SIMPLY WORSHIP is a dynamic training designed to equip you and your team with the essentials for effective ministry. We'll explore the definition and heart of worship, what is means to be a worship leader, how to strategically assess your church's unique context and talents, how to build a healthy song bank, and the wealth of resources available to empower your worship team. No matter the congregation's size or style, learn to have a more effective music ministry in the modern church landscape.

Date: September 20th

Location: Kingfisher FBC ConNEXTion Building

Address: 1340 S 13th St, Kingfisher, OK 73750

Time: 10AM- 4:30PM

Cost: FREE

Session Leaders

Dr. Doug Matlock

Doug Matlock serves as the Worship Pastor at First Baptist Church in Ada, Oklahoma. He loves Jesus. He and his wife, Courtney, have been married since 2003 and have three daughters. Doug has over 20 years of ministry experience, including roles as a youth pastor, college and media pastor, denominational discipleship leader, and discipleship and worship pastor. His initial experience in leading worship began during his time as a student, with guidance and encouragement from leaders in his local church. He holds a Master of Divinity from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is dedicated to leading followers of Jesus to see the truth of worship as more than the songs we sing on Sundays, but rather it is our response to God’s glory and authority. His greatest passion is serving others and helping them grow in their relationships with Christ.

Session Topics:

Defining Worship: Examining the biblical meaning of worship and how that builds a foundation for worship ministry.

Leading Worship: A worship leader is more than a music leader. Working from the biblical meaning of worship, what does it mean to be a worship leader in the local church?

Drew  McElhaney

Drew McElhaney is the Youth and Music Minister at First Baptist Hennessey. A follower of Jesus for 21 years, he has served in local churches for the past 15 years, beginning with leading his youth group's worship team at age 16. His experience includes serving on music teams at Chisholm Heights Baptist Church, First Baptist Laverne, and currently at First Baptist Hennessey, where he has contributed through instrumental performance, vocal participation, and worship leadership. He is passionate about fostering congregational engagement in the worship of Jesus and recognizes the vital role of an effective worship team in achieving this. He is eager to learn and share new methods for leading churches to fully engage in meaningful Biblical worship.

Session Topic:

Building a healthy congregational song bank - There are very powerful questions to consider when choosing music for your congregation. This session will give you some tools designed to help make those decisions. The goal is to glorify God and help the congregation better enter into worship with us.  We will discuss questions like: Is this song biblical? Is this song/arrangement singable? What are the requirements for this piece, and can our team accomplish them? Finally, does this song fit in our current song bank?

John Lovett

John Lovett has served as the worship pastor at First Baptist Crescent for 27 years. During his tenure, he led the church through a (sometimes rocky) transition from traditional hymnody accompanied by piano and organ to a dynamic contemporary worship style blended with timeless faith. He is known for his community involvement, dedication to the church, love for the Lord, and commitment to cultivating a spirit of worship. His leadership has influenced the church's worship practices and encouraged deeper spiritual connections within the congregation.

Session Topic:

Resourcing Worship - Join us for an inspiring Modern Worship Seminar designed to equip worship leaders, musicians, and church teams with the tools and insights needed to create meaningful, contemporary worship experiences. One of our standout sessions, “Exploring Available Resources,” dives into the wealth of innovative tools at your fingertips—from cutting-edge worship software and online platforms and multimedia enhancements. Whether you’re looking to refresh your setlists, streamline service planning, or engage your congregation in new ways, this session will guide you through practical, accessible solutions that fit any church size or budget. Come discover how to harness these resources to elevate your worship ministry and connect with your community like never before!

Panel Discussion Session:

Assessing Worship - To become better at anything requires careful assessment and evaluation. Musical worship is no different. In this breakout, we will ask questions like: How do you evaluate a worship service? What evaluative markers does the Bible gives us? What songs are part of your repertoire and why? Who in your church are you involving in worship? What are you doing to equip your music team to serve well? How are you spiritually investing in your team? And more! This breakout will be a mixture of up-front teaching and group conversation. You will have opportunities to talk together with your worship team, and even with other churches, as you seek to properly evaluate WHERE your church is NOW, so you can clearly see where God is leading you in the future.