Book: The Worship Leader's Handbook: Practical Answers to Tough Questions

Ron Rienstra

Tom Kraeuter. Lynnwood, Wash.: Emerald Books/Training Resources, 1997. 157 pp. $9.00. 1-888-333-1724.

Tom Kraeuter, author of at least five books on leading worship, offers advice borne of Bible study and personal experience arranged in an easy-to-use Question and Answer format. He asks

good questions and sometimes gives good, practical answers. (Q: “How can I worship more instead of concentrating on the musical mechanics?” A: Practice more.) But sometimes his answers are not so good and other times he just dodges altogether the tough questions he’s posed. For example, his bottom-line response to the crucial question of whether or not worship should follow a biblical pattern is: “There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Pray for the Lord’s guidance and He will lead you.” Readers can find some helpful guidance on these pages—but not on every page.

Rev. Dr. Ron Rienstra has been a regular contributor to Reformed Worship over the years. He is the director of worship life and professor of preaching and worship arts at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. He is an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America , author of Church at Church, and coauthor with his wife, Debra, of Worship Words: Discipling Language for Faithful Ministry. Together they have three grown children, a multiplicity of living-room instruments, and a tame backyard they are slowly rewilding.