Do you ever pour countless hours into rehearsing and perfecting your worship set, only to step off the stage feeling spiritually empty? If you’re nodding, you’re not alone. Many worship leaders and Christian creatives sense a deep hunger – a feeling that, despite the musical excellence, something is missing. We often strive for flawless performances, yet our souls (and sometimes our congregations) remain disconnected. You can hit every note perfectly and still miss the point of worship if your heart isn’t in tune.
When Excellence Isn’t Enough
It’s easy to focus on sound, arrangements, and vocal precision, inadvertently neglecting the spiritual preparation that undergirds true worship. Week after week, leaders pour energy into music while their own hearts run on empty. The result? A service that might impress ears but not impact hearts. Worship leading is about more than music; it’s about a relationship with God and the people you lead. Without cultivating that relationship, even the best musical performance can feel hollow. If you’ve ever felt like you’re just “going through the motions” or struggled with a sense of disconnection on Sunday morning, this session is designed to refresh and refocus you.
Beyond Songwriting and Sound
“Preparing for Worship: Cultivating Connection and Engagement” – Cherri Bornman’s breakout session at The Well Creatives Conference differs from your typical music workshop. It’s not about writing the next hit song, mastering instrumentation, or polishing your stage presentation. It’s about becoming a worshiper first – a leader who carries God’s presence, exercises spiritual discernment, and leads with maturity and heart. Cherri will guide us in shifting from performance to presence, teaching how to lead worship out of the overflow of a personal walk with God. This is about learning to shepherd your congregation, engage with what the Holy Spirit is doing in the moment, and foster genuine connection rather than just putting on a great show.
What You’ll Walk Away With
Attendees of this session will gain both practical tools and spiritual encouragement to enrich their worship leading:
- Setlist Crafting & Flow: How to prayerfully curate song sets and transitions that invite engagement and follow the Spirit’s lead.
- Scripture & Prayer Integration: Tips for weaving Scripture and spontaneous prayer into your worship set, so that God’s Word and voice remain central.
- Shepherding in Worship: Guidance on pastoring your team and congregation through a worship experience – caring for hearts, not just leading songs.
- Leading from Surrender: Encouragement to lead from a posture of humility and surrender, where it’s not about performing for applause but offering your gifts to God.
- Growing in Discernment: Insights on developing an ear for the Holy Spirit’s promptings, so you can discern when to linger, when to speak, or when to move to the next song.
An Invitation to Deeper Worship
Cherri Bornman brings over 30 years of worship ministry experience to the table. After all those years, she still insists that deep spiritual preparation is the most important part of leading worship. She has seen that when a worship leader ministers from an intimate connection with God, it can ignite a fire in the congregation that no amount of slick production can manufacture. With a warm, devotional approach, Cherri will help you rekindle your first love for worship ministry – to not just play music, but to pray through your music; to not just lead songs, but to lead people into God’s presence.
This session is more than a class – it’s a chance for your soul to be refreshed as you learn. So if you’re longing to go from feeling dry to overflowing, from just performing to truly engaging, join Cherri at The Well Conference. Come ready to be encouraged, challenged, and equipped to cultivate a deeper connection with God and those you lead. I hope to see you at The Well!
