“Jesus Drumming”- by Nick Mcminn

Worship drumming holds a bit of a special place in my heart because it was what started me on kit drumming. I started concert percussion in sixth grade and thought I was decent (I was not). Then, in seventh grade, my youth group back home needed a drummer. I said to myself, “how hard could that be?” The answer? Harder than I thought. Through the rough start and growth I have had as a percussionist, all around, there are several things God has taught me.

Lesson 1: serve above all else.

A lot of times I’ll hear guys at church gigs trying to go crazy with fills, volume, or just playing at inappropriate times. Your role is to serve the song, which translates well to our walks with Christ! Our first thought should be how to serve, not how to be seen.

Lesson 2: fill space.

I have played in groups that were acoustic, keys, and me, extremely bare bones. I have also played in groups that had click tracks in, pads running, and ten people on the stage; in both scenarios, you must find ways to fill space and make the song full. In this regard, I have always found that simple does it. All this to say that we contribute by being the heartbeat for the group. We can either make or break a song depending on how we attack it. So, like in our walk with Christ, our first thought must be to serve.