Gifts for Worship Leaders and Worship Team Members | 2020

Christmas Gifts for Worship Leaders, Or Gifts for Any Time of Year

Whether or not it’s a holiday, like Christmas, it’s always a good time to appreciate your church’s worship leader and worship team.

There’s a good chance most or all your worship leaders and team are volunteers — paid nothing all year, and likely investing their own money into their service.

So once in a while, it’s nice to give something of monetary value.

Luckily, gifts for worship leaders and worship team members aren’t hard to find.

Give What They’re Interested In — Not Necessarily Related to Worship

As a worship leader, the most appreciated gifts don’t necessarily have to do with worship. After all, everyone knows who leads worship or plays an instrument. Not everyone knows the worship leader’s or team member’s other interests.

So if you want to make it a special gift, give something that will meet a special need or want of that individual — not always having to do with worship.

For example, your church’s worship leader obviously could use some sets of guitar strings or a new effects pedal. But say he’s also a big outdoorsman. What better gift than an expensive pair of hiking boots he would never buy himself?

So, the possibilities are endless here. As endless as the worship leader’s interests.

Still, there might be worship-specific items you’d like to give.

I suggest skipping the cheesy Etsy items like wall plaques and Christian t-shirts (can t-shirts be Christians?) and go for practical, useful stuff worshipers can use. So here we go!

Gifts for Worship Leaders and Team Members

Coresound Worship Pads. This is the number one gift you can give any worship leader to take their leading to the next level. Worship pads are layers of sound that sit underneath the band to give it a fuller, more professional sound. They smooth out transitions, and make everyone sound better. Almost no technical experience is needed. Simply play the MP3 files from any smartphone, tablet, or computer. Right now, you can get 20% off pads by using promo code DEEPER at this link. For a more in-depth explanation of pads, see my Complete Guide to Using Worship Pads.

 

Boss TU3 Guitar tuner pedal. For the guitar-playing worship leader, this is a must-have. The Boss TU3 rests on the ground. When the user taps the pedal, it cuts sound to the soundboard. That means the guitarists can tune without the congregation hearing the annoying plucking sound. Plus, it’s easy to see to tune when standing up.

 

 

Fishman ToneDEQ Acoustic Guitar Effects Pedal. Gift the gift of unbeatable guitar sound for the worship leader who primarily uses acoustic guitar. This pedal “beefs up” the sound that an acoustic guitar can produce on its own. It boosts signal so the sound staff are happy. It makes just about any acoustic guitar sound like you paid 10 times as much for it. It’s that good. If you want to blow the socks off of your worship leader, this is the right gift. See my full review here.

 

Monster instrument cable. Monster is the Cadillac (or if you’re a youngster, Tesla) of instrument cables. There’s nothing worse than showing up on a Sunday morning and realizing your guitar cable is dead or crackling. That’s not likely to EVER happen with a Monster cable. And if it does, there’s a lifetime warranty on everything Monster. So your worship leader or team member can simply get a new replacement cable if it ever dies. Get at least a 12-footer.

 

Vox Headphone Personal Practice Amp. This is the perfect gift for any electric guitar player, especially ones with a family or who live in an apartment! This device gives the sensation of playing LOUD through an amp — but the one playing is the only one who can hear it. Even better, you can plug a phone into the AUX port and play along to any song. I use this like crazy when I’m practicing to play lead guitar for worship. My family doesn’t have to hear me play lead lines ad nauseum, and I get the real feel of playing with the band. This isn’t only a great gift — it’s a must-have for any electric guitar player.

 

Electric guitar strings. Guitar-playing worship team members can always use strings. My favorite electric strings are Earnie Ball 10-46 (this is the string size). A word of caution, though. Guitar players are pretty particular about their strings, and options are endless. You might want to do some investigative work to find out his or her favorites before buying.

 

 

Acoustic guitar strings. Again, find out your worship guitarist’s favorite kind of acoustic strings before buying. My favorites are Dean Markley Blue Steel. They sound great on my Taylor and Larrivee guitars.

 

 

 

Foldable guitar stand. Guitar stands are mostly awkward and annoying when you have to pack them up. Not the Ultimate GS100. It telescopes down and folds up into a compact unit. It easily fits into a gig bag for transport. No guitar player should be without one of these.

 

 

Digital Voice Recorder. If your worship leader also writes music, he or she might appreciate a voice recorder. These devices provide a way to capture snippets of songs on the fly. The songwriter can go back later and develop ideas. Many beginning songwriters simply use a smartphone app, however, this might come in handy for those getting more serious about writing worship music.

 

Vocal Artistry Training CDs. These CDs are an absolute game changer for any singer. Vocal coach Tim Carson publishes a variety of training CDs for men and women, based on scientific research and real-world experience. I personally use these CDs on my commute the week before I lead worship to strengthen my voice. This has been the #1 tool I’ve ever had to improve my voice for worship leading. Click here to check out the store.

Spotify. Okay here’s the deal. Your worship leader doesn’t have enough money to go buy every new worship album that comes out. Luckily, just about every worship album is on Spotify. This is a music subscription service with which your worship leader will have access to just about any music out there. This has been the #1 tool for song discovery I’ve ever known. At just $10 per month, you can’t go wrong. Prepay a year of a Spotify subscription for your worship leader and just watch the new song inspiration roll into your church. Check out Spotify here.

Planning Center Services. If your worship leader isn’t already using Planning Center, he or she is in for a treat. This software is the top organizational tool out today. It makes scheduling and communication with worship teams an absolute breeze. No more last-minute texts or emails trying to fill spaces on the worship team. The software allows team members to block out dates, reject invitations to play (hopefully ahead of time) and see when they are scheduled months in advance. Stress be gone. Check out Planning Center here.

 

Worship Leader Magazine. This magazine is one of the few directly aiming to sharpen the skills of the worship leader. For only $25 per year, your worship leader or worship team members get news about what’s happening in the world of worship music, tips from top-tier worship leaders, expert interviews, and more. This is another “can’t-go-wrong” kinds of gifts.

Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin. This book is a must-read for any worship leader. It’s a classic among the many good books about worship leading. It teaches the reader how to base worship on biblical principles instead of the latest trends — which can be divisive. A good read for the one leading your congregation into worship every Sunday!

 

Voice elixers. There are all sorts of vocal sprays and remedies out there. Honestly, I’ve never tried any of them, so I don’t have any to recommend. What’s worked for me is good ol’ fashioned hot liquids. Anything with honey and lemon in it is good. For me, it’s not about what’s in the drink, but that it’s warm. Hot liquids are great for the voice.

 

 

Coffee. Speaking of hot liquids, my favorite pre-worship drink is fully-caffeinated black coffee. There’s an ongoing debate about how caffeine affects the voice. But it’s only helped me. So Starbucks coffee grounds, K-cups, gift card are great gift ideas — as long as the worship leader or team member is getting black coffee or espresso. Drinks with dairy and sugar ARE actually bad for the voice.

More Worship Leader Gift Ideas

For even more ideas, see The Gear I Use for Worship. It’s a comprehensive guide on what helps me perform to the best of my abilities as a worship leader.

Full disclosure: This website makes money if you purchase items via some of the links on this page. But you aren’t charged extra. You can support your worship leader and this website at the same time!

Have Fun!

You can (and should) have a lot of fun making your worship team or worship leader feel appreciated. It truly is more enjoyable to really surprise someone with a special gift than to receive one. Take this opportunity to remind your leader and team that they are appreciated and recognized for their hard work week in and week out.

Featured image: Annie Spratt / Unsplash