Hi, I’m Dave Dolphin.

Even before it had a name, Practical Worship started as an idea in the late 90s as the style of worship was changing. Worship bands with organs and orchestrations were starting to find themselves with drums and electric guitars.

And I noticed one thing. There were a ton of resources to help worship ministry leaders understand and navigate the spiritual side of leading worship. But there was a lack in practical resources, especially in this new style of methodology with modern music.

How do you arrange a song where the drums and electric guitar drive it, but all you’re given is a lyric sheet with chords above the words? How do you get the audio mix to sound full and punchy but not let the drums take over the room?

There weren’t a lot of practical resources for worship leaders. So I set out to create one. First it was a Twitter account. I was also going to publish a book (that never actually happened).

But on September 8, 2012 I uploaded my first YouTube video on how to use tracks in a worship service. I wasn’t even a full-time vocational worship pastor at the time. I eventually would be after traveling the US with other artists running sound and playing drums and also holding jobs in radio and media production.

I’m currently the worship pastor at Cherokee Hills Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, my second church to have the chance to lead a thriving worship ministry. And as I learn things along the way, I have a passion to share those ideas, tips and practical advice with you.

We get started in worship ministry because we can sing. We enjoy music, and we love being a part of what God does through worship. But we soon realize there’s a bunch of extra things that come along with it. You’re expected to be a jack of all trades and the person that has to do it all.

Practical Worship was created to be a source of resources to help make you a well-rounded worship ministry leader.