How to Read the Room Before You Lead It & Create Real Connection w/ Citizens

Ever been on stage and felt like the room just wasn’t with you?  In this conversation, Zach Bolen from Citizens reveals the secret to creating real connection, even when the room feels flat. He shares how to read the room before you lead it, what to do when energy feels off, and why authenticity always engages people more than hype.  We also unpack how Citizens learned to make every show feel like a conversation, not a performance.   Whether you’re leading worship on Sunday or playing a show on tour, this episode will help you connect deeper with any crowd and lead from a place of genuine presence.  Worship Online is your new secret weapon for preparing each week. With detailed song tutorials and resources, you and your team will save hours every single week, and remove the stress from preparing for a set. Try a free trial at WorshipOnline.com and see the transformation!   Mentioned in the Episode  Citizens’ New Release  ---  If you like what you hear, please leave us a review! Also, shoot us an e-mail at [email protected]. We want to know how we can better serve you and your church through this podcast.  Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE 2-week subscription to Worship Online at WorshipOnline.com!  The Worship Online Podcast is produced by Worship Online in Nashville, TN. 

Ever feel like Sunday comes around way too fast? You love leading worship, but some weeks it feels more like a routine than a calling.  In this episode, pop artist and worship leader Claire Leslie shares the secret to staying passionate in worship every single week. From leading since age 14 to now performing songs like Passenger Seat and Light Up, Claire’s learned how to keep her heart burning in both the church and the pop world.  You’ll discover how Friday night shows are giving her fresh perspective for Sunday mornings, why authenticity matters more than perfection, and the simple practices she uses to reignite her joy for worship even in the repetition.  If you’ve ever felt stuck in the motions, this episode will help you rediscover why you started leading in the first place—and how to keep that fire alive.  Worship Online is your new secret weapon for preparing each week. With detailed song tutorials and resources, you and your team will save hours every single week, and remove the stress from preparing for a set. Try a free trial at WorshipOnline.com and see the transformation! Mentioned in the Episode  New Music from Claire Leslie  ---  If you like what you hear, please leave us a review! Also, shoot us an e-mail at [email protected]. We want to know how we can better serve you and your church through this podcast.  Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE 2-week subscription to Worship Online at WorshipOnline.com!  The Worship Online Podcast is produced by Worship Online in Nashville, TN. 

It's no secret that there is a lot of division and unrest in culture right now. So what do you do when your congregation walks in carrying the weight of division and unrest?  Chris Tomlin shares what it’s like to lead when everything feels chaotic. After 30 years of ministry, he's watching something unprecedented happen in churches—people are hungry for something that transcends the chaos.  You'll Hear: • Why "The King Is Still The King" is perfectly timed for this moment  • The hymn Chris is using to end every service that carries breakthrough  • Anchoring your congregation when everything feels unstable  • What Chris is seeing in churches nationwide that gives him hope  Chris says: "People are looking for people to lead out and to be bold because people are hungry." Your congregation needs this kind of anchored leadership right now.  Listen now to hear all about what Chris is seeing, leading worship around America right now   Worship Online is your new secret weapon for preparing each week. With detailed song tutorials and resources, you and your team will save hours every single week, and remove the stress from preparing for a set. Try a free trial at WorshipOnline.com and see the transformation!   Mentioned in the Episode  Chris Tomlin’s New Release  ---  If you like what you hear, please leave us a review! Also, shoot us an e-mail at [email protected]. We want to know how we can better serve you and your church through this podcast.  Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE 2-week subscription to Worship Online at WorshipOnline.com!  The Worship Online Podcast is produced by Worship Online in Nashville, TN. 

