc.

You should be engaged with the congregation, not your sheet music, your computer, your CD player, etc.

Well, that's it from me - I just wanted to offer you a little different perspective on what your real solution might be.

-Scott

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