Being a pastor's kid means everyone knows your family - and everyone has expectations.  Jenn Chenoweth lived this reality. As the oldest pastor's kid, she was always at church, always watched, always expected to be the "perfect daughter."   "I oftentimes felt I was put in positions I wasn't ready for when I was really young," Jenn shares. "I felt a lot of pressure at the church from people to be the perfect child."  In this conversation, learn:  What it's really like growing up in the church spotlight  How pastor's kids navigate impossible expectations from childhood  Why the phrase "you don't have to live under the pressure" set her free  The real struggles behind the "perfect pastor's family" image  Whether you're a pastor's kid, ministry family member, or know someone who is - this conversation reveals the hidden challenges and offers real hope.  "You don't have to live under the pressure. The pressure exists for sure... but you can choose not to live under the pressure."  Worship Online is your new secret weapon for preparing each week. With detailed song tutorials and resources, you and your team will save hours every single week, and remove the stress from preparing for a set. Try a free trial at WorshipOnline.com and see the transformation!   Mentioned in the Episode New Release from Jenn Chenoweth  ---  If you like what you hear, please leave us a review! Also, shoot us an e-mail at [email protected]. We want to know how we can better serve you and your church through this podcast.  Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE 2-week subscription to Worship Online at WorshipOnline.com!  The Worship Online Podcast is produced by Worship Online in Nashville, TN. 

"The human heart wasn't built for notoriety."  That’s what counselor Al Andrews told Drew Holcomb after 20 years of working with musicians. For Ellie, this truth became painfully real.  Ellie Gets Real About:  The terrifying thought that hit her during a sold-out show  How crowds can become weapons against those closest to you  You'll Discover:  Al Andrews' game-changing insight about recognition and the human heart  The simple weekly habit her dad practiced before every service to keep his heart grounded and free from pride The dangerous comparison trap that success can create  How to be authentic without losing your sacred space  Essential for Anyone Who’s Felt:  The weight of being watched in ministry  Torn between public recognition and private relationships  Pressure to have it all together on stage  All this leads to a question we have for you: How do you protect your heart in the spotlight?  Worship Online is your new secret weapon for preparing each week. With detailed song tutorials and resources, you and your team will save hours every single week, and remove the stress from preparing for a set. Try a free trial at WorshipOnline.com and see the transformation!   Mentioned in the Episode  Ellie’s New Release  ---  If you like what you hear, please leave us a review! Also, shoot us an e-mail at [email protected]. We want to know how we can better serve you and your church through this podcast.  Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE 2-week subscription to Worship Online at WorshipOnline.com!  The Worship Online Podcast is produced by Worship Online in Nashville, TN. 

What if there's a biblical practice many of us dismissively chuckle about, that could actually strengthen your leadership and protect your team? In this revealing conversation with CXMMXNS songwriters Reuben Morgan and Ben Fielding, we uncover a spiritual discipline that the Western church has largely abandoned. While most leaders are grinding harder and pushing through, Reuben and Ben share what they've discovered about a counterintuitive approach that's helping them steward songs reaching millions while staying grounded in local church ministry.  From the hidden traps of ministry success to the ancient church rhythms we've forgotten, this conversation will challenge your assumptions about productivity, spiritual maturity, and what it really means to follow Jesus' model of leadership.  This episode might make you rethink your entire approach to sustainable ministry.  Worship Online is your new secret weapon for preparing each week. With detailed song tutorials and resources, you and your team will save hours every single week, and remove the stress from preparing for a set. Try a free trial at WorshipOnline.com and see the transformation!   Mentioned in the Episode  New Release from CXMMXNS  ---  If you like what you hear, please leave us a review! Also, shoot us an e-mail at [email protected]. We want to know how we can better serve you and your church through this podcast.  Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE 2-week subscription to Worship Online at WorshipOnline.com!  The Worship Online Podcast is produced by Worship Online in Nashville, TN.

Ever feel like you're juggling a million things as a worship leader and wondering how to make it all sustainable?  Paul & Hannah McClure share their journey of leading worship at Bethel for eight years while balancing touring, family, and team leadership. They get real about the moment Paul stepped down—not from burnout, but from wisdom.  Paul unpacks how they shifted from trying to be the answer for everyone to building a pastoral care system that actually works, and why "ministry is a marathon, not a sprint" changed everything.  Here's what they learned: Passionate leaders don't have to choose between impact and longevity. The best leaders create systems that multiply their influence while protecting what matters most.  Ready to build a ministry that thrives for decades? This conversation is packed with practical wisdom for the long haul.  Worship Online is your new secret weapon for preparing each week. With detailed song tutorials and resources, you and your team will save hours every single week, and remove the stress from preparing for a set. Try a free trial at WorshipOnline.com and see the transformation!   Mentioned in the Episode  Paul & Hannah’s New Release  ---  If you like what you hear, please leave us a review! Also, shoot us an e-mail at [email protected]. We want to know how we can better serve you and your church through this podcast.  Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE 2-week subscription to Worship Online at WorshipOnline.com!  The Worship Online Podcast is produced by Worship Online in Nashville, TN. 

Bryan and Katie Torwalt get vulnerable about the tension between natural gifting and discipline, sharing how easy it is to coast on talent instead of truly stewarding what God has given us.   This honest conversation explores the difference between feeling productive and being fruitful, and how discipline in unexpected areas can transform your creativity and ministry.  Worship Online is your new secret weapon for preparing each week. With detailed song tutorials and resources, you and your team will save hours every single week, and remove the stress from preparing for a set. Try a free trial at WorshipOnline.com and see the transformation!   Mentioned in the Episode  Bryan & Katie Torwalt’s New Release  ---  If you like what you hear, please leave us a review! Also, shoot us an e-mail at [email protected]. We want to know how we can better serve you and your church through this podcast.  Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE 2-week subscription to Worship Online at WorshipOnline.com!  The Worship Online Podcast is produced by Worship Online in Nashville, TN.   

Ever feel like you’re more valued for what you do than who you are? Like you’re just a commodity in your local church?  You’re not alone. And honestly—that experience can be incredibly disheartening. Sure, we’d love for leaders to change, but that’s not always realistic. Sometimes the responsibility is on us.  In this conversation, Christy Nockels shares the identity shift that transformed her ministry from burnout to breakthrough. She unpacks:  The “beautiful order” she was getting wrong that led to exhaustion  What led her to feel like a commodity instead of a carrier of God’s presence  What it means to be a modern Levite in today’s church  Here’s the truth: If the primary message you’re hearing is “your value is your gifting,” that’s what you’ll believe. The question is—what are you doing to change that?  Ready to change the soundtrack? This conversation is all about exactly that.  Worship Online is your new secret weapon for preparing each week. With detailed song tutorials and resources, you and your team will save hours every single week, and remove the stress from preparing for a set. Try a free trial at WorshipOnline.com and see the transformation!   Mentioned in the Episode  Christy’s New Release  ---  If you like what you hear, please leave us a review! Also, shoot us an e-mail at [email protected]. We want to know how we can better serve you and your church through this podcast.  Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE 2-week subscription to Worship Online at WorshipOnline.com!  The Worship Online Podcast is produced by Worship Online in Nashville, TN. 

What if the way you structure your worship sets could actually shape how people relate to God?  In this powerful conversation, Brooke Ligertwood reveals the biblical framework she uses for every worship set—whether she's leading at a massive conference or in a tent with a modest sound system.  You'll discover:   The 5-part worship arc that creates "access points" for every person in your congregation   Why songs of "high praise" are more transformative than experience-focused songs   How to pick songs based on your team's actual skill level (not just what sounds good)   The difference between leading from personal experience vs. serving what God is doing in your community   Whether you're leading in a cathedral or a coffee shop, this episode will transform how you approach worship leading and setlist creation.  Worship Online is your new secret weapon for preparing each week. With detailed song tutorials and resources, you and your team will save hours every single week, and remove the stress from preparing for a set. Try a free trial at WorshipOnline.com and see the transformation!   Mentioned in the Episode  Brooke’s Newest Release  ---  If you like what you hear, please leave us a review! Also, shoot us an e-mail at [email protected]. We want to know how we can better serve you and your church through this podcast.  Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE 2-week subscription to Worship Online at WorshipOnline.com!  The Worship Online Podcast is produced by Worship Online in Nashville, TN